Berger VLD VS Accubond

[ntrl_brn_rebel]

I was just wanting to hear some opinions on the Berger VLD vs. the Accubond for hunting (deer and elk).
I know without a doubt, the accubond will kill very effectivley at all distances with 1000 ft/lbs energy..... but what makes me want to shoot the Berger VLD is the Ballistic Coefficient of .556 vs the .507 Accubond. I am hesitent to shoot The VLD becuase of some stories I have heard involving the bullet exploding at close range (under 400 yds) resulting in lots of wounded animals. I just wanted to hear some opinions, horror stories, etc, etc. Just no hearsay, first hand hunting experiences please.

I will be shooting a .300 R.U.M. at 3200 FPS and will look to be shooting up to a 1000 yds.

THANKS AHEAD OF TIME!!gun)

 

[Broz]

I use the accubonds too and like them for some rifles depending on it's use. But for hunting that may include a long range shot over 600 yards I really prefer the Bergers for the same reason you mentioned. As for the exploding at ranges below 400. Don't tell the Elk in my signature this, or the two axis, nice Muley, two whitetails, Black Buck or Aoudad Ram I took with them all in 2007. I can honestly say to you, the VLD's have served me with out fail and I have never tracked anything I used them on.

Jeff

 

[Michael Eichele]

Concider the 200 ACCUBOND. It has a meen BC of .588 and is heck on bigger game like elk and moose. It has a bigger sectional density than the 180's and can still be driven to 3100-3200 FPS in a 300 RUM. Alot of guys here like the 200 AB in this caliber, including myself. I dont use them in my current barrel because my barrel just does not like them but this is the excpetion NOT the rule. Most 300 RUM barrels will love the 200 AB so long as the twist is 12x or faster.

Recently I am leaning towards the Barnes TTSX. I am getting an average of .5 MOA accuracy at distance with better than published BC's. I am getting .514 from the TTSX and .486 from the TSX. I have also learned recently that they open up at lower velocities than I had previously thought. A bit under 1800 FPS on tissue. For me and my needs it is looking like the cats meow.

 

[longrangefreek]

I have shot both 180 grn accubonds and the 185 grn berger VLD's. they are both great bullets. I shoot the bergers more now than the noslers. the berger's performance has been fantastic, and nothing I have shot has got back up at any range. one shot dead. they hit so hard I cannot even discribe it. my oppinions of both are great. I have both brands in my reloading stash.

I have never had a bad berger and never a bad Nosler. either one will do the job. Personal preferance and satisfaction differs from one person to the next, but I feel you can't go wrong with any of those two choices.

 

[Pdvdh]

I use the accubonds too and like them for some rifles depending on it's use. But for hunting that may include a long range shot over 600 yards I really prefer the Bergers for the same reason you mentioned. As for the exploding at ranges below 400. Don't tell the Elk in my signature this, or the two axis, nice Muley, two whitetails, Black Buck or Aoudad Ram I took with them all in 2007. I can honestly say to you, the VLD's have served me with out fail and I have never tracked anything I used them on.

Jeff

ntrl_brn_rebel:

Why not use both?

These are the two bullets I carry and use in the field, provided I can get an accurate load for long-range shots with the Berger VLDs. The Nosler ABs are chambered and carried in the magazine for shots from the muzzle out to 4-600 yds. The Bergers are chambered in place of the ABs for the really long stuff.

The advantage to the Bergers: higher BCs to reduce wind drift, and to maintain the highest possible impact velocities (to help ensure on-game bullet expansion).

The Nosler Accubond is a very dependable bullet for shots from the muzzle out to 4-600 yds, where retained velocity is more than adequate to ensure on-game bullet expansion. Accuracy requirements aren't as critical at these closer ranges, and it's relatively easy to develop an accurate Accubond load sufficient for the close to mid-range shots.

If a really long shot presents itself, you'll almost always have plenty of time to swap the Bergers into the chamber. In fact, I load the VLDs single shot style when engaging long range and it's never been a handicap.

I spend 80% of my hunting load work-up time in an effort to perfect the long range load. The other 20% is developing an adequate closer range bullet/load, and almost any bullet will be accurate enough for the closer shots.

Sounds like Broz has been proving the Berger VLDs capable at closer ranges too.

 

[BigUglyMan]

My tame gunsmith is a very experienced LR hunter. His procedure is to load one "hard" bullet (usually a Nosler Partition) on the top of a mag full of SMKs in his 338 L-Imp. If something that he wants pops up under 400 yards it gets a Partition behind the shoulder. If it's further away, the logic is that there's enough to unload the NPT and feed an SMK into the chamber. Make the proper adjustments and shoot. Given all the givens, I don't think that's a bad course of action at all and it's one I plan to employ with my 300WM that he just built me (200 NPT on top of a magfull of 190SMK/208 AMax/210 Bergers - whichever shoots best).

 

[relodermike]

my 300win mag loves the accu-bonds in 200 gr. .5 inch group at 200 yrds. the two elk it has taken did not . recovered bullets had mushroomed out great!!
i will be trying the bergers in my 7mag as soon as the make some more.

 

[squirrelduster]

I do exactly what Phorwath does.
Accubonds for the short stuff and VLD for long range.
Works great for me. I really like the accubond performance and the VLD accuracy is handy at long range with small targets.
Our Blacktail deer only weigh about 100 pounds so when they get out past 400 yards they shrink really bad. You need a very accurate rifle with a high BC bullet to make an ethical shot.

 

[ntrl_brn_rebel]

Thanks for the input.

Carrying both is not a bad idea at all and something I never really thought about.

 

[Pdvdh]

If there's a better way, it hasn't been presented to me yet. I'm surprised it isn't a standard practice for 90% of LRHs.

 

[Michael Eichele]

If there's a better way, it hasn't been presented to me yet. I'm surprised it isn't a standard practice for 90% of LRHs.

There is a better way, just that nobody makes that bullet yet!


I have always been apposed to the idea simply because I seldom found a super stout bullet that would strike the same POI at 300 yards as my softer LR bullet. I didnt want to have to have 2 scope settings. One for 0-300 yards and one for past 300 yards. Lately I have found my TSX load AND my long range load to be within 1 to 1.5" of eachother at my 300 yard zero. For a 300 yard shot that is close enough for any critter big enough to merit a TSX. I will simply zero for my LR bullet and use that ballistic data for anything past 300 yards and anything 300 and under will get the X bullet 1-1.5" off center. I guess this is the direction I will be heading. I have always kicked around the idea but never embraced it. Now with a perfect LR load cooked up and a super stout bullet near the same POI at my zero, I'm in.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I just got a 300 RUM and have been researching this topic for a while.

I think the idea of carrying short to midrange bullets along with a LR bullet/load combo is a good idea. Of course, one bullet would be best and I may be able to do that.

Here's my approach and bullet selection...

Short-midrange out to 800 yds give or take
180 E-Tip, BC .523, MV ~3300+
200 AB, BC .588, MV ~3200

Long Range, over 800 yds
210 JLK VLD, BC .665, MV ~3150
210 Berger VLD, BC .616, MV ~3150

All Ranges
177 GS HV, BC .638, MV ~3500+

Different rifles like different bullet/load combos. For short range I'll start load development with the E-Tips because I like monometal bullets. If they dont light my fire then I'll try the 200 AB's. For LR, I'll start with the JLK's because they show a better BC, but that may be questionable and BC will always have to be verifeid on the range with any rifle/bullet combo.

The 177 GS HV's give better velocities per weight, as much as 100-200 fps over other similar weight bullets. They are reported to be excellent killers. They are monometal and at higher velocites they will shed their petals, but they will still do a lot of permament wound channel damage with their squared slightly mushroomed frontal. The Jury is still out on their BC, but if it's close to advertized it will out run any of the other bullets listed and take you well past 1K. I think they are worth trying... no guarentees yet. And they cost over $1 each, but they are also advertized to add barrel life which is a big plus for the 300 RUM. Twist may be another limiting factor with the GS's

GS CUSTOM BULLETS - Recommended Use and Technical Data

Good shooting and keep us posted on your developments.

-MR

 

[jsthntn247]

I have a 7mag and shoot the 160 acubonds. If they would just make a NBT in 160 gr. then you could shoot the ballistic tips for the longer ranges and the accubonds for shorter, since they usually have the same poi. But I guess that would be too much like right for them to do that.

 

[kiwi3006]

I shoot a 7 mm mag and use the 160 accubond for under 350 yds and the 162 amax for over 350 yd. The sight in with the 162 amax and the POI for the accubond is close enough at 350 to use without any sight adjustments.

Stu