Target bullets for hunting too?

[Elkeater]

Very odd.

My thoughts exactly. The 215s have a good reputation for performing well on game but this one didn't. To be fair I did shoot another doe that afternoon at about 200 yards as well and the bullet performed perfectly and it was a bang flop. But I have since switched to hammer hunters. They're more accurate in my rifle anyways.

 

[skipglo]

I use 208 eldm in my 300 win for deer. These have very similar performance as the ol amax bullets. Every deer I have shot small entrance and massive exit I have also killed deer with 215 bergers hybrids and while not as destructive on exit as the eldm they do expand. I shot a 6x6 at 25 steps with a 7 RM with 168 VLD and it penciled, luckily I heard the crash or I would have had a very hard time as there was literally no blood. I have only shot deer sized game so can't comment on elk size with hybrids or eldm but I do know, 285 eldm will eat anything and yotes and pdogs don't like them! Lol

208 eldm in all our 300's as well. Great performance on game!

 

[Wolf76]

The 175 out of a 308 killed a dandy 6x6 @ 403 yards. Went thru the shoulder and exited the opposite side crease.
The 215 berger out of a 300 wm killed 3 elk for my group at 208, 145, and 166 yards. All exited and only 1 elk took 8 steps, the rest DRT. I have zero reservations about using this bullet. That said, I have no issues with an accubond, or barnes(if they shoot well).
Broz documented the success of the 210 / 215 Berger and many have confirmed it.
I'll add the exit hole on elk seems less important to me because they don't run like a deer and bleed poorly due to the big/ deep chest.

 

[Zuma]

I know this has been beat to death probably, but I'm getting back into rifle shooting and handloading. For a 300 Win Mag, things like the 208 Amax, 200/220 Matchkings, and the Berger Hybrids.

Do they only kill at long range because they dont explode? Say I had a 230 Berger hybrid, and a deer walks out at 90 yards, will the bullet make a pass through?

I figured we could get all the good target bullets mentioned in one thread for curious people like me in the future.

I know this has been beat to death probably, but I'm getting back into rifle shooting and handloading. For a 300 Win Mag, things like the 208 Amax, 200/220 Matchkings, and the Berger Hybrids.

Do they only kill at long range because they dont explode? Say I had a 230 Berger hybrid, and a deer walks out at 90 yards, will the bullet make a pass through?

I figured we could get all the good target bullets mentioned in one thread for curious people like me in the future.

 

[Overkill338]

I think you forgot to type lol

 

[lancetkenyon]

Bottom line .....DONT use targets Bullets on game.....period !! Of course, dead is dead but the problem is .....your risk of losing a animal goes threw the roof . Blowing a softball size hole out of the exit side is not a plus , unless a premium hunting bullet is taking bone with it . In hunting , u need to plan on the unplanned !!( animal takes a step at shot break , bullet hits a stick 1/2 way to the target) it happens ! Target Bullets are not bonded and tend to blow apart ! I witnessed a buddy jerk the trigger and hit a deer in the hip at 75yards w a target bullet , it was terrible , looked like you put a m-80 under the muscle on top of the hip bone.A premium hunting bullet would have punched completely threw HOPEFULLY causing enough damage to quickly dispatch the animal . ( ya ya , I know , he is 80 yrs old and after this tragic event I worked with him a ton and got him a good hunting load . The following year he made a beautiful 285 yard shot on a deer rite threw the motor room !!) It's all about being a ethical hunter ( just in case you don't hit your aim point ) with modern hunting bullet technology, there is no way a person ( can't ) find a good hunting bullet load !!

All of these examples sound like shooter error to me. Bad hits on game, hitting a twig, jerking the trigger.
Plus, Berger "Target" bullets have a THICKER jacket than their "Hunting" bullets. So that point is moot too.
Plus, your grammatical errors are killing me. "AN animal", "Through", "You", "through", "right", "AN ethical hunter".

I will take a well placed target bullet over a poorly placed hunting bullet all day, every day. Actually, I will take a well placed target bullet over a well placed hunting bullet any day too. I know how my loads work.

 

[ronstone09]

I know this has been beat to death probably, but I'm getting back into rifle shooting and handloading. For a 300 Win Mag, things like the 208 Amax, 200/220 Matchkings, and the Berger Hybrids.

Do they only kill at long range because they dont explode? Say I had a 230 Berger hybrid, and a deer walks out at 90 yards, will the bullet make a pass through?

I figured we could get all the good target bullets mentioned in one thread for curious people like me in the future.

I would recommend berger hunting bullets and not hybrid which are designed for target shooting

 

[greatwhitehntr]

190 vld, 210 vld, 230 Berger hybrid,215 hybrid and 225ELDM all bang DRT. I was shooting Bergers before Bergers were cool to shoot and everybody knew about it. That was quite some time ago. Walt Berger did not even condone it.
There was no such thing as a hunting Berger. SMK's are not a good hunting bullet.
The best thing I can say to do is, do your own testing satisfy your curiosity ballistics gel,bones and wet newspaper in a box a wet telephone book, whatever you got to do. Then you have a idea of what the bullet somewhat does. Coyotes work really good. Shoot close Shoot far.
This is a long range hunting forum, I find it unethical that people shoot barns bullets much past 500 yd and we're not in a classroom. Telling people ethics causes a lot of problems. I wish there was a way to get it across to everybody that there should be a general consensus. The problem is to little skill or too much scale and people get overwhelmed or don't want to pay attention.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

For whitetail and black bear, I'm a huge fan of the eld-match line. Go heavy for caliber at a moderate velocity and you'll be golden. I've shot 2 bears with the 140 eld-m out of the creed and they performed very well. Lost count how many deer we've killed with them.

 

[cohunt]

has anyone taken game with the new a-tip bullets yet? (lol)

 

[skipglo]

Thanks to all of you. I'm really going to look into the ELDM. I used to load 200 Accubonds in this 300 Win Mag, I really like heavy for caliber bullets.

I'm not sure when I will be able to set up my reloading stuff again, so I'm going to be testing some of Bergers loaded ammo.

You can't go wrong with the 208 eldm! I load them them for FIVE of my friends in 300 wm and for myself 300 Weatherby .350 moa at 200. 500 yards. .450 moa. Shot an Elk last fall at 489 yards that did 3-360s and died on the spot. The 300s seem to love them......the Game however...not so much!
.

 

[Overkill338]

190 vld, 210 vld, 230 Berger hybrid,215 hybrid and 225ELDM all bang DRT. I was shooting Bergers before Bergers were cool to shoot and everybody knew about it. That was quite some time ago. Walt Berger did not even condone it.
There was no such thing as a hunting Berger. SMK's are not a good hunting bullet.
The best thing I can say to do is, do your own testing satisfy your curiosity ballistics gel,bones and wet newspaper in a box a wet telephone book, whatever you got to do. Then you have a idea of what the bullet somewhat does. Coyotes work really good. Shoot close Shoot far.
This is a long range hunting forum, I find it unethical that people shoot barns bullets much past 500 yd and we're not in a classroom. Telling people ethics causes a lot of problems. I wish there was a way to get it across to everybody that there should be a general consensus. The problem is to little skill or too much scale and people get overwhelmed or don't want to pay attention.

I actually like what you said. I've been out from behind my rifles for 7 years. So for this upcoming season, I'm still limiting myself to 200 yards. When I get several hundred rounds under my belt again, and "virgin" buck fever out of the way, then I'll step it out to 400 for the following year.

Long shots are not the norm around here. My longest kill was 386 yards, with this 300 Win I have back in my possession. Due to a lot of drugs and alcohol after my dad died in 2012 (not an excuse, I know), my memory is crap, but I believe that shot was with the old Hornady Heavy Mag with the 180 Interlock. It was literally "bang flop".

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

has anyone taken game with the new a-tip bullets yet? (lol)

No I'm waiting for them to come out with the A-holes

 

[Overkill338]

has anyone taken game with the new a-tip bullets yet? (lol)

Apparently I missed the joke...