7MM 140 VLD vs Mulie Buck

[MT4XFore]

As part of my testing of the new 7mm 140 gr. VLD that Berger was kind enough to send me I wanted to do some terminal ballistic tests in field conditions. In other words, I wanted to harvest something with it. After working up a load that shot ok, I went afield yesterday to attempt the test (hunting). I found a resonable mulie buck that I decided would work well as the test subject. He was 357 yds away, a distance that I thought would be ok for a high shoulder shot. I carefully aimed the APS reworked A-Bolt and sent one of the VLD's toward the intended target. The Baby Painkiller brake on the 7mm Rem Mag allowed me to watch the buck's reaction. He simply folded, in fact, he was propelled slightly uphill and slid down the steep slope feet first, without so much as a quiver.

An average buck, nothing special, a good candidate for the test. Upon looking for wounds nothing could be found expect a speck of blood on the exact spot where I aimed. I tried to find an entrance wound but couldn't. I probably didn't look hard enough. After dressing the buck I found that the VLD had broken the shoulder and then broken the neck. No wonder he folded so quickly. There was no exit wound whatsoever. The damage to the spine was considerable:

While dressing the buck out, I found the base of the jacket laying in the mess on the spine. I layed it on a rock to photograph it and forgot to bring it home to weigh it. There wasn't much left, here it is:

Obviously the effect of the bullet on the buck was devastating! Is this good bullet performance? You be the judge, I'm not going to get into this argument. I will try to find another deer to "test" and this time I will try a different location on the animal and record the terminal performance there too. Hope you enjoyed this little test, I sure did!!

 

[Limbic]

what kind of barrel twist do you have. I have 1 in 9.25 and was wondering if that is too fast for the 140gr. It is a factory sendero barrel.

 

[NONYA]

Watched a antelope buck get shot with 168 gr vlds a couple weeks ago out of a 300wm,wasnt too impressed.The first shot was way too fa back and just slowed him down,the second was a standing boiler room hit that didnt seem to faze him,he finallygot weak and collapsed.i dont think they expanded enough to deliver the knock down power I like to see,if he had hit solid bone it might have been different,the exit on the second shot wasnt much larger than the entrance.

 

[pretex]

Nonya

Do you know how fast those 168's were going?

MT4XFore

How fast did the 140 punch the mulie at terminal?

 

[MT4XFore]

Limbic, my twist is 1 in 9, I had it made to shoot 160 Accubonds, which I usually do. I was shooting these Bergers to test them for Eric.

Pretex, my muzzle velocity for those 140's is just a tad over 3400 fps. I dont know what it was when it put the smack down on the deer.

 

[Limbic]

Holy smoke. 3400 is scootin'. What powder?

 

[MT4XFore]

RL -22 is what that load uses. It is a pretty stiff load, but no obvious signs of pressure.

 

[TCKev]

I shot an Lope at 440yds with my Lazz Chambered XP-100 and he didn't go 20yds and shot my doe at and she 175yd's and she went maybe 30yds. The velocity at sealevel was 2850fps. I'm sold on them to say the least.


Kevin

 

[gamehauler]

Watched a antelope buck get shot with 168 gr vlds a couple weeks ago out of a 300wm,wasnt too impressed.The first shot was way too fa back and just slowed him down,the second was a standing boiler room hit that didnt seem to faze him,he finallygot weak and collapsed.i dont think they expanded enough to deliver the knock down power I like to see,if he had hit solid bone it might have been different,the exit on the second shot wasnt much larger than the entrance.

NONYA,
What was the range the Lope was shot at?
Most Lopers are shot at longer range but from what you
said I am guessing it was pretty close.
Mike