Berger 6.5 Hybrid kills?

[ShootnMathews]

I'd like to hear some results of how these work on game. All my searching comes up with is people going to use them but no results. Well it's hunting season now, so let's hear stories. My gun does not like the VLD style and I can't find the accubond long range anywhere so I am considering this bullet. I just don't want to be the first to try it.

 

[TH]

Well I have killed 6 animals with the 140 hybrid. Longest kill an oryx at 617 yards. I had to shoot him 3 times because there just wasn't enough energy in the round to kill the animal. I killed a zebra at 571 one shot kill. Bless buck at 300 one shot kill. 2 baboons one at 374yards anothe at 211 almost blew them in two.....kudu at 141 yards one shot in the heart ran 65 yards. Bullet preformed great on all animals...... I would not be afraid to take a mule deer or Elk...

 

[cowboy]

I'd like to hear some results of how these work on game. All my searching comes up with is people going to use them but no results. Well it's hunting season now, so let's hear stories. I just don't want to be the first to try it.

You won't be the first to try them. There has been some people relating bad experiences with them so I think those using them are reluctant to start an Internet peeing match.

Let me just say we tested them at extended ranges on soaked phone books, we shot them into sand, then dirt banks as well as gallon jugs filled with water. We did all this at the same time with a .284 168VLD out of a tried and proven load/rifle and compared results. The results said it was worth using.

We have used them on antelope, deer and elk - and will continue using them. By the way - these are being used out of a 6.5 X 284.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Well I have killed 6 animals with the 140 hybrid. Longest kill an oryx at 617 yards. I had to shoot him 3 times because there just wasn't enough energy in the round to kill the animal. I killed a zebra at 571 one shot kill. Bless buck at 300 one shot kill. 2 baboons one at 374yards anothe at 211 almost blew them in two.....kudu at 141 yards one shot in the heart ran 65 yards. Bullet preformed great on all animals...... I would not be afraid to take a mule deer or Elk...

Is an oryx a big animal? What velocity are you shooting them at? Did you see similar expansion to a hunting bullet? Thanks for replying

 

[ShootnMathews]

You won't be the first to try them. There has been some people relating bad experiences with them so I think those using them are reluctant to start an Internet peeing match.

Let me just say we tested them at extended ranges on soaked phone books, we shot them into sand, then dirt banks as well as gallon jugs filled with water. We did all this at the same time with a .284 168VLD out of a tried and proven load/rifle and compared results. The results said it was worth using.

We have used them on antelope, deer and elk - and will continue using them. By the way - these are being used out of a 6.5 X 284.

A 6.5-284 is what I was thinking of using them in. I have tried almost everything to get this gun to shoot the 140 hunting VLD and I cannot stop the flyers. For this season I have worked up a load with Nosler 140 BT that shoots one ragged hole at 100 and sub 1.5" at 500, but I can only get 2820 fps before seeing pressure signs and with the lower BC my range for reliable expansion is 700. Have you gotten good expansion out of the hybrid at ranges past that? On the animals you have shot did you get expansion similar to the hunting bullets? What velocity are you shooting? Thanks for replying.

 

[cowboy]

A 6.5-284 is what I was thinking of using them in. I have tried almost everything to get this gun to shoot the 140 hunting VLD and I cannot stop the flyers. For this season I have worked up a load with Nosler 140 BT that shoots one ragged hole at 100 and sub 1.5" at 500, but I can only get 2820 fps before seeing pressure signs and with the lower BC my range for reliable expansion is 700. Have you gotten good expansion out of the hybrid at ranges past that? On the animals you have shot did you get expansion similar to the hunting bullets? What velocity are you shooting? Thanks for replying.

Not knowing what twist /lenght of your barrel is it is hard to compare. I will say that these bullets are being used out of a standard Savage LRH that we have done some minor tweeking to. Started out using H4831sc as well as some minor testing with RL22. We tried Retumbo on a whim and were pleasantly surprised and are pushing the 140 Hybrid in the mid 2950 fps. - we are at 3600' elevation. The Savage info says it has a 26" barrel - but that includes the factory supplied brake (Which in my opinion is not much of a brake).

We have not taken anything at this point over 600 yds but the bullet performance out to that distance has been very satisfactory. Yes we have had good penetration/fragmentation very typical of Berger performance. With that said we also have not had a bad bullet placement on the animals taken so time will tell if a person was to place a bullet not exactly where you intended it to go.

 

[scottishkat]

Have you tried the 140 NBT on deer? As long as the velocity was above 2200fps I would think it would be stellar. That said I have heard of really good results with the 140 AMAX. Check out what they have to say at 6.5-284 Norma.

There is some informative info there about terminal ballistics. The 120 grain NBT has been stellar here in VA with whitetails. The deer are not as big as your Mule deer though.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[ShootnMathews]

Have you tried the 140 NBT on deer? As long as the velocity was above 2200fps I would think it would be stellar. That said I have heard of really good results with the 140 AMAX. Check out what they have to say at 6.5-284 Norma.

There is some informative info there about terminal ballistics. The 120 grain NBT has been stellar here in VA with whitetails. The deer are not as big as your Mule deer though.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

No, I have not tried this 6.5mm 140 nosler BT on deer yet, but I have no doubts that they will perform flawlessly. I have used many many NBT in many calibers and weighs and they have always performed perfectly. The ONLY reason I am trying to get another bullet to shoot is to extend my range. The lower BC of the NBT and lower max velocity I get put my max range for "reliable" expansion at 700 yards. This is following noslers minimum 1800 fps. The Berger requires 1800 fps also but with a velocity closer to 3000 and the higher BC raises my max range to around 1050 yards. This is the ONLY reason for my quest for a better long range bullet. If I could get my hands on the nosler long range accubond, it will expand at 1300 fps which would be great and if I could get this gun to shoot them. The berger VLDs are apparently just to sensitive for my loading taste.

With the NBT I can just throw brass through my FL die, trim, de-burr, clean, and reload and gun) one chewed up hole at 100. No weight sorting, neck turning, checking/aligning concentricity. If the Berger Hybrid or Nosler LRAB would do that and extend my range to 1000 then I will change bullets.

I may end up just using this gun with the NBT for a > 700 yard gun and get another gun for 700+ yard work.

Thanks everyone for helpful replies.

 

[C.O. Shooter]

ShootNMathews,

What is the maximum distance you tried the VLD hunting? I was going to use the hybrids exclusively, however, the VLD hunting shot better at 1000.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Not knowing what twist /lenght of your barrel is it is hard to compare. I will say that these bullets are being used out of a standard Savage LRH that we have done some minor tweeking to. Started out using H4831sc as well as some minor testing with RL22. We tried Retumbo on a whim and were pleasantly surprised and are pushing the 140 Hybrid in the mid 2950 fps. - we are at 3600' elevation. The Savage info says it has a 26" barrel - but that includes the factory supplied brake (Which in my opinion is not much of a brake).

We have not taken anything at this point over 600 yds but the bullet performance out to that distance has been very satisfactory. Yes we have had good penetration/fragmentation very typical of Berger performance. With that said we also have not had a bad bullet placement on the animals taken so time will tell if a person was to place a bullet not exactly where you intended it to go.

Thanks a ton for the info. Very helpful. My gun also is a factory Savage LRH 6.5-284. Just out Of Curiosity, did your LRH shoot the vld hunting very well? I keep getting flyers with mine. Eventually I may end up going the neck turning, and aligning concentricity route and see if that stops the flyers. Just seems like a lot of work. But if it fixes the problem it would be worth it. Thanks again

 

[ShootnMathews]

ShootNMathews,

What is the maximum distance you tried the VLD hunting? I was going to use the hybrids exclusively, however, the VLD hunting shot better at 1000.

500 yards. And one day they would shoot great and the next I couldn't hit a 12" plate. I never got them shooting consistently enough to try at any farther range. The only way I could get this gun to shoot them is to jam them and then I did not have enough bullet in the case to maintain concentricity. The bullets in transit became knocked out of alignment then shot terrible. Trying to jump them It seems like know matter what ive tried so far, I get a tiny little group, sometimes one ragged hole but there will always be one out of nearly every group that is 1-2" away. So I have given up on that bullet for now until I get the money for neck turning tools and a concentricity check/corrector.

 

[bigngreen]

Personally I won't push the range on the 140 Hybrid in 6.5 unless I've annealed the tips to ensure expansion. I'll push the Hunting bullet much farther but even then the 6.5's tend to hold a tighter wound channel through game than some of the others. In other cals the Hybrids are my go to bullet and have completely replaced the hunting, othesr the Hunting is still preferred, judge each bullet on their merit IMO.

 

[cowboy]

Thanks a ton for the info. Very helpful. My gun also is a factory Savage LRH 6.5-284. Just out Of Curiosity, did your LRH shoot the vld hunting very well? I keep getting flyers with mine. Eventually I may end up going the neck turning, and aligning concentricity route and see if that stops the flyers. Just seems like a lot of work. But if it fixes the problem it would be worth it. Thanks again

NO - we never have tried the hunting VLD's - couldn't find them anywhere when we needed them. We tested the Hybrids as was mentioned - never saw any evidence that gave us any concern and began shooting critters with them. In this rifle they flat fly true.

We bone everything right at the kill site, do all our own meat processing and try to really evaluate each and every bullet performance - we pay real close attention whenever we shoot a different type bullet. We will use them again this year from what we have seen.

I have no intent of being a 6.5 hybrid bullet salesman - time will tell on their performance at extended ranges - we haven't crossed that path yet.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Cowboy. Thanks a lot for the help. Would you mind to share you load data on the hybrid.