25-06 rem and berger bullets

[corbin9191]

I am just wondering if anyone has tried berger bullets in the 25-06 rem and had good success. Because I dont want to spend around 40 bucks and find out that they dont shoot that good. The size that I was looking at is the 115 grain for long range target 600+ yards. Because right now I am using the 117 grain sierra game kings with really good success, but would like to try the bergers out. Thanks in advanced

 

[Guy Miner]

Almost hate to admit it here on a Nosler forum, but yes, I've been real impressed with the 115 Berger VLD from my .25-06 Rem 700. Have taken three mule deer with that bullet in the past two years:

Good size 4x4 buck at 230 - 240 yards.
Young 3x3 buck at 175 yards.
Doe at 400 yards.

In each case the bullet performed well. It goes in with a narrow wound track, expands violently in the chest cavity and drops animals very quickly. There may or may not be an exit.

It also works fine on coyotes - assuming you don't want to keep the hide.

Regarding accuracy... The VLD design is a little picky about loads and particularly about seating depth. It is one of those bullets that may take some work to get to shoot well. I've used VLD's in several different cartridges, and although they can shoot very well, they can also take some tinkering to get right. Nothing too tough though, and they can shoot very well.

I don't know if you'd see any real improvement over the 117 Sierra, which has a fine reputation.

Regards, Guy

 

[FOTIS]

They are accurate for sure but their on game performance does not do it for me personally. I like complete penetration as opposed to blow up inside.

 

[Guy Miner]

Yeah, I'm good with them on deer and smaller animals. Not so sure about 'em for elk or bear or other big stuff.

Frankly, the performance reminds me a lot of the ballistic tip. Accurate (although the B-Tip is easier to get to shoot well), good downrange performance and pretty violent expansion inside. When the critter drops Right There, I don't really care if there's a bullet exit or not. Weight retention or not. Pretty mushroom or not. Doesn't matter. Critter is down.

Guy

 

[JD338]

Yeah, I'm good with them on deer and smaller animals. Not so sure about 'em for elk or bear or other big stuff.

Frankly, the performance reminds me a lot of the ballistic tip. Accurate (although the B-Tip is easier to get to shoot well), good downrange performance and pretty violent expansion inside. When the critter drops Right There, I don't really care if there's a bullet exit or not. Weight retention or not. Pretty mushroom or not. Doesn't matter. Critter is down.

Guy

Well said Guy.

JD338

 

[rick smith]

I have used the 168gr 30 cal in two different 30/06s for the past three seasons, whitetails and hogs. Pass through on the deer, approximatly 20, the hogs, six, were all head shots and that stopped the bullet but also dropped them in their tracks.Rick.

 

[DrMike]

Any piece of lead and guilding metal at a high velocity will kill an animal if the hit is in the right place. I am with POP, however, in wanting a pass through on my projectile rather than a total dump of energy with explosive fragmentation. I recognise there are two views on the issue and I therefore try to avoid a fight. However, I like to ensure that all vital organs possible are disrupted. I am much more comfortable with ABs and PTs than with Bergers. My two cents.

 

[Big Squeeze]

I am just wondering if anyone has tried berger bullets in the 25-06 rem and had good success. Because I dont want to spend around 40 bucks and find out that they dont shoot that good. The size that I was looking at is the 115 grain for long range target 600+ yards. Because right now I am using the 117 grain sierra game kings with really good success, but would like to try the bergers out. Thanks in advanced

................Can`t state personally about the 25 cal Bergers, but I can attest to the 30s.

On hogs, they are an absolutely devastating, one shot, and mostly a DRT bullet! The 168 grainers from my 300 WSM do exactly that. And, I`m going to use the 190s for my upcoming elk hunt.

What got me interested in trying them, was the TV show "Best of the West." Using a 7mm mag and the Berger VLD and dropping elk beyond 800-900 yards, should be a pretty good indicator as to what this bullet can do at extended ranges. They also perform extremely well even at much shorter ranges. They are not just an extended range bullet. Personally, I will not try an elk shot beyond 500 yards anyway, as I enjoy stalking too, but do dislike additional tracking; hence the VLD.

They kill by simply using a different concept than conventional bullets. Many prefer the `ol school of complete bullet penetration with a reduced wound channel, while some who use the VLDs prefer the more explosive, disruptive, larger and more shocking wound channel to the vitals that can literally drop the animal where it stands. The animlas vitals are located in the center of the animal, so I don`t care about an exit wound. Therefore, the bullet need not penetrate completely and exit, nor do I care about any bullet recovery. I`m interested in only two things after impact; the quickest kill possible and with little to no tracking.

Also, I like the great BCs of the Bergers. If you go to the Berger site and watch their video, a Barnes bullet from a faster 30-378 is soon overtaken in the downrange velocity dept by the slower out of the muzzle VLD from a 7mm mag. The Barnes bullet loses more than double its original velocity out to 1000 yards, whereas the Berger retains a much better velocity percentage compared to its MV at that distance. I have worked this out myself on a ballistics calculator and found this to be true. MV is important, but even more importantly, is what a particular bullet does downrange.

They can be a finniky bullet to get accurate in any particular rifle. However, with enough patience and playing around with COALs and different powders to determine what a rifle prefers and so on, they are extremely accurate.

In my particular 300 WSM, the Vihtavuori powders provide the best accuracy, with the least amount of extreme spreads in fps over a chrony, along with the most consistent accurate loadings of moa groupings and less.

Vs a 190 VLD, anyone care to bet on the elk? :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've used the Berger VLD's and the Hornady A-Max bullets for shooting whitetails at all ranges. Both perform similarly on deer IMO. However, the A-Max, which has a BC as high as the Berger, is easier to get to shoot accurately and costs noticeably less.

If you're hot on the VLD idea due to all the internet posting, try the A-Max bullets at the same time. You just may find the best of all worlds. Inexpensive - accurate - lethal - high BC - readily available.

For the guys who like pass-throughs; on broadside shots behind the shoulder I got a pass-through every time with a silver dollar size exit wound.

 

[Big Squeeze]

I've used the Berger VLD's and the Hornady A-Max bullets for shooting whitetails at all ranges. Both perform similarly on deer IMO. However, the A-Max, which has a BC as high as the Berger, is easier to get to shoot accurately and costs noticeably less.

If you're hot on the VLD idea due to all the internet posting, try the A-Max bullets at the same time. You just may find the best of all worlds. Inexpensive - accurate - lethal - high BC - readily available.

For the guys who like pass-throughs; on broadside shots behind the shoulder I got a pass-through every time with a silver dollar size exit wound.

..........................Thanks for the tip! No 185-190 A-Maxs though, but they are lesser expensive. I`ll give em a try on hogs.

Maybe the A-Max will be less finniky to deal with before the right loads and COALs are found.

 

[corbin9191]

I've used the Berger VLD's and the Hornady A-Max bullets for shooting whitetails at all ranges. Both perform similarly on deer IMO. However, the A-Max, which has a BC as high as the Berger, is easier to get to shoot accurately and costs noticeably less.

If you're hot on the VLD idea due to all the internet posting, try the A-Max bullets at the same time. You just may find the best of all worlds. Inexpensive - accurate - lethal - high BC - readily available.

For the guys who like pass-throughs; on broadside shots behind the shoulder I got a pass-through every time with a silver dollar size exit wound.

..........................Thanks for the tip! No 185-190 A-Maxs though, but they are lesser expensive. I`ll give em a try on hogs.

Maybe the A-Max will be less finniky to deal with before the right loads and COALs are found.

I have tried the 168 grain A-Max in my 308 but could never find a load that would shoot under 2 inches at 100 yards. Is there a certain seating depth to start at and then go from there? And thank you all for your responses, it looks like I will just either stick with the sierra or go with the 115 grain CT, or the 110 Accubonds for the 25-06.

 

[Big Squeeze]

In my estimation, you probably would have to treat the A-Maxes the same way as Bergers in order to find out what your rifle likes.

First, pick the powder and charge levels you`d like to use.

What I did with my first Berger hunting reloads, was to use the maximum COAL that the magazine would allow while still being able to effectively cycle the bolt AND without any feeding problems. I loaded up 6 rounds of those.

Then I loaded another 6 rounds reducing the COAL 10/1000ths using the same loadings.

Repeat again dropping another 10/1000ths using the same loadings.

Then repeat again!

Test fire each group for best accuracy and write down the results with each COAL.

Somewhere within that 30/1000ths, you should fine your rifles best sweet spot for best accuracy using the Bergers or the A-Maxes.

Anytime you change ANYTHING by just one component, the bullet, powder charge, powder brass, primer, etc., then you start over again using the same process.