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Reba Offline OP
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Has anyone used a Berger Hunting bullet?

How did it perform?

What animal was it?

What caliber was the bullet?

Any other thoughts?
l


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Yes
Great
WT deer
.172 (17-204)
100yd ish...neck shot....Bang flop....


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Yes
Great
WT deer
.243 (6x47L)
252 yard head shot...bang flop

Last edited by mibowhunter; 07/06/20.

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I shoot the 105 hybrids in my 243. Although technically a " target bullet" it performs like other Berger hunting bullets. I have killed a boatload of deer, and coyotes, as well as a wolf of two, and an antelope. The bullets are very accurate, and generally kill really quickly due to the fact that all of the energy is transferred inside of the animal, as the bullet fragments in a large wound chanel. The downside for some is that a lot of times because of this, there is no exit hole. This may vary with the size of game, and the size of bullet used. Shoot a Texas whitetail doe with a 180 grain berger, and you may have an exit the size of a soccer ball. On an elk, probably not. Berger also cause a lot of tissue damage in their expansion. This helps in quick klls, but many hunters don't like all the blood shot and mess. Hope that helps.

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My experience is limited to the 140 grain 6.5 hunting berger, plus some of the 1st generation .30 cal bullets, but they're too soft for me. Hit an antelope, deer or elk tight behind the shoulder and you're good to go.
Hit an elk on the shoulder and you're in for a rodeo. BTDT, 6-7 times now.

I've switched to harder bullets.



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Check Here

Been several threads on the 'fire, this is one.


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I've had super success and performance from Berger's in the past 5 years and I've gone to using them exclusively from javelina to elk. I generally run them heavy for caliber with MV's no more than 2900 (other than my dedicated long range deer rifle).

Super duper accuracy, great BC, great animal reaction, minimal to no tracking, and I usually get exits or partial jacket exits too, even on elk. I'm a fan.


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105 vld hunting work on white tails

140g vld hunting in 7/08 killed a monster buck, shot by my neice at 340 yards

168g Classic Hunting, 168g vld hunting, and 180g vld hunting all work well in 7 mags

We have not had any failures.

We are also very happy with the 7mm Nosler 175g LRAB in the 7 mag with R#22 and R#26, unbelievable penetration with great amount of shock.

Last edited by keith; 07/06/20.
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Originally Posted by GregW
I've had super success and performance from Berger's in the past 5 years and I've gone to using them exclusively from javelina to elk. I generally run them heavy for caliber with MV's no more than 2900 (other than my dedicated long range deer rifle).

Super duper accuracy, great BC, great animal reaction, minimal to no tracking, and I usually get exits or partial jacket exits too, even on elk. I'm a fan.


I think I was starting the 140 berger out of my 6.5X284 at about 2880 FPS....and I was still getting major blow ups when I hit elk shoulders at normal ranges.
Deer, black bear and antelope: no problem. They worked great with any shot placement, bone or no bone. Out of about 10-12 or so deer sized critters, I never got an exit but they killed just fine.

Then one day I took this last day raghorn right at 600 yards. I have no idea what the impact velocity was (I guess could look it up), but it was obviously slow enough that it held together and exited on that left side. I do not remember if I hit any ribs or not.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

I later had two rodeos with cow elk hit on the shoulder or scapula with this same lot of bullets out of the same rifle, both at less than 200 yards. I tracked one through knee deep snow to a private fenceline and lost her. The other bedded in the timber and I put another round into her head. When I cut her up the scapula had a rock chip looking spiderweb crack to it, from where the bullet hit, but didn't penetrate. Two other rag bulls were killed without drama with the same lot of bullets but without shoulders being hit. Different lots of bergers at roughly the same impact velocity have produced similar results for me.

For me, bergers (the 140 hunting at least) just are not versatile or reliable enough for all ranges and all shot angles that I have had on elk, I guess. I'm glad you and others have had more reliable success with them than I. I've switched to harder bullets for elk.




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I don't buy them ever. I have seen about 3 Dz kills by other hunters using them and for about 12 of those I was standing next to the shooter.
NOT impressed!

I think T Inman is right about exits. Sure they kill. Any high powered rifle will kill. But any running car will carry cement blocks too. It doesn't mean all cars carry block as well as every other car. A fragmenting bullet in the right place is deadly and if someone kills well with them and likes them, that's OK with me . But they are too frangible to make me happy.

Others disagree, but for my use I don't buy them, and would not take them if they were given to me if I was told I had to hunt with them as part of the deal.

For those that like them, I don't have a dog in their fight. Have at them if you like them.
Generally speaking they are accurate. That I will give them

Last edited by szihn; 07/06/20.
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I think Berger threads have been thoroughly run through here on the fire. I'm sure you could find some of those threads if you do the right search. I've had a lot of good experiences with them out of 243, which are 105's, and 30-06 and 300 SAUM, with the 185 and 190gr VLD's. Some claim they are too frangible, but have never seen one of the 30 cals not exit, on both elk and deer, from 30yds to about 550yds, on broadside and somewhat quartering shots. The 243's are a bit light for elk, and they don't have much pop left in them after getting through a front shoulder. They do the job otherwise. They put big holes through deer.

I've found that the Hornady BTHP do exactly the same thing, are just as accurate for me, and are cheaper. Heavy for caliber is key. I still like Bergers in 30 cal, though I haven't used them for a few years.


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Originally Posted by GregW
I've had super success and performance from Berger's in the past 5 years and I've gone to using them exclusively from javelina to elk. I generally run them heavy for caliber with MV's no more than 2900 (other than my dedicated long range deer rifle).

Super duper accuracy, great BC, great animal reaction, minimal to no tracking, and I usually get exits or partial jacket exits too, even on elk. I'm a fan.


+1! I’ve had excellent results from Berger’s and will be using them on my NM elk hunt this year for sure. 195s from a 28Nosler shooting 1/2MOA.

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Originally Posted by mibowhunter
Yes
Great
WT deer
.172 (17-204)
100yd ish...neck shot....Bang flop....

Originally Posted by mibowhunter
Yes
Great
WT deer
.243 (6x47L)
252 yard head shot...bang flop



I hope you had two tags!😁


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Originally Posted by Reba

Has anyone used a Berger Hunting bullet?

How did it perform?
What animal was it?
What caliber was the bullet?
Any other thoughts?
l


Have not and will not. There are simply too many reports of what, to me, is unacceptable performance – including those from T_Inman and szihn in this thread.

While other bullets may not have B.C. values equal to the Berger bullets, I haven’t found the difference to be a problem inside 600 yards. What I have found is other bullets that perform well at a wide variety of impact velocities. By “well” I mean providing reliable but controlled and limited expansion and high weight retention. We’ve been using Barnes MRX, TTSX and LRX bullets since they were introduced and no one in my hunt group has recovered one. Straight-down DRT results are common, running right around 50% with no animals going more than a few yards. Nosler AB have provided similar performance with no recoveries from antelope to elk. I’ve recovered a couple of North Fork SS bullets from elk but both smashed a lot of bone before coming to a stop. They are no longer available but the Federal Trophy Bonded Tip, Edge TLR and Terminal Ascent have similar construction (mono rear with bonded front core) with the addition of a polymer tip. I plan to use the Terminal Ascent for elk this fall.

The only cup-and-core bullets I use in my bolt rifles are the 90g BT and 95g SST in my .243 Win – and only for antelope. Can’t complain so far but antelope don’t provide much of a challenge to a bullet’s integrity.

In my 38 years of elk hunting I’ve had shot opportunities as close as 25 feet with my longest shot at 487 yards. My first elk was taken with a bullet (7mm RM/162g BTSP) chosen for its relatively high B.C. value. That turned out to be a rather poor choice. Weight retention was under 50% and the only bone hit was a near-side rib. The following year I switched to a lower B.C. Speer 160g Grand Slam and it took me twenty years to recover one. That one destroyed both shoulder joints of a 6x6 bull and still retained over 70% of its original weight. Over the years I’ve taken more elk with that combo than all other bullets combined – including my last elk, a 6x5 bull at 411 yards, 4 steps and down.

It is a truism that most bullets will work most of the time. It is also true that it sucks when they don’t. Pay attention to T_Inman and szihn and others with similar results when making your choice of bullet.




Last edited by Coyote_Hunter; 07/07/20. Reason: spelnig

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I've got some 7mm 168 grain Berger hunting bullets a guy gave me. I've only shot a few out of the box and they seem very accurate no more of them that I've shot. I might try them on deer but if I ever have occasion to go elk hunting I'll use my .270 Win. with 150 grain Nosler Partition. Not that I'm an elk expert, never been elk hunting, but from what I've read on here (and I've read it so many times that I believe it) there's two great elk bullets, Barnes TSX ( also TTSX) and Nosler Partition. I like the concept of Nosler Partition.

Last edited by Filaman; 07/07/20.

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Been using them in my 28 Nosler since I had it built. Coues deer and elk mainly. From 280 yards to 700. Everything has been excellent.

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Many years ago I had major disappointments with a bullet “supposedly” designed for large and potentially dangerous game....I’ll be damn if I use a bullet that is designed to give rapid expansion, with fragmentation offering minimal penetration. I don’t care how high the BC or how accurate it is reputed to be! Any questions? memtb

Last edited by memtb; 07/07/20.

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No, I have not tried them and likely won’t.

Comments online notwithstanding, their own design description doesn’t meet my criteria for mule deer and elk hunting bullets. I prefer the penetration and controlled expansion of Barnes and Trophy Bonded bullets. I normally don’t shoot much past 300 yards so the high BC is relatively unimportant. Get closer, don’t miss.... Bring enough gun. Happy Trails


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Reba Offline OP
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Thanks.

Yep, I find them very accurate.

However I'll stick with the Barnes, which are accurate at the correct seating depth.

I have had bullet failures never again.


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Originally Posted by Reba
Thanks.

Yep, I find them very accurate.

However I'll stick with the Barnes, which are accurate at the correct seating depth.

I have had bullet failures never again.



I love Barnes. However, I have either witnessed, or done it myself, critters that would *likely* have not been killed/recovered if shot with Barnes instead of Bergers.


Also, protip, don't aim for shoulders on an elk when using Bergers.

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