APS 6mm-250 w/105 Berger Strikes...........5 times on the same doe

1doug · #8 12-07-2006, 07:00 AM

Bill

you are not pushing them fast enough. bump that speed up 3-400 fps and they will expand well.

they reak havoc on the does and hogs i shoot out of my 6-284. I shot a doe @ 590 and she drt with a fist sized exit.

d-a

Ernie · #9 12-07-2006, 07:26 AM

Bill,
Sorry to hear about your woes, but thanks for sharing. It gives us the opportunity to learn from each other.
Not sure of your MV or other options, but listed below is what I use in 6mm.
I use the 115 DTAC (aka-SMK) in my 1-8 Twist Broughton 5C 6-284 XP-100 and it has a MV of just over 2700 fps.
So far have only taken a medium sized buck with it at 350 yards, but it performed real good at that distance.
My guess is that the A-max will open up better than the Berger with your MV's.

Desert Fox · #10 12-07-2006, 07:42 AM

Great story Bill. I thought Berger bullet used J4 jacket, which is thinner thereby will expand readily. I'm wondering what kind of lead alloy the core is. I'm contemplating using the Nosler 168 J4 Competition bullet on my 308 for hunting and I'm wondering if I'm going to have the same problem. I always have misgiving about using target bullet for hunting and this story only reinforced it. Once again thanks for sharing. I learned a valuable lesson on this thread. RJ

bailey1474 · #11 12-07-2006, 08:07 AM

Rem2506,

They shoot great. I have yet to shoot a 5 shot group over 2" @ 400 yds w/them. I really think under perfect conditions they will shoot 1" to 1.5".

Mtsheep,

[ QUOTE ]
Stories like this are educational and informative, experienced l.r. hunters, such as yourself can save us “newbies” from a lot of grief by sharing your experience of both success and failure.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't say I'm an experienced lr hunter. Shooter maybe, but I only get apply it for about 2 weeks a year!!

d-a,

[ QUOTE ]
you are not pushing them fast enough. bump that speed up 3-400 fps and they will expand well.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pushing the right @ 3000 fps w/37 gr of H4350. I don't think I could put enough powder in the case to get another 3-400 fps [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

Desert Fox,

[ QUOTE ]
I thought Berger bullet used J4 jacket, which is thinner thereby will expand readily. I'm wondering what kind of lead alloy the core is. I'm contemplating using the Nosler 168 J4 Competition bullet on my 308 for hunting and I'm wondering if I'm going to have the same problem. I always have misgiving about using target bullet for hunting and this story only reinforced it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm hoping that the larger frontal area on the 7mm and .308 bullets will facilitate expansion a little better. The 105 looks kinda like a hypodermic needle!!! Far to many people have used these larger bullets w/good success to just write them off just yet, but I won't be using their 6mm bullets on deer anytime in the future.

goodgrouper · #12 12-07-2006, 08:19 AM

Bill,

Sorry to hear about the frustrations with the Berger. It really surprised me to hear they didn't expand. Usually, those 105's seem to expand well but this time was a sure stike out. I too would call Berger about it as others have mentioned. They will be interested one way or another.

I was just watching Berger's new promo dvd the other day and it showed a huge bodied white tail buck going down hard with the 105 VLD out of a 243 wssm and I'll bet it wasn't going much over 3000 fps.

If the 105's aren't zipping along fast enough to open, you might try the 95 gr. VLD. I have seen it to work great on antelope which aren't much bigger in body weight than your doe.

Anyway, better luck next time.

TMR · #13 12-07-2006, 08:22 AM

Bill,
I think you need to get the velocity up a little more with the berger bullets....Out of my 243AI, they cause some pretty good damage. I have now shot deer out to 680 yds, and had some pretty good exit wounds.....around 2" in diameter(guessing, didn't actually measure). Not sure if 3000fps will make them expand at the range you were shooting. When I talked with berger, they said anything over 2000fps should expand. I will say though, that I usually use the high shoulder shot, but I had a bullet drift a little in Montana, and hit just behind the shoulder, it still expanded.

lerch · #14 12-07-2006, 08:24 AM

"It did, however rip the aorta and superior vena cava."

Sometimes I just do not see how you were born and bred in OKlahoma. A true okie would say, "yea I shot her in the dangd ol neck and cut er water hose plumb in two, get er done!!!" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Hell, at least you had better luck than I did this season. And she will forever be known as the pin cushion deer.

steve