My first deer with Berger VLD's was this past hunting season... First deer was around 200 yards away. 7mm RemMag 168 VLD (roughly 3,050 fps). angling away about 25* from me (couldn't tell at that distance...Forgot my binos LOL), perfect guess... In the lungs about 8" behind the shoulder, dougle lung, clipped heart, and exited directly behind aft shoulder. Ran 20 yards tops. Perfect 2" bore-hole exit wound.
2nd deer (the following afternoon) with the same gun & same load. Around 175 yards away. Big doe. Had bino's and waited till she got perfectly broad-side. Popped her right in the meat in the front shoulder (just under the shoulder joint, so I wouldn't hit any bones) right through the pumphouse, and clean pass out the other side. Pin-hole entrance and exit. She never took a step, and flopped hard like a Mack truck hit her. Once again, ruined no valuable meat since the bullet was a clean in & out.
Even if the bullet didn't expand, it smacked her hard like it did. So, to me...Whether it opened or not (tip might have been boogered during transport), Bergers release ALOT of energy. So as long as the deer drop, I'm fine either way.
After those 2 hunts, I have been a Berger believer, and don't see myself swapping back to NAB's anytime soon.