Bergers VLD and hunting......

[Fotis]

Posted this in another forum but I would like more input.
I will admit I am a Hornady and Nosler fan. Now, that being said the fact that I am getting Sub half MOA groups and 3175 fps from the 210 Hunting VLD from my Sendero 300 RUM has me very intrigued. I have decided to use these this year and and see for myself what they can do. I must admit I am an fan of exit wounds and I have heard the VLD's are not really known for that. So to the fellas that have used them, what can I expect as far as game performance on deer/elk?

Thank you in advance for any input.
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[bigbuck]

Posted this in another forum but I would like more input.
I will admit I am a Hornady and Nosler fan. Now, that being said the fact that I am getting Sub half MOA groups and 3175 fps from the 210 Hunting VLD from my Sendero 300 RUM has me very intrigued. I have decided to use these this year and and see for myself what they can do. I must admit I am an fan of exit wounds and I have heard the VLD's are not really known for that. So to the fellas that have used them, what can I expect as far as game performance on deer/elk?

Thank you in advance for any input.
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I just started using the 210 berger last year I only had a chance to shoot one doe with it at 85 yards she was bedded down in a field next to my shootin house . Complete pass through she didn't even budge from her bed well to be honest she had one leg kicked out from under her but she was still laying were she was just befor the gun went off I LOVE BERGERS !

I shoot a 300 RUM as well could you tell me your load data and do you have an wyatt extended box mag ??

Thanks BigBuck

 

[Fotis]

Standard rifle, Sendero II
93 gr of rl25 was the load used for 3170 fps or so, Using Brian Litz' method of testing different seating depths for (hunting) accuracy. This is listed in these forums.

I started at the lands (too long for my magazine)
Then I sat them .03 .05 .09 and .130 off the lands.
Very interesting experiment.

.03 group

Both .05 and .09 over 1 inch at 100 yards.


.130 is shown below

So much difference from different seating depths.

Next week I will try the same test but with 95 gr of Retumbo. That yields 3115 fps in my gun.

 

[bigbuck]

Thanks for the info and pics . this weekend I'm going to try brians loading method . I have just installed a wyatts box mag and I intend on running 90 , 91 ,92 grains of retumbo . did you load six rounds for .03 and six for .05 ? Thats how the sticky says to do it but i thought about just loading 3 rounds for each that way i can try different powder charges and shoot less bullets . The best load for my gun this far has been 87 grains of retumbo nosler custom brass federal 215m primer . It produced a 1 time group that was one clover leaf hole @ 200 yards you could cover all three with a dime . I just want to run the 210's faster .


BigBuck

 

[Fotis]

I only tried 3 of each for now.
I will take the smallest group from this test and start tweaking it and re-verifying accuracy etc.

Who knows my Retumbo test might be better. I was going to try the test at 200 yards but the 25+ mph winds killed me! Still not too bad for such winds.!!!

 

[bigbuck]

I only tried 3 of each for now.
I will take the smallest group from this test and start tweaking it and re-verifying accuracy etc.

Who knows my Retumbo test might be better. I was going to try the test at 200 yards but the 25+ mph winds killed me! Still not too bad for such winds.!!!

25+ winds you've got some good groups !! I was told that retumbo was the go to powder for the 300 Rum and it does seem to work really well in my rifle .

Good shooting .....

BB

 

[elkaholic]

On deer sized animals, you will probably get pass throughs at ALL distances. On elk, probably not thru the shoulders and pass thru is more likely the farther the distance (within reason).......Rich

 

[Fotis]

good nuff

 

[Forrest Ebert]

I switched to the 168 grn.Hunting VLD in my 280 Ackley Imp. for hunting and with my load of 63 grns. of Retumbo,Nosler Brass&WLR primer it's lights out !
They do perform as they say little hole going in hardball size coming out on Deer. They also shoot excellent in the high .2-.3 " range. I've also been working with their 140 Hunting VLD in the 7mm-08 and their 185 in the '06and their new 300 grn. Hybrid VLD in my .338 RUM all with excellent results and with a choice of a couple different powders. Hope this helps.


gun)

 

[bigngreen]

On deer sized animals, you will probably get pass throughs at ALL distances. On elk, probably not thru the shoulders and pass thru is more likely the farther the distance (within reason).......Rich

That was our experience with the 210 Berger out of a 300WBY on deer last year, pass thrus on anything that was not hit on a heavy bone. This year going to use the 185 Berger and see if they work better.

The 210 was the only Berger that we had problems with though, the .243 and 270 cals function perfect!!!

 

[Fotis]

That was our experience with the 210 Berger out of a 300WBY on deer last year, pass thrus on anything that was not hit on a heavy bone. This year going to use the 185 Berger and see if they work better.

The 210 was the only Berger that we had problems with though, the .243 and 270 cals function perfect!!!

What problems?

 

[bigngreen]

What problems?

No expantion, just zipping through and requiring more than one hit to kill. All the other cals were devistating, going in a coupe inches then shreading the vitals and either large exit or jacket just under the off side.

 

[Broz]

POP, you probably already have heard this from me, but here it is again.

Back in 2007 when I was hunting with the 30-378 loaded with 210 Bergers. Here are my season results.

Couple of antelope, two white tail, 2 axix bucks, black buck antelope, aoudad ram, 6x6 bull (pic below) 4x5 muley and some I am sure I forgot.

Since then, my son and I with his 300 win and 210 bergers, white tail doe 40 yards, 4 antelope 100 yards to 813 yards.

The guy I sold the 30-378 accumark to. White tail deer and 3 Wy antlope 80 yards to 650.

Ed with my custom 30-378. several antelope from 60 yards to 700 plus yards.

The 300 full custom win I had built was built to shoot the 210 Berger exclusively.

So yeah, I have seen the berger VLD in action both close and afar. I have never tracked an animal shot with one and neither has any of the other hunters I mentioned asfar as I know.

Jeff

 

[bigngreen]

From what I've seen either the 210 Berger will work or it won't for you, every deer we shot last season with them we got zero expantion unless the shoulder or spine was hit, I think we shot 4-5 does with them all under 400yrds, not one was a single shot but we also hold back in the lungs no where near the front shoulder. I know of a couple other guys who switched to the 190 Berger because of this also.