Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Hunting with Berger

Just wondering what your experiences have been like using Berger on game. Not talking about the match bullets, but the actual hunting ones (VLD and Classic Hunter). Did you experience alot of meat damage with shot to the vitals? Would you use them again?

I am thinking of trying the classic hunter 140gr for deer season. I was impressed with the performance of the Nosler BT on a WT deer I shot using a 25/06 and want to see how well the Berger perform. I will be using a T3 in 270Win this year.

I used the 140's in a 264 Win Mag. If you hit the animal in the heart-lungs, it won't take 10 steps. I hit one in the shoulder, it failed. Lot of people use them.

I am going to try the 168-grain Hunting VLD in my .30-06 on elk and deer this year, if the opportunities arise. Since I am not a shoulder shooter, I don't anticipate any problems.

Hunting VLDs are the most effective hunting bullet I've used. Pigs, notoriously tough with anything but CNS shots, have made fewer steps for me after taking a VLD than any other bullet I've tried.

John

My friend has been using them for a few seasons and they don't mess up a lot with his 25-06.

The 168 VLD out of a 308 Winchester has been a sure fire killer on deer and pigs.

I put a 140 grain Berger Hunterthrough the shoulder of a cow elk at 250 yards. She stood up, fell over, and died.

When I get a new rifle my first load is topped with Berger bullets. If it won't shoot a Berger well chances are it's the rifle.

Thanks guys, will be trying them out this fall on deer.

140 Berger loaded over some H4831sc will be a hammer on deer. Good luck and let us know how they shoot.

Too picky as to the spot you have to hit (shoulder vs lung). AccuBonds mostly for me

Nothing I've shot has killed quicker and resulted in less tracking than bergers.

Berger doesn't recommned their hunting VLD to be shot faster than 3,100 fps.

140 gr. VLD at 3K fps out of my 6.5-284 is deadly on chest shot Louisiana WT's.

I gave up on VLD's for my 26 Nosler after talking with a Berger tech. He suggested that I use their target VLD with its heavier jacket.

I subsequently chose mono's for that round and am happy with the results.

DF

I have shot several antelope w/ 7mm 168's.. Really I am not impressed.. Will probably shoot the remainder at water jugs, and reload w/ Nosler BTBT..

Out of what? Impact velocity?

7mm R.E.M. at 3000fps..

Seems like they should have worked quite well. What happened?

My one and only "test'' on actual game. 168 VLD H, 7mm rem Mag, 100 yd impact, off the shoulder....



You guys can have them. They sucked on the 10 or so pigs I shot as well. Had I not seen where the hogs ran off to, into some plum thickets, I would have never recovered them.

Yuck.

DF

Maybe there's something off about that 7mm 168 at 7 mag speed.

As I mentioned earlier the .308" 168 VLD has been great out of a 308 Winchester on pigs/deer on my lease, and an acquaintance I see at the range loves the 168 Classic Hunter version for his 308.

Tried the Berger 168 grain Hunter Classic out of my 7mag with a velocity of about 2875 and had similar results to JGRaider above. Shot a mature S. Texas whitetail and the deer ran roughly 250 yds through thick brush. Nightmare to track. Wish I still had pics of the exit to show. Shot was what I would consider perfect high shoulder. Pencil hole on the entrance and grenade hole on the exit with hardly any blood to follow. It appeared that the bullet didn't expand until just before exiting. Shot was about 85yds away.
Needless to say I haven't used them since.