Berger Boar Ballistic Blowout - 1st Field Test of Berger 130 gr VLD-Hunting

[Double Naught Spy]

[ame]https://youtu.be/9-guybTjxuI[/ame]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-guybTjxuI&feature=youtu.be

I am testing out some new Berger VLD-Hunting 130 gr. Grendel ammo loaded by Precision Firearms. I must admit to being a little surprised to walk up on my downed boar only to find him still alive some 10 minutes after shooting him despite what I thought should have been an immediately lethal shot. Butchery revealed the extent of the damage, massive. The Berger round entered behind the ear and exited the other side. The exit wound was large, larger than I normally get with Hornady SST ammo. Cutting back the skin revealed a cavernous amount of destruction.

The ammo performed as designed. I just can't figure out why the hog wasn't dead, LOL.

 

[stomp442]

Animals are surprising sometimes in what they are able to take and there is really no explanation of why. 99 times out of 100 that shot would more than likely be an instant kill. Next time put one through both shoulders and lets see how the bullet does. I am going to say we will see more of the same performance but I think it will give a good performance test.

 

[djones]

interesting shot. certainly would have expected an instant kill. he appeared to be angled a little toward though. if he was away it might have gone more up into the head area. half an inch lower and i bet he would have been drt.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

DNS,

You need to quit your day job and do the video thing full time!

Thanks for the necropsy on the hog. I never bother to take the time to examine the pig for ballistic results.

I've been thinking of getting a smaller caliber AR for hog hunting, since my Armalite AR-10 with the Nightforce scope and clip on thermal weighs a ton!

Is there anything you don't like about the 6.5 Grendel's performance? Most of my shots will be less than 150 yards. I'm very happy with the performance of my .308's, but I'm open to something that will be easier to haul around.

I still have not had time to sight in my Ruger SR-762 yet. I put an Armasight thermal on a little while back, but my busy schedule has prevented me from using it yet. The Ruger is pretty light, so maybe that is the solution I'm looking for.

 

[djones]

... my WIFE has prevented me from using it yet.

scram, fixed it for ya.

because of this... and other reasons (see below), your man card has been revoked!

 

[Double Naught Spy]

interesting shot. certainly would have expected an instant kill. he appeared to be angled a little toward though. if he was away it might have gone more up into the head area. half an inch lower and i bet he would have been drt.

Yeah, I definitely did not want to hit the head with the bullet. With the wound channel that bullet produced, I would not have thought I needed to worry about a half inch of difference! Maybe it was just one of those freak things.

DNS,
Is there anything you don't like about the 6.5 Grendel's performance? Most of my shots will be less than 150 yards. I'm very happy with the performance of my .308's, but I'm open to something that will be easier to haul around.

Thanks! I really like the Grendel. I got it, originally, because I had abdominal surgery and the doc strongly suggested against significant jarring actions for a month or so which I recovered, such as by the .308 I was shooting. To be honest, I can't really tell any terminal difference in performance on hogs. With Hornady SST 123 gr. ammo, I get about the same penetration as my buddy shooting 150 gr hunting ammo from his .308.

So, recoil is less. Penetration is good with good ammo (I don't reload). Works well for folks who want to shoot longer distances (not really you and me).

The downsides are that there are fewer platform and commercial ammo choices and outside of Hornady, then tend to be pricey (such as offerings from Alexander Arms and from Precision Firearms). There is some 'cheaper' (Wolf Prvi Partisan) plinking ammo, but I would not be keen on hunting with it, though the Prvi has had some good reports for accuracy and reliability.

A lot of Grendel folks build their own rifles. I just tend to buy uppers, instead.

You could go with 6.8 SPC that has more commercial offerings (platforms and ammo) and has a little better short range performance than the Grendel for similar ammo, but I went with the Grendel because of the higher sectional density of the bullet that would be more likely to give it better penetration (theoretically). In reality, performance between the two calibers at less than 400 yards is going to be indistinguishable on what you shoot.

For deer/hog and smaller critters, I don't think you could go wrong either way. I don't know about 6.8, but some Grendel folks even take elk with their Grendels. I am not sure that is really wise, but obviously it works.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

scram, fixed it for ya.

because of this... and other reasons (see below), your man card has been revoked!

I'm bald... Besides, my butt looks WAY better than his. Other than that, I like it! You're getting better with the photoshopping!

My wife came back early from FL. She was supposed to be down there a month, but came back 2 weeks early. I got the flu while she was gone, so I didn't feel like playing with the thermal. We spent 3 hours last night trying to get my daughter used to sleeping in the crib again, so so much for free time!

She is a good lady. She doesn't try to keep me from doing the things I like. I haven't taken it out since she is back since I didn't tell her about buying the Armasight thermal, or the Barrett, or the Sig, or the new M14, or the ...
She doesn't know much about guns, but as big as the Armasight thermal is, I don't know if she'd buy the "it was in the back of the same" story.

So the "wife" excuse is not out of fear of her, I just don't want to explain all of the new things in the gun safes.

 

[djones]

scram,
i think i've summarized your situation....

My wife came back early. I didn't feel like playing. We spent 3 hours last night trying to. I haven't taken it out since she is back.

sorry, but without pakkratt i've been reduced to this.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

scram,
i think i've summarized your situation....

sorry, but without pakkratt i've been reduced to this.

I love it! Since I'm your new target, it's a good thing I'm a cold hearted emotionless bastard (or at least that is what my ex-wife tells me) so I don't have any feelings you can hurt. Bring it!

I wonder what Pack is up to? I hope that upon his return, he will regale us with stories of whoring his way through the ladies at the nursing home or something equally amusing.

 

[djones]

EX??? got pics? phone number? sounds like she and i probably agree on most things.

i might hire a PI to search out buttratt and shame him into a cameo appearance.

dbl ntz... if you've read this far.... why didn't you want to shoot him in the head? something about the bullet??

 

[Double Naught Spy]

As painful as it was, I did read this far. Your boudoir photography is clear and crisp. Why you have photos of scrmblr and his wife are beyond me, but well done.

Why not shoot the hog in the head? Maybe that test will come later. I figure just about any ammo should put down a hog with a head shot. I wanted to see what it would do in soft tissue first, where Berger promotes the bullet's performance. Is this really a viable, general purpose hunting round or just a specialty round for long range and soft targets like deer?

I have two more hunts this week and I will see if I can get on more hogs bring back some more field results. Wednesday's hunt will be more stand hunting and not likely to be as close as this hunt was. Friday's hunt will be spot and stalk and may be at shorter distances.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

EX??? got pics? phone number? sounds like she and i probably agree on most things.

i might hire a PI to search out buttratt and shame him into a cameo appearance.

dbl ntz... if you've read this far.... why didn't you want to shoot him in the head? something about the bullet??

The ex is on husband # 3 and now has kid # 5. As much as I would laugh at her making your life an absolute living hell, I couldn't do that to you. She gets ridden more than the village bicycle. Real piece of work.

 

[djones]

after reading that i had an idea of introducing ur ex to pakrat but he just txted me and asked if u cud post pix of hubby#3

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

after reading that i had an idea of introducing ur ex to pakrat but he just txted me and asked if u cud post pix of hubby#3

Unfortunately for Pack, I don't keep any photos of my ex-wife's current husband. She changes husbands more often than her underwear, and it's just too hard to keep up with her partners.