Berger 230 and 300 OTM Hybrid terminal results

[smoked]

So why not seat them shorter? They are not VLDs, seating depth does not matter. I am getting so amped up to put one of these 230g pills to work, but season is still more than a month off.

I will try again but it seems the longer i make them the better they group

 

[D.Camilleri]

I recently harvested a 300lb muley with a much closer shot than expected with a 300 gr OTM shot from my 338 rum @2830 The shot was only 80 yards, the deer never moved from his bed and was instantly DRT. Shot went in through near shoulder breaking the shoulder blade into many pieces, bullet destroyed internals and came to rest on the outside of the far shoulder not hitting any bone on the far shoulder. Bullet was even with the outside of the shoulder but just shy of the hide. When butchering I saw the bullet on the outside and simply pulled it out. On a note, the bullet caused almost zero blood shot of edible meat, very strange for all the damage it did.

This makes my 5th kill with the 300 otm. So far so good and I am happy to have some data on close shots in case I have to use one to defend myself against something with big teeth and claws. My other kills with the 300 are buck antelope @ 350 hit a bit farther back than desired, but two steps and done, doe antelope hit a few inches off the mark @ 300 (realized the atv knocked the scope off, switched to a picatinny rail to solve the problem) 5 point bull elk, big body @ 550 instant lights out, shot hit behind shoulder, no exit, I didn't look for the bullet since I was just cutting off the quarters and I heard what I believe to be a grizzly chomping his teeth in the heavy cover below me, forgot to get the ivories too! Kind of funny how you can get a little shook up when you think you have gone from the hunter to the prey! Next kill was a cow elk at 200 hit in neck, drt big exit hole.
My next tags are a couple of doe antelope that I want to try my 215's from my 300 ultra and then on to a late season bull tag and another cow tag for some more results with the 300 otm.
An interesting note, last year on a cow elk hunt, my hunting partner and I were above a herd of cows and calves I gave him first shot. He hit a cow with a 300 smk from his 338 rum @ about 2700 muzzle velocity, then I shot dropping my cow. I asked him if he got his and he said he was sure he hit his mark. A few minutes later I saw a cow elk walk behind a tree about 400 yards away. The rest of the herd was gone. I told him she must be hit. She went behind the tree and never came out. It was his elk. We aren't sure what happened with his shot, because there was also no exit but we were very surprised she went so far. We wish we would have opened her up to examine what the bullet did.

I finally got around to weighing this recovered 300 gr OTM 128 grains total, jacket alone 74 grs, better than I would have thought.

 

[D.Camilleri]

300 grain Berger OTM recovered from bull elk shot at 750 yards. Bullet entered behind the shoulder and was found under the skin on off side after penetrating the stomach. This was first shot to hit the bull. Second shot broke the lower shoulder socket leaving the socket on the ground with other chunks of bone, bullet continued through and grazed the brisket not entering the chest cavity. Bull expired within 25 yards of where he was first hit.

 

[elkaholic]

300 grain Berger OTM recovered from bull elk shot at 750 yards. Bullet entered behind the shoulder and was found under the skin on off side after penetrating the stomach. This was first shot to hit the bull. Second shot broke the lower shoulder socket leaving the socket on the ground with other chunks of bone, bullet continued through and grazed the brisket not entering the chest cavity. Bull expired within 25 yards of where he was first hit.

Congrats! That looks like pretty good long range performance......Rich

 

[Broz]

3 Bulls in the last week with the 300 OTM's from the LRKM. Dead , Dead, Dead.

Todays was a nice 6x6 in his bed. .338" in behind the shoulder 2" out and a nice hole in the dirt at 600 yards.

Jeff

 

[MMERSS]

I'm certain more will follow? Congrats x 3 and it sounds like another great start for the year with the new hammer!

 

[Broz]

I'm certain more will follow? Congrats x 3 and it sounds like another great start for the year with the new hammer!

Thanks, put a decent bull to bed tonight. Will be after him at first light. So maybe another tomorrow.

Then I think it could be my wife's turn.

jeff

 

[MMERSS]

Then I think it could be my wife's turn.

Well I think it should be her turn!!!! Get a good one

 

[Broz]

Well I think it should be her turn!!!! Get a good one

Then maybe my turn after her?... If I find one worth pulling the trigger on.

Jeff

 

[D.Camilleri]

Thanks, put a decent bull to bed tonight. Will be after him at first light. So maybe another tomorrow.

Then I think it could be my wife's turn.

jeff

3 bulls sounds like a lot of fun, but I am still tired from my 1. You must have good help though. Good job!

 

[idaho elk hunter]

As many on here would know, I have had horrible luck with the soft Berger bullet/jacket accuracy in my freebored rifles. I have had great luck with the harder bullets. I contribute this to several major factors that this OTM may overcome since the GEN1 bullet. I am concerned about everywhere in this thread that the bullet sometimes does not exit. Dead is dead so who really cares but exiting is to me somewhat of a concern. I would like to see my elk bleed out of 2 holes. Has anyone pushed the 338,300 gr OTM to 3100 and had it live in terminal performance and no bullet slump?

 

[Broz]

The bullet slump issue was only on Gen 1's and only when pushed very hard. I never seen it under 2900 fps. That condition was usually related to fast accelerating ball powders and twist rates faster than 1 in 10. Those days are long past. I have been pushing the OTM tactical target hybrid to 3200 and a little beyond for some time now. These are real velocities over an Oehler 35 and also a Magneto Speed at 4100' ASL. I have shot the OTM's at all distances out to 2971 yards where they held 1 moa while sub-sonic. I have repeatedly shot 2 and 3 shot groups into 1/2 moa at just over a mile into steel and paper targets. Took 5 bulls with that combo last year. Although one under 300 yards may not have exited we had a wound channel large enough to feed a 1" wide steel tape through and went 26" diagonally through the far shoulder. Tracking a bull with these kind of wounds are not an issue as we never lost sight of them. None left the area they were standing. Ironically enough one did make it barely outside 100 yards after shot. He bailed off the back of a steep ridge as the herd bolted after the impact. I was spotting for my wife and watched the hide ripple in the sweet spot of the crease. The sound of the impact coming back to me was easily heard even with ear plugs. The shot was 765 yards. Muzzle velocity average is 3198 fps. Here are pics of what we found including entrance and exit hole. I think he was dead while running a short distance. Have a look for yourself and see if this would suit your needs.

The bull ran head on down this steep hill hitting the tree to the right and bouncing off. We glued his skull back together after boiling it.

Entrance location and entrance was .338 dia.

Exit location when I rolled him over

Close up of exit showing 1 1/2" exit on far side with chunks of lungs sucked out .

 

[barnesuser28]

Nice shooting and wind calling! May i ask what the impact velocity was? Should be around 2450 fps right?

 

[Broz]

Nice shooting and wind calling! May i ask what the impact velocity was? Should be around 2450 fps right?

Riley you are correct. It was a bit higher ALT. and I just ran a quick check to see and got 2480. Almost 4100 ft lbs of energy.

Jeff