I’ve never tried them and from what I’ve read I likely never will, at least not on deer sized game and larger. There’s simply far too many GREAT bullets out there to choose from that I have no reason to use a marginal bullet. I like to find a bullet that is designed for what I plan to hunt with that particular rifle and load. I then shoot it for accuracy on paper and do simpleton wet phone book tests at 50 and 100 yards. I then use that load on big game and note it’s performance. I have yet to find a premium hunting bullet that failed that final and ultimate test. If I’ve done my due diligence and limit my expectations of a bullets performance to the parameters it was designed for I’m always satisfied with my choice. I shoot almost exclusively TSX/TTSX and I’ve NEVER had to track an animal. I’ve dropped deer at 20 feet and elk at 537 yards and the bullets I used worked perfectly, just AS DESIGNED! For coyotes and small game I use whatever is accurate and don’t sweat the details. I spend a lot of time up north and in areas that have big predators so my bullet choice takes that variable into account.....namely, ACCURATE.....since if needed during a charge I’m more worried about placement than penetration because whatever bullet I’ve chosen to hunt big game with I already know that it’s up to the task. My primary hunting rifles and my son’s hunting rifle is .308 shooting usually using 150 TTSX and sometimes the 168 TSX. My .338 I use the old 225gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaw but that rifle likes everything except the Partition. It loved the old X bullet and it loves the new TSX/TTSX’s as well. Our daughter shoots a .243 using the 80gr TTSX
I’ll be sending a pre-64 (1954 iirc) in 30-06 to JES for a rebore to 35 Whelen and cut to 20” so I’ll be looking for a load that is stoutly constructed and packs a punch. I want a lighter weight easy to carry in thick brush and quick to shoulder rifle. Something durable that will be going in and out of boats and exposed to saltwater. I’l probably start (and end) with the 225 TSX. 😁
I’m sure Bergers are great on paper and coyotes but choosing a bullet to do something it wasn’t necessarily designed for is irresponsible.imho. We owe it to the game we hunt to do our best to ensure a quick, clean kill. Even bullets used specifically for the game that they’re intended for can suffer a “failure” since the variables are endless and parameters are exceeded. All of my hunting rifles shoot under 1” at a hundred yards shooting the bullets that they’ll be hunting with, almost exclusively using factory ammunition. With that accuracy available using properly constructed bullets like the TTSX, TSX, Partition, TBBC, A-Frame....etc, etc.....even the old Corelokt is better than using a “Match” bullet.....no matter how much of a bugholer it is.imho
