- Oct 30, 2004
- 25,011
- 5,204
Try Hammer bullets..... That is all I will say on the monometal matter.
Bergers for Hunting or Not?
- Thread starter 41rem
- Start date
some of the hollow points are plugged up with something . I "THINK" it could be polishing media ? some of these holes are filled solid with the junk . others are plugged a little at the front then break through to the hollow cavity . some are partially filled in the cavity , with an open hole out front . yes , some are perfect too . I bought a set of micro drills from Amazon to clean out the holes . I bought a econo cheapie set . some of these bullets are packed so tight I can't drill some of them . I'm not sure if a better set of drills would drill the junk out , or if the junk is abrasive , and dulling the cheap drill bits . the plugged ones , I try to clean out . if it turns into a fight I put them in a "NO HUNTING" box , and shoot them at targets . I "ONLY" hunt with bullets I have cleaned the tips on .
I bought a meplat trimmer tool from Kevin Cram / Montour county rifles , for the 338 bullets . I messed like this for a while , but didn't see enough advantage at long range to warrant the messing around . trimming also lowered the bullets BC some , and required more elevation to be dialed . I did jug test a few after trimming , they seemed to open faster , and a little less penetration . still had plenty of penetration for hunting . I forget these numbers , of expansion , and penetration on the trimmed bullets .
https://montourrifles.com/web-store/ols/products/ming-tool-complete-set
IF or when , I try mono's again , it will be Hammers . the guys that use them seem to be more than happy with , the ease of load development , and on game performance .
- Oct 30, 2004
- 25,011
- 5,204
Given a sound rifle/optics platform, and reasonable loads I have never walked away from the range without a load that impressed me on my first outing with same.
Makes sense fellas. I’ll have to look and see if I have anything on the shelf buck worthy.
Alaska
Handloader
- Aug 20, 2006
- 1,119
- 607
Berger love the accuracy
Hate the massive expansion and meat destroyed
Hate the massive expansion and meat destroyed
you're not the first to tell me how easy they are to find accurate loads with them . guys have told me on game performance is very good too .
just check the holes , Scotty . you'll find ones that have a consistent depth , clean the others to match these ones .
I've ran them in several rifles over the years. I've taken 2 mule deer bucks with the 6.5 140 VLD at roughly 360 and 420 yards, 2 bull elk with the 7mm 180 VLD at roughly 525 and 425 yards, 1 bull elk with a .338 250gr VLD, and a bear with a 6.5 156gr VLD at 512 yards. The only one that I was disappointed with was the .338 250. Part of it was on me for shot placement on the first shot, but the follow up shot should have done better than it did. Most of them have been spectacular single shot harvests. One or two were less than perfect shot placement that would have required a follow up shot with any bullet. I don't feel that I have lost to much meat on any of them and have not lost a single animal with them.
I have switched the 338 RUM to a 265 ABLR and have been incredible happy with it. I tried to get the 175 ABLR to shoot in my 28N, but I couldn't get it where I wanted and the 180 VLD just shoots really well and has never let me down. The 156 VLD in the SAUM has been really impressive and I'm sticking with that combo with zero hesitation. I've had a great friend shoot a 340 bull with his 6.5 SAUM with the 156 VLD and it absolutely dumped him.
I think if a person shoots enough critters with any particular bullet, they will find a scenario in which they are disappointed with bullet performance. I know guys that have had some really weird things happen with a 7mm 168 ABLR on a mule deer doe and they will never use them again. I love that bullet and push it in my 280 AI. I struggle from time to time with the expectations of what I want from a bullet... the need for an entrance and exit hole vs the "shock and awe" effect. I ran the 120 ET in a 6.5 CM this last fall in the kids 6.5 Creedmoor and was incredibly disappointed. Everything that was shot with them died, but one we didn't even know we hit. I think they could kill 2 or three deer lined up in a row, but the lack of "impact shock" really bothered me. I feel like the ABLR is a really good compromise, but not every rifle likes every bullet, so I try to keep an open mind. I've ran the 95gr SMK in a 22 Creedmoor and it has produced some of the most spectacular single shot kills I've ever seen on over 10 mule deer bucks without a single one requiring a follow up or being lost (most of the shots being by first time youth hunters that I was helping get their first deer). I've ran the 143 ELDX in the 6.5 SAUM on some mule deer, and the 175gr ELDX in a 7 PRC on some cow elk. I feel like it acts like a tipped VLD type bullet, but maybe a bit more explosive on impact. The locking ring for weight retention is a great theory, but if you expand past that ring, they come apart quick. The 175 hit a cow elk at 250 yards square in the shoulder and didn't make it out of the offside shoulder, but the cow dies quickly and didn't go 30 yards. The core and jacket separated. Not stating as a failure at all, just sharing an experience.
There are pros and cons to any bullets really. With the ease of information being accessed and spread these days, you can find any biased information you want on any bullet. Do your research and build your own conclusions based on how and what you hunt. shoot what you feel comfortable with and what your rifle likes. If you have a failure, evaluate why, and adjust accordingly.
We live in an incredible time to have so many options to try!
I have switched the 338 RUM to a 265 ABLR and have been incredible happy with it. I tried to get the 175 ABLR to shoot in my 28N, but I couldn't get it where I wanted and the 180 VLD just shoots really well and has never let me down. The 156 VLD in the SAUM has been really impressive and I'm sticking with that combo with zero hesitation. I've had a great friend shoot a 340 bull with his 6.5 SAUM with the 156 VLD and it absolutely dumped him.
I think if a person shoots enough critters with any particular bullet, they will find a scenario in which they are disappointed with bullet performance. I know guys that have had some really weird things happen with a 7mm 168 ABLR on a mule deer doe and they will never use them again. I love that bullet and push it in my 280 AI. I struggle from time to time with the expectations of what I want from a bullet... the need for an entrance and exit hole vs the "shock and awe" effect. I ran the 120 ET in a 6.5 CM this last fall in the kids 6.5 Creedmoor and was incredibly disappointed. Everything that was shot with them died, but one we didn't even know we hit. I think they could kill 2 or three deer lined up in a row, but the lack of "impact shock" really bothered me. I feel like the ABLR is a really good compromise, but not every rifle likes every bullet, so I try to keep an open mind. I've ran the 95gr SMK in a 22 Creedmoor and it has produced some of the most spectacular single shot kills I've ever seen on over 10 mule deer bucks without a single one requiring a follow up or being lost (most of the shots being by first time youth hunters that I was helping get their first deer). I've ran the 143 ELDX in the 6.5 SAUM on some mule deer, and the 175gr ELDX in a 7 PRC on some cow elk. I feel like it acts like a tipped VLD type bullet, but maybe a bit more explosive on impact. The locking ring for weight retention is a great theory, but if you expand past that ring, they come apart quick. The 175 hit a cow elk at 250 yards square in the shoulder and didn't make it out of the offside shoulder, but the cow dies quickly and didn't go 30 yards. The core and jacket separated. Not stating as a failure at all, just sharing an experience.
There are pros and cons to any bullets really. With the ease of information being accessed and spread these days, you can find any biased information you want on any bullet. Do your research and build your own conclusions based on how and what you hunt. shoot what you feel comfortable with and what your rifle likes. If you have a failure, evaluate why, and adjust accordingly.
We live in an incredible time to have so many options to try!
