Barbour creek video it showed he loaded by hand into chamber. He is also a VERY big fan of bergers...I'm sure he checked them. He also always says shoot em in high shoulder with Bergers.
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Berger 156 EOL 6.5 fail?
- Thread starter coop2564
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bigngreen
Well-Known Member
Barbour Creeks video is relevant, the depth of the nose cavity is important to their function and it looked shallow to me, I do know if you take the same jacket and have lead all the way to the top then they again open well based on some custom bullets made on the same jacket.
The other video has no information that I find relevant to any hunting situation. The higher impact looks decent, I think he made a great case for why you need a different bullet at 1550 fps and why you don't test bullets with reduced loads and sink the bullet RPMs, they tumble!
There are Bergers I definitely favor over others and you do need to pick based on launch platform.
The only 156 we've shot much were in beta testing and into elk which they did excellent but at much higher launch speeds. I still find it hard to beat the 140 vld!!
The other video has no information that I find relevant to any hunting situation. The higher impact looks decent, I think he made a great case for why you need a different bullet at 1550 fps and why you don't test bullets with reduced loads and sink the bullet RPMs, they tumble!
There are Bergers I definitely favor over others and you do need to pick based on launch platform.
The only 156 we've shot much were in beta testing and into elk which they did excellent but at much higher launch speeds. I still find it hard to beat the 140 vld!!
vancewalker007
Well-Known Member
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- Mar 30, 2013
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I've shot the 156 on paper at 1000 yards so I know from my rifle at the velocity I'm getting they are not tumbling. I'm sure from some rifles they would, any bullet not properly stabilized will tumble. I know lots of people were having the 147 ELDMs tumble from spinning the too much. I have always been very happy VLDs on game if you can get them to shoot. They can be tricky sometimes. They never shot good in my father's old 7mm STW, burned a lot of barrel trying though.
Tagged for later.
RD57
Well-Known Member
I appreciate him reporting his findings. I can learn from others, and with my own experiences (or not) can come to my own conclusions. I appreciate everyone posting what they find/discover through testing.
J.J. Weiland
Well-Known Member
I also have had great results from the 140 hunting vld out of my 6.5saum. 3160fps. I should say this is on deer and hogs not elk. I will continue to buy them with confidence but checking tips is always good hunting practice.
That video has been out quite a while. He said he was going to do a follow-up after they used them that season on their grounds. I called last summer and asked when another video would be done and they didn't know.
@300prc, that first pic is how I suspect mine looked at 350 yards through both lungs on a cow. I had two holes through the lungs and out the offside. She went less than 70 yards but was in open sage so easy to see. No blood trail but blood had made it down her side. I hit no bone.
I'm planning an Africa trip for next spring and have, at the moment, every intention of using the 156's.
@300prc, that first pic is how I suspect mine looked at 350 yards through both lungs on a cow. I had two holes through the lungs and out the offside. She went less than 70 yards but was in open sage so easy to see. No blood trail but blood had made it down her side. I hit no bone.
I'm planning an Africa trip for next spring and have, at the moment, every intention of using the 156's.
OldElkHunter1961
Well-Known Member
Failure, like it's equal and opposing sister success, can be defined many ways. I've never seen a Sierra Game King remain intact, always a wreck of pieces. But then so we're the elks lungs. How dead is dead enough?
cabelasken
Well-Known Member
I have witnessed some spectacular kills with various Berger bullets and more than 80% have performed to perfection. others have opened up too fast or fragmented into tiny pieces before reaching vitals and a very small number did not open up at all. And most are extremely accurate. But with the availability of many premium bullets now on the market I have chosen not to use Berger bullets on game, although they have been extremely accurate in my rifles. Also, to minimize meat loss, I have narrowed my selection to those bullets that stay nearly 100% together or those designed to fragment into 4 or 5 pieces and for the most part penetrate both sides of the animal. One member of our elk hunting party uses Partitions and every year we lose 1/4 or more of the animals he shoots. Same with ballistic tips that other members use. Just my preference as I enjoy eating every single ounce of elk or venison that I can put in the freezer.
Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
In my 308 NM I would get the tip ballistic tip deformed some @ 3300fps loading. Didn't seem to make any difference, Grouping @ 100yds was under 1/2". Accubond if I remember correctly didn't seem to have that problem. That was in a 338WM 200gr AB @ 3230fps load. So the round is hot. It does have muzzle brake on it now. I hadn't through about it much. That could be why no deforming.
Grumpy old man
Well-Known Member
Pushing the higher limit bullets 155 gr vicinity I have found that slower powders r22 4831 and 26" inch an better barrels perform better in accuracy and ballistic coefficients 700 area have given me drop dead accuracy after tweeked powder charges are practiced repeatedly ! That means I need to get comfortable with the setup as to make it disappear out of my thought process ! This zone is where I want to live!
The more popular a bullet, the more people using it, the more complaining of its performance.
OG-danimal
Well-Known Member
What Nosler bullet was that last picture?180 Berger at 80yards. Its not just a 156 thing.
I found this one just under elk hide after broadside shot/quartering away. I shot this thing 2x. First with a fail & second it worked as should.
Now, as with anything there are variables. I get it.
Tips were not "plugged". So why the failure? Note: In my book I shouldn't have to use a dental pic to play.I only keep those with me for my Idaho friends. I still shoot Bergers at certain game and to foul my barrels. But when I head to Alaska next season I will not be using them. Plenty of capable Bullets out there.
This not a first time incident.
I know if the kool-aid ain't right.
Or just use the nosler in last picture? Impact on elk at over 3000fps 1 and done.
