Berger close range impact

[Killertraylor]

I only have one experience on game with them because I quit using them a day after I killed my buck. Big bodied Montana Mule deer. 90 yards. 140VLD going 3400 fps at the muzzle (6.5 Weatherby - McWhorter's load that came with the rifle). Put a 5 gallon bucket sized hole in shoulder, didn't penetrate body cavity, bullet just disintegrated and destroyed the entire shoulder. Buck ran about 200 yards down through a canyon. He stopped and turned quartering me and I shot the other shoulder - bullet penetrated this time, destroying front shoulder and completely destroying opposite rear ham where it exited. Got 30 lbs of meat off of a 250 lb mule deer. Switched to Partitions and have killed 10 more animals with that rifle, elk and deer with perfect bullet performance. I was just driving them too fast - might give them a go again at a slower speed as they sure shoot nice tiny little groups.

 

[reloaderlen]

Some may have taken my post wrong. I'm not putting down Burger bullets . I'm in total support of them.
This was just my first time to shoot something close and wanted to share my good results.

 

[Rick Richard]

Some may have taken my post wrong. I'm not putting down Burger bullets . I'm in total support of them.
This was just my first time to shoot something close and wanted to share my good results.

No problem. We all have varying opinions and experiences. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dosh]

I've witnessed over 30 animals killed with Bergers, mostly elk and some muleys. Mostly 7mags and various.30 cal. All dead within 30 yds or less. About 40% with no pass through. Pass through is advantageous for a blood trail in case the shot wasn't in a lethal spot. Most all of the non-pass throughs died in their tracks with internals looking like mush. Dead is dead, pass through or not.

 

[bplumcrazy]

Do you HBN coat your bullets? Or do any kind of bullet coating Or media polish your brass after loading them?

Nope, I'm going to inspect the rest like silverbullet mentioned

Tip wasn't clear/open. I've posted this elsewhere but in reloading the VLDs I've found nearly 20% per box have had tips that were partially or severely closed. Plugged tips lead to results like yours. I use a small drill bit and check each one by hand and clear the tips as needed. Never had a failure this way. That said, I'm a huge fan of the accubonds and would never try to talk you out of using them either. ;-)

 

[hunter67wa]

The only failure Ive had on Berger is close range 47 yards on a Roosevelt bull. Just exploded out of a Creed at MV 2775. A follow up shot put him down. They shoot great. Am shooting the LRAB now though they shoot well also

 

[bob4]

Trophy Axis don't know because I lost it (120 yards) dropped, hit the ground hard where I shot him(assumed DRT) then 5 min later he gets up and takes off. Found little blood with tissue and that's it.

Had a similar experience last yr. .270 win, 130 classic hunter. Just over 100 yd. quartering slightly towards me, almost broad side. Hit my target and it hit the ground like a brick. Thought it was over. Drug itself behind a tree and by the time I got there it was gone and not a speck of blood. Bad shot obviously. But hated I didn't have any blood.

 

[Trnelson]

T/C Encore 30-338WM handgun:
This deer ran maybe 70 yards leaving behind a massive blood trail. The deer was a mature doe, shot in the rib cage at 60 yards. Bullet exited, leaving two exits, one about the size of a golf ball, the other 2/3rds that size.

Love me some 30/338WIN!! I send a 230 Berger OTM Tactical at 2,780 from my 26" rig. Never had a deer turn down the invitation I send to our sausage making party's. Carry on.

 

[Griffith187]

Just curious if you were meat hunting why would you square up on the shoulder and take the chance of wasting both shoulders at 40 yards. Seems like a high neck or head shot would of been fairly simple, or even 6 inches back from the shoulder to double lung her. With that being said I made a mental mistake this year and shot my deer in both shoulders and ruined both with a 115 D tac @585yards with same result. I will never do that again. I was just making sure it wasn't going to run off. It worked but I paid the price with a lot of meat loss

 

[Deleted member 25294]

Some may have taken my post wrong. I'm not putting down Burger bullets . I'm in total support of them.
This was just my first time to shoot something close and wanted to share my good results.

If you took that shot on an elk you'd be singing a different tune..
Deer are easy to kill
I've seen stronger bullets blow up at slower velocities when hitting Elk bone at 200 yards, the last one was my buddies 6x6 shot at 240 with a 143 ELDX, and if he didn't get a follow up shot he'd of lost it!
I like VLD's for long range but ALWAYS carry partitions or TSX's in the mag.

 

[reloaderlen]

Where I was hunting we can shoot a 1/2 before sunrise and a 1/2 after sunset. A front was blowing in and my shooting light was diminishing with less than five minutes. I had my scope dialed all the way down to get the most light. I already wear glasses
So I took the shot that I knew would be a DRT vs a miss or bad shot due to the available light and pouring rain .
Had the conditions been more favorable I would have took a neck shot .

 

[fisherman983]

Where I was hunting we can shoot a 1/2 before sunrise and a 1/2 after sunset. A front was blowing in and my shooting light was diminishing with less than five minutes. I had my scope dialed all the way down to get the most light. I already wear glasses
So I took the shot that I knew would be a DRT vs a miss or bad shot due to the available light and pouring rain .
Had the conditions been more favorable I would have took a neck shot .

If you couldn't decipher between neck and shoulder with your target standing 40 yds away, it was too dark to be shooting no matter what your states laws dictate.
I'm a berger shooter and destroying an entire shoulder goes against every reason why I hunt. Ans that's for the meat.

 

[CTFLATLANDER]

Just curious why there is so much discussion on neck shots? On a mature doe that's a lot of good grind going to waste. I would put one 6" further back behind the shoulders next time in this situation then reevaluate bullet performance.

 

[teesquare]

Nosler Partitions have never failed me. I love reading about all of the other "newer" bullet designs, and maybe will get bold enough to try them on Elk...but....for now Partitions!