Not Happy With Berger Performance

[Cholla]

After a few days of thought on this, I do appreciate the fact the deer dropped instantly. It is frustrating that I lost a good portion of the best meat but after some of the comments, it doesn't seem to be typical. I have lost a black bear and a nice buck over the last 40 years that haunt me even as I take a shot today, so I was thrilled it didn't go bounding away into the thick brush. So, I will not be selling the remaining Berger bullets.

 

[dug]

Bergers if loaded correctly are very capable ,accuracy wise for a neck or head shot .
practise putting the bullet where it needs to go to midagate meat loss !
i just came back from a bison hunt two wks ago ,
260 rem gas gun 130 gr VLD
first shot to the heart to bleed him out and the 2nd shot to the head to finish it .
huge clots of blood when field dressing him.
impressive for a bullet that alot of people dont like .

 

[lancetkenyon]

I too wanted a bullet to stay together and have an entry and exit hole so years ago I stopped using my Bergers and went completely with Nosler Accubond bullets or Nosler Partitions and if Hornady ever starts re-making the Interbond bullet I will buy and use them ahead of all other bonded bullets.Just my opinion

Accubonds and Partitions still shed weight/lead.

 

[manitou]

Accubonds and Partitions still shed weight/lead.

Yeah, but we both know that they shed a LOT less than Bergers.
If Accubonds would shoot as well as the Bergers in all my guns I would never leave the NABs...
They do shoot very well in some of my rifles, but the Bergers surpassed the NABs in my custom 280ai.

90% of my field care is the gutless method, so opening up the animal is a non-issue.
But... opening up a critter that has been shot with the Bergers would put a civil war battlefield to shame, lol

Those Bergers do seem to kill like lightning though.

 

[7mm man]

Don't have to compromise……
There are better terminal performance bullets being offered.

YMMV.

That's why I go bonded or monometal. If your shot has to go through bone (intentional or not) it doesn't fragment. It breaks that bone and keeps going.

 

[Prieto9000]

I've been happy with Barnes, Hammer, and federal trophy bonded tips to avoid the problem you had here. I do still use frangible/fragmenting type bullets but ya gotta be real picky with the shot placement or accept more meat loss.

If you loose a little more meat, you can always go to the supermarket. If you loose the animal, you are screwed.

 

[Prieto9000]

The Berger did exactly what Bergers are designed to do.

IMO lead fragments in meat is blown WAY out of proportion. We've been eating animals killed with lead bullets since the evolution of modern firearms. I can't say I can recall any documented cases of lead poisoning from eating game shot with lead bullets.

If you are genuinely concerned about it use a less violent cup and core bullet like an Accubond, Ballistic Tip or Nosler partition.

The best compromise bullet in my experience has been the Federal Terminal Ascent, but they are almost impossible to find.

Californian ideas made popular and funneled to the general public.

 

[Calvin45]

If you loose a little more meat, you can always go to the supermarket. If you loose the animal, you are screwed.

I agree. That's a part of why I don't have a problem taking shoulder shots on deer especially if they're near really thick brush or land I do not have permission to follow them onto. It's fine to lose a front shoulder and recover the animal compared to knowing it's dead….somewhere…..what a waste THAT would be!

 

[FireFlyFishing]

I've killed many animals with a 210 VLDs out of my 300 WSM. I have also had 3 big game animals get away with what I thought were good shots. Last year was it when I lost an elk. Three strikes and you're out VLDs! Switched to Barnes. After killing my whitetail this year, no regrets, not going back. Monoliths or bonded for me from here on out.

I'd have no issue running them on paper or matches, however. They group well with high BCs.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ Firefly,..
I'd use, LIGHTER Bullets ,. at, much, FASTER velocities !
IF, using VLD's, they are probably, NOT,... HUNTING, VLD's ( Check your Boxes ! ) as,.. BIG,. Difference !
VLD's are like, FMJ's and,.. Pencil through !
I have had,.. NO problem, killing Elk with, 140 gr. Classic Hunter, Berger's @ 3,200 FPS, from My, .270 WSM.
I've replaced, a "Tack driving" Custom, .338 Win Mag with, the Lighter, LESS recoiling, FASTER, .270 WSM, Tikka, and it "kills" Elk, just, the,.. SAME.