Berger Bullets on Game. Specifically 6.5

[bdyal1972]

I cannot speak to anything but the 130 VLD Hunter. Loading them into two different 260's. One at 2850 FPSfor my buddy and the other at 3010 FPS for myself. They shoot 1/2 moa out of my rifle and better than half out of his. My hunting buddy and I have taken numerous Whitetail and several pigs with them. Shots have ranged from 50 yards to 550 yards. Almost all were dead within 50 yards. No exit wounds except one spine shot. We did have one instance of pencil through in 2019. I was spotting for my buddy, ranged the deer, 178 yards, my buddy set up on a flat rock, front bipod and rear bag. Cross hairs on the shoulder, squeezed the shot off, the deer hunkered a little and ran 50 yards into the trees. I watched him in the woods for about a minute waiting for him to death wobble and fall over. Instead, he wondered into the woods out of sight. We waited half an hour then went to the shot site, there was no hair and no blood anywhere to be found. I found the bullet impact where the deer was standing (we were shooting slightly down hill). After a 2 hour search never found any evidence that the deer was hit, not even where he had stood for so long. We found the deer a week later by accident. He was hit squarely in the shoulder and had two perfect .264" holes through both shoulders. He was about 150 yards from where he was shot. I am not bashing Berger. They are excellent bullets that perform exactly as they are designed almost every time. If you intend to hunt with them you should clean the tips on all of the bullets you take to the field. My daughter took her first buck with the same rifle from roughly the same distance about a week later. He made it 50 yards and piled up.

A young woman and her buck!!!


PRICELESS

 

[BPollard]

6.5-300 Weatherby

I love mine. 127lrx and 143eldx

 

[Korhil78]

I have shot multiple hogs from 500-760 yards and my son has shot two cow elk at 490 and 590 yards with the 140 Gr Berger going 3205 FPS out of a 6.5 Sherman and all have been good kills.

 

[Starlite]

I love mine. 127lrx and 143eldx

What velocity you getting with the 127LRX? Also that avatar of yours, you turn that into a rug? Looks like a 300 + pounder. I love BB hunting

 

[BPollard]

What velocity you getting with the 127LRX? Also that avatar of yours, you turn that into a rug? Looks like a 300 + pounder. I love BB hunting

 

[BPollard]

That is not a typo 3538 for per second I took my 6X6 Bull with it this year

 

[KurtB]

I have had outstanding success with the 140 vld from 100 yards to over 600 yards when fired at muzzle velocities of 2650 fps to 2950 fps. Very consistent expansion and dozens of dead animals. Elk, mule deer, whitetail, antelope, black bear, and mountain goat. I got old and decided that 6.5x47, 6.5-284, 6.5-06, all killed great and kicked lightly when suppressed.

I would choose a different bullet for the 6.5-300 bee, and it would not be the 156 either. For me that is mono only country and I don't shoot monos, so......small cartridges for me.

 

[Trnelson]

Impact velocity is the most salient factor related to bullet performance. I hunt with a few different 6.5's from a 6.5 Grendel to a custom 264win. I personally limit my maximum range to where the impact velocity is more than 1,800 fps. I've used the 130g AR Hybrid, 140 VLD hunting, 140 Hybrid. Take a moment to make sure the meplat tips aren't clogged with a fine needle or an appropriate pin drill and you'll assure proper functioning.
Everything I've used the 130g AR Hybrid on has had an exit wound from golf ball size to baseball size, depending on impact velocity. It is the easiest bullet to find a load with that I have ever used. At 3,160 fps from my 6.5/06 it is quite effective. The 140g hybrid performs very similarly, just starts out at 2,940 fps. In heavy cover I prefer having an exit wound, personally. I have used them on whitetail deer and feral hogs.
I have used the 140g VLD hunting bullet quite effectively as well. It seldom demonstrated an exit wound, but internal organ damage is very apparent and dramatic. Simply Devastating. Literally just pour liquified heart and lungs out. No joke. However, I went away from them due to tuning issues as my barrels wear and generally a lack of an exit wound.
I have not shot the new156g. I have heard very good reports on their performance, but not had any experience with them. I have a stockpile of the 160g Matrix that I am very satisfied with from my rifle capable of sending them effectively. With the potential of a 6.5/300, I would most likely get a box of 156g, and a box of 130g AR Hybrids in case the 156g doesn't show you the accuracy you are looking for. I imagine, with the 130g that 3,450fps would be a realistic and safe. Nothing goes far with a baseball size exit wound.

 

[Starlite]

@TRNEALSON where did you get those 160gr matrix? My Sako 6.5CM shoots 160gr very very well. Including the 160gr Hornady RN. I'd like to try the matrix.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

preciate the info. What about an aoudad at 600? 156 or 140 berger do it? or rather have a hammer?

It will Kill......to quote forged in fire...I'd go 156s with good horsepower behind it...

 

[Trnelson]

@TRNEALSON where did you get those 160gr matrix? My Sako 6.5CM shoots 160gr very very well. Including the 160gr Hornady RN. I'd like to try the matrix.

I bought 1k a few years ago when I started investigating heavies. I'm down to ~500 now. Hopefully they will come back into production!

 

[Santiam338]

I have some video evidence. Put a couple clips together for this thread..Have nothing bad to say about Bergers..They have been excellent for us..ELD-X's on the other hand, don't like them..

The antelope was 625 and the mule deer was 430..Both with 135 classic hunters out of a 260 ackley started at 3050 fps.. The bear was with 156 bergers out of my 264 wm.. 530 yds..



Didn't get it on video,but I used the 156's in my 260 ack on my cow elk this year..515 yds and down right there..

Then this blacktail at 335 with the 264 and 156's..Not much of a test cause I shot him in the throat patch..Did I mention accurate.

I shoot Bergers.

 

[TX Badger]

Let me say I both love but don't fully trust Bergers. Over the years, I've tried them several times. I have shot 3 antelope (7mm 180 old style target yellow box) and 1 whitetail (338 Hunter hybrid orange box) with Bergers. All were killed and recovered. The shots were at distances from about 100 to 350. The deer and one of the antelope were two of the longest runs that I've had after being shot. In both cases, the bullet penciled more than the typical explosive opening you hear about. I've also shot groundhogs with the 80gr Berger (again old style yellow box). All of my experience has been so-so. I've killed and recovered everything I've shot with Berger, but I've always found other bullets more decisive and consistent for on target performance. For instance, the ELD-X 230 works much better on deer for me than the 250 Berger hybrid in the 338, the ELD-M works more consistently in the smaller calibers than the Berger. The JLK and Amaxes/ELD-M worked better than the Berger on groundhogs. The only issue I ever had with Berger as a target bullet was the price and for that I love them, but I don't intend to hunt with them again in the near future.

Weatherbee, take the above reaponse with a grain of salt. The thick jacketed yellow box target bullets are not supposed to open. I've shot two large Wisconsin whitetail bucks with a 7 Rem Mag and 168 Berger's (orange box) at less than 150 yards neither exited . 1 folded like its strings were cut, 1 ran 75 yards without realizing it was already dead. The does and Deer that I've shot further out have had significant Exit Wounds. I love these bullets. I will say, if I were hunting in heavy cover where all the shots were closed in and you couldn't watch the animal runoff I would consider a tougher bullet since the BC and extreme accuracy are not as important. And you are more likely to get a pass through even at high velocity.

 

[VTbluegrass]

I specifically went with the lighter Bergers to get velocity up on my wife's rifle, Vangaurd Camilla Creed with a 20" barrel. She doesn't have a desire to shoot long range and would prefer to keep it under 200 yards most of the time so I wasn't after BC and I have enjoyed how VLD's preformed in my 270. Shooting HSM factory loads she has dropped 4 deer and a 5th made it 20-30yards with a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow. She also likes that they look sleek.
I have been shooting 130VLDs in my 270 for 8 years and had great success and wide blood trails when the deer didn't drop.
Shooting 168 classic hunter out of my 30-06 this year I had a dead deer but a torn up shoulder. So I am thinking of playing with some Hammers this off-season but the wife will stay will the factory Berger load since she has confidence in it.