Berger Bullets

[Mr.Moa]

Whats the deal with these things close up. Never shot them but ive been looking into ther BCs and im liking what im seeing. But i've read people are having trouble with these things not opening up on animals up close. Anyone here had that problem. I would plan to use these on long range hunting but if they wont open up on close shots then why should i use them cause i would rather not limit myself to long range shots only if i started using them.

 

[Outlaw6.0]

My experience tells me the trouble would be the exact opposite, Extreme fragmentation w/ the inability to stay together & penetrate at close range. Maybe i'm wrong but I don't think so; for an extended range round with a good broadside opportunity I think they would kill quicker than the IRS.... but me thinks a shot say 50-75 yds ESPECIALLY on the larger fuzzy wuzzies (elk, moose etc) would/could be a catastrophy (sp)...

Now, can/will they kill at close range? Most certainly, but to what end? 25% of the time? maybe 50%? maybe more... I dunno....


just my experience talking, lets see what the Berger shooters have found...gun)

(i'm not bashing BTW just opinions here!)

 

[Fiftydriver]

Berger bullets are amazing bullets but they need to be used in their correct velocity ranges for proper performance.

In my opinion, Berger bullets are very best used, on average at muzzle velocities from 2900 up to 3300 fps depending on specific bullet being used.

I have never heard of any problems with the Berger not opening up, in fact at close range, hard impacts, you really have the opposite problem, very aggressive expansion.

In conventional chamberings this is really no problem at all at any range. In the big magnums, they are amazing long range bullets because they do open up easily at long range but you have to be careful at close range impacts with the big magnums. Just avoid heavy bone and there is no problem which is generally not a problem at closer range anyway.

 

[Team Roper]

I have been using Bergers for about 4 years now. All of my close freinds and relatives now use them. I have seen or personaly shot over 50 animals with bergers from 50 yds to over 400 yds, calibres 22-250 to 300wm no tracking needed just fall and die in their tracks. Some bullets have exited some did not. One thing about them there is very little if any blood shot meat. They seem to do very little damage to the meat. Everyone has their favorite bullet. For 30 yrs I was loyal to mine; until I tried bergers.

 

[Mr.Moa]

see im with yall cuz this bullet seems to have a thin jacket so it should expand fast. Maybe hese thing ive heard were just rare that i found them. My only exlanation is berger has some delayed expansion technology so the bullet is expanding in the vitals. Im thinking these people may have shot these animals and think the bullet didn't expand because at the high velocity the bullet may have passed through most the animal before it expanded. But i still think it should have fragmented up close. Does that make sense???

 

[Geno22]

Never had the problem, all the deer in the freezer were at the 200 yd area and fell dead. Shot just behind front leg mid way. Rib meat mangled and 1 1/2 exit hole. 140 grain VLD match hunting @ 2970 fps in 7 mag.

 

[cowboy]

I have been using Bergers for about 4 years now. All of my close freinds and relatives now use them. I have seen or personaly shot over 50 animals with bergers from 50 yds to over 400 yds, calibres 22-250 to 300wm no tracking needed just fall and die in their tracks. Some bullets have exited some did not. One thing about them there is very little if any blood shot meat. They seem to do very little damage to the meat. Everyone has their favorite bullet. For 30 yrs I was loyal to mine; until I tried bergers.

I couldn't agree with Team Roper any more than if I wrote the above myself. The only difference between what he said I have experienced is I was loyal to other bullet for 40+ years.

I have taken at least 3 elk and have seen at least that many more taken with the 168 - .284 VLD by others that were shot inside 75 yds. NO PROBLEM. In addition we use that same bullet and have taken many deer, antelope, bear and one sheep so I'd say we have pretty much got a pretty good idea of what it will do. We bone everything right after the picture taking at the kill site as well as doing all our own meat processing and my experiences are the same as stated by Team Roper.

I've read all the comments on the Bergers and short range bewares and I have yet to see that it acts like an egg up against a brick wall or penetrates like a FMJ and flies straight through. In fact my thoughts are just the opposite - I think it is the best dang short range bullet that I have used - it penetrates, mass internal destruction, and very limited blood shot meat.

Keep in mind that I have come from shooting Nosler partitions for many years (talk about blood shot meat), to converting to Barnes for about 20 plus more years and then to Berger VLD's.
If you want to start a discussion about short range bullets - ask me about what a Barnes triple shock does at short range - I have about 5 or 6 stories to tell
you.

Bottom line is there are a lot of good bullets out there and they will all pretty much do the job. I was extremely reserved about even trying the Bergers. I have a son that wanted to try them and I told him he was nuts shooting a target bullet at big game. After seeing him take about 6 different one shot kills in a season I reluctantly said I'd see if I could get them to fly straight out of one of my rifles. Been using them ever since. I'm either shooting better or the antelope, deer, bear, elk etc. up here in Montana have gotten weaker because they just don't go very far after a good hit at any distance.