Bergers on deer?????

[hoytaddict]

I've got a question for you guys with "Berger on game" experience. I harvested a deer last Friday with my 7mm stw shooting 140 grain Berger vlds (first deer with a Berger bullet), I'm getting right @ 3500fps out the muzzle. Deer went straight down, high shoulder shot. There was no exit. Once I got the hide off, I started looking around a bit and it looked like the bullet exploded on impact. It did the job, but I'm just curious if anyone else has had this problem

 

[Derek M.]

Well, yes and no. My Bergers have all passed through but they are still explosive. But a Berger on deer will get you deer burger!

I think my turn-off regarding Bergers is that the fragments will spread out all through the meat in the backstrap area and I don't like that. I'll still use the Bergers at longer ranges but if I'm hunting in areas where I know my shots will be around 400 and under I'm using Barnes. Clean in and out, no worries about a bunch of lead fragments to bite into later.

 

[Forrest Ebert]

When you say 140 grain VLD's was this their hunting match version or the target match version? I ask this because the bullet jacket are of different thickness thus why it would have exploded on impact but you also didn't mention the distance you harvested your deer at so that has to be taken into account also as you say you are pushing them at 3500 fps. I have used their 168 grain Hunting VLD on deer with great success and I'm pushing those at 3000 fps.pencil size entry with a little bigger than hardball size exit wound at 127 yrds.for example on a 225 lb. whitetail buck. the way it was described to me they penetrate for about 2" then start to expand in the game being taken.

 

[hoytaddict]

Sorry about te lack of info. It was the Hunting VLD. The shot was right around 220 yards. I knew they were supposed to expand rapidly, but I didn't think they would expand that fast. I've shot the barnes tsx and the tipped tsx, and had trouble getting them to expand! The area I hunt, we don't have large bodied deer, does are normally 90-110 pound range, mature bucks are normally in the 160-180 pound range. So that's why I was thinking the barnes were having trouble expanding at that speed.

 

[bigngreen]

I've got a question for you guys with "Berger on game" experience. I harvested a deer last Friday with my 7mm stw shooting 140 grain Berger vlds (first deer with a Berger bullet), I'm getting right @ 3500fps out the muzzle. Deer went straight down, high shoulder shot. There was no exit. Once I got the hide off, I started looking around a bit and it looked like the bullet exploded on impact. It did the job, but I'm just curious if anyone else has had this problem

I'm amazed at that velocity that the bullet is hanging together, not to sound rude but that is the wrong bullet at the wrong velocity. With enough velocity you can make almost any bullet act like a varmint bullet that isn't bonded, a Barnes or Accubond would be much more suited to what your doing or grab the 168 or 180 Berger and slow things down.

 

[hoytaddict]

I'm amazed at that velocity that the bullet is hanging together, not to sound rude but that is the wrong bullet at the wrong velocity. With enough velocity you can make almost any bullet act like a varmint bullet that isn't bonded, a Barnes or Accubond would be much more suited to what your doing or grab the 168 or 180 Berger and slow things down.

I'm actually looking for some 168's. Nobody locally carries them

 

[Derek M.]

If your primary rifle is the 7STW for those LA deer, You're shooting the wrong bullet in my opinion.

Either use a bigger VLD and slow them down, or get a bonded bullet. Personally, I don't think you can beat the 150 Scirocco. I prefer it over the Accubond.

Barnes TSX and TTSX open just fine at STW velocities. I've killed a lot of deer and pronghorn with the Barnes coppers and I love them.

I'd stuff a 140 TTSX or 150 Scirocco in that STW and punch your tag.

 

[Broz]

I'm actually looking for some 168's. Nobody locally carries them

If you have a 9 twist, I would have a 180 hunting VLD in that rifle so fast you would not believe it. I dont know how far of a shot you can get in your hunting area, but in mine the high velocity 140's would not cut it.

Plus I am with BnG on the velocity. There is quite a bit of info on here about problems with the VLD's coming unglued above 3300. But I think that was larger bullets in the 7mm. I think you are only getting away wth it because of the smaller weight but you could be in or on the verge of bullets coming apart in mid air.

Jeff

 

[brentc]

I'm actually looking for some 168's. Nobody locally carries them

MidwayUSA is a great place and they deliver right to your door. I know that you may prefer local purchases, but at some point the local stores just won't have what you need whether it's bullets, solvents, tools etc. Anymore, I consider myself lucky to find what I need in my local stores, plus most of the folks behind the counter don't really understand my needs anyway. The internet is the absolute only option I have for Bergers.

 

[Edd]

I've shot the barnes tsx and the tipped tsx, and had trouble getting them to expand! The area I hunt, we don't have large bodied deer, does are normally 90-110 pound range, mature bucks are normally in the 160-180 pound range. So that's why I was thinking the barnes were having trouble expanding at that speed.

Barnes says their ttsx bullets will expand on a grape.

 

[hoytaddict]

If you have a 9 twist, I would have a 180 hunting VLD in that rifle so fast you would not believe it. I dont know how far of a shot you can get in your hunting area

I have several places to hunt where 300-600 yard shots are possible: pipelines, powerlines, and beanfields. Also my rifle is a 1-9" twist, I was thinking of going with the 150 grain scirocco's, a store in town has them in stock, but I still may want to go heavier. Although I don't need the weight on the size animals I have around here

 

[Broz]

I have several places to hunt where 300-600 yard shots are possible: pipelines, powerlines, and beanfields. Also my rifle is a 1-9" twist, I was thinking of going with the 150 grain scirocco's, a store in town has them in stock, but I still may want to go heavier. Although I don't need the weight on the size animals I have around here

No, you are correct you dont need the weight for a WT deer true. But what does it hurt? And lets not forget our biggest enemy, Wind!! I feel you will still get over 3100 fps with a 180 and that is bad medicine to way out there for deer. The 180 VLD with it's G1 BC of .659 or the 180 Hybrid with .674 would be high on my list. Plus you will be doing the throat in your rifle a favor.

I have a pretty good amount of experience with the 7mm-300's with 180 VLd's. If I was building a rifle to shoot across beanfields at WT deer to 1000 yards it would most likely have a 180 Berger in it. Stick it in the crease behind the shoulder and its light out.

Plus, if you ever get out west for a long range muley or an elk hunt to 800 yards you are all set. I prefer a 300 or larger for elk, but I would not have a problem with a 7mm and a 180 VLD to 800. or even a bit farther if conditions were good.

Jeff

 

[hoytaddict]

Has anyone tried the newer barnes LRX? I see they offer them in a 168 grain for the 7mm. May be a good choice?

 

[Limbic]

I shot a 166lbs buck at 300 yards this past weekend. 168vld with MV of 2750 out of a 280AI. Not much speed but with the BC I can carry 1000 foot lbs out to 800 yards or so and that is all I need. Anyway there was a small entrance wound behind one shoulder just below the backstrap and the exit wound was infront of the other shoulder. The exit wound was very small and I didn't even find it until I had the hide off the deer. It completely jelly-ified everything between the two. Deer was DRT. I had similar results from my 260 Remington last year. All my shots are high shoulder shots so the bullet usually doesn't pass through much meat. Well usually but not always
I've tried the Sirocco before and had a few deer run. Found them all but for whitetail I've gone exclusively to non-bonded bullets. SST, SGK, and VLD. I keep my MV around 3000 max.