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.