Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 bullet test

Berger did exactly as designed

If the vitals of the elk have to absorb what that Berger did to the first jug I don’t like the elks odds.

Would have looked like a blender

Its about a worst case scenario for the Bergers and they do even better down around 2500 fps as far as penetrating. That 140 vld is very tough to stop using.

Going to run higher on the RL26 to see if I hit pressure at 58 grains. Chopped my barrel for a suppressor and I may get most of that speed back if I work up the RL26 again. Curious now. Was shooting at 55 grains due to an accuracy node but losing 6.5" of barrel may change that too. Be fun to work on that next.

I know, I'm just not impressed with their design or performance.

Tested the 143 grain eld x tonight started at 2950fps. ELD x penetrated a little less than the berger as the berger had shrapnel make it to second jug

Blew through the bone and into the first jug



Destroyed the 1st jug and never touched the second jug


Biggest chunk of eldx found in first jug. Never did weigh it. Wasn't the greatest performance but would have made an elk real sick real fast

Thank you for the test. I guess it is acting like an SST.

Nice work again laker. I really like seeing stuff like this. Interesting the difference in performance between the 143 ELDX and the 142 LRAB, given they both started out with the same MV @ 2950.

My current load in the AI is 44.7gr of H4350, this is no where near max in my rifle.
I’m running fireformed Rem brass, it’s all I can get locally. I use WLR primers, if interested.

Cheers.

Thanks for the info.

Thanks Laker. Good stuff.

Thanks laker!

How many critters including elk have you shot with VLD's?

Bergers are damn good killing bullets, my favorite big game bullet going....

I'm not guessing or reading a magazine either...

Not many. Some deer and a few antelope. Based on these results I would not shoot an elk with them.

And please can we not get into "did you recover them? If so they did well" argument.

I shot them, the bergers killed them and in my opinion, they suck. Might as well be a Matchking. Terribly destructive and shrapnel everywhere. Not my cup of tea sir.
Accubonds, Partitions Barnes LRX or TTSX and some hornadies. for me.

Yeah - Berger's are not for impacts much above 2900 or so but neither are most bullets if you don't want destruction...

You are correct sir.

Its all personal choice. If you want a bullet to dump all its energy into an animal then the bergers are perfect. If you like an exit wound then pick a different bullet. Neither idea is incorrect .

I get Berger exits half the time....

Ive only killed a handful of animals with them. Some exit some don't. Actually had a coyote hold a 180 berger that was started at 2950fps at about 75 yards

I dusted a big ole bull last year on both sides with a 168 .284 VLD quartering to at about 2600 impact...