??Berger Hybrids not for hunting??

Alot of game has been shot with them.The Bergers as a whole seem to perform similar as a whole.I have shot a handful of speed goats with the 87 Berger,because they shot well.Taken some game,and will more with the 300 ,338HYBRID,that is now a OTM. They are devastating on game
 
All my exit holes look like Jeff's, bullets opened up nice. A guy has to watch the seating die for crimping the meplat in just a little an making them a solid!!
 
If I owned a stack of them I'd line up some jugs and do my own test...just a suggestion! Opinions of performance on game vary as well, but 'pencil through' is pretty descriptive. The jugs at the pencil through distance with the same combo of load/velocity should show that behavior.
Wallypedal
 
Derek,
Don't sweat it. Just load 'em fast and shoot 'em! We have shot a truck load of game this year from little Sika deer to Bull tahr, Red stag and Wapiti with the 338 300gns and the 7mm 180's, from 400 yards to 1200 yards. I'm racking my brains to think of one that wasn't a one shot kill, and I can't think of even one!
Unless you're driving them real slow, I'm with Jeff and co, they expand and kill real good. And best of all, their accuracy and BC's make them easier to hit the right spot with!
Greg
 
This was 338, I did same exact to a 6x6.No pencil,goat was 800,bull was 50yrd.
 

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replied to PM. I'm most likely going to just keep my fingers crossed and go with these hybrids. Hopefully I'll get a buck this fall in CO.

I think you'll be fine. Shootm' in the shoulder if the jackets are thicker. The original Bergers, that are now hunting bullets, were the exact same bullet for target before the thicker jackets came out. People found out they worked for hunting, so they became "hunting" bullets:D......Rich
 
Rich, as I understand it, it was John Burns and his hunting buddies that first started loading Berger "target" bullets and hunted with them to find out they worked really well. Then Berger bullet company decided to make "hunting VLDs" and in doing so those bullets have a thinner jacket. Is this correct?

Greg, thanks for the reply. What I keep reading about is the 300 gr hybrid in the 338. That is a really big bullet and I wouldn't even post a concern on that one for game even though it is still possible that it would not perform as one would expect- I think someone posted something like that on this thread.

I was hoping someone had some experience with the 140 6.5mm hybrid at this point. I think I'll take out the new 7RemMag first and play with the 180s to see what happens.
 
Rich, as I understand it, it was John Burns and his hunting buddies that first started loading Berger "target" bullets and hunted with them to find out they worked really well. Then Berger bullet company decided to make "hunting VLDs" and in doing so those bullets have a thinner jacket. Is this correct?

Greg, thanks for the reply. What I keep reading about is the 300 gr hybrid in the 338. That is a really big bullet and I wouldn't even post a concern on that one for game even though it is still possible that it would not perform as one would expect- I think someone posted something like that on this thread.

I was hoping someone had some experience with the 140 6.5mm hybrid at this point. I think I'll take out the new 7RemMag first and play with the 180s to see what happens.

The Berger original vld target was a thin jacket bullet that people found out worked for hunting. When they came out with the thicker jacket target bullet, the old thin skins were given a different # designation and called hunting bullets. I had some of the old and new in 6.5 140's and they were the same bullet. This was confirmed with Berger. Nothing wrong with that; just good marketing:D......Rich
 
Derek,
We've used the 180gn 7mm Hybrid exclusively in our big 7mm's this year and have taken a truckload of game with them out to 1000 yards. They have expanded just fine even at the longest ranges. We are driving them anywhere from 3220fps up to 3425fps though, depending on the chambering. You'll only be 2900 to 2950 fps out of the 7mm RM, depending on barrel length. But as they've still been expanding down to 2000fps impact velocity just fine for us, that will get you to at least 700 yards anyway in the 7mm Rem Mag.
Sorry, haven't used the 6.5mm Hybrids at all, still using A-Max's or 142gn SMK's in our hot 6.5's.
Greg
 
Derek,
We've used the 180gn 7mm Hybrid exclusively in our big 7mm's this year and have taken a truckload of game with them out to 1000 yards. They have expanded just fine even at the longest ranges. We are driving them anywhere from 3220fps up to 3425fps though, depending on the chambering. You'll only be 2900 to 2950 fps out of the 7mm RM, depending on barrel length. But as they've still been expanding down to 2000fps impact velocity just fine for us, that will get you to at least 700 yards anyway in the 7mm Rem Mag.
Sorry, haven't used the 6.5mm Hybrids at all, still using A-Max's or 142gn SMK's in our hot 6.5's.
Greg

why choose the Amax bullet over the Hornady HPBT match? I went to Hornady site and of course it says, "these bullets are not recommended for hunting"
 
Derek,
The A-Max's are proven long range expanders, and work really well for us in both the 6.5's and the 7mm's. Just be careful with them at closer ranges as they will fly to pieces pretty quick at high impact velocities.
Greg
 
Derek,
The A-Max's are proven long range expanders, and work really well for us in both the 6.5's and the 7mm's. Just be careful with them at closer ranges as they will fly to pieces pretty quick at high impact velocities.
Greg

what is close range? when I hunt I, like anyone, never know what's going to happen. I've hunted, prepared for long shots (400+) and had bucks walk around the brush at bow range. :D
 
what is close range? when I hunt I, like anyone, never know what's going to happen. I've hunted, prepared for long shots (400+) and had bucks walk around the brush at bow range. :D

Dude! at that range you can shoot'm in the eye:D
Seriously, my friend shot a bear with an A-max in his 280 Sherman with impact velocity around 2600' and the bullet made it to the opposite side under the hide. It weighed in at 65 grains so use that as a guide.......Rich
 
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