Favorite .257 bullet

blakeyboy said:
and hasn't everyone read about the Berger guy who had to come up with the orange box 'hunting' versions of those bullets to appease those who require the proper marketing? yet someone was able to ask him if there was a difference and nope...just the color of the box and marketing it, come on...there's way too much info out there to not be up to speed on all this...you guys winding me up on purpose here?
Click to expand...
I don't know which " Berger Guy" you are referring to. Berger's website itself states that they use a lighter J4 jacket for their hunting bullet than their target bullets so they panetrate about 3" before rapidly expanding and shedding most of their weight .
I would tend to trust what I read from a manufacturer , not form some random unnamed source.
Berger bullets are not what I would use for hunting although I have several friends who do.
I only use their target bullets in .223 and 6mm in my match rifles.
Cat
 
Last edited:
Buckmastr said:
Relax everyone. Just shoot a Barnes bullet out of Model 700 and all your dreams will come true. I promise.
Click to expand...

That’s a great combo.

At least when your rifle accidentally shoots someone they will have time to make it to the hospital before they die!
 
iron cat said:
I don't know which " Berger Guy" you are referring to. Berger's website itself states that they use a lighter J4 jacket for their hunting bullet than their target bullets so they panetrate about 3" before rapidly expanding and shedding most of their weight .
I would tend to trust what I read from a manufacturer , not form some random unnamed source.
Berger bullets are not what I would use for hunting although I have several friends who do.
I only use their target bullets in .223 and 6mm in my match rifles.
Cat
Click to expand...

showing my age and this Berger thing was long ago, someone ended up on plane or hunting trip with the guy, something like that, gained confidence then asked the question the guy laughed with his response, maybe they did have to differentiate them at some point but I don't shoot them either and that is just my memory of it, has anyone ground them down to confirm the difference or they just believing that they have a heavier jacket? the guy who had the conversation with him was very convincing and it actually won't be able to tell as long as the both open up rapidly, the originals are what started killing spectacularly and I don't believe they had a marketing angle, just high bc modern super accurate bullets, people started whining they must be marketed for hunting to use for hunting, people can go on and on and on about it but any rapid expanding 'target' bullets of appropriate starting sd for game intended are fast killers and guys have been using them for hunting a ton in the 21st century, because they work great when you apply the broader understanding of terminal ballistics to your set ups, and nothing is going to change there, we just went 5 seasons batting 1000 on 6 species and 15 head of game using them, we ignored the marketing and focused on what was in the box, so did the animals...then they ended up in a box ;)
 
iron cat said:
I don't know which " Berger Guy" you are referring to. Berger's website itself states that they use a lighter J4 jacket for their hunting bullet than their target bullets so they panetrate about 3" before rapidly expanding and shedding most of their weight .
I would tend to trust what I read from a manufacturer , not form some random unnamed source.
Berger bullets are not what I would use for hunting although I have several friends who do.
I only use their target bullets in .223 and 6mm in my match rifles.
Cat
Click to expand...

There was a point when the hunting VLDs and Target VLDs were exactly the same thing right down to the product number, but later the target bullets were made with thicker jackets. Before the change I went as far as sectioning some bullets that I used and they were identical in every way that I could tell. That was right after the orange boxes showed up.
 
blakeyboy said:
showing my age and this Berger thing was long ago, someone ended up on plane or hunting trip with the guy, something like that, gained confidence then asked the question the guy laughed with his response, maybe they did have to differentiate them at some point but I don't shoot them either and that is just my memory of it, has anyone ground them down to confirm the difference or they just believing that they have a heavier jacket? the guy who had the conversation with him was very convincing and it actually won't be able to tell as long as the both open up rapidly, the originals are what started killing spectacularly and I don't believe they had a marketing angle, just high bc modern super accurate bullets, people started whining they must be marketed for hunting to use for hunting, people can go on and on and on about it but any rapid expanding 'target' bullets of appropriate starting sd for game intended are fast killers and guys have been using them for hunting a ton in the 21st century, because they work great when you apply the broader understanding of terminal ballistics to your set ups, and nothing is going to change there, we just went 5 seasons batting 1000 on 6 species and 15 head of game using them, we ignored the marketing and focused on what was in the box, so did the animals...then they ended up in a box ;)
Click to expand...

Walt was pretty easy to talk to. Yes the color change on the box was true at one time as there was no difference between target and hunting, he loved hearing about the animals his target bullets killed.
 
JIMMY 808 said:
Walt was pretty easy to talk to. Yes the color change on the box was true at one time as there was no difference between target and hunting, he loved hearing about the animals his target bullets killed.
Click to expand...

lmfao, my kinda guy, thanks for confirming my memory still A+ ;), same to you Dogleg
 
My 257 bob really likes the 117 SST’s, got a couple others to try out. Don’t know why with the results of the SST’s.


98902CAC-AAFE-4982-8D71-5C165403BBE6.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 98902CAC-AAFE-4982-8D71-5C165403BBE6.jpg
    98902CAC-AAFE-4982-8D71-5C165403BBE6.jpg
    101.2 KB · Views: 106
Simpson302 said:
My 257 bob really likes the 117 SST’s, got a couple others to try out. Don’t know why with the results of the SST’s.
Click to expand...

I agree on the SST’s. I watched a bull elk fold up like a cheap lawn chair out of a 257 bob with SST’s. Was impressive. I took a whitey buck with them out of a 25-06 that was insane as well.
 
Dogleg said:
The 117 SST is nuts in a 257 Weatherby. Shoot a deer in the neck and you'll just about take his head off.
Click to expand...

I can only imagine. I have never killed a deer so fast with what shouldn’t have been a lethal hit, shock IMHO killed it. I can’t wait to try them out in the under rated 250-3000.
 
iron cat said:
To quote yourself " get into the 21st century"
It was quite a while back .....
Cat
Click to expand...

With no disrespect, I believe his point was often bullets are useful in areas they were not designed are marketed for. A good example, aside from the 6.5 123gr ELD-M he mentioned, is the 25 cal Sierra 90gr HPBT where it states on the website how it was designed as a varmint round but filling a bigger role now, you can read it if you wish on their site.

Have a good night.

Edit: add the Berger was also in question.
 
Last edited:
I lent my 2506 to a buddy for deer and coyote hunt. Loads were 117gr btsp and 75gr vmax. He mixed them up and used the vmax on his deer. Said it was the most instantaneous kill he's ever seen. Said the chest contents poured out of the entrance wound. I wouldn't try it myself but he's since been convinced of fast light bullets. I tend to favour a high shoulder shot so I tend to go heavier and slower
The 117gr sst preformed well for me
 
brybenn said:
I lent my 2506 to a buddy for deer and coyote hunt. Loads were 117gr btsp and 75gr vmax. He mixed them up and used the vmax on his deer. Said it was the most instantaneous kill he's ever seen. Said the chest contents poured out of the entrance wound. I wouldn't try it myself but he's since been convinced of fast light bullets. I tend to favour a high shoulder shot so I tend to go heavier and slower
The 117gr sst preformed well for me
Click to expand...

Many, many moons ago I was up northern BC out on a (locals -edit for clarity- sustenance) caribou hunt where they were using a 22-250. The caribou went down so fast you would have thought they were hit by a tractor trailer. Not that I advocate that caliber choice but something has to be said about killing power and damage done.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom