Berger VLD VS Accubond

[ntrl_brn_rebel]

I was just wanting to hear some opinions on the Berger VLD vs. the Accubond for hunting (deer and elk).
I know without a doubt, the accubond will kill very effectivley at all distances with 1000 ft/lbs energy..... but what makes me want to shoot the Berger VLD is the Ballistic Coefficient of .556 vs the .507 Accubond. I am hesitent to shoot The VLD becuase of some stories I have heard involving the bullet exploding at close range (under 400 yds) resulting in lots of wounded animals. I just wanted to hear some opinions, horror stories, etc, etc. Just no hearsay, first hand hunting experiences please.

I will be shooting a .300 R.U.M. at 3200 FPS and will look to be shooting up to a 1000 yds.

THANKS AHEAD OF TIME!!

[Broz]

I use the accubonds too and like them for some rifles depending on it's use. But for hunting that may include a long range shot over 600 yards I really prefer the Bergers for the same reason you mentioned. As for the exploding at ranges below 400. Don't tell the Elk in my signature this, or the two axis, nice Muley, two whitetails, Black Buck or Aoudad Ram I took with them all in 2007. I can honestly say to you, the VLD's have served me with out fail and I have never tracked anything I used them on.

Jeff

[Michael Eichele]

Concider the 200 ACCUBOND. It has a meen BC of .588 and is heck on bigger game like elk and moose. It has a bigger sectional density than the 180's and can still be driven to 3100-3200 FPS in a 300 RUM. Alot of guys here like the 200 AB in this caliber, including myself. I dont use them in my current barrel because my barrel just does not like them but this is the excpetion NOT the rule. Most 300 RUM barrels will love the 200 AB so long as the twist is 12x or faster.

Recently I am leaning towards the Barnes TTSX. I am getting an average of .5 MOA accuracy at distance with better than published BC's. I am getting .514 from the TTSX and .486 from the TSX. I have also learned recently that they open up at lower velocities than I had previously thought. A bit under 1800 FPS on tissue. For me and my needs it is looking like the cats meow.

[longrangefreek]

I have shot both 180 grn accubonds and the 185 grn berger VLD's. they are both great bullets. I shoot the bergers more now than the noslers. the berger's performance has been fantastic, and nothing I have shot has got back up at any range. one shot dead. they hit so hard I cannot even discribe it. my oppinions of both are great. I have both brands in my reloading stash.

I have never had a bad berger and never a bad Nosler. either one will do the job. Personal preferance and satisfaction differs from one person to the next, but I feel you can't go wrong with any of those two choices.

[phorwath]

Originally Posted by Broz

I use the accubonds too and like them for some rifles depending on it's use. But for hunting that may include a long range shot over 600 yards I really prefer the Bergers for the same reason you mentioned. As for the exploding at ranges below 400. Don't tell the Elk in my signature this, or the two axis, nice Muley, two whitetails, Black Buck or Aoudad Ram I took with them all in 2007. I can honestly say to you, the VLD's have served me with out fail and I have never tracked anything I used them on.

Jeff

ntrl_brn_rebel:

Why not use both?

These are the two bullets I carry and use in the field, provided I can get an accurate load for long-range shots with the Berger VLDs. The Nosler ABs are chambered and carried in the magazine for shots from the muzzle out to 4-600 yds. The Bergers are chambered in place of the ABs for the really long stuff.

The advantage to the Bergers: higher BCs to reduce wind drift, and to maintain the highest possible impact velocities (to help ensure on-game bullet expansion).

The Nosler Accubond is a very dependable bullet for shots from the muzzle out to 4-600 yds, where retained velocity is more than adequate to ensure on-game bullet expansion. Accuracy requirements aren't as critical at these closer ranges, and it's relatively easy to develop an accurate Accubond load sufficient for the close to mid-range shots.

If a really long shot presents itself, you'll almost always have plenty of time to swap the Bergers into the chamber. In fact, I load the VLDs single shot style when engaging long range and it's never been a handicap.

I spend 80% of my hunting load work-up time in an effort to perfect the long range load. The other 20% is developing an adequate closer range bullet/load, and almost any bullet will be accurate enough for the closer shots.

Sounds like Broz has been proving the Berger VLDs capable at closer ranges too.

[BigUglyMan]

My tame gunsmith is a very experienced LR hunter. His procedure is to load one "hard" bullet (usually a Nosler Partition) on the top of a mag full of SMKs in his 338 L-Imp. If something that he wants pops up under 400 yards it gets a Partition behind the shoulder. If it's further away, the logic is that there's enough to unload the NPT and feed an SMK into the chamber. Make the proper adjustments and shoot. Given all the givens, I don't think that's a bad course of action at all and it's one I plan to employ with my 300WM that he just built me (200 NPT on top of a magfull of 190SMK/208 AMax/210 Bergers - whichever shoots best).

[relodermike]

my 300win mag loves the accu-bonds in 200 gr. .5 inch group at 200 yrds. the two elk it has taken did not . recovered bullets had mushroomed out great!!
i will be trying the bergers in my 7mag as soon as the make some more.