7mm Elk Bullets- Berger Alternates

[cajun]

Correct. Verified on recovery... Some people keep shooting until they are down I guess

Range was just over 100, impact vel 2600ish.

I find it hard to believe a 225 gr bullet going 2600 would not penetrate a rib cage.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

What part of the front shoulder was hit? Sounds like the ball and socket.

 

[Hand Skills]

What part of the front shoulder was hit? Sounds like the ball and socket.

Just above, on the spine of the scapula. Bullet fragmented and destroyed the shoulder, didn't make it into the rib cage though.

I've seen weird stuff happen with great bullets like Nosler Partitions too - deflections are rare, but they do happen!

 

[southpa]

What part of the front shoulder was hit? Sounds like the ball and socket.

This is not something I would ever believe unless I witnessed it with my own eyes. I'm not saying the man is lying and i don't discount other memeber experiences. Correct me if I'm wrong but i don't thing there is a ball and socket on a front shoulder....
A high FOC, 650 grain arrow with a single bevel broadhead going 240fps will blow through an elk front shoulder and into vitals in most cases. I have little faith in hornady projectiles but even I would think something else had to be going on for this to be true.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I was thinking wrong.
The top of the scapula was what I was thinking about, where it's thicker and more narrow.
Why would it be surprising that a thin-jacket cup and core with a hollow point failed to maintain penetration?
That one happened to meet some fair resistance, in a real world hunting situation.
Happens more than we hear about, in the field where Murphy is never far away. We've all had a run in or two with that SOB.

I can say this with utmost confidence, a good bonded or mono bullet would NOT have failed to get where the goods are. Goes to show even 225grs CAN fail to do what it SHOULD when it lands a few inches off target.
And better yet, it tells me in my case, ask for a problem and eventually….a regret will follow.

 

[Tidus56]

Same exact type of rapid expansion as a Berger Hunting bullet.

Bergers kill. With excellent results. Put it where it needs to go, and animals die quickly.

If you want a bit thicker jacket in a Berger, try the Target/Match lines. Jackets are a bit thicker, and meplats are a hair smaller, so expansion is not quite as violent. But they still kill like a lightning bolt. About 75% of the Bergers I shoot are Target/Match. The 180 Hyb and 184 F Open Hyb work fantastic on elk and deer. We have used them from 60 to 882 yards.

Exact experience I have had, Berger Hybrid target has yielded best overall results as they don't energy dump until they penetrate deeper than the VLD.
If you want a bullet to hold together better the ABLR is worse than the VLD in my opinion and experience.
Hope you find what you're looking for, I do suspect it's the Berger Hybrid though.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Exact experience I have had, Berger Hybrid target has yielded best overall results as they don't energy dump until they penetrate deeper than the VLD.
If you want a bullet to hold together better the ABLR is worse than the VLD in my opinion and experience.
Hope you find what you're looking for, I do suspect it's the Berger Hybrid though.

That's the one I'm trying. HT and LRHT.
Being used to Accubonds for decades I'm going to be leery for a long time, though.
I'm used to adequate everything from any angle, just at shorter distances.

 

[southpa]

I was thinking wrong.
The top of the scapula was what I was thinking about, where it's thicker and more narrow.
Why would it be surprising that a thin-jacket cup and core with a hollow point failed to maintain penetration?
That one happened to meet some fair resistance, in a real world hunting situation.
Happens more than we hear about, in the field where Murphy is never far away. We've all had a run in or two with that SOB.

I can say this with utmost confidence, a good bonded or mono bullet would NOT have failed to get where the goods are. Goes to show even 225grs CAN fail to do what it SHOULD when it lands a few inches off target.
And better yet, it tells me in my case, ask for a problem and eventually….a regret will follow.

It's not surprising because I don't think people who experience this are lying. Its just because I've seen similar bullets at similar speed do plenty of damage to kill. I mean there's literally a video posted above showing a shoulder shot (6mm berger I think) drop an elk in its tracks. I'd have to do calculations but high shoulder shots are what most of what I see people with lesser weight bullets claim drop elk in their tracks. A 225 in the high shoulder doing nothing in the way of mortal damage is very hard to believe in my experience. This is not looking good for hornday, id stick with the bergers OP.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Looking for all the berger traits( quality, heavier (175-195 range), higher BC)

I've been killing deer and elk with these, and they are fantastic

A Solid Season: hunting with Cayuga solid Bullets

hunting with solid copper bullets is becoming more common, today we discuss the cayuga solid bullets from patriot valley arms

coldboremiracle.com

 

[VinceMule]

I butchered several bulls that had been shot with a 7 Mag with 175g Sierra btsp that had been loaded with a max load. The Sierra 175g BTSP did a great job, shot clean through both shoulders on one bull on a broadside shot. My neighbor and his brother were very happy as both dropped.

 

[dogz]

Yeah Vince, that's another good one.

I've said it before but there are a lot of darn good bullets out there. Place a good bullet in a good place and good things will happen.

And keep in mind, if you use a bullet long enough, sooner or later it'll do something that makes one go hmm...........

 

[Son of a Gun!]

Of course I don't plan on shooting an Elk at much past 500 yds but I've found the regular accubonds work better than the ABLRs They penetrate and hold together! My favorite in my 7mm Rem Mag. is the 160gr. at about 2900 fps. My longest kill with this bullet has been 332yrds. so take it for what it's worth!

 

[cabelasken]

Just above, on the spine of the scapula. Bullet fragmented and destroyed the shoulder, didn't make it into the rib cage though.

I've seen weird stuff happen with great bullets like Nosler Partitions too - deflections are rare, but they do happen!

I had two 140 gr partitions go to shrapnel just inside the animal. One was a 110 lb mouflon and the other was a 125 lb doe. The biggest piece of the bullet I could find in either case was a 5 gr piece of copper. A call to Nosler resulted in an offer of replacement with a different lot number. I suspect a manufacturing flaw. This had never happened to me before with the same bullet but different lot numbers.

 

[SSG Graybush]

This is being conserving with velocity. Likely I'd be about 200fps faster, so a little better SG.

Monos are another story..
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When you use that calculator, slow the speed down till it shows unstable. Then you'll know the max effective range where the bullet becomes unstable. it may be good at 2900 fps but at 2850 fps it's unstable, at just hundred yards, just a hypothetical, I don't know the exact numbers. What I posted was recommend twist rate. I had a factory 700 7mag that shot 175 gr tmk's decently. No keyholing at 100 and banged steel good at 1000. That shooting range only had paper at 100 so I couldn't test it better. So sometimes you can get away with less twist. And that was just banging steel. Anyway best of luck.

This is being conserving with velocity. Likely I'd be about 200fps faster, so a little better SG.

Monos are another story..
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