Berger 130 VLD Mixed Results

[Bulseyetom]

I just returned from a Wyoming Mule deer hunt where I had my first oportunity to try out the 130 grain VLD in my 270 Weatherby Magnum. These bullets are real tackdrivers at the range when You find the sweet spot for seating depth so I loaded some up for this hunt with great expectations. My first oportunity came on a deer at 390 yards standing broadside in calm conditions. I took a solid position laying down with my bipod and a rear rest on the ground and held for a high shoulder shot after adjusting the scope, a Leupold Mark 4 3-10x. At the shot, the deer ran 30 feet downhill and toppled over and slid downhill with her feet uphill. Looked like one very dead deer but as it was in a group of about 20 it was hard to tell in the fog. When I went over with my partner, we found traces of blood from the point of impact to where she tipped over where there was quite a bit of blood on the brush. Somewhere in the confusion we never saw her get up and the blood trail leaving was poor at best with only a small drop every 20 yards. There was a dusting of snow or it would have been impossible to follow. As it was, we lost it in 150 yards. Two of us looked for 2 hours for the next 1/4 mile with no luck. The following day I shot a deer at 350 yards that dropped dead in its tracks with the same hold, and later that day I filled my second tag with a neck shot at 175 yards, both shots from the prone using the bipod and resting the butt on the dirt. I think I will be switching back to my old standby Sierra Gamekings.

 

[bigngreen]

I've been reloading 130 gr bullets of various makes for my buddies 270win and they do seem to be a little explosive, I'm going to go up to the 140's and see what happens. I've been shooting the 140's out of my 270 WSM and I kinda get the feel that I may be a little on the light side for the speed. I won't even try a 130 cause I'm concerned about inconcistent bullet performance at the speeds that they would be running.
I think alot of the .277 bullets made are made with the 270 win in mind and when we run them to the 270WBY or WSM speeds we may have problems with anything built on the light side or not bonded.
I'm shooting 140 bergers and accubonds, so I'll get a good comparison of two different bullets. I'm going to try the 169.5 wildcats when I can get my hands on them.

 

[royinidaho]

bigngreen,

in our 270 win we run the 130 Noslers and 140 Hornady BTSPs at just under 3200 (sounds faster than 3190) and are plenty pleased with performance on paper and game (Mule deer and yotes) and at a wide spectrum of ranges.

Shot a decent sized 3X4 buck a couple of years back with the 130 Nosler solid base. He was quartering away ( I thought he was broad side as I was shooting through brush) Bullet entered just ahead of the right ham hitting that little short rib like bone sticking down, made a straight and very impressive wood channel through the insides settling just under the skin beside the left shoulder. It was DRT.

I don't know what velocities ya'll are running with the WSMs but I coasting along with the 150s at 3500+ and the 140s at 3600 plus in the AM. Waiting on the 169s as you are.

I've modified the 140 Hornady for a bit better bc and have settled on that bullet, for the moment, for the 270 AM. It shoots a along with the Noslers and has a shorter bearing surface and has performed well on gave over the years.

 

[bigngreen]

He's running the 130's at 3500+ out of his 270win, I checked the crony with another gun and against another crony and the thing is that fast without much pressure signs. He shot a cow elk the other day in the liver and the entrance was about 1.5 in taking out two ribs then blowing away the liver, she jumped up and dropped dead after a couple wobble steps.
The shot was at 50 yrds with a 130gr speer BT and it grenaded, I think at a couple hundred yards they won't grenade, He's one shot killed 8-9 elk with that load and I can't pry him of it, he's wanting to try the wildcats though.
The load is 67gr of 7828, I have look it over from every angle to figure out how it is getting that speed but can't find it, it a shooter though.
I would like to see a 160+ Berger for the 270 WBY or WSM , running around 3000fps, I think then the ballistics and bullet construction would match. I tryed the Hornady stuff and I could not get any groups under 1.5 in so they are fire forming bullets.
It seems that the Bergers are hit or miss as far as performance, I think I would not leave them untill trying the 140 and 150's, I think that one might find one bullet functions more consistantly in each cal. since they are a little different design for a hunting bullet.

 

[royinidaho]

He's running the 130's at 3500+ out of his 270win, I checked the crony with another gun and against another crony and the thing is that fast without much pressure signs. Unbelievable out of a Win???? I just filled a 270 Win case to the mouth with 7828ssc and came up with 67.8 grains. When I attempt, and I have) to stuff a neck full of powder behind the bullet the case won't chamber.

If I could get that velocity and accuracy out of my Win you couldn't budge me from it either.

The load is 67gr of 7828, I have look it over from every angle to figure out how it is getting that speed but can't find it, it a shooter though.
I would like to see a 160+ Berger for the 270 WBY or WSM , running around 3000fps, I think then the ballistics and bullet construction would match. I tryed the Hornady stuff and I could not get any groups under 1.5 in so they are fire forming bullets.

Heavier bullets, 160, 170, 180 gring bullets are being worked on but will require patience. Something on that order will be along shortly.

I understand that Berger is considering a heavier 277 bullet and will most probably come up with something that will handle the velocities of the WBY and WSM. However, they will have to kick things up a BIG notch to handle AM velocities. I try to load DOWN the Bergers to around 3200 FPS MV and can't do it. The powder tried was 7828ssc but the charges were so low that I got hang fires very frequently.

Thus the 140s w/a full charge of 7828ssc is the ticket. Any of the other stick powders in any reasonble amount bridge and pressures sky rocket.

 

[bigngreen]

The guy that reloaded them for him originally said it was a super compressed load so I introduces him to the drop tube and it went from being in the neck to about mid way on the shoulder and is not crunching powder. It scared me when I saw the velocity on the crony, but it function well. He has a custom barrel on it so what ever that thing has in it works for velocity and accuracy to boot.
"Heavier bullets, 160, 170, 180 gring bullets are being worked on but will require patience. Something on that order will be along shortly."
Patience, we don't need no stinking patience.

It's hard not to be pestering Paul every week about the 169.5's maybe I'll pester some Berger guys about some larger bullets but they still haven't came with the 338's so it may be a little hopefull to get some 277's anytime soon.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I just returned from a Wyoming Mule deer hunt where I had my first oportunity to try out the 130 grain VLD in my 270 Weatherby Magnum. These bullets are real tackdrivers at the range when You find the sweet spot for seating depth so I loaded some up for this hunt with great expectations. My first oportunity came on a deer at 390 yards standing broadside in calm conditions. I took a solid position laying down with my bipod and a rear rest on the ground and held for a high shoulder shot after adjusting the scope, a Leupold Mark 4 3-10x. At the shot, the deer ran 30 feet downhill and toppled over and slid downhill with her feet uphill. Looked like one very dead deer but as it was in a group of about 20 it was hard to tell in the fog. When I went over with my partner, we found traces of blood from the point of impact to where she tipped over where there was quite a bit of blood on the brush. Somewhere in the confusion we never saw her get up and the blood trail leaving was poor at best with only a small drop every 20 yards. There was a dusting of snow or it would have been impossible to follow. As it was, we lost it in 150 yards. Two of us looked for 2 hours for the next 1/4 mile with no luck. The following day I shot a deer at 350 yards that dropped dead in its tracks with the same hold, and later that day I filled my second tag with a neck shot at 175 yards, both shots from the prone using the bipod and resting the butt on the dirt. I think I will be switching back to my old standby Sierra Gamekings.

You might give the 130 E-Tips a try. They expand well and hold togehter and have a decent BC. In a 270, I would be looking at the 150 Ballistic Silvertip, 140 AB and 130 E-Tip. I shot an antelope with 115 Ballistic Silvertips out of a 25-06 a couple of weeks ago and it did a good job. Left about 1 1/2 exit hole with an impact velocity of about 2850 (280 yds)

EDIT: Checking the Nosler site, the Silvertips are basically the same bullet as the Ballisitic Tip with a coating and they have a max "hunting" impact velocity of 3100 fps. Probably not ideal for a 270 Wby Mag.


Mark

 

[Iron Worker]

MAG PRO is the powder for the 270 WSM 71.4 drives a 150gr either a Nosler 150gr BT or a Speer SPBT at 3,200 fps. MAG PRO is the stuff

 

[Marine sniper]

Light bullets at high velocities used on elk will eventually come back to bite you.