My two daughters killed a buck each last fall with my 7rem mag / 190 berger target hybrid leaving muzzle at 2900fps through 8.5"twist barrel. Both bucks were basically straight on. Both bucks had extreme heart/lung damage, neither was messy behind diaphragm. One was 425 yards, one was 460 yards. Neither buck folded up on the spot but they were on a steep enough hill side that it took no effort to go down the hill side. Youngest daughter shot a big doe at 200yds with 6crdm/109hyb leaving muzzle at 3150fps through 7.5" twist barrel broadside behind shoulder with no exit. I have a theory that these bullets in my rigs are potentially coming apart faster due to extra RPM's in faster twist rifles. They def are not going far after impact.
Shot Placement w/ Bergers
- Thread starter sbruni
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9 years of Berger 7mm 180 gr VLD-Hybrids and high shoulder shots have convinced me that the bullet is one of the best. My one-shot kills have ranged from 47 to 756 yards on deer and elk...the bullets performed flawlessly.
For me, shooting an average of 200+ reloads from my Gunwerks 7LRM every year, plus dry-fire practice, gives me the confidence to trust my bipod and rear support for the shot.
vancewalker007
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In that last 4 years I've killed and seen killed 25 head of game killed with Bergers. Of this 22 were with the 6.5 156 EOL from a PRC and 3 were with the 7mm 180 VLD Hunting from a 7mm LRM. All but 2 were 1 shot kills, pretty much dropping where they stood or going 20 yards or less. Of the 24, 18 were plains game in South Africa, all were 1 shot kills except a Black Impala which I anchored hitting it too low in the brisket but had a second shot on to deliver the coup de grâce. I was shooting off a standing rest and the as the trigger broke it slipped on the grass humps we were standing on and the rifle tipped down a hair. The 7mm LRM was used on a cow elk and 2 Coues bucks. The cow elk was shot then stayed standing frozen at which time the shooter fired a quick follow-up shot (within about 3 seconds) and she fell over. Later when skinning the 2 bullets struck within an inch of each other both angling into the heart/lung just below the mid-line. The Coues bucks dropped in their tracks. The remaining 4 were all Coues bucks using the 156 EOL, where 3 dropped in their tracks and 1 ran about 15-20 yards before going down for good. On deer sized game, Coues deer and deer sized plains game in my experience Bergers usually exit unless shot at very long ranges. On the elk they spend all their energy in the animal. I forgot, in 2015 I killed a cow elk with my old 7mm LRM using a 195 EOL, no exit 1 shot kill at about 250 yards angling into the heart/lung low in the crease.
With all bullets I tend to aim tightly to the back of the front leg below the body mid-line. From my experience American shooters tend to shoot too high and too far back in a lot of cases which can lead to perceived bullet failures with lots of types of bullets as this is the no-mans-land as archers describe. I tend to shoot everything like you would in Africa, directly on the heart/lung area, which in most all ungulates is low between the front legs. I have seen and have aimed for the triangle called high front shoulder in several cases where the spine/neck junction is on shorter range shots (0-400 yards) with animals not presenting the heart/lung area clearly. This has caused immediate submission, ie. DRT effects as it usually cuts off the brain to heart connection and spines the animal as well.
With all bullets I tend to aim tightly to the back of the front leg below the body mid-line. From my experience American shooters tend to shoot too high and too far back in a lot of cases which can lead to perceived bullet failures with lots of types of bullets as this is the no-mans-land as archers describe. I tend to shoot everything like you would in Africa, directly on the heart/lung area, which in most all ungulates is low between the front legs. I have seen and have aimed for the triangle called high front shoulder in several cases where the spine/neck junction is on shorter range shots (0-400 yards) with animals not presenting the heart/lung area clearly. This has caused immediate submission, ie. DRT effects as it usually cuts off the brain to heart connection and spines the animal as well.
Kudu at 80 yards, heart shot, dropped in its tracks, Zebra at 350 yards roughly 100 feet up the side of a mountain, dropped in its tracks, Eland at 280 yards slightly uphill dropped on the spot, rolled 30 yards downhill and could not move, required a finishing shot, Impala at 180 yards, dropped in its tracks, stone dead. All shot with 156 grain Berger EOL Elite Hunters hand loads from my 6.5 PRC. PH was very impressed with the performance of the bullets on some pretty large African game!
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vancewalker007
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Last year I shot a 500lb Mountain Zebra mare at a laser measured 235 yards with my 6.5 PRC using the 156 EOL that dropped in her tracks. Frankly I was shocked even though I have killed a large number of animals with Bergers. Zebras tend be very tough and to run when shot like the one I shot years ago with a 180gr Barnes TTSX. The one last year was angled head towards me a little so I aimed low on point of the shoulder putting the bullet tight on front side of the leg right on the heart. I can't express how shocked I was to see the animal just drop in its tracks. It happened so fast the PH didn't know what happened because she just disappeared in the grass.
sjones
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Anyone used these on black bears? Have a 28 nosier and thinking about 175 EH.
T-Roy.
Member
Always high shoulder for me brother, makes a mess of the shoulder, but more often than not the animal folds up before the gun finishes reporting, the ones that haven't, didt go far…
THE SHADOW
Well-Known Member
I like to shoot high shoulder and have been very happy with the results on whitetail deer.
Longrangers
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Used Berger 140 EH out of a 6.5/284 for bear. The shot was about 100 yds. The bear dropped. About a minute later it got back up and ran about 80 yds and collapsed. It was hit in the crease behind the front shoulder. Velocity 3030
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
The 200.20x Hyb is not pointed (MRT-Meplat Reduction Technology) like the 144 Hyb, so I don't think they will need to be opened up. I will be running the same bullet in my next build too. Probably .300Mega.
Jeffrey Van Zandt
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4 black bears all went down right in there tracks
Wolf76
Well-Known Member
I'm a lung shooter, regardless of bullet. Bergers really accel in turning the thoracic cavity into soup. I find no reason to shoot shoulders/high shoulder. I use bergers with great confidence.
J.J. Weiland
Well-Known Member
I have used berger exclusively for quite a few years now in several calibers. I hunt deer and hogs. The berger works fantastic on high shoulder shots on deer. I got away from heart/lung shots bc the deer were not dropping on the spot like high shoulder. No more traking deer in the dark. On very tough animals like hogs same result although some were shot in head or neck. Nobody wants to look for hogs after dark!! I'm sure there are other great bullets out there but if you have great results why change. If I were to try other bullets I'd go with Sierra game changers or gamekings.
GoosePilot
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I'm an in the crease for any bullet usually, however I did take a 100yd shoulder shot on a bull last year to anchor it. The 195 eol broke the femor just below the shoulder blade and was lodged against the off side femor. It took 10 steps and flopped. 1st bull elk, mule deer, white-tailed, and antelope have all been dead on their feet. Maybe lost 10lbs of meat on this last bull, but other than that I hadn't ruined 10lbs total. 195 eol at 2850 fps and 100-600yds
