.243 with 95 bergers

[midwesthunter]

Ok question on this combo. We killed 3 antelope in WY this year with this combo at 3235fps. My question is one was killed at 300 another at 360 no pass through dead right there. Should I have botten pass through? 3rd was at 75 yards and penciled through had to put another in it. All but the 360 yard shot was double lung. 360 was high shoulder.

 

[Freedom2live]

Question did animal dropped ???
Upon field dressing how was damage and bullet performance ??

Have any pictures ??

 

[stomp442]

Should you have gotten pass through? No. Sounds like the bergers performed exactly as designed. The 75 yard one probably penciled through because it was so close and the double lung shot allowed it to pass through very fast without a whole lot of resistance. Bullet just didn't have the time to work in my opinion. If a shoulder shot would have been taken I bet the bullet would have acted better and performed as designed. My experience with bergers shows that the farther away the better they work especially with a double lung behind the shoulder shot. On closer shots I always aim for bone and have not had any problems with the bullet penetrating into the vitals before fragmentation.

 

[angus-5024]

I think that stomp hit the nail on the head. Too much velocity -too close. I would have been very surprised to have the bullet exit at 360 yards from a .243. Great combo though, I shoot the 95 bergers as well... but only on yotes.

 

[Toptuna]

I had a deer at 35 yards with the 95 grain that did not go all the way through. It grenaded how they say they do. The deer in San Diego are smaller than the antelope you probably are shooting too.

 

[midwesthunter]

Thanks guys, I see pics where they make a big exit hole but those are from bigger guns also. The two at 300+ dropped in there tracks, I didn't examine the internals, as I quick quartered them in the field.

 

[jsthntn247]

Penciling through at a shorter distance is IMPOSSIBLE!!! Please tell me how a bullet going faster expands less than a bullet that has slowed down. The bullets at 300+ yards did exactly what they were supposed to do because thats when the bullets had slowed down enough to reach normal 243 speeds. I have no idea how the bullet penciled through at the shorter distance unless it was going too fast and exploded within the first few inches and a piece of shrapnel exited causing it to look like a pencil hole, or just a bullet with a jacket that was too thick (possibly a 95gr target bullet got in there by mistake)

 

[8andbait]

Penciling through at a shorter distance is IMPOSSIBLE!!! Please tell me how a bullet going faster expands less than a bullet that has slowed down. The bullets at 300+ yards did exactly what they were supposed to do because thats when the bullets had slowed down enough to reach normal 243 speeds. I have no idea how the bullet penciled through at the shorter distance unless it was going too fast and exploded within the first few inches and a piece of shrapnel exited causing it to look like a pencil hole, or just a bullet with a jacket that was too thick (possibly a 95gr target bullet got in there by mistake)

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the hollow point wasn't hollow?

 

[backyardsniper]

I agree with yall. I used to run the 95's in a 243 for whitetail in Ky. They killed like lightening. If I get another 243 in the future I suspect I will continue to use them. Although addmitedly I'm on an AMAX kick at the moment but I can tell you on smaller thin skinned whitetail/antelopeish stuff the 95 bergers are the ticket. I even used to shoot them from a 243 encore pistol

 

[StraightShot]

I'm am working up loads for my rem 700 .243 currently and Ive been inpressed with the 95 gr berger so far and will be putting one to the test in a month or so on a nice muley i'm hoping.

 

[Freedom2live]

Folks what are your recommend powder loads and bullet seating depth ??

 

[StraightShot]

Here is my last 2 loads I tried. I dont have the length handy at the moment. I do know I went just shy of as long as the rifle would accept.
.243
Remington 700
95 gr berger VLD
I tried 2 different loads

37 grains of h4895
1- 3029
2- 3027
3- 3030
no sign of pressure
2 shots basicly same hole 1 shot 1/4' left. First shot was the 1/4 left out of clean barrel.

37 grains varget
1- 2950
2-2961
3-2940
no signs of pressure 3/4-1" group

 

[jsthntn247]

This is with Imr 4350 and 95 berger hunting hybrids. Thats actually .010 off lands not .045. Factory 90's model 700 adl 243 that I bedded.

 

[Freedom2live]

Outstanding