Berger VLD on short range?

[wadevb1]

I exchanged some emails with Walt Berger concerning shooting VLD's with my 300WM. Berger advised I should only use the 155 grain for whitetail size animals. He advised the 168's and up may not expand properly even at medium ranges.

[Cheyenne19]

I shot a whitetail last year under 100yds with a 210vld running a tad over 3000fps. The shock from the bullet broke the opposite side rib cage. The bullet did not exit and the deer never moved, it just fell over on it's side. IMO they work well at close range.

[MontanaRifleman]

You'll find different opinions on this and here is my view. If you go to the Berger site, they describe the expected performance of their bullets. They advertise about 3" pentration followed by shedding 80-90% of bullet wieght. Basically explosive. This can be very effective, but I think it's risky if you make anything other than a lung shot. It's possible that a bullet in the shoulder will explode and not penetrate to vitals. Also, I think they are more damaging to meat. As far as a minumum range? I would probably avoid any range that showed a vel of maybe 2300-2400 fps? Just a guess on my part, bottomline being a velocity that would leave most of the bullet intact. I prefer a tough bullet that stays intact and pentrates flesh and bone, doing a lot of damage and leaving a traumatic wound channel and exit.

Also, a 300WM will get an AB, TSX, E-Tip etc out to about 800-1000yds with performance vel.

Hope that helps

[parothead]

I have shot a couple of Coues deer (very small bodies 100lbs) and a couple elk (450lbs) ranges from 60yds to 200yds. The bullets preformed great. I shoot a 7MM STW 168's and 180's. I.M.O. Bullet placement is still everything no matter what you are shooting.

I am a believer in the bullets long and short yardage.

PH

[MontanaRifleman]

Can you give us any more info and details on your experiences with Bergers? Where did the bullets enter? What did they do? Was there much meat damage?

Bullet placement is very important but so is bullet performance. Sometimes you don't have a lot of flexibility in your shot...you might only get a shoulder shot. There is no way I would shoot a good sized elk or even mulie buck throught the shoulder with a Berger at less than 600 yds... and I wouldn't go much beyond 600 yds for anything other than a lung shot with a berger. But that's just me.

Would you trust a Berger on a shoulder shot?

[LRHWAL]

Originally Posted by Cheyenne19

I shot a whitetail last year under 100yds with a 210vld running a tad over 3000fps. The shock from the bullet broke the opposite side rib cage. The bullet did not exit and the deer never moved, it just fell over on it's side. IMO they work well at close range.

Similar to my experiences with 210's around 2800 fps, even on larger game. I hear the arguments about J4 jackets up close, but I've had no problems. All shots either broadside, or from front angles into chest cavity.

[drake4]

Shot a nice mule deer buck @ approx. 200yards last year, double shoulder, just destroyed both shoulder blades and dropped him in his tracks.

Shot a mule deer doe at approx. 250 yards, double lung, exit hole, largest blood trail I have ever seen. She only went 25 yards.

Shot 2 whitetail does less than 100 yards both right behind the front shoulder, both were complete pass throughs, both dropped dead in their tracks.

All deer were shot with a .280 Ackley, 168gr bullet.

I'm sold on the Bergers.