hunting with Berger bullets
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goodgrouper
Well-Known Member
Not deer but antelope.
I used a Berger 140 grain bullet from my 6.5-284 to take a doe last fall. It worked. I wish I could find those pics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I used a Berger 140 grain bullet from my 6.5-284 to take a doe last fall. It worked. I wish I could find those pics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I had excellent luck with the 168 gr 30 cals last fall. Shot a 140 lb doe with a 300 ultra at 575 yds. The bullet completly disenegrated the top of the heart and both lungs. It left a 2-3 inch exit. I will be trying the 142 6.5's this year.
skeeter,
here is a quote found here about what John Burns said in reference to your question.
[ QUOTE ]
I have use the Berger VLD extensively on game and have had extremely good results. I have been the spotter or shooter on over 70 deer and antelope with those bullets and have never seen what I would call a bullet failure.
I have also shot over 100 coyotes with them and have never seen one to fail to open even on a 25 lb coyote.
A friend of mine took a 6-284 to Africa loaded with 105gr VLDs and it worked superbly on plains game up to and including eland. I saw the video of the hunt and there is no question he had enough gun and bullet.
If I was going to hunt with a 25-06 (great cartridge) the 115 Berger VLD would be my personal #1 choice.
Good luck
[/ QUOTE ]
here is a quote found here about what John Burns said in reference to your question.
[ QUOTE ]
I have use the Berger VLD extensively on game and have had extremely good results. I have been the spotter or shooter on over 70 deer and antelope with those bullets and have never seen what I would call a bullet failure.
I have also shot over 100 coyotes with them and have never seen one to fail to open even on a 25 lb coyote.
A friend of mine took a 6-284 to Africa loaded with 105gr VLDs and it worked superbly on plains game up to and including eland. I saw the video of the hunt and there is no question he had enough gun and bullet.
If I was going to hunt with a 25-06 (great cartridge) the 115 Berger VLD would be my personal #1 choice.
Good luck
[/ QUOTE ]
Berger bullets are for paper only, BUT, because of John Burns, and his feedback, Berger has become his sponsor, and yes, they are similar to Sierra Matchkings. Strong enough for an animal, but made for paper.
I spoke with Eric at Berger just the other day regarding this very subject. He is the one that told me about Berger's shift to long range hunting.
My only question to him was, what if I'm out searching for that 625 yard antelope and I see him at 50. If I shoot, what will the bullet do? I've not heard back as of yet.
I spoke with Eric at Berger just the other day regarding this very subject. He is the one that told me about Berger's shift to long range hunting.
My only question to him was, what if I'm out searching for that 625 yard antelope and I see him at 50. If I shoot, what will the bullet do? I've not heard back as of yet.
This my be a question for Kirby but iam shooting .257 stw and as of now iam shooting 115 grain ballistic tip.
Due to the way the berger bullets are made compared to a ballistic tip and with both bullets touching the lands.The berge bullets are barely in the case?Maybe my case necks are to short.
Due to the way the berger bullets are made compared to a ballistic tip and with both bullets touching the lands.The berge bullets are barely in the case?Maybe my case necks are to short.
Kenster-Boy
Well-Known Member
If I could ever get these darn things to shoot I may be able to tell ya how they do on game at the end of August. I just can't get them darn things to shoot! I don't know why but I have a 9.5 twist in a 7mm rem mag trying to shoot the 180's and I just can't get a group much under 1 inch at 100 yards. I am gonna try to shoot em at 300 tomorrow to see if it makes a difference.
I don't mean to hi jack a thread but any feedback would be helpful.
I don't mean to hi jack a thread but any feedback would be helpful.
Kenster-Boy
Well-Known Member
Yes, you are completely right but I have a factory savage 112BVSS and have no desire to put a custom barrel on it. So I am stuck with a 9.5 twist. Well Berger recomends a 9 twist so I figured that it would shoot fine. I have an awsome load for the 175 SMK and they recomend a 8.5 twist or faster. So I just sort of figured to that it would work but maybe I am wrong. But hey I hear that SMK work just fine on game anyway so maybe the SMK it is.
The bullets are seated to engage the lands by maybe .001-.005" at most. Which is what Berger recomends.
The bullets are seated to engage the lands by maybe .001-.005" at most. Which is what Berger recomends.
Then I would say you have 2 immediate options.
1), try seating the Berger a bit deeper, and try up to 4 loads with each consecutive load going deeper but by a very small margin.
2), stick with SMK. I personally do not see how the 2 brands will perform noticeably different on game as neither are designed for it.
I knew that Sierra MK would work on game because back in 1990 I bought a box and loaded them in a friend's 30.06. He must have killed 8 or 9 deer that year. Sure, I knew they looked different, but I didn't know what a "match grade bullet" was compared to a "hunting bullet."
So, out of sheer ignorance, I load up a bunch of paper punchers for my friend, and he's dropping deer up to 175 pounds left and right out to 225 yards without any evidence of bad bullet performance. (I was very green then).
He popped a doe at 35 yards as she faced him. The bullet actually exited out her distal paunch right below her vent. But there were fragments throughout as we gutted her. She fell dead right there.
1), try seating the Berger a bit deeper, and try up to 4 loads with each consecutive load going deeper but by a very small margin.
2), stick with SMK. I personally do not see how the 2 brands will perform noticeably different on game as neither are designed for it.
I knew that Sierra MK would work on game because back in 1990 I bought a box and loaded them in a friend's 30.06. He must have killed 8 or 9 deer that year. Sure, I knew they looked different, but I didn't know what a "match grade bullet" was compared to a "hunting bullet."
So, out of sheer ignorance, I load up a bunch of paper punchers for my friend, and he's dropping deer up to 175 pounds left and right out to 225 yards without any evidence of bad bullet performance. (I was very green then).
He popped a doe at 35 yards as she faced him. The bullet actually exited out her distal paunch right below her vent. But there were fragments throughout as we gutted her. She fell dead right there.
Shooting my .257 stw, at first i couldnt get the ballistic tips to group under an inch.I tried everything.But at last i moved the bullet out to the lands and there she was .1/4 of an inch at 100 yards.Sometimes its just some thing simple.
med358-boise
Well-Known Member
But the real question is...what's your objective?
With respect to hunting, there is not a lot of practical differnce between a 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 inch group becuase your shooting at a 10" target. Assuming the objective is a quick humane kill, which penetration is important; I would rather shoot (for example) a barnes TTSX that froups 3/4 of an inch than a berger that groups 3/8s of an inch. Even at 800 yard, I don't care about a 6 inch group vs. a 3 inch group on a big game animal because in acutality the difference is 3 inches of dispersion versus 1.5 inches of dispersion on 10" vitals.
With respect to hunting, there is not a lot of practical differnce between a 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 inch group becuase your shooting at a 10" target. Assuming the objective is a quick humane kill, which penetration is important; I would rather shoot (for example) a barnes TTSX that froups 3/4 of an inch than a berger that groups 3/8s of an inch. Even at 800 yard, I don't care about a 6 inch group vs. a 3 inch group on a big game animal because in acutality the difference is 3 inches of dispersion versus 1.5 inches of dispersion on 10" vitals.
