115 Berger VLD vs mule deer

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
17,453
4,514
This is one of the few bullets I've recovered from game. This one was fired from my .25-06 into the chest of an already downed mule deer, from about 100 yards. The first shot from above, at about 230 yards, had broken his spine, but hadn't killed him.

Muzzle velocity of about 3200 fps. Range about 100 yards. Mule deer expired instantly. Bullet penetrated through muscle, into the chest cavity, then expanded violently, shredding the heart & lungs. Remnant of the bullet was embedded in the off-side ribcage. Recovered weight is only 33 grains:

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I've taken three mule deer with the .257" 115 Berger VLD at 175, 230 and 400 yards. Always instant drops. Only this particular deer required a second shot.
 
yep that what my buddies looked like after it killed a spike bull at 505 yds. everything inside was jelly
 
No - not a lot of meat loss - except for really messing up one set of backstraps when I hit the spine of a buck I shot from 230 yards, well above him.

The Berger tends to penetrate without even opening up, for several inches. Then, once it's inside the chest cavity, it expands dramatically. So the entrance hole is kind of like a pencil hole - without a lot of damage to the meat on the entrance. Exit? Well heck, it's a rapid-expanding bullet and like all of them I've used, it causes some meat loss on the exit side, whether or not the bullet makes it out. Generally these 115's have not exited.

Am not sure though that they do any better job of the "DRT" than any of several good, rapid expanding bullets like the Ballistic Tip.

Regards, Guy
 
Thanks for information Guy.

I contemplated giving these a try, but i have a hard time moving away from the Interlocks in my 25-06.
 
175/230/400 yds mostly instant kills and bullet staying inside the animal transferring ALL the energy into the game,
How could it get any better? Perfect
 
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