Berger 215 for high shoulder shots

[Troutslayer2]

Is there a maximum velocity that you'd want to have for high shoulder shot on a bull elk with a Berger 215 hybrid? How is it going to perform? Would you take that bullet on a brown bear hunt?

 

[MTbackwoods]

A quick Google search will bring you a lot of data and first hand experience on this. Jeff Brozovich and others at longrangeonly.com have a plethora of info. And a frangible bullet may not be the best choice in brown bear country. Unless if you walk around with a stout bullet in the chamber and maybe switch to the Berger if the right shot presents itself

 

[MagnumManiac]

I think your question should be about a 'what if' my bullet (215gr Berger) hits poorly but has the correct velocity.
No body knows if an animal is going to take a step, start to lay down or stand up just as the trigger is squeezed.
Can you rely on a high shoulder hit that is slightly off anchoring the animal so you can put another in?
I lost an animal due to this, missed the spine, lungs and only hit the tip of the ulna (sic) the animal dropped, but rose quickly and spun to turn full tilt into the thick stuff. No shot could be taken, the animal was glassed the next day feeding with what appeared no ill effects.
The bullet I used was a .338 225gr Accubond...go figure.

Cheers.

 

[Deputy819]

the animal was glassed the next day feeding with what appeared no ill effects.
The bullet I used was a .338 225gr Accubond...go figure.

Geez! It must have worn it's Kevlar that day.

 

[Wolf76]

Generally speaking, bullets get weird above 3K. If its close range with a 215, punch it through the lungs. I've had great results with the 215 on elk. My elk in the avatar dropped with a lung shot at 208 yards + 215 Hybrid.
My buddy killed 2 elk with 1 shot at close range with the 215 (didn't see a cow elk bedded behind the bull) about 150 yard shot.
The 200 Accubond would also be on my shortlist.

 

[Nomosendero]

Broz mentioned a Bison being killed and quickly with a 215 up close with a 300WM.
I was impressed with that but also keep in mind a 300WM would be hard pressed to exceed 3000 with a 26" barrel, it seems to be a good marriage. I am going to be loading some for my Sendero soon.

 

[Backcountry sports]

Is there a maximum velocity that you'd want to have for high shoulder shot on a bull elk with a Berger 215 hybrid? How is it going to perform? Would you take that bullet on a brown bear hunt?

Yes I use 7mm always shoot high shoulder there drt otherwise they run off and die in the worst places

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

Is there a maximum velocity that you'd want to have for high shoulder shot on a bull elk with a Berger 215 hybrid? How is it going to perform? Would you take that bullet on a brown bear hunt?

I like 1800 for the 215 for moose and bear

 

[MagnumManiac]

Geez! It must have worn it's Kevlar that day.

Hmmmm, the wound was clearly visible, about 3" high of the aiming point. It was a steep uphill shot and I didn't aim low enough.
Anyway the deer lived on and never presented another shot...I guess it learned something that day. It never returned to that wallow according to the trail cam.
This never stopped me being an advocate of the high shoulder shot, it is after all the best anchoring shot around.

Cheers.

 

[Deputy819]

the wound was clearly visible, about 3" high of the aiming point. It was a steep uphill shot and I didn't aim low enough.

Good example about that which really matters most.....shot placement. Not even a 225gr bullet can make up for the shot being slightly 'off'. Was that from your .338-06 by any chance?

 

[MagnumManiac]

Funnily enough, yes it was my 338-06!
Normally I would've been using 210gr Partitions, but I left them at home...Doh. I had 2 properties back then, 4 hours drive apart, yet loading equipment at both.
So...I loaded up all I had, which was 225gr Accubonds I use in my 338WM's, sighted in that same morning 3" high @ 100mtrs. Nice clover leaf, so I was good to go, incident happened early next morning.
Yes, calibre does not make up for poor shot placement, that bullet only hit muscle and maybe the tip of one bone.

Cheers.