Berger VLD reviews for elk

[BAKPAKR]

My brother has had very good luck on elk the last few years with 168 gr Bergers out of his 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[mtmuley]

Sometimes they don't "expand". mtmuley

 

[brockel]

View attachment 179900Sometimes they don't "expand". mtmuleyView attachment 179901

I’ve got a few nosler partitions laying around somewhere that look like that too.

 

[mtmuley]

I’ve got a few nosler partitions laying around somewhere that look like that too.

Just giving the other perspective. Shameless, but try to find a bad Hammer review. I don't think the long range aspect has gone away. Even with shooters that don't even know what it is. mtmuley

 

[brockel]

Just giving the other perspective. Shameless, but try to find a bad Hammer review. I don't think the long range aspect has gone away. Even with shooters that don't even know what it is. mtmuley

I have seen a couple bad hammer reviews but they are few and far between. Some were wrong twist rate which isn’t hammers fault. Others I’ve seen they said possible cutting oil still being in hollow point.

 

[mtmuley]

I have seen a couple bad hammer reviews but they are few and far between. Some were wrong twist rate which isn’t hammers fault. Others I’ve seen they said possible cutting oil still being in hollow point.

I find it interesting that some Berger guys have to point their bullets or clean the hollow point. That's been an issue for a long time. I am going to talk to Steve about the cutting oil issue. I bet it is gone by now. mtmuley

 

[brockel]

I find it interesting that some Berger guys have to point their bullets or clean the hollow point. That's been an issue for a long time. I am going to talk to Steve about the cutting oil issue. I bet it is gone by now. mtmuley

I never pointed my Berger’s. I did check to be sure that hollow points were cleaned out “do that on all hollow points”. Although I did do some testing with them. Stuck the tips of them into a 2x4 to plug them. It did retard their expansion but still not much. Turned them more into acting like a nosler ballistic tip

 

[Drake4]

I never pointed my Berger’s. I did check to be sure that hollow points were cleaned out “do that on all hollow points”. Although I did do some testing with them. Stuck the tips of them into a 2x4 to plug them. It did retard their expansion but still not much. Turned them more into acting like a nosler ballistic tip

I've never pointed one either. I've actually never even inspected the tip of one. Just load and shoot. The few recovered bullets I have found look just like Brockel's. Most are pass throughs though. Like I said earlier, I've had phenomenal results with them and have easily shot well over 1,000 of the 168gr VLD's. Even the few times that I've accidently hit bone, they have performed very well and look just like this.

 

[ImBillT]

I never pointed my Berger’s. I did check to be sure that hollow points were cleaned out “do that on all hollow points”. Although I did do some testing with them. Stuck the tips of them into a 2x4 to plug them. It did retard their expansion but still not much. Turned them more into acting like a nosler ballistic tip

While Berger did ask me right away if I had pointed them, they did(in 2013) mention that they were aware of a problem that they believed they had since fixed. While they were adamant that I should only point bullets for use on paper, I wouldn’t say that they were 100% certain that had been the cause of my problem. What they were confident in is that whether it was caused by the pointing, or by whatever problem they didn’t disclose, I would not have that problem again as long as I didn’t point any more of their bullets.

I’ve not had a problem since.

 

[Wapiti_48]

I will say NO. Here is my response to another question about Berger bullets from last year.

I have personally seen only 1 bull shot with a 190 grain Berger vld from my bros 30-06. It was a standing 340ish yard shot quartering towards us. The bullet penetrated only a few inches and disintegrated. And no the bull did not die with that shot.
Had my bro been shooting a normal bullet the bull wouldn't have required being chased down and finished off.
We poked our fingers numerous times on the tiny fragments from the exploding bullet.
My brother will not use them ever again and I will not use them. I've had much better performance from the plain old fashioned Core-Lokt ammo which by the way have never fragmented on us.

Was the 190 gr projectile meant for target shooting or hunting?
expansion capability and rate post impact really matters
I recently looked into some 190 Bergers I believe for my 7mm mag and found that they were basically just for long range target shooting

 

[Wapiti_48]

I’ve shot 4 elk a moose a sheep and numerous deer with 7mm 168 vld. Shockingly it killed them all. A lot of people complain about them but I haven’t had one problem and would use without hesitation. Just my 2 cents.

Do you custom reload as well?

I have a 7 mm mag that likes 165 gr rounds but can’t tolerate 168s for crap

9.5 twist on my barrel
Looking between 155-165 gr loads to experiment with but can’t find a thing out there for purchase!

How wel did you group with the 168 gr?
Have you tried lighter or heavier loads?

 

[Wapiti_48]

I've never pointed one either. I've actually never even inspected the tip of one. Just load and shoot. The few recovered bullets I have found look just like Brockel's. Most are pass throughs though. Like I said earlier, I've had phenomenal results with them and have easily shot well over 1,000 of the 168gr VLD's. Even the few times that I've accidently hit bone, they have performed very well and look just like this.

Impressive!

 

[Gr8bawana]

Was the 190 gr projectile meant for target shooting or hunting?
expansion capability and rate post impact really matters
I recently looked into some 190 Bergers I believe for my 7mm mag and found that they were basically just for long range target shooting

They were the Berger VLD hunting bullet. So even though this was my one and only time personally seeing the dismal performance, that's all I need to see. But that's just me.

 

[brockel]

They were the Berger VLD hunting bullet. So even though this was my one and only time personally seeing the dismal performance, that's all I need to see. But that's just me.

FWIW I’ve had three 110 grain accubonds perform horribly on a mule deer. Sometimes shit happens

 

[Addicting]

FWIW I’ve had three 110 grain accubonds perform horribly on a mule deer. Sometimes shit happens

But we all know your shooting sucks.

 

[brockel]

But we all know your shooting sucks.

Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there. Little to no expansion. And they were started at 3450fps. 4th was to the neck and that did him in

 

[Addicting]

Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there. Little to no expansion. And they were started at 3450fps. 4th was to the neck and that did him in

I watched a 140 go in a cow hit the opposite rib and turn 180 degrees and exit 3” from where it went in. Wish I would of took pics. Weird stuff happens.

With these bullets it’s all about what your end state is. For me it’s meat and Bergers and accubonds were not it. I didn’t like the lead and bloodshot. Hammers and LRX bullets did just as well killing stuff and got more meat for me to eat. So the switch was simple.

 

[ImBillT]

FWIW I’ve had three 110 grain accubonds perform horribly on a mule deer. Sometimes shit happens

Watched my dad shoot a small mule deer in the lungs three times with 165 ABs from a .308Win. My guess would be that more velocity, or a BT would have worked better. I don’t know. Nothing is perfect.

 

[88man]

I have 5 star review for the berger hunting vld in 7mm 180grn. Between myself and friends my gun has killed a boat load of elk. including other game oryx, bighorn sheep, deer antelope. 250yrds to 750yrds
most elk rib pass thru shots or low shoulder shots dropped or ran less than 20yrds
never lost an animal, never really had to look for one all DRT.
very accurate

 

[1_pointer]

Watched my dad shoot a small mule deer in the lungs three times with 165 ABs from a .308Win. My guess would be that more velocity, or a BT would have worked better. I don’t know. Nothing is perfect.

And why samples of 1 can lead to incorrect conclusions...