Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
So, I got back home late late last night with my 2009 moose.
Hunting this year with my U.S Rifle Model 1917 (P17) in it's original 30-06 caliber, that I purchased from the EE last year. The rifle was sporterized by a previous owner, but thankfully the original 1918 barrel was left alone. I really wanted to go out and try some Berger VLD's that I've been hearing so much about, so I bought some 210gr VLD's (hunting grade) and worked up a load with IMR 4350. My rifle shoots these into 1.5" @ 200 yards all day long.
The family and I were drifting downriver when I spotted a small bull feeding slowing on the shoreline. He was not spooky and I got to about 90 yards before I took the shot. He was quartering away significanly, and angled slightly uphill. First shot was into the boiler and he rocked heavily but did not crumple like in the Berger videos. He turned downhill (pretty much a sure sign of a solid hit) and made a couple of steps and I hit him again in the front shoulder. I hate packing. This time he fell immediately and I quickly made my way over to him and delivered a mercy shot to the head.
How the bullets performed, which is really why I am writing.
An outside look at the animal showed no entry or exit wounds as the bullets pencilled in. Once inside about an inch, they essentially exploded and created a wound tract about 16 inches long three inches or more in width. The center two inches of the wound tract is literally a hole in the animal surrounded by gore. Where the material from this area goes is anybody's guess. Nothing inside that center two inches was left intact, even bone. For example on the shoulder shot, the bullet hit the front leg bone directly, right where it transitions from a regular thick bone to a shoulder blade. The bone was completely sheared in two, and then the wound continued right through the brisket bones and into the inside of the opposite shoulder. The boiler shot had similarly dramatic effects. However, as the bullet struck the moose from a steep rearward angle, it only barely penetrated into the boiler and hit the lungs. They were hit, but not as solidly as I would have liked - four inches more pentration and both lungs would have been hammered hard, but as it was they were significantly bloodshot at the back end, but no more. No bullets or fragments recovered yet; I found none while field dressing and the moose is still hanging before butering.
So, how do I feel about these Bergers? Well, I've butchered animals shot with rifles from .270 win to .375 H&H and I've never seen this kind of damage in a wound tract. I don't see how anything could survive a good hit to the vitals with these bullets. However; these bullets have about half the penetration I've come to expect from standard jacketed bullets, and so for shots on big animals at odd angles that require significant penetration to reach the vitals, these bullets would not do the job. Also, any shot you don't put directly into the vitals is going to cost you significanly more lost meat than you're used to.
I hope this info is useful for anyone considering these bullets!
Obligatory pic of moose and rifle.
Hunting this year with my U.S Rifle Model 1917 (P17) in it's original 30-06 caliber, that I purchased from the EE last year. The rifle was sporterized by a previous owner, but thankfully the original 1918 barrel was left alone. I really wanted to go out and try some Berger VLD's that I've been hearing so much about, so I bought some 210gr VLD's (hunting grade) and worked up a load with IMR 4350. My rifle shoots these into 1.5" @ 200 yards all day long.
The family and I were drifting downriver when I spotted a small bull feeding slowing on the shoreline. He was not spooky and I got to about 90 yards before I took the shot. He was quartering away significanly, and angled slightly uphill. First shot was into the boiler and he rocked heavily but did not crumple like in the Berger videos. He turned downhill (pretty much a sure sign of a solid hit) and made a couple of steps and I hit him again in the front shoulder. I hate packing. This time he fell immediately and I quickly made my way over to him and delivered a mercy shot to the head.
How the bullets performed, which is really why I am writing.
An outside look at the animal showed no entry or exit wounds as the bullets pencilled in. Once inside about an inch, they essentially exploded and created a wound tract about 16 inches long three inches or more in width. The center two inches of the wound tract is literally a hole in the animal surrounded by gore. Where the material from this area goes is anybody's guess. Nothing inside that center two inches was left intact, even bone. For example on the shoulder shot, the bullet hit the front leg bone directly, right where it transitions from a regular thick bone to a shoulder blade. The bone was completely sheared in two, and then the wound continued right through the brisket bones and into the inside of the opposite shoulder. The boiler shot had similarly dramatic effects. However, as the bullet struck the moose from a steep rearward angle, it only barely penetrated into the boiler and hit the lungs. They were hit, but not as solidly as I would have liked - four inches more pentration and both lungs would have been hammered hard, but as it was they were significantly bloodshot at the back end, but no more. No bullets or fragments recovered yet; I found none while field dressing and the moose is still hanging before butering.
So, how do I feel about these Bergers? Well, I've butchered animals shot with rifles from .270 win to .375 H&H and I've never seen this kind of damage in a wound tract. I don't see how anything could survive a good hit to the vitals with these bullets. However; these bullets have about half the penetration I've come to expect from standard jacketed bullets, and so for shots on big animals at odd angles that require significant penetration to reach the vitals, these bullets would not do the job. Also, any shot you don't put directly into the vitals is going to cost you significanly more lost meat than you're used to.
I hope this info is useful for anyone considering these bullets!
Obligatory pic of moose and rifle.
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I also found that my second shot, front shoulder, hit a bit lower than I thought, and broke the front leg bone at it's thickest point, before going on through the brisket and into the opposite shoulder. Very impressive penetration on this bone for sure, more than I would have expected.
