Shot Placement w/ Bergers

[sbruni]

Not asking for the often repeated argument about whether Bergers/match bullets are hunting bullets or not… if you haven't taken lots of animals with Bergers please refrain from commenting. For those that have I'm interested in your approach on shot placement… heart/double lung shots closer than x and maybe high shoulder shots beyond for example… I hunted with Bergers 15ish years ago and it didn't perform as expected and I wrote them off… but then I expected traditional lead core construction results…I appreciate now that I didn't know what to expect or how to effectively use them… always thought you needed an exit and blood trail which isn't what the Berger is necessarily design for. I'm interested in your thoughts/experience on how I should think differently about shot placement considering that I've taken the overwhelming majority of my animals with high heart shots with accubond (a few Barnes) or similarly constructed bullets… thanks for your help

 

[joseph singleton]

ME,behind the shoulder,,,,pudding.....

 

[BoomFlop]

Under 200 yards with velocity in the 2900-3000 range, I personally hold double lung. Anything with an impact velocity of sub 2800 fps, and its all shoulder (forward) for me.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

In the crease is always a safe bet, IMO.

 

[tonyf3]

I've always aimed right around the crease to slighly behindthe shoulder regardless of range. If i hit slighly behind they still work.
Turns the lungs into soup. i use 180 and 230 hybrids.

 

[WeiserBucks]

With the 180 grain 7mm Hybrids I like the crease, with 300 grain .338 Elite Hunters I take any reasonable path to the vitals.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I shoot for the crease when available. If not I still wouldn't hesitate to hit shoulder. Just makes a mess of the shoulder.

 

[TexSavage]

I have aimed and hit high shoulder, heart lung in the crease, and in the area protected by the front leg when that leg is moved forward to expose the heart area. I am using the 215 Hybrids at a muzzle velocity of 2810. Ranges were 100 to 350 yards, all single shots, and the whitetail deer I have used them on have dropped in their tracks with the exception of 2 animals. One doe taken two years ago ran 80 yards with an exit hole the size of a baseball and half of her heart hanging out the hole. Second was a buck this year that went 20 feet before collapsing DRT. All my Berger kills have had excellent exit holes, were only one shot and all were easy to recover. Total deer kills with the Berger 215 number 20. This year I'll be testing the 208 Hybrid. I have a ton of them and my 215s are shelved as a final go to round. Trying to conserve them.

 

[Sage70]

Most of my experience with Burger bullets on game is with high shoulder shots with the 168 grain Classic Hunter in a 30-06. I gave up on these bullets for hunting because for me bullets like the Nosler Partition and Nosler AccuBond work better. I use a high shoulder shot and I expect the animal to fall as soon as it is hit and I especially like the loud whap of the Nosler Partition. Burger bullets don't sound right when they hit and I don't like the bullets flying apart inside the animal. Sometimes the fragments come through the skin on the far side like a shotgun. Again, I like a big whap when a bullet hits and if the bullet has complete penetration it want it to make a single hole on the far side. I have used 25, 27 and 30 caliber Berger bullets and they always give excellent groups but I don't like them for hunting.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Behind the front shoulder tucked in tight, halfway up/down.
Haven't had an animal survive that shot yet. About 80% went down either immediately or within 15'. Another 15% went less than 40 yards. I have had very few go more than 40 yards. One cow elk, and one bull elk both went about 60 yards.

 

[madman]

In the crease. Never had one go very far with that shot. That said, I did shoot one in the chest a couple of years ago as he was coming straight in at me. Dropped like a ton of bricks and the bullet never exited.

--md

 

[birddog 68]

Definitely behind the shoulder for me with Berger. If you hit high shoulder they will drop but don't expect any meat from that shoulder. I prefer my bullets to hold together better so have moved on from Berger.

 

[Bob Wright]

The elk in my avatar was a young bull, 18 months I guess. He came right to me at about 125 yards. From a high spot position I put one into his left side neck angling down and aiming for his off side right front leg getting thru most of the chest cavity. It was a good shot as this guy did one 360° spin and went down. 180 VLDH, 7RM.
Deer hunting, hit one with a 168VLDH 7RM, 40 yards on the crease. Tennis ball sized exit. Not sure how it ran 40 yards as this guy's internal chest cavity was devastated. Hope this helps.

 

[Greyfox]

Another behind the shoulder, mid-height. Most DRT….A handful down <50 yards.