Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5 bullet test

Great test Laker. That 142 looks darned good. Bet it’s an Elk whomping machine. Thanks for posting it.

Thanks for posting!

If you really want to test the 129 ABLR, I could send you a few. Also have some 123 Scenars and 130 RDF's, if either of those interest you.

great test laker! man I love water jug penetration/expansion tests. I have a few vids on youtube,i believe under my same screen name, of me doing like tests with my 260 rem testing the 125 partition,130 accubond and the 120 ballistic tip. in my performance tests i'll take a partition or accubond please.
thanks,
Big Ed

Same feeling but I do think it is a very good design just not for me, I don't like the mess.

The LRAB test dispelled my concerns of them being too fragile. I like that they are almost like a Berger on entry then an Accubond on exit. The 129 worked well on a couple of deer last year so will stick with them.

Thanks Laker. There are so many new bullets around I can't keep up with them all.

I'm curious to see what the results would be if you sealed/closed off the tip of the VLD. From reading a lot of posts here, that seems to be where/how the VLDs aren't as effective.

I’ll give that a try and report back

Interesting info - thanks for taking the time to share!!

Heres the test of a berger with plugged tip. I pushed the bullet into a 2x4 to plug the tip.


bullet went through the bone and blew apart the first jug.

Went through the first jug and into the second jug. There was no shrapnel in the first jug that I could find. I think it was more bone fragments that destroyed the jug


Bullet made it to the second jug. Went and weighed the two pieces that I could find and they weighed 59 grains together.

I’m thinking that 140 Berger would be fantastic on deer and elk when launched at 2750ish.

I think they have performed fantastic started at 3100fps even at 40 yards

Now if you can only find them instock

Is the Berger move causing the current backorders? Just curious as I am getting low and would love to get inventory back in.

That would be my guess. And the creedmoor craze

laker -

Thanks for the write-up. I do a lot of water jug testing but have not had a chance to do the LRAB. Just worked up a .150g LRAB for Daughter #1's .270 at 2910fps and am interested in the 142 for my 6.6-06AI and 150 or 168 for my 7mm RM.

The 3100fps for the 140 Berger and 2950fps for the LRAB was also of interest - why the difference?

FWIW, my 24" barreled 6.5-06AI loads are as follows:
3161fps - 130g Sciroccoo II / IMR7878SSC
3012fps - 168g A-MAX / H100V
3075fps - 140g BT / H100V

Thanks again for the write-up!

Drilling through the bone and exploding inside the rib cage is the way a Berger is supposed to work.

And it is devastating.

Not your bullet if you want an in and out wound, though

That’s just where accuracy was at with RL26. I’ve since switched to a mild load of h4350 under a 140vld because the wife likes the mild recoil. I’m putting a 6.5 saum together now

I find the idea of a 6.5 SAUM appealing. Maybe you can give us a good write-up of it once it's put together.