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The berger bullet debate

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Jun 11, 2012
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I've always shot nosler accubonds, thinking of switching to a berger 190 gr for me new GaP non-typical. I would love to see some kills both long and short, I have heard bad stories of them penciling through game. Should I use the hybrids or regular VLD?

Thanks
 
Try Berger hunting vld. Use 105s in my 243 fast twist@3150, made kills on does from 150-750. Dropped them like a bag of shit. Tagged one at 630 yd with a 6 br running 105 hybrids@2925. It dropped inside of 40 paces, would have preferred the hunting but the br was what i had with me. These were125-160 lb whitetail does in pop control/nuisance permit.
 
I shoot the VLD hunting bullets. I will not post the distance I have killed Whitetail Deer, as I don't want to open that can of worms, but I have had no trouble with these. I have killed 4 deer at a fair distance away and have not had any of them go more than 8-10 feet.

Is the hybrid made for hunting?
 
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They work pretty good. These kills were all made with a .260 and the 130gr Hunting VLD.
 
I killed a few deer with the VLD's and a good bit of coyotes and my experience as far as performance on game has been overall positive, but i have not used the hybrids. They performed as expect in deer but on yotes they didn't start breaking up quite as much. They always exited the Yotes and the exit wound would be about silver dollar size. All of the deer were shot in the shoulder and there was no exit, internals were liquified. For the explosive fragmentation meat damage was surprisingly low on all of the ones I shot. I know other people that use them and have heard no complaints but haven't seen any kill aftermath except for mine.

My only complaint about the VLD's is that I've had a couple rifles I just couldn't get them to shoot in no matter what I did. I did the seating depth tests just like they say to but they would not shoot even trying different weights and powders. The ones that did shoot them well always shot great as long as you don't use a powder that's very temp sensitive. They are definitely worth a try just know if you can't get them to shoot with the different depths they suggest you probably aren't going to. I would also suggest trying the AMAX's, they work great on game as well.
 
I tried them and my gun didnt like them so I stuck with the accubond bullets. Awesome bullets as I do hear tho...
 
coldboremiracle said:
C'mon, were all adults here. Besides, how far could it be in MO?
[MENTION=17825]psinclair[/MENTION] I always ask myself what the blue tape around your .260 barrel is for, care to share?
Click to expand...

I believe the blue tape is extra to cover the muzzle of the barrel if your in bad conditions.
 
coldboremiracle said:
C'mon, were all adults here. Besides, how far could it be in MO?
[MENTION=17825]psinclair[/MENTION] I always ask myself what the blue tape around your .260 barrel is for, care to share?
Click to expand...

3 in the mid 600. and my long shot has been 751 with a 308 and 175 VLD's, I'm sold on them,
 
redneckbmxer24 said:
I killed a few deer with the VLD's and a good bit of coyotes and my experience as far as performance on game has been overall positive, but i have not used the hybrids. They performed as expect in deer but on yotes they didn't start breaking up quite as much. They always exited the Yotes and the exit wound would be about silver dollar size. All of the deer were shot in the shoulder and there was no exit, internals were liquified. For the explosive fragmentation meat damage was surprisingly low on all of the ones I shot. I know other people that use them and have heard no complaints but haven't seen any kill aftermath except for mine.

My only complaint about the VLD's is that I've had a couple rifles I just couldn't get them to shoot in no matter what I did. I did the seating depth tests just like they say to but they would not shoot even trying different weights and powders. The ones that did shoot them well always shot great as long as you don't use a powder that's very temp sensitive. They are definitely worth a try just know if you can't get them to shoot with the different depths they suggest you probably aren't going to. I would also suggest trying the AMAX's, they work great on game as well.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your info, I'm using AMAXs right now in my 300 WM and they shoot great, would you take a high shoulder shot with the amax or just stick to the double lung mid rib?
 
I shot the 190gr Bergers in my 300wsm, for deer and antelope they work great, just as advertised.
I've only shot one elk with them and I wasn't impressed. It was a bull at 724yds, first shot behind the shoulder and it hit one lung and exited out the bottom of his chest with very little expansion, he just stood there bleeding so I put one more on the high shoulder and he dropped like a ton of bricks. It took and hour to ride my horse with a pack string to where he was laying. When I walked up to him he was very much alive and needed a finishing shot. The second shot blew up on the shoulder blade and never penetrated past the blade.

This was only 2 shots on elk but both bullets did not perform as I would of liked and I wasnt willing to risk it again. I now shoot 180 Accubonds for elk and patiently waiting for the 190gr LR's to start shipping.
 
[email protected] said:
Thank you for your info, I'm using AMAXs right now in my 300 WM and they shoot great, would you take a high shoulder shot with the amax or just stick to the double lung mid rib?
Click to expand...

I've shot them in the shoulder and behind the shoulder and the bullet performs great either way but the 155's and 178's both do a fair amount of damage so I try to keep them out of the shoulder now. The 155's are pretty devastating, the 178's are a lot easier on them but still wreck the vitals and leave a good exit wound.
 
I dropped a doe at 804 yards last year with the 208 amax out of my 300 win mag. It worked great with a golf ball sized exit hole. I can't comment on the Bergers as I haven't tried them yet.
 
I'm loading up some 130 grain Hunting VLD's for my 260 for WY speed goats and mulies next week. Film at 11:00...
 
Wyfox said:
I shot the 190gr Bergers in my 300wsm, for deer and antelope they work great, just as advertised.
I've only shot one elk with them and I wasn't impressed. It was a bull at 724yds, first shot behind the shoulder and it hit one lung and exited out the bottom of his chest with very little expansion, he just stood there bleeding so I put one more on the high shoulder and he dropped like a ton of bricks. It took and hour to ride my horse with a pack string to where he was laying. When I walked up to him he was very much alive and needed a finishing shot. The second shot blew up on the shoulder blade and never penetrated past the blade.

This was only 2 shots on elk but both bullets did not perform as I would of liked and I wasnt willing to risk it again. I now shoot 180 Accubonds for elk and patiently waiting for the 190gr LR's to start shipping.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, that's a scary senerio.. Penciled at long range, than didn't penetrate close up. I'm waiting for those LR's too, I just hope their accurate.
 
Both shots were at 724 yds, one penciled and one blew up. I finished him with my 44mag up close.
 
I shoot bergers for everything. Coyotes get the 69 grain varmint flat base out of the 243 AI moving at 3845 fps. Deer get the 95 grain classic hunter hybrid out of the 243 AI at 3340 fps and elk get the 168 grain Classic Hunter Hybrid out of a 7mag. They produce the best accuracy great BC and devastating results up to date.

I shoot better, I shoot Berger I guess.
 
Oh and I like the hybrid bullets because I can get better accuracy than the VLD. Much less sensitive to seating depth, don't have to be seated out so far and still get a great BC.
 
I just ordered a box of the 185 hunting vlds to try in my 300wm. I too was wanting the LR Accubonds, but the long wait made me decide they are to expensive for me. Has anyone ran the 185s, got any loads?

Matt
 
Last edited:
I'm still waiting on Berger to release their hog-specific bullet, the HamBerger.
 
I use 190 grin for my 300 win and it has devistated whitetail to 730 yards all DRT. Exit wounds where the size of a soda can
 

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I shoot Berger VLD's in all my rifles and all do a great job. This was an 300gr out of a 338RUM. The entrance hole could only be found looking from inside out but exit was well you can see..
 

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Shot placement is crucial in larger game animals. They are not designed to go from stem to stern, but expand rapidly and come apart. If you are shooting elk, etc at hard angels where long penetration is needed to get to the goodies, don't count on the berger's to do it. The higher the velocity the faster/sooner they expand, that is just the way they are constructed.
 
I shot a zebra at around 60yds with a Berger 190 VLD Hunting bullet in early June. It was out of a 308win moving right at 2500fps. The zebra ran maybe 20yds and was dead within 30 seconds. I would not hesitate to use them again!
 
I had a lot of problems with the vld hunting in the 155 and 168 in my 308. The bullet did not expand at all. Closest shot was 60 yards and longest shot was 110 yards. Yes, it was the hunting bullets in the orange box. After talking with other people that used them, we assumed it was perhaps due to not enough velocity.Speeds were 2753fps. The same bullets used in 30 06 and 7mag were outstanding.
 
105amatt said:
I just ordered a box of the 185 hunting vlds to try in my 300wm. I too was wanting the LR Accubonds, but the long wait made me decide they are to expensive for me. Has anyone ran the 185s, got any loads?

Matt
Click to expand...
I am providing you with a load that we have used with the 185 VLD, Hybrid, and Juggernat. This load has worked extremely well out of several different precision .300 wins.

Winchester brass
IMR 4350 start at 70 grains (In my McMillan TAC .300 my accuracy node is at 72gr.)
Fed Gold Medal 215 primer
Measure your throat dimensions then play with seating depths. My current OAL is 3.62" with the 185 Juggernat.

I am not recommending that others hunt with the Match Target Hybrids, Target VLD's, or Juggernats since Berger has not tested these bullets in this capacity.
 
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