Any bad experiences with 175 gr Berger Elite Hunters on Elk

[Longtine88]

Wow! What are the chances? Two failures on the same bull elk. He apparently just stood there and took it? Then you happened to have an ELDX in your pocket that you dispatched him with? Is carrying around a back-up load a thing? I don't know if you are cursed or blessed.

Exactly

 

[Longtine88]

Shot 3 with that bullet....only one took a step and it was because he was facing downhill on a 35 degree slope

 

[JRY46]

I have shot 2 bulls with that bullet out of my 7LRM. 1st one was at 220 and the second at 425. Both only went 20 yards max and tipped over and went to sleep. By far the best bullet out of that gun............JR

 

[DanMan]

I know of a Bull elk that had a bad experience getting hit with a 175 Berger Elite Hunter this past October in the Thorofare!
Hit right behind the should from 509 yards with my 7PRC he just hunched up for about 5 seconds then fell over DRT.
I know of quit a few elk, deer, and pronghorn that have had similar bad experiences getting hit with a Berger. I've never had any take more than 5 steps after getting hit with one.

 

[Raudy707]

I've had excellent results with the 175 Elite Hunter out of my 280 AI. Pretty close to 7 PRC. 2960 fps out of my rifle. 3 bulls, 4 cows, 4 mule deer, 2 antelope, 2 black bear. One shot kills. 156 to 780 yds. Too much bullet for antelope. Hard on meat. But kills game really well. Switched back to the 25-06 115 vld for antelope. I think it will do great out of a PRC.

 

[trout004]

I have taken a bull and a cow with the 175's via a 7RM at 2920 fps. The bull dropped instantly with a punch through both shoulder blades (I shot rather quickly without a rest, kneeling from 240.). Cow was at 628 and it broke a rib and stuck in the offside shoulder. She took a few steps and fell over. The recovered bullet was about 110 grains.

 

[Stormer11]

If they shoot out of your gun send it! I know of a LOT of animals that have been killed with Bergers and done a fair share myself. Haven't shot the 175s but am shooting the 190 hybrids out of my 28 Nosler and they straight kill stuff. Out of my group of buddies I've never heard of a failure with a Berger bullet, VLD, Classic or Hybrid and a couple of the guys have killed a lot of stuff.

 

[GSP814]

I've shot elk and mule deer from 40 yards to 500 yards using either 180 grain HVLD in a 280 AI or 168 grain HVLD's in a 7mm RM.

 

[DirtNap35]

I've used them out of my 28 Nosler. Beware Most people call them HamBurgers. My first experience was at 100 yards on a mule deer buck, the bullet blew up on its neck only about 1" of penetration. knocked him down but had to kill him after. Second was on a bull at 256 yards broad side. It him right in the center of the shoulder, again failed blow up of the bullet only breaking the surface of the skin. Second round hit a rib again with the bullet blowing up. I managed to kill the bull with an ELDX bullet I had. I asked the guy who loads for me about them and he's had nothing but trouble from his clients with it. Moved to the Hammer Hunter 4 for 4 on elk one shot. The burgers do outshoot the Hammers on plates, but I will never use them on an animal.

Yeah no. Bullet traveling 2900-3000 will enter the body cavity don't care what anybody says. Must be some really tough skin.

 

[Recon$$]

Mix up. Disregard, on to many threads at once.

 

[300stw]

9 elk from 320 out to 810 yards, too many deer and coyotes to count, have fallen to the 175 at a mv 3060fps from my 7mag,

last bull this year 705, yds heart shot, took 3 steps and fell, dont think ive had anything go more then 50 yards for a recovery

have about 400rounds loaded at all times, i shoot that bullet alot

 

[Wachsmann]

I think anything is possible at times, I had a 220 grn ELDX out of my 300 RUM hit one of my longest kill shot to date and it looked like the bullet had blown up. Penetration was only about 3 to 4 inches. No exit wound but the liver was demolished and nothing going through the other side of the rib cage. With that said my wife shot a much larger bodied mule deer at 293 yards with her slow moving 87 grain VLD that made it through the rib cage and the off side shoulder to just under the hide. It is a very accurate load but only going around 2800fps. The Tilka 1/10 twist did not like any of the 95 grain bullet I tried to through at it. But the 87grain and some 4831sc was golden. We even shot it out to 600yrds hitting 8 inch plates pretty easy. That was a definite accomplishment for her cause it was her first rifle and she hadn't had much practice on the gun. But anyways I just saying that I think the 175 will definitely do the job.

 

[Colin78]

Here's my .02 for what it's worth.

Bergers you need to make sure the tip is not plugged with anything or smashed closed. Some people go to the trouble of using a torch tip cleaner to ream them out, if there plugged they may not open and pencil through. Or if they are open at close range with too much velocity they may explode on impact if you hit heavy bone.

Monolithics, "you gotta hit heavy bone or they will pencil through". I have personally witnessed this several times.

The good ol, Nosler Accubond or Partition. They don't have super high BC that everyone these days are chasing, but if your only shooting to 500 yards bc means nothing/ very little. With either of these you don't have to hit bone or not hit bone or make sure the tip is open. You just aim for the vitals, and squeeze.