Has anyone used Berger hunting bullets for deer or elk and how did they perform? TIA

You're fired. Security will escort you out of the building.

😂😂

I heard of one guy that used them once.
But it was just that one time.

I wouldn’t chance it..

I have. 195 EOLs. The elk died where he was shot. MV=3065; Range = 485yrds.

Keep velocity under 3k and avoid big bones on elk at closer ranges.

“If”, I knew that I’d never shoot an animal at close range (impact velocities above handgun velocities), and lIf”, I knew that I’d never hit heavy bone, and “If”, I knew that I’d “NEVER” need the bullet for bear defense at “”extremely” close range......I may consider a Berger or similarly constructed bullet! As I don’t like those points of criteria.....never will I use them for hunting! Any questions! memtb

Launched from a 308 the 168 VLD has been very good on deer and pigs at my camp.

IIRC, MuleDeer published an article in regards to the Berger VLD's a number of years ago. IIRC it was on a hunt in New Zealand.


I loaded the 150 gr. VLD's for a 270 WSM.



I found them to be a bit more frangible than what I prefer in that load combo.

Ya!

GWB

I developed a load for my nephew’s 7mm-08, 140 VLD at 2850 fps or so. I watched him shoot a little 3x3 mulie buck at about 225 yards. Coulda just been the deer, but two shots through the lungs didn’t put him down. The third one did, though.



P

My respond above was from my personal experience. Like you, I don't use them for hunting.

Now I use PT's AB's GS Customs, Cutting Edge, Hammers (Soon) and TTSX's....because like you I do not know what will present itself. Also anyone that knows me knows I am a Bee freak and all of them surpass 3k easy in the velocity dept.

Here we go again!! 😂😂😂

Berger is the new “leupold” haha

The past several years my family and I have killed a fair pile of antelope, whitetails, coyotes and mulies with the 105 Berger HVLD out of a 6mm-06 (3300 FPS MV). Ranges have been from 50 to 500+ yards. I have no experience with the larger calibers more suitable for larger game. The bergers have a great BC, are accurate in my rifle and kill stuff plenty dead but they do have their drawbacks.

-On antelope and smaller bodied whitetails kills have been dramatic but meat loss on anything shot where bone was contacted has been higher than I like to see.



-On mule deer/larger whitetail sized game chest hits have not produced an exit and internal trauma was impressive. Nothing went far but if you desire two holes and a blood trail probably not a great choice.



I am actually in the process of working up a load with the Barnes LRX to see if I can get the accuracy I need with a bullet that won't damage quite as much meat should bone get hit and probably make two holes. If not, I will continue to use the Berger but pick my shots based on its capabilities/limitations.

The folks I know that shoot them for elk pretty well stick to heavy for caliber weights and do well. All the elk I have personally killed or seen killed were with Barnes TTSX, accubonds or plain jane horndays so can't speak personally on larger game.

No doubt brother!

I loaded up some 105 HVLD for my 6mm CM just last month. Hope to try them out on some deer this fall. I want something that will expand at those velocities.

FWIW, the lowest impact velocity I have hit any animal with the 105 HVLD is right at 2500 (coyote at 520 yards). Bullet expanded just fine.

A Barnes LRX hitting bone IMO will be pretty damaging and produce quite a lot of bloodshot meat also. Maybe even more than a Berger in my experiences with them.
The 6-06 is a very fun cartridge and if you want to stick with Berger’s try the 105 hybrids with your velocity.

Lucky for me I have a bit better crystal ball.

I know I will shoot animals at close range and I am going to hit bone and there will be a grizzly around once in a while.

Bergers work great but then I have actually used them on critters including lots of deer and elk.

You should have no issues.

There have been enough reports of unsatisfactory experiences with Berger bullets that I won't use them for big game.
don't use them for targets, either, as the B.C. values don't match my hunting loads.

Any bullet will provide unsat results on occasion. SIL shot an antelope with a TTSX and partially disemboweled it. Although shot broadside, there was a 10" open wound on the far side, running from the ribs back. We don't know if a broken petal caused that or what, but it was a very dead antelope very quickly. We've used TTSX and LRX from .257 Roberts/100g TTSX to .300 WM//175g LRX for antelope, deer and elk and, other than that one antelope, have had nothing but positive results. Straight-down DRTs run right around 50% and no animal has gone more than a few steps after being hit with one.

AccuBond, AccuBond LR, Scirocco II, A-Frame and the no longer available North Fork bullets have all served us very well. SIL shot an antelope with a 30-06 and a 168g A-MAX at about 75 yards. Shredded a strap and a ham. Thin skinned bullets have their proponents - and they can have them. My own opinion is that the new Federal terminal Ascent bullets are, from a design standpoint, about as good as it gets. Worked up loads for my .280 Rem and 7mm RM and hope to use them for elk this fall. If they perform anything like the North Fork bullets, with which they share common design features of a mono rear and bonded front core, they should work very well, near and far.

I hate Leupold and Berger! Useless for hunting, won't kill anything with those bullets or a rifle scoped with Leupold! Also can throw in the 6.5 Creed into this group.

I'm gonna try the new 156 EOL in my 26 Nosler. Loaded to min jump, the COAL is 3.62", just barely fits in the Rem 700 box mag. Although the 26 Nos is a std. length 3.4" round, the longer full mag 700 box is handy.

I got load data from Berger, cut it back a bit, but it was way too hot with ejector marks, flat primers, shiny case heads and hard bolt opening. But, they shot very small groups. So, I've cut the loads back even farther and will try again. I think they'll be running around 2,950 or so now.

Should be interesting.

DF

At this point, I'd almost be willing to fund some Folgers Coffee commercial action regarding this whole Berger bullets thing:

"We've secretly replaced this Barnes shooter's ammunition with some loaded with Berger Match Grade Hunting bullets and rezero'd his rifle. Let's watch, and see how he responds."

"Hot DAMN! That bull took a nose dive!! Barnes bullets, boys!!!"

"Sir, actually, we replaced your Barnes bullets with Berger Match Grade Hunting bullets and re-zeroed your rifle. If you'd been shooting Barnes, the wind drift would have taken your shot right out of the kill zone and into his guts, and the bullet drop at that range would have had you skimming his belly with your preferred Barnes bullet. You should have learned to account for drop and drift by now, but we knew you wouldn't."

"No schitt?? You switched my ammo? What the fuuck??? You been fuucking with my gun?? You son of a bitch!!!"

"There you have it, folks. Another happy Berger Match Grade Hunting bullets user."

Haha 🤣🤣

And there you have it. On a limited basis, I've taken a mule deer, pronghorn, and a couple whitetails with them, without issue. But, I still manage to use other bullets. Not a slave to any particular brand, as long as they shoot well.

Hahahahaha 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I like Berger hunting bullets, generally speaking. Ya gotta know their strengths and their limitations, like anything else.

They're super accurate and have good B.C. values. They're expansive and kill quickly.

Just don't run'em at warp speed and they'll work as intended.

They're not the only bullets I use, but I do use them. Latest is the 156 EOL in the 26 Nos as posted earlier. I'm having to back off Berger load data. They use QL and don't publish until they pressure test. I got this data over the phone. Tech was really nice, loads were really hot, at least in my rifle.

They say, start below max and work up. I did and am working down....

DF

The trifecta.

80yds first shot facing that went deep enough to break the spine behind front shoulders.

Second shot hit the bull in the shoulder broadside as he pivoted from hindquarters dropping and dropped him.



270yds bull died within 15 yds.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img921/8804/ozRVSN.jpg

500 yds. Bull made maybe 5yds total but that kid was pretty fast on the trigger and hit him perfectly 3 times before he could find the dirt.

Most boltgunners would not have had time for a second shot.

Kid whacked himself a nice one.

Trying to guess how it scored. I'd go with high 300's, pushing 400...

How close did I get?

DF

It's a good picture that shows off the strong bottom of that bulls rack.

3rds and 5ths are weak and at 4 1/2 he didn't have a lot of mass.

Still a great bull and he grossed just above 340".

Never once have I read they didn’t kill quickly, what I experienced and what many apparently,have is there is significant meat loss as compared to other bullets in certain shot scenarios. Pretty simple stuff.

MM

Sure looks like more than that, althaough I do see your point.

I've shot some nice ones, seen some shot in the high 300 range, one over 400, and that one looked almost like those.

Kid did a great job nailing him.

Thanks,

DF

A decent 176” buck, bout 430, no time to dial like usual, but enough time to kill him cause I knew how my rifle shot. 6.5/06 ai, 140 Berger... leupold scope too!! 😂😂😂 I don’t hunt or shoot much, but stuff seems to work. Haha

As a handloader who loads to hunt, can anyone tell me why I'd reach for a box of Bergers? Let's just say I am loading for my 6.5 PRC getting ready to hunt Elk and Mule Deer in Colorado. The hunting will be done in areas where there is dark timber and in open areas where a shot of 400 yards may present itself.

On the shelf at Sportsman's Warehouse are 140 grain bullets in Nosler AB @ 68cents/bullet, Nosler BT @38 Nosler Partition@80, Sierra BTSP @35, Hornady SST@ 1 and Berger Elite Hunter @45.

Why do I go for the Berger?

If they shoot well for you and you can put your bullets in the kill zone on either animal then you have a winner, just about like all of the others you mentioned Paul. I think we all get pretty wound up what works for others. I'd think if you keep your bullets at the heavier end of the spectrum, where velocity won't be screaming on a close up timber scenario you'll be good to go. I didn't think I'd like how those sorta bullets worked but after using the 139 and 220 Scenar's a bit last year I gotta say I am a fan of them, but again, neither of the bullets were started at screaming speeds but the BC on them held onto FPS well and they were accurate. This year I am trying the 150 Berger in my 270 Winchester and the 212 ELD in my 30-06. So far, both them are really shooting well. Sometimes you just have to kick the tires a little and see what works for you. If you don't have confidence in your set up then just about everything else is pointless.

Nice buck buddy!

You buy something you are confident in. For me bergers are not it. Again.... for ME and only me.

In your scenario bullet choice should be pretty far down the list for a successful hunt....

I don't think Berger is the one I'd reach for when working up a load for an area I'd never hunted and terrain I had never seen. There are better choices for "all-around hunting". I was drawn to Bergers because the areas I nearly exclusively hunted for many years typically produced long shots, as in 450+ was the norm. I vary the country I hunt more now, and use a wider assortment of firearms now. That isn't to say that VLD-type bullets don't work well under all conditions, both near and far, because I have used them with perfect success in all of those cases. I just think they are a fairly specific solution to a varied set of hunting situations. For example: open canyons and unknown winds and rather long shots are PERFECT conditions to wisely use Bergers; while dark timber and spooky, bumped animals and fleeting shots are NOT PERFECT conditions for using Bergers. If you don't know yet which you're likely to see, pick a readily opening yet sleek bullet that will maintain some weight if you have to take a steeply quartering shot or none at all. All that said, I've never had any "failures" when using Bergers, and they are so damned accurate that I have been utterly confident in my ability to put them where they needed to go to kill quickly. I still am.

If you're looking for a casting director, ping Beaver10.

Nice Deers!

Thanks.

One Pro Tip that universally applies to anyone wanting good terminal performance with Bergers also applies to those who wish good tracking performance from Leupolds.

Launch the Bergers from and mount the Leupold to an accurate rifle that you actually shoot well.

It's amazing how many who have issues with both products fail to follow this simple advise.

Just Sayin.

Yep😊

I put a casting call advertisement in Big Bone & Bulls Magazine. I was surprised at the high level talent that responded.

Playing the lead role of unsuspecting hunter is wabigoon.

Playing the role of ammo switching prankster #1 went to Renegade50

Playing the role of ammo Switching prankster #2 went to Slumlord

Narrator lead for voice over went to Valsdad - Geno

Off screen armorer for zeroing in the rifle went to CummingsCowboy

The Big Bull that dies was provided by THE ANIMAL FARM where Sharp_Things hunts.

😎

I heard they bounce off hides...Crazy!

😬😎

LMAO

That was my first thought. You're paying for the fuel to drive from wherever to the Colorado mountains, paying for tags and taking time off work, at a minimum.

Why the hell would I care if bullets are 35 cents each, $1 each or anywhere in between? Even with an absurd amount of shooting practice, that's pennies on the dollar compared to your other expenses.

I kind of sense this being a trick question though...

I'm with you on that. My Leupolds track about as well as three other scope brands I own and the Leupolds hold zero and have the best optics of all and are also light. I think some buy their Leupolds from Chang's Market in Beijing. What I hear here about Leupolds is not what I've experienced.

As for Bergers, I haven't killed any game with them yet but they are very accurate and I doubt they bounce off Texas White Tails.

I had a couple of rifles become more accurate and easier for me to shoot well after I had their Leupolds worked on.

There are two answers to this, guys who have successfully used target/match bullets to harvest game with no problems, and guys who have never shot anything with those types of bullets but believe that they are less effective than a .22 because the jacket is .1mm thinner.

It wasn't a trick question at all. My bullet cabinet is full of all of the above bullets but Bergers. Why spend more when I can get an accurate, quality cup and core bullet for less? They simply fall into a middle ground with me. When I ask myself why I'd reach for them, I can't give myself a good answer.

Exactly, Paul. If they don't tick any boxes for you, there is no reason to reach for them. They aren't magic by any means, and they don't kill any better than other bullets do. They do a few things better than many other bullets, but if you don't need to do those things, you don't need them.

Yep that’s pretty much it. 👍

Fair enough. I was sensing it was maybe a money issue, but if you're liking the more expensive accubonds and partitions and they work for you---then rock on.

And a third who had zero expansion on deer, spent time chasing 2x deer with pinholes and decided to pass in future despite the universal praise of scenars

I’ve killed elk, deer, and bear with them from 50 yards to 400. Nothing but positive experiences for me.

Dave

So you placed two shots poorly and blamed the bullets?