Berger hunting bullets

powdergun

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I am thinking of using some 140 gr bergers for hunting out of my 7mm RM.
I'll be hunting white tail and won't be chasing any elk or moose with these.

Has anyone had any direct experience with these bullets on deer ? Opinions please and thank you.

I've seen the adds and they look awesome but you all know the BS and hype when a company is marketing these things.
 
Took a black bear last year with a 175gr vld fired from a .308 win at 20yds. It ran about 5yds. Seem to be a ok bullet
 
I use the target bullets, they have a thicker jacket probably would stay together a bit better. I would also move up to the 168 vlds in a 7mm Rem mag..IMHO
 
I used the 168 gr. Bergers in a .308 and shot two deer in the last couple of seasons. They didn't go more than 10 yds if that. I shot a bear on the Nitanat with the same bullets in my B-78 .30-06 and it dropped where it was at 200 yds. I sure like them but they don't recommend using the target bullets on game. I don't have a 7mm rifle so I don't know how they would be but I would imagine you will get similar results on deer. :D
 
The 140 grain Berger hunting bullet is better suited for 7-30 waters or down loaded 7-08 velocities. At the 3000 + fps they would be doing out of your 7mm rem mag they will splatter on impact. If you do your part and shoot behind the shoulder into the ribs only, the kills will be quick and spectacular. Take a quartering to you shot into the shoulder and you will be following up a 3 legged deer. If you are watching the T.V. show that says they are the worlds greatest bullets watch closer on the specs of the gear they are using. Most often in 7mm mag they are shooting 180 vld's at around 2800 fps then let them get out 800 yards and you would be lucky if they are still at 2000 fps, most likely at around 1700 fps. I have put 165 grain hunting vld's into a coyote sitting facing me like a dog at around 3300 fps from a 300 rum and it never exited. Shot one into a nice whitetails shoulder at 80 yards and it made a hole the size of an ice cream pail bottom but never broke the scapula. The first animal I took with a Berger was a nice bull elk that was going up a steep wall across a valley from me. The bullet hit him right between the shoulders in the spine. He dropped instantly and never even gave a kick, something I had only seen once before on an elk. By the end of that hunting season the Bergers were retired to coyote duty.
 
I shot my last moose with a sporterized P17 in 30-06, pushing 210gr VLD's. They were the older style, before Berger differentiated between yellow boxed target and oranged boxed hunting - the older boxes were all yellow. MV was 2645 fps and moose was about 90 yards away. I did a thread on it if you want to search. The wounds were fairly shallow (16" or so), but extremely wide (3" wide gaping hole), and blew through heavy bones just as well as meat. Honestly the most devastating wounds I've ever seen on a large animal. Seemed like a deadly game bullet, but a stray hit on your animal will cost you lots of wasted meat. I would hunt with them again.

EDIT - Full story here, if you're interested.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387812
 
I am thinking of using some 140 gr bergers for hunting out of my 7mm RM.
I'll be hunting white tail and won't be chasing any elk or moose with these.

Has anyone had any direct experience with these bullets on deer ? Opinions please and thank you.

I've seen the adds and they look awesome but you all know the BS and hype when a company is marketing these things.

I've gotta ask why you'd want to use these for hunting? There are a pile of better suited bullets out there; Swift Scirocco, Nosler Accubond, Barnes TTSX, Hornady Interbond to name a few if you're concerned with high BC hunting bullets.

I've used Berger's on one deer out of a 270(140gr.) and they were explosive with a great deal of meat damage and no exit. Distance was about 150 yards. I would suspect your 7mmRM would be more explosive yet due to the increased velocity. I've since used up the remainder on plinking and coyotes.

It seems Berger is trying to market a match bullet for hunting in order to increase sales volume, nothing more. They're using "Best of the West" as an advertiser. I would bet that the majority of those "drop dead on the spot" kills at extreme ranges are due to a hit in the spine. It can be performed with any bullet.
 
I've shot whitetail with the 180 grain VLDs through my 7STW. I'm really pleased with the results thus far. I took one just over 400 yards quartering away and it didn't make it 10 yards. There was a massive hole where it's opposite shoulder used to be.
 
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