BERGER VLD's: ARE THE ORANGE AND OLD YELLOW BOXES REALLY THE SAME?

[LRHWAL]

I've used the 201gr VLD in my 300 WM for some years now. In fact only four animals killed with my rifle were not shot with those bullets.

Over the years I've hunted many, many springbuck, probably 7 or 8 large blue wildebeest bulls, 6 or 7 large Gemsbok bulls and even a wounded eland bull with this combination, as well as several other smaller species.

I've always experienced exactly what the claims were - penetration, then violent expansion and in fact explosive performance with not a single exit on any of these large animals mentioned above. The range was generally 180m-300m.

These were all shot with the original yellow boxed VLD's (I can find a stock number if I look I think) as I had about 8 boxes of these.

In them meantime I bought 5 or 6 boxes of the orange "Hunting VLD" and this year I hunted my first animals with these.

The shot placement was not always perfect, but this time I experienced several exists on both Blue Wildebeest and Gemsbok and more tracking and reactions that seemed more in line with so-called controlled expansion bullets with less wounding.

I realise that no two animals are identical and neither are any two shots, but my immediate thought was that maybe these bullets seem more strongly constructed than the previous ones. The orange boxes were purchased probably about three years ago.

Has anyone else experiened the same? Maybe Eric can confirm. Everywhere I've seen it said that these are the same as the previous VLD's and that it is only the new "match VLD" that has a thicker jacket in the VLD series.

Thanks.

 

[Broz]

LRHWAL, I have also been using the 210 Bergers for years. I started when they were in the yellow boxes too. Once they changed to the orange box I switched to them. I myself have not notices a difference in performance. I shoot a lot of elk with them and I often get pass throughs. Especially on the longer shots like 600 to 800 yards. My rifle and my sons are both 300 win mags and are sending the bullets between 2916 and 2995 fps. But even with pass throughs the exits are always 1 1/4" to 1 3/4" so the wund channel is very large. I would say that as long as you are using the orange bos bullets you are using th more expansive of the Bergers.

I hope this helps a little and maybe Eric will chime in and give you accurate details on the box and number changes.

Thanks for your post. You are taking soe very large tough animals with the 210 Bergers that I will never get to hunt. It is nice to hear that the bulets I choose are working wel on large game in Africa and you are seeing similar preformance from them even at 130 meters.

Jeff

 

[7stw]

That seems to be the million dollar question. I have often wondered how they can have different bullet types, ie, target versus hunting, and still have the same exact profile. All else being equal, lead and copper have two different densities and weight. If on has a thicker jacket, and another has a thinner jacket, how can both weigh the same if lead is filling the void. It seems like the one with the thinner jacket would weigh more. Maybe they are using a different amount of lead?
I am sure Eric or Bryan can answer!!!

 

[Franklin]

I believe there the same. I'll bet they went to orange so people wouldn't get confused as to what there hunting bullet is, because the non vld target bullets also come in a yellow box.