Berger 95 gr VLD hunting, Nosler 95 gr Partition or Nosler 95 gr BT

[Beelzebub]

95 grain 243 loads are new to me. Normally it's 85, 100's and 105-107's.

Several weeks ago I bought 200 Berger 95 grain VLD hunting bullets to try. Good looking bullets. I loaded 9 different loading using 3 different powders, IMR 4064, IMR 4350 and RL-19. Nothing hot, but hopefully close to 3000 fps.

The 2 best loadings were 37.0/4064 coming in at .365" for a 3 shot group and 43.0/RL-19 at .360" for a 3 shot group. Both loads were seated to 2.725". While the IMR 4350 did come in at .660 I decided to drop this powder and work more on the other two.

Of the 3 bullets mentioned in the title, can anyone give any pros or cons to them? I'm asking purely from a hunting stand point.

tks in advance,
B

 

[ShootnMathews]

Well the 95 VLD has a superior BC over the other two which is desirable. I cannot speak for the hunting part of them because my barrel is 1:10 and I could not get them to stabilize properly. But it sounds like you got that part licked. I have not tried the partitions at all.

The Nosler BT however I use exclusively in my 243. It shoots very well out to 500 yards for hunting and beyond that for targets. My load reaches 1700 fps at around 600 or so yards so I have set that as my hunting limit. It's pretty easy to hit steel out to 800 with wind cooperating. It is flat out devastating on deer sized game. At 500 yards I get 2" - 3" groups. With all ballistic tips in all calibers I always aim for a double lung shot. BTs can tend to be somewhat explosive at close range but I still almost always get a pass through. I tend to believe a good double lung shot helps the deer bleed out better which helps take some of the gamey taste out of the meat. Here is a couple pics of a deer I killed with them. One with the gun so you can see the size of the deer. The other of the exit hole

 

[ShootnMathews]

Entrance side and for scale on deer. Entrance hole cannot be seen.

 

[Beelzebub]

Well the 95 VLD has a superior BC over the other two which is desirable. I cannot speak for the hunting part of them because my barrel is 1:10 and I could not get them to stabilize properly. But it sounds like you got that part licked. I have not tried the partitions at all.

The Nosler BT however I use exclusively in my 243. It shoots very well out to 500 yards for hunting and beyond that for targets. My load reaches 1700 fps at around 600 or so yards so I have set that as my hunting limit. It's pretty easy to hit steel out to 800 with wind cooperating. It is flat out devastating on deer sized game. At 500 yards I get 2" - 3" groups. With all ballistic tips in all calibers I always aim for a double lung shot. BTs can tend to be somewhat explosive at close range but I still almost always get a pass through. I tend to believe a good double lung shot helps the deer bleed out better which helps take some of the gamey taste out of the meat. Here is a couple pics of a deer I killed with them. One with the gun so you can see the size of the deer. The other of the exit hole

XXXXXXXXXX

I have a Rem 700 LS with a 9.125 twist. People say it is a rarity, but it and my Ruger 77 MK II with the same barrel stabilize 105-107 really well.

Do you have any experience with Hornady's 95 grain SST?

tks,
B

 

[ShootnMathews]

Exit side. The exit was nice and round but with its leg position it kinda has the hole squished closed. But it was a round exit at the width you see in pic

 

[ShootnMathews]

XXXXXXXXXX

I have a Rem 700 LS with a 9.125 twist. People say it is a rarity, but it and my Ruger 77 MK II with the same barrel stabilize 105-107 really well.

Do you have any experience with Hornady's 95 grain SST?

tks,
B

Cool guns. Wish mine would stabilize bullets that size. It will after a rebarrel when this ones shot.

I have no experience with the SST in my 243 but I do shoot them in a 7mm-08 and they seem to have about the same expansion and characteristics as the Nosler BT. I will say this about the SST. My dad (getting up there in years) shot a buck this past year with the 7-08 and the SST and hit nothing but guts. Was several inches from the vitals and passed through the stomach mainly. The deer went about 70 yards. Which is saying a lot for the bullet considering the placement. I was very surprised.

 

[Beelzebub]

Thanks for all replies. Keep them coming please.

B

 

[WyoMountainMule]

I have used the factory loaded Nosler 95 gr CT Ballistic Silvertip (which is a ballistic tip with a special coating) to kill an antelope (~250 yds) and a mule deer (~200 yds). The rifle used was a factory 243 Win, 1:10 twist.

I have used the Berger 95 VLD Hunting to kill an antelope (502 yds) and a whitetail (424 yds). The rifle used was a 243 AI, 1:8 twist, 3330 fps.

Overall, I felt the Berger bullets did a better job on that size of game. I have put together a new 243 Win, 1:9 twist based around the Berger 95 VLD. I am in the process of working a load for it and will try to post a thread sometime when I am further along.

All that being said, I have killed more deer and antelope with an 80 gr soft point and have never had anything to complain about. Deer and antelope are small and not overly robust. Your bullet choice should be based around how you like to hunt and what ranges you intend to shoot. If you are sticking with 300 yds or less, go with something easier to load, as I have found the 95 Bergers to be a little finicky (worth it to me though.....)

 

[Beelzebub]

I have used the factory loaded Nosler 95 gr CT Ballistic Silvertip (which is a ballistic tip with a special coating) to kill an antelope (~250 yds) and a mule deer (~200 yds). The rifle used was a factory 243 Win, 1:10 twist.

I have used the Berger 95 VLD Hunting to kill an antelope (502 yds) and a whitetail (424 yds). The rifle used was a 243 AI, 1:8 twist, 3330 fps.

Overall, I felt the Berger bullets did a better job on that size of game. I have put together a new 243 Win, 1:9 twist based around the Berger 95 VLD. I am in the process of working a load for it and will try to post a thread sometime when I am further along.

All that being said, I have killed more deer and antelope with an 80 gr soft point and have never had anything to complain about. Deer and antelope are small and not overly robust. Your bullet choice should be based around how you like to hunt and what ranges you intend to shoot. If you are sticking with 300 yds or less, go with something easier to load, as I have found the 95 Bergers to be a little finicky (worth it to me though.....)

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I've loaded 18 different loadings using the 95 VLD. I'm still experimenting with powders and seating depths, but I have been able to get 2 different powders to group at .365 and .360 at 100 yards. Was hoping to break the magic .250" barrier. But I'm no where near done yet. Only been fooling with this bullet for less than a month. 37.0/INR4064 and 43.0/RL-19 have been the most accurate so far. Both loads were seated at 2.725.

I've got a thread here http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/losts-questions-one-time-166672/

with data on the last 9 loading I did. Good luck and keep us posted on your results.

tks,
B

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I would load stones before the 95 grain ballistic tips, under 50 yards at 3000 fps means deer buyer !! It'll shoot the best groups I'd bet but way to explosive !!

 

[Beelzebub]

I would load stones before the 95 grain ballistic tips, under 50 yards at 3000 fps means deer buyer !! It'll shoot the best groups I'd bet but way to explosive !!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I killed a really nice NWFL 8 point 2 weeks ago at 285 yards with the 95 VLD Hunting. I will say that it did exactly what they say they are designed to do. The deer dropped before the shadow of the bullet even got there! ;-)

I looked and looked for blood and did not see any until I struggle for 30 minutes trying to get him on the front of my 4 wheeler. Then the 4 wheeler and I both got a blood bath. While I was tying him down I felt a bump/lump just under the skin of his off shoulder. I pulled out my pocket knife and made a slit....there were three pieces of the bullet in a spot no bigger than a quarter. When I busted his brisket to gut him, both frontal lobes of his lungs and his heart were "liquidated" There were blood clots bigger than what was left of his lungs and heart.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I would load stones before the 95 grain ballistic tips, under 50 yards at 3000 fps means deer buyer !! It'll shoot the best groups I'd bet but way to explosive !!

If you look on page one. Those pics I posted of that 4.5 yr old whitetail were from my 243 with a 95 grain BT with a 2900 MV. Shot was 53 yards. Bullet held together just fine. Made a golf ball sized exit hole. Clean quick kill. Deer dead in less than 10 seconds. Lungs were obliterated. If you compare the two pics. You can see the exit hole is AT LEAST as big as my trigger guard. Maybe bigger. The exit hole was actually round but in the exit pic the legs is back from its position of the shot which has the hole squeezed shut some.

I also let a young Hunter here shoot a doe at 25 yards. Bullet held together just fine again. Exit same at my deer.

 

[WyoMountainMule]

Beelzebub,

Sounds like you are getting some good accuracy. Do you know how much off the lands you are at your seating depth? You might also try H4350 as well. Very temp stable and with your 26" barrel, I think you will find a nice gain in velocity.

 

[benchracer]

XXXXXXXXXX

I have a Rem 700 LS with a 9.125 twist. People say it is a rarity, but it and my Ruger 77 MK II with the same barrel stabilize 105-107 really well.

Do you have any experience with Hornady's 95 grain SST?

tks,
B

I loaded 95 SST's in my son's .243. He took his first deer in October 2015 using that load. I had expected a close range shot, so I loaded them down to around 2900 or so.

The deer was quartering to at around 15 yards when he took the shot from an elevated stand. The SST entered high on the onside shoulder, took out the heart, both lungs, splattered the offside portion of the liver, and stopped just under the hide, traversing a good two feet or so in the chest cavity. The deer took a dead run of less than twenty yards and piled up.

The SST opened aggressively and was very destructive. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. The SST isn't a high bc or controlled expansion bullet, but I like how it behaves in terms of terminal performance. My son's rifle is a 10 twist, so it won't handle the higher bc bullets. I initially tried 80 TTSX's and 85 NPT's, but couldn't get them to shoot. I had no trouble getting hunting accuracy from the SST's.

Overall, I think of the 6mm 95 SST as a well balanced hunting bullet. It will hold together well enough to work at close range, yet opens aggressively enough to remain effective at longer distances. It is inexpensive and easy to tune. If controlled expansion and/or high bc is important to you, the SST may not be your bullet. Overall, though, I think it is a tough one to beat for deer/antelope size game.