Berger VLD bullets as hunting bullets

[Sludge]

Well, I have had mixed feelings about the Bergers. I have a .300WinMag that just loves the 210s. And, I have hunted white tail deer with it successfully for a few years because the gun liked the Bergers so much. However, the terminal ballistics didnt seem on par with the Nosler Ballistic tip bullets, and this year I switched horses and went to the Nosler. The only reason was terminal ballistics. I have always said the old saying that "firepower is fine but accuracy is final" and that still holds true, but a few of the deer were really slow to go down after a well placed lung/heart hit with the bergers when compared to other bullets I have used. Now, for paper.. I want nothing else. But for flesh, I have started to shy away from them a little.

[jamaro]

BuffaloBob.. I LOVE THAT PICTURE... You need to read my website The New Mexico Sportsman it reminds me of one of the lead stories...

About Bergers...I made a pretty crappy shot on my Coues Deer this year at 380 yards and with 175grainers out of a .300 Win Mag and THAT ANIMAL'S insides were DESTROYED... It was scary... I have NEVER seen a bullet do that.

I think we need to remember how bullets kill... They kill by Hydrostatic Shock to the body, the turn the nervous system to JELLO... Not Blood Loss... I am not to worried about exit wounds.. I want a bullet that will deliver as much energy into the animal as possible... Not the ground behind it...

Jason

[gamehauler]

Well said Jason
but it is not just shock to the nervous system
but also hemoraging.
Between the two this bullet just flat out puts the critter on the ground.
NOW
Mike

[gamehauler]

BB, is that you in the picture:eek:
You look worse than I thought you would
For $278.00 can I come up there and shoot my own trophy buck and make sure there are 2 or 3 behind it so you can post more trophy pictures like that one you are so proud of:p
Who's CAR is in the picture?
I am sure a man of you stature would not drive something like that
Did you have the wife come out with the grocery getter
To bring back a weeks worth of grub
If you would like I could post picture of my youngest daughters
77"- loper at age 10 so you have something to base a goat on.
Just trying to be helpfull.
Mike

[Buffalobob]

Why would my wife need to bring me some grub? I'm holding up at least two days worth of meat.

It would be impolite to post up your daughter's antelope unless it was shot with a Berger bullet because you don't want to be hijacking the thread.

[ddgo]

Shot a whitetail doe this morning at 656yds with 6mm AI using 95gr Berger VLD's. 9.2 minutes of up (based on a 200yd zero). Hit her in the point of the shoulder, exit was in front of the off side shoulder. Exit wound was quarter size. The deer never moved. You cannot ask for more than that.
That being said, I have shot close to 50 whitetails this year with this bullet. Recovered several, and weight retention runs from a low of 30% to a high of 45%. Which puts them in the same class as any non controlled expanding bullet. Most of these were shot in the 400yd to 600yd range. About 50% were pass thru. Which in our country you need 2 holes leaking to help recoverery.
I will contuniue to shoot them in this gun ( Rem action 27 1/2" Shilen Sendero taper and a tight neck chamber, Jewell trigger) Just because it really likes them, not because they are anything special in the terminal performance dept.
I hope to get to shoot something with them this week around the 800 mark to see what performance will be at that range. Will keep you posted
ddgo

[Len Backus]

Is that little thing an antelope or a jackrabbit? Or are you just in great shape to be able to heft it like that?