Bergers for Hunting or Not?

[41rem]

Some guys love them some not. Which camp do you belong to & why?

41

 

[xphunter]

Used to use them-I don't any longer for game.
For me, they were inconsistent in performance...Sometimes opening up and performing well, and sometimes penciling.

 

[FOTIS]

I do NOT like them. They definitely have a fanbase and that is ok with me. I have used them and they were....OK. I have seen inconsistencies as noted by Ernie.
Never liked the whole "1-3 inches of penetration and them grenade" philosophy. I like my bullets to stay together and I prefer exit wounds.

For standard cartridges, ELDX, ELDM, Ballistic tips, even some interlocks, or partitions, if I have them on hand and not using them. I just loaded a bunch of 100 grain Partitions in my future DIL's 243 Win since I had nothing else to use them in.

With my magnums.... Hammers, TTSX, LRX, Partitions, Accubonds, and the few (and now gone forever) GS Customs HV's. I like a lot of insurance at high velocity. Bergers do not provide me with this.



P.S. I am still crying over GS's demise.

 

[RL338]

I’ve used the 140gr VLD in 7mm , the 210gr Hunting VLD in .308 and the 230gr Hybrid in .308. The 230gr out of my 30-378 just hammered deer in their spot.
With Berger’s one needs to make sure the open tips are clean to prevent penciling thru.

 

[FOTIS]

I’ve used the 140gr VLD in 7mm , the 210gr Hunting VLD in .308 and the 230gr Hybrid in .308. The 230gr out of my 30-378 just hammered deer in their spot.
With Berger’s one needs to make sure the open tips are clean to prevent penciling thru.

What is your load and velocity with the 230's?

 

[RL338]

Fotis I sold off the 230’s after I changed barrels. I don’t remember off hand the charge of RL33. I went with the 245gr Bergers and 230gr and 250gr A-tips but haven’t hunted with the new barrel. The 30-378 has been on a hunt for close to 10 yrs.

 

[FOTIS]

Ah ok. Thank you.

 

[Firebird24]

There is a cult like following among long range shooters. I don’t like them and you can add me to the “it failed to open club.”

 

[6mm Remington]

I have not used them and won't use them on Game Animals. I want a bullet that will expand nicely, retain some weight, and penetrate like it should. When I was in H.S. hunting with my father one year I had a nice buck antelope stop broadside from me at about 50 yards standing broadside. I shot him right behind the shoulder in the lungs. He dropped like lightning had struck him and never moved. I was shooting my 6mm Remington loaded with a 85 gr. Sierra boat-tail hollow-point bullet. I was planning to use it on a coyote when this opportunity presented itself to me. Yes it killed that antelope as quickly as I had ever seen an animal taken before, but.............................. When I dressed him out the bullet went in and disintegrated with not one piece of jacket or lead making it to the inside of the chest cavity on the opposite side of the buck. It worked but certainly not recommended.

 

[41rem]

I had a few 130 grain Ballistic tip in the early 80's fail on me in spectacular fashion, this was early days when they were in their explosive phase since corrected by Nosler.

The critter died but not in the expected fashion & not pretty.

I switched to the Hornady Interlock 140 BTSP pretty damn quick after that fiasco.

 

[TackDriver284]

I have never used Bergers for hunting game and I'm reluctant to use it except for paper shooting. I stick with what worked for me in the past which are the Nosler Ballistic Tips, Accubonds, Sierra Gamekings, Swift Scirocco and ELD-X and M.
Barnes TTSX 180 is my next bullet to try on nilgai soon.

 

[gerry]

For those who had issues with them not opening up what kind of ranges did it occur? Close or far, did it make a difference? I have yet to try them on game so am curious.

 

[Blkram]

Not.
I am a hunter first, and do not compete in long range or target competition.
They may be a very accurate target or competition bullet, and many others have used them successfully,, but I have used a grand total of 1 Berger on game to date, but the erratic expansion and penetration that resulted, and a 400 yard trail to recover the animal was less than a desired result.
While only a sample group of one, I have been very happy with the results of other bullets (Partitions, AccuBonds, Ballistic Tips, SGKs, Hot Cors, Interlocks, Power Points, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, Trophy Bonded Tips, Trophy Copper, and Terminal Ascents) for proper expansion and weight retention characteristics that resulted in great penetration. These have mostly resulted in DRT and very short tracking distances to the expired animal, depending on bullet placement. I will continue to use those bullets of tried and trued performance on game,

 

[Cneelk]

I use the 210’s in my sons and my 300 win mags. They just shoot good. Now the blow up part the bull he harvested last year his last shot was at his hips, bull was essentially dead on his feet but I said break his hips that’s exactly what happened. Yes it was a mess even at 500 plus yards. Muzzle velocity 2825 for those rifles. I use the 156’s in my 6.5-300 Weatherby 3100 fps is just fine getting the desired accuracy so that’s that. I also have a338 rum with 250’s gun likes them and 250 accubonds. My 28 Nosler shoots the 175’s really well so that’s calibers done. I like them but I also love my accubonds. I just figure the accuracy is there, the nut behind the bolt is the biggest problem and it doesn’t matter how fast you miss. Shoot what the gun wants not the shooter or opinions of others.

 

[phil]

Shoot heavy for caliber if you use the Elite Hunter or Hybrid Target. And I stay off the shoulder.
Frangibles aren’t terrible with a higher SD and a lot of mass, but I still prefer Accubonds or BT Hunting.
Lately I’ve begun to explore mid weight monos also. So far so good.

 

[jimbires]

I've stacked up a bunch of groundhogs using the 7mm 140GR VLD hunting . from probably 100 yards to about 700 yards . I have used a 338 , 300 gr elite hunter on a whitetail . for normal everyday hunting , I haven't used them .

Be sure the hollow point hole is open on the ones you plan to hunt with , some get plugged up . I think it's polishing media that plugs the hole . the holes are deeper than I thought , before I started cleaning them .

 

[salmonchaser]

So the stay off the shoulder idea bugs me, a lot. Without reasonable exception bullet placement is every thing. High shoulder you loose some meat, very likely anchor the animal right there. Behind the shoulder the animal can and often will run until the brain runs out of oxygen. This is particularly painful in real big / steep country. But when the bullet is not up to the task, in either event, that is a problem. A perfectly held behind the shoulder shot becomes less so just as the trigger breaks because the elk wiggles just a little. On the shoulder or just behind the diaphragm a lack of penetration creates problems you don’t need.
One of the guys I hunt with runs Bergers out of a 7mag. He is a very successful elk and mule deer hunter. He killed a bull with Bergers so far away across a canyon it took almost 3.5 hours to get over to him. Bull never moved after he dropped. Another bull he hit on the shoulder ball joint in country you really wanted to anchor the bull right there. Bull ended up 1500 or so further down the canyon and quite a bit of luck getting him on the ground.
Give me Accubonds, Partitions or TTSX any day for elk or big bears. Throw in Ballistic tips for smaller critters like deer. I’m good.

 

[Hunter26]

I've never had an issue with Bergers but haven't killed a ton with them and the ones I have used have been at low velocity. I shot quite a few in a 15" barreled Encore pistol in 260 Rem. The barrel was later rechambered to 6.5-270 JDJ and I used the 140gr VLD Hunting bullets, among others. The 260 shot them around 2400ish fps and the JDJ around 2600 fps in fireform loads. Both absolutely flattened deer and hogs, whether double lung or shoulder shots. I always had exits too.

I'd still hunt with them in rifles and plan to try the 156gr version in my 6.5 PRC. Overall I still prefer a bonded bullet or Partition for most applications though.

 

[41rem]

Curious if the 175 mentioned is the ABLR in your 28 Nosler?

If so care to share the loading?

My 28 Nosler shoots the 175’s really well so that’s calibers done. I like them but I also love my accubonds.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

So far, the only Bergers I have shot were in a 6BR that loved them. Haven't poked a deer with a Berger but know those who have. Just going by their results and others posted here I think I'll just stay with what's been working, bullets that have been told about here.