Berger VLD performance on bone question...

[Ltsheets]

I'm considering using a 140vld in my 6.5x284 at 2997 FPS for my elk hunt this fall. I'm someone who believes in shooting vitals regardless of bullet but obviously not all shots are perfect. I'm curious to hear from those who've shot lighter weight bergers and had them hit leg bone or shoulder. I want to know if they are able to punch through a heavy elk leg or shoulder bone before fragmenting. Thanks in advance!

 

[Plinker147]

My son shot a 6X6 at 520 yards with a 6.5-06 and 140 Berger VLDs at 2800ish fps. 2 shots went through the lower front shoulder bone into the chest cavity =dead elk. Those bullets will work fine.

 

[Ltsheets]

So they actually went through the thicker bone below the shoulder blade no problem?

 

[Clucknmoan]

I have shot 5 bulls in the last 5 years with my 6.5 284 running 140 Bergers Huntin VLD's at about 2970. We are lucky enough to live where most people go to play, so I have ample chances and can be picky about what I shoot and where I shoot it. For myself it's about food, I head shoot the first fat bull I can get I the pickup whole. After that the pressure is off and the wife and kids can try to kill something bigger if they want.

Anyway, all 5 of these bulls were shot right where the head and neck meet. All of them went down like a sack of crap. 3 of them had their head up when I got to them and needed a second, another of them got back on his feet and I put another in his head. So out of the 5, only 1 was stone dead and busted his neck clean.

We have shot about 3 times that many deer with it in the last 5 years and it is absolutely hell on them. Shoot a deer in the head or neck and their ears are the first thing that hits the ground. Absolutely flattens them. Kids have shot quite a few behind the shoulder and it does very well there too.

I personally think (for what I do) the 140's are slightly too small to be confident they will perform on a bull when they hit large bone.

I actually had a 7/300 built to shoot 180 VLD's for my new headshooting rig because of this. I also switched to the 147 ELD M's in my 6.5 284 go this winter to see how they do.

 

[bigngreen]

I've shot a couple cows dead on the heaviest shoulder bone possible with a 140 VLD starting at 3234 fps, both within 300 yards and it blew the leg bone to splinters, entere the chest and destroyed the lungs and major vessels and either ended up on the of side hide or on heavy quartering up in the of side of the neck.
I've dispatched quite a number of bulls and cows with a shot to the base of the neck and I've never had one not break the neck and most exit. My buddy broke the neck on an Alaskan bull moose with them as well, his first shot took him frontal and exited the flank after messing up his lungs pretty good then the second was a neck shot from a 6.5x284.
Never caught one in a deer even mule deer through both shoulders exit, one of my favorite bullets for elk but I normally keep everything in the slats cause I want more meat!

 

[WeiserBucks]

I wouldn't attempt a Texas heart shot , but would feel confident in almost any other angle.

 

[Ltsheets]

I won't say never but I can't think of a situation where I'd take a Texas heart shot regardless of bullet and cartridge as a first shot. Might take it as a follow up if necessary but at that point it doesn't matter what I'm shooting.

Thanks for the input!

I wouldn't attempt a Texas heart shot , but would feel confident in almost any other angle.

 

[Plinker147]

Yes through the heavy bone

 

[Clucknmoan]

I've shot a couple cows dead on the heaviest shoulder bone possible with a 140 VLD starting at 3234 fps, both within 300 yards and it blew the leg bone to splinters, entere the chest and destroyed the lungs and major vessels and either ended up on the of side hide or on heavy quartering up in the of side of the neck.
I've dispatched quite a number of bulls and cows with a shot to the base of the neck and I've never had one not break the neck and most exit. My buddy broke the neck on an Alaskan bull moose with them as well, his first shot took him frontal and exited the flank after messing up his lungs pretty good then the second was a neck shot from a 6.5x284.
Never caught one in a deer even mule deer through both shoulders exit, one of my favorite bullets for elk but I normally keep everything in the slats cause I want more meat!

That's fast! Sherman or a SAUM?

I would hesitate to shoot on behind the shoulder with one, I'm just not going to head shoot with them anymore..

 

[bigngreen]

That's fast! Sherman or a SAUM?

I would hesitate to shoot on behind the shoulder with one, I'm just not going to head shoot with them anymore..

I'm shooting a Sherman Short and my brother and dad shoot Sherman's.

 

[BEEMAN]

Do the 140 Hybrids perform equally well?

 

[stomp442]

I always aim for Bone and have never had an issue with the Bergers. In fact, I think they work the best when they hit bone especially on smaller game like deer and goats.

 

[zimmer2]

My experience is "one shot" on a cow @ 650 yards. 7mm rem mag 180 Berger hunting bullet @ 2900 fps. High shoulder hit and did not hit the heavy bone, went 20 yards BUT man the front 1/2 of the animal was lets say a **** mess! loss of 2/3 of the front shouders. Entrance in ribs was 2", exit on other side was 4" hole, in hide for exit was 1 1/2". Once hide came off the blood shot was horrible

 

[ThorThor]

Attached a pic of Berger 195 out of 7mm Rum at 3125 fps from an antelope two weeks ago in Nevada. shot was 634 yards on quartering to shot just behind the shoulder. shot missed bone traveling length of antelope until hit the left rear leg and was found was under the skin. Antelope was DRT but I would only take a lung shot on an Elk with this bullet or a quartering away shot lung shot into off shoulder at closer range. bullet did hold together but only weighed about 70 grains. For deer and antelope this bullet is lights out however.