So I live in PA and the farm I hunt deer on the shots can range from 20 yards to 350 yards. I have 6.5 Creed in a T3X Lite and it really likes the 135 Berger Classic Hunters. I know what Bergers are designed to do upon impact and my question is does anybody have experience with this bullet on shots inside of 100yards?

I know some guys are gonna recommend trying another bullet even though they have never used the classic hunters, but I would like to know who has a first hand experience with them and what your results have been?

Don’t have experience with the 135s but the Berger 140s work awesome in my 6.5SAUM. At creed velocity you should be just fine with any of the ranges you listed.

Here is a reply Berger sent me, while corresponding with them about closer shots with the 185 Classic Hunter. Here is the video link they sent me on this very subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8j-7D-bubQ&t=7s

Here is what they wrote to me.

I can't report on the 6.5, but a friend of mine loves the 168 grain Classic Hunter out of a 308.

Thanks for the input everyone. I am going to give them a try in a few weeks and will post results.

Not the same bullet of course, this being the Berger 6.5mm 130 grain OTM Tactical bullet, but I was very impressed by it's long range results in a 6.5 Creed. I'm getting ready to try some in my 6.5 Grendel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogiLSyMGOzw&t=44s

Also can't comment on the 6.5 Berger Classics but can attest that at close range <150 yds and above 3k fps in the 7mm and 308 offerings that they have let me down as to an exit wound on steep angled shots. When you have a high entrance from a steep angle and no exit that makes for a zero blood loss trailing job. I hunt from a climber 99% of the time so steep entrance angles are the norm. Switched back to the LRX and am now getting those much needed exit wounds for my style of hunting.

They shatter on impact.
Berger even says so (although they tell you they go in 5" first, but I have NEVER seen done)
Some folks seem to think the bullet shattering like a ball of glass is good.
I don't.

If you do you'll love them.

That really isn’t true.

Use a heavy for caliber Berger and they work extremely well. High velocity and many bullets tend to start doing funny things.

Well, we've put about 150 of them into game. I"ve yet to see anything but a caliber entry hole. Ever. YMMV. And I don't care for lots of bullet damage so I find myself amazed that I use them. In fact just took 2 more boxes down to basement loading area.

Same experience here. Caliber size entry hole and destroyed vitals. Exit holes are very common also.

They don't shatter on impact. They enter 4 to 6" , at which point the frontal jacket implodes( caves in) exposing the soft lead core which rapidly breaks apart, causing massive tissue trauma. They are generally not designed to exit. These bullets kill with massive shock and tissue damage. If you want a mushrooming bullet, and an exit hole shoot something else. But don't make the mistake of thinking these bullets fail if there is no exit hole. That is not how they are designed to work.

Szihn has made the exploding claim many times on the Campfire, and other people with plenty of experience using Bergers have contested his claim, having never seen this surface "explosion" he mentions. In fact, when field-testing Bergers in New Zealand on their over-abundant feral goats, I TRIED to get one to explode--by shooting a big billy that had just been killed in the shoulder joint at 10 feet. The bullet was a 168 .30 VLD, and it poked the same tiny hole into the shoulder before expanding inside. On the same hunt, my wife also head-shot a fallow deer doe in the head, at the request of the camp cook. Same deal: Tiny entrance hole--though the exit was good-sized.

Yet he keeps telling the world about how Bergers explode on impact.

Been shooting the 115gr Berger out of my 25-06 for years, only had one exit and that was a 40 yard shot. When I do my part I've never had a whitetail go more than 40 yards, internal damage is impressive! Agree with the others that if you like an exit wound these are not what you should be shooting.

I have not used this one but the video link above had this one next in que. it seems to be what you're interested in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHUM8lDo430

He has no understanding of how Bergers work.


Erroneous conclusions based on faulty knowledge.

Berger Classic Hunters perform as all thin jacketed Berger’s do- penetration is 2-4 inches regardless of whether it’s through muscle or bone, the tip collapses in on itself tearing the jacket apart and causing massive fragmentation.

Again, not a 135, but a regular 130 VLD, 225 yards, 6.5x47 Lapua at 2820.......

Entrance:



Exit:



Exit:



In between:

130 VLD again, quartering away, 350 yards, 6.5-284 at 3150:

Which bullet version do you call regular?

These are the orange box hunting versions.

Thanks.

[quote=aalf]
130 VLD again, quartering away, 350 yards, 6.5-284 at 3150:

Nice shootin aalf!

What cartridge and bullet weight have you personally tested Berger’s in?
Seems your results are definitely not what I have personally seen in a 243,6-06, 6.5SAUM, 270WSM, 30-378wby, 30-06, 300win, 300WBY, 300RUM, 7RUM, 7Rem Mag.

Ummm, no.

I"ve never not had an exit.

Here is my Yakutia Snow Sheep from last year. shot with a 140gr Berger Classic Hunter.

The second photo is the entry side, the third is the exit side, and the photo in the next post is of the on side lung.

Muzzle speed was 2,985 fps and shooting distance 280 yds.

Alvaro

Alvaro,

Beautiful Ram in beautiful country. Truly bucket list stuff for me.

I’ve used the regular hunting VLDs in both 6.5 and .308 on several deer and pigs from spitting distance to a couple hundred yards. Some exited, some didn’t. All killed quickly.

I’ve used the 140gr Elite Hunter in one animal, a Caribou at about 200 yards. Double lung shot. Killed it quickly and exited, but made quite the mess of both side of the rib cage.

Have used the 185gr classic hunter from a .308 on a couple of pigs between 400 and 500 yards. Killed quickly and exited. In fact, on one shot I got TWO pigs at about 465 yards IIRC. Bullet exited big pig, made two entrances on small pig and killed him too.

Been able to find good accuracy out of all of them.

John

That is awesome! A sheep hunt like that is only a dream for me. Very cool!

I have used Bergers and they worked fine. I have changed to Barnes TTSX’s in all of my rifles except for one as the TTSX always exits and causes less bloodshot meat.

OP,

the 100 gr TTSX at 3100+ from a 22” barrel in my .260 is one of my favorite deer and pig bullets. It has produced DRT out to 250 yards, which is the longest shot with it to date. The closest was on a 150 pound pig at 30 yards and the 100 TTSX produced a through and through wound passing through the skull, which is a significant test for a bullet. It will go faster, but that was a good accuracy node, which your 6.5 CM should be able to achieve. I worked up the load for kids, but after trying it, I use it often because of the reliable terminal results. Give them a try. H414 or H4350, whatever is findable.

In fairness to szihn, another hunter posted similar Berger failure today in another thread on another forum.



https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/7645118/300-wm

Snuck up on a doe at 40 yards with a 6x47 lapua , shot with 105 Berger hunting bullet. Hit in the sweet spot , right behind the shoulder. Most of the front shoulders destroyed, very dead deer but lots of meat loss. Last Berger I used to kill an animal I was going to eat. My experience, others may vary.

MM