Questions On Berger 195 EOL's

[owlman]

Hi guys,

I've been a member for several years but usually just enjoyed reading the forums for all the knowledge they contained until an elk hunt I just returned from prompted me to jump in and ask questions. I'm shooting a 28 Nosler with a 26" barrel and getting a muzzle velocity of just over 3000 fps using Berger 195 EOL's. The country I hunt in can require longer shots so thought this was the best bullet for these conditions plus I'm getting the best groups of anything I've tried. I shot a nice 6x6 bull with one shot but he was only just over 200 yards away. There was a good entrance wound with sufficient damage internally to account for just the one shot but no exit wound. In the past I have used Nosler Accubond bullets and have almost always been able to find them on the offside usually and retaining about 65% of their original weight. We never could find the Berger or any signs of it. My question is was the distance too short for this bullet to perform correctly and what happened to it. I realize that a clean kill is the goal and that's what I achieved but just curious if anyone else has any experiences they could share.

 

[StanB]

Owlman, not sure if total blowup of the Berger is typical, but they are know for massive destruction / DRT, not as much so for exit holes. Fwiw, I've read a lot of commentary on here and other sites by "Broz". IIRC, he recommends the 180 Hunting VLD for elk, not the 195 due to differences in internal construction. He and his crew apparently shoot a ton of elk each year, and that is his observation.

 

[owlman]

Thanks. I know that there is talk about even keeping the hollow point tip clean because a clogged point can supposedly cause the bullet to fail to perform properly. That could be OCD in action there. Love the ballistics of the bullet and the groups I get but kinda have that worry in the back of my mind that the bullet could fail at some point.