Berger VLD Bullets on deer
- Thread starter mylesrom
- Start date
I'm just not sold on the idea of using Bergers for hunting. In their own marketing they claim that the extreme fragmentation is a key to their effectiveness - not a desireable result IMO. They might well be an accurate choice for long range shooting, but for within any practical hunting range there are a pile of proven accurate hunting bullets for big game in any type of bullet construction you could ever need. Accurate? So are Ballistic Tips, Accubonds, TSX's, SST's and virtually any premium bullet you can think of. Just can't see a reason not to use something a bit more proven. But that's just my opinion.
notsorichguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- The city that rhymes with fun
Berger VLD's (for hunting) are offered in 30cal 155gr & 180 gr. which are better suited for deer & Moose/Elk respectivly.They also have a 210gr VLD, but I feel it is too heavy for a 30-06. I was only able to acheive 2550fps with my 30-06 with the 180gr VLD. It is a very accurate bullet, I was able to acheive groups at around an inch and a quarter @ 300y.
I used 180gr VLD's in my 30-06 this year for hunting. I personally can attest to the fact that they fragment, but the damage of a 180gr on a deer at less than 150yrds was fantastic. A total of 4 ribs broken, I only found one Lung more or less intact (although it showed some damage as well) and the heart was completly detached from anything in the chest cavity, quite literaly a DRT or Bang flop. Meat damage was quite severe as well, the whole front quarter where the bullet hit is pretty much a total loss for harvesting meat.
IMHO I feel this bullets is not well suited for deer that is with-in 250yrd ranges, the results on a Deer over 300+y was quite a different story, it was a bang flop as well but the meat damage was less severe, and there was obviously a wound channel as opposed to a crater.
This stands to reason as the bullet is designed for long range hunting accuracy.
YMMV, I highly reccomend you give them a try, just to see (if nothing else) what your rifle is capable of.
Cheers!
I used 180gr VLD's in my 30-06 this year for hunting. I personally can attest to the fact that they fragment, but the damage of a 180gr on a deer at less than 150yrds was fantastic. A total of 4 ribs broken, I only found one Lung more or less intact (although it showed some damage as well) and the heart was completly detached from anything in the chest cavity, quite literaly a DRT or Bang flop. Meat damage was quite severe as well, the whole front quarter where the bullet hit is pretty much a total loss for harvesting meat.
IMHO I feel this bullets is not well suited for deer that is with-in 250yrd ranges, the results on a Deer over 300+y was quite a different story, it was a bang flop as well but the meat damage was less severe, and there was obviously a wound channel as opposed to a crater.
This stands to reason as the bullet is designed for long range hunting accuracy.
YMMV, I highly reccomend you give them a try, just to see (if nothing else) what your rifle is capable of.
Cheers!
Similar experience with same bullets. Shot a 45" Bull moose at about 250, bullet struck a rib on entry and disintigrated before it reached the off side. Moose piled up in 15yds. Lucky it was a broadside shot, things may not have turned out so well if heavy muscle or bone was encountered. Also took a Mule deer doe at 428yds. Bullet struck the spine and left a 3" exit hole. Although both animals were dispatched quickly, things could have gone for worse in a hurry. I dont think I will use these (190VLD's) on anything larger than deer in the future, they seem way to frangible for a viable game bullet.
Any bullet that disintegrates will see no use from me! I want some weight retention, preferably about 60-85%, and I want penetration. VLD's are accurate, but accuracy is only one part of the package. I do not want to hold off for the perfect presentation in every case, and I want a bullet that will get through heavy bone [Bear, Moose or Elk] if that need be. I will shoot Partitions, Accubonds, TTSX's and Interbonds at game. That way I know I will lose less meat, but be sure of the bullet getting to where it is supposed to. Eagleye.
As far as match-grade hunting bullets go, I had 3 bang-flops this year with 165gr Sierra GameKings - with massive expansion and huge energy transfer to the vitals even going through ribs/shoulder. Like "use a strainer to get the lungs out" kind of energy transfer. Just devastating. And accurate as all hell too, in my hands.
-M
-M
Shot a WT doe too far back last year. 260 yds. Hit the front of the tenderloins, just under the spine. DRT.
Shot a WT buck, 135 yds. hit above onside shoulder, through lungs, broke offside shoulder blade. DRT. Lost the shoulder meat from the broken side.
WT doe 140 yds. Hit one rib going in. Both lungs. About 2" exit wound. Ran a bit and died.
WT yearling buck 60 yds. Hit a bit far back. 1 lung, liver, just clipped the top of his stomach. Exit wound I could fit my fist in.
Last WT doe, hit very front of both lungs. One rib hit going in, one hit going out. about 160 yds. Same 2" exit. Ran for a bit and died.
All kills on deer have been through and through. Haven't gone out for anything bigger yet.
They work just fine for me. 168 gr. out of a 7mm Weatherby at 2900 fps. Lost the same amount of meat as a friend using game kings at a much slower speed. Accuracy is just under M.O.A at 200 yds.
Shot a WT buck, 135 yds. hit above onside shoulder, through lungs, broke offside shoulder blade. DRT. Lost the shoulder meat from the broken side.
WT doe 140 yds. Hit one rib going in. Both lungs. About 2" exit wound. Ran a bit and died.
WT yearling buck 60 yds. Hit a bit far back. 1 lung, liver, just clipped the top of his stomach. Exit wound I could fit my fist in.
Last WT doe, hit very front of both lungs. One rib hit going in, one hit going out. about 160 yds. Same 2" exit. Ran for a bit and died.
All kills on deer have been through and through. Haven't gone out for anything bigger yet.
They work just fine for me. 168 gr. out of a 7mm Weatherby at 2900 fps. Lost the same amount of meat as a friend using game kings at a much slower speed. Accuracy is just under M.O.A at 200 yds.
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If you are useing the T.V. show for results you have to read the fine print. They often use the 7mm remington for example ,190 grain V.L.D at 800 yards will be moving along at roughly 2000 fps. The low velocity will save the bullet from disinagration. I bought some soon after they were avalible here and loaded 168 grainers in my 300 RUM. They are a very accurate bullet but not a good hunting bullet at 3200 + fps. Had one cow elk soak up 4 good hits before a head shot put her down then a whitail buck at under 100 yards take a hit to the shoulder and never made it through the scapula. It made a fist sized hole up the bone. On my second shot I hit just behind the shoulder and watched parts of his insides fall out of the hole in his chest as he ran another 40 yards before piling up. You could stick your fist through the second hole and not get your hand bloody. I am back to the old faithful TSX but still have some bergers for coyotes they are a true bang flop when hit by these.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
The way I see it its basically a gameking......made for accuracy at long range and to garantee expansion at long range......use at shorter ranges at your own risk.
A Berger VLD 210gn., with RL-25, works extremely well with my .300RUM. I don't think there is any difference between a "Hunting" or a "Target" VLD in .308cal., 210gn. Part numbers are different but the specs are exactly the same.
I just checked their website, the specifications between the same weight bullet in VLD target or hunting are identical. If the internal structure was any different, I would think they would not be identical. Looks like they added the name hunting behind the bullet and changed the part number.
Plus I looked through their website to see where is shows the difference in construction from the target and hunting round, but could not find anything? Maybe I am missing something.
Plus I looked through their website to see where is shows the difference in construction from the target and hunting round, but could not find anything? Maybe I am missing something.
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
John Barsness has done a lot of testing with the VLD, and has had a lot of contact with the people at Berger, and he says that the hunting VLD is designed to fragment a little bit more than the target VLD. If you want VLD performance, with a little more penetration than what the hunting VLD offers, you may want to try hunting with the target version.
