Berger not going splat or pencilling.

[Korhil78]

I have never had any issues with the Berger's that I use. I have used them in 300 RUM, 338 Lapua, 25-06, 30-06, 260 and never a problem. I have always loaded the heavier version of the Berger bullet for all of my rifles.

My cousin on the other hand had one blow up on a mule deer. He was shooting a 30-06 with the 168 Gr Berger HVLD. It was hit right behind the shoulder from a ranged distance of 347 yards. It ran about 200 yards and bedded down. He almost couldn't find it and spent a while looking for it. Luckily he found it when he got close and it jumped up to run and he shot it one more time to put it down. As you can see in the picture below, it blew up upon impact and nothing entered the vitals area. I am guessing that it hit a rib or the edge of the shoulder and that's what caused it to explode.

My thoughts on it are, every now and then you are going to get a bullet that is not made internally correct. It looks fine on the outside but something structurally is off on the inside. That's why it may be important to examine and weigh each bullet. And also it is my "belief" that the heavier for caliber Berger bullets work better on game than the lighter ones.

 

[hunter67wa]

Nice buck. Glad he got it. In the early days the Berger hunting vlds were a little light and some folks went to shooting the target vlds as they were a little heavier constructed. Berger did correct this. But I agree heavy for caliber but it still doesn't explain what happened.

 

[Korhil78]

My thinking is that every now and then, you get a bad bullet. There may be more bad bullets than we think but a lot of them get used shooting targets so we never hear about it. Its gotta happen sometime or another.

 

[bigngreen]

I've seen two other guys who had a Berger blow on the surface and the rifles had rough throats that really stressed the jackets. Changed to the target bullet and problem solved, IMO if a Berger blows is had the jacket stressed for one reason or the other.

 

[bigngreen]

Nice buck. Glad he got it. In the early days the Berger hunting vlds were a little light and some folks went to shooting the target vlds as they were a little heavier constructed. Berger did correct this. But I agree heavy for caliber but it still doesn't explain what happened.

The hunting bullet is the same jacket as it always has been, the target line was the introduction of the thicker jacket.

 

[257Tony]

Here is a 7mm 195, fired from a 28 Nosler into a bull elk. 200 yard shot, impact velocity around 2800.

 

[jlreff]

nearly lost a really nice a nice coues buck to a berger. failed to make it through the elbow joint and blew up. the barnes shot text book then hit him at 70 yards to finsh him. nearly lost half that deer to bloodshot meat. quit using them after that, and went back to using my barnes. ill take terminal preformance over a high bc target bullet any day.shoot great have a 338 lapua that's 3/4 moa at a 1000 with the 280gr lrx.

 

[Raudy707]

I have never had any issues with the Berger's that I use. I have used them in 300 RUM, 338 Lapua, 25-06, 30-06, 260 and never a problem. I have always loaded the heavier version of the Berger bullet for all of my rifles.

My cousin on the other hand had one blow up on a mule deer. He was shooting a 30-06 with the 168 Gr Berger HVLD. It was hit right behind the shoulder from a ranged distance of 347 yards. It ran about 200 yards and bedded down. He almost couldn't find it and spent a while looking for it. Luckily he found it when he got close and it jumped up to run and he shot it one more time to put it down. As you can see in the picture below, it blew up upon impact and nothing entered the vitals area. I am guessing that it hit a rib or the edge of the shoulder and that's what caused it to explode.

My thoughts on it are, every now and then you are going to get a bullet that is not made internally correct. It looks fine on the outside but something structurally is off on the inside. That's why it may be important to examine and weigh each bullet. And also it is my "belief" that the heavier for caliber Berger bullets work better on game than the lighter ones.

View attachment 116128

I had this exact thing happen to me on a few occasions and soured me on Berger bullets. I love them for punching paper and ringing steel at long ranges but I don't use them anymore as a hunting bullet.

 

[jlreff]

that's what i'm saying. use a hunting bullet for hunting and a target bullet for targets.

 

[hunter67wa]

The hunting bullet is the same jacket as it always has been, the target line was the introduction of the thicker jacket.

ok if you say so im not in the official know but that is why some guys went with the target vlds over the hunting vlds in lighter calibers

 

[Kimber7man]

that's what i'm saying. use a hunting bullet for hunting and a target bullet for targets.

They ARE hunting bullets...

 

[AZShooter]

My friends and I have shot 25 coues wt, 4 mule deer and 6 elk with the 115 Berger VLD from our 257 weatherby chambered customs with none blowing up on entrance. One memorable shot was a coues at 520 uds where bullet entered just behind shoulder and exited through the elbow joint on opposite side.
The coolest shot I witnessed was my friend shooting a coues perfect broadside at 400 yds. Watched on 15x binos to see a large stream of blood fly out on the entrance side!

FYI I use the 230 target hybrid in my 300 RUM. Only two kills a cow at 250 and a 6 x 6 at 156 yds. Bullet stopped both animals very quickly and in both instances exited.

 

[Wedgy]

Here is a 7mm 195, fired from a 28 Nosler into a bull elk. 200 yard shot, impact velocity around 2800.

What was the retention weight when recovered ?

 

[jlreff]

Still disagree it's a target bullet. Can get a real hunting bullet to shoot as well. Ask Azshooter.