Bullet for moose...VLD?

[ImBillT]

For whatever reason our 140 Berger vlds look like this more than they don’t. 6.5 creedmoor velocities up to 6.5 saum

Mostly elk? Any idea on impact velocity? With my 6.5-257AI and 140’s animals much under 300yds have resulted in tiny fragments. Around 300-320yds they’ve all exited. All my 130’s have fragmented, and my only 156EOL exited. That’s all deer and one pronghorn. My elk with that rifle had an exit at long range, and the follow up disintegrated the knuckle and got into the lungs at point blank range(he was bedded at about 5yds but still had his head up). I didn’t look for the bullet but I assume it was not in one piece. Still did the job. At 300yds the 140’s are going around 2800-2750 depending on the load.

With the 308Win, all but one exited, and it’s the only intact Berger that Ive knowingly caught. The deer was quartering hard, and the bullet entered the rear of the rib cage, tumbled, made a u-turn, and exited the neck ON THE ENTRY SIDE! My assumption is that it hit a rib almost parallel to the nose of the bullet, which actually made the bullet shaped like a banana. Still, that was one of my lowest impact velocities(around 2100fps) and my only use of a .308” 180gr Elite Hunter, which is just barely stable in a 12” twist. The 185gr VLD and 190gr VLD always worked well for me from a 308Win, so, now that I have a 30-06AI, and had that experience, I’m switching the 308Win to 155 VLDs, just in case the marginal stability and low impact velocity had something to do with it. Believe it or not, the picture is the exit.

I would absolutely shoot a moose with a Berger. I would use a big Berger, I would use enough twist for the bullet, and I would want impact velocity around above 2200fps. I have no proof that the above three criteria are necessary, but they would all make me feel better. Frankly, I believe those are good criteria with any bullet not designed for older low velocity cartridges.

 

[sneakypete]

One shot kill 7mm 175 corlokt in the neck. Fell over sideways!

 

[brockel]

Mostly elk? Any idea on impact velocity? With my 6.5-257AI and 140’s animals much under 300yds have resulted in tiny fragments. Around 300-320yds they’ve all exited. All my 130’s have fragmented, and my only 156EOL exited. That’s all deer and one pronghorn. My elk with that rifle had an exit at long range, and the follow up disintegrated the knuckle and got into the lungs at point blank range(he was bedded at about 5yds but still had his head up). I didn’t look for the bullet but I assume it was not in one piece. Still did the job. At 300yds the 140’s are going around 2800-2750 depending on the load.

From 40 yards to just under 400 yards for elk. The deer, antelope, and coyotes we’ve shot they exit on.

 

[DFS]

I shot a moose with a 168 Berger 7mm. It killed him dead. Elk, it killed them too and they went nowhere. They have worked for deer and antelope for me as well. When I’ve recovered bullets the bergers have mushroomed like any hunting bullet should. Bullet debates are entertaining though, lots of opinions and lots of them work great depending on the shooter.

 

[FEENIX]

I shot a moose with a 168 Berger 7mm. It killed him dead. Elk, it killed them too and they went nowhere. They have worked for deer and antelope for me as well. When I’ve recovered bullets the bergers have mushroomed like any hunting bullet should. Bullet debates are entertaining though, lots of opinions and lots of them work great depending on the shooter.

Yes, indeed, and some get very defensive.

 

[ImBillT]

From 40 yards to just under 400 yards for elk. The deer, antelope, and coyotes we’ve shot they exit on.

My latest Berger experience. I shot a cow elk at 558yds last week with the 30-06AI. 190VLD-H. Impact velocity should have been a tad over 2300fps. Didn’t find the entry. Some other hunters saw and wanted to help, and I was tired enough to let them. They skinned the exit side front quarter, and I assume there were more bullet fragments in the hide. I removed a a softball sized chunk of blood shot meat in front of the shoulder and left it in the field. Since the back 1/3 of the jacket was stuck in a hole in the scapula, I assume most/all of the lead exited the lungs and was either embedded in the hide or in the bloodshot hunk of meat. Bullet fragments made three holes in the scapula. Most of the damage was in the piece of meat that I left in the field. To clarify, she was quartering away, and that’s the off-side scapula. If you zoom in you can see the base of the jacket and it’s clear that the jacket is completely empty. I consider this to be exactly what I want a Berger to do. Others consider this to be a failure. Similar to most of my Berger kills, she dropped instantly without taking a single step.

I have no idea what you and I are doing so differently to get such different bullet recoveries.

 

[brockel]

I have no idea what you and I are doing so differently to get such different bullet recoveries.

Most of ours have been with 6.5 140 grain vld. 156 grain bergers have acted just like your experience. 7mm 168 has also acted like your experience. 7mm 180 grain has exited more than it hasn’t

 

[brockel]

White circle is the exit of the backside of a bulls shoulder after being broke from a 6.5 140 grain Berger vld and then continued into the chest cavity. Shot was 270 yards. Bullet started at 2820fps

 

[Dakotakid]

Bullet selection is a religion. Which ever bullet gives you the most faith is the one to go with.
I shot a small moose with a 300wsm and 175 Barnes lrx. Shot him at 30 yards. I would hope any bullet would have worked. It was what I found to be accurate when I worked up a load.

If you are asking the question your faith may be wavering. Shoot it some more until your confidence returns…

 

[ImBillT]

White circle is the exit of the backside of a bulls shoulder after being broke from a 6.5 140 grain Berger vld and then continued into the chest cavity. Shot was 270 yards. Bullet started at 2820fps
View attachment 246430

Stayed in the chest?

 

[88man]

My latest Berger experience. I shot a cow elk at 558yds last week with the 30-06AI. 190VLD-H. Impact velocity should have been a tad over 2300fps. Didn’t find the entry. Some other hunters saw and wanted to help, and I was tired enough to let them. They skinned the exit side front quarter, and I assume there were more bullet fragments in the hide. I removed a a softball sized chunk of blood shot meat in front of the shoulder and left it in the field. Since the back 1/3 of the jacket was stuck in a hole in the scapula, I assume most/all of the lead exited the lungs and was either embedded in the hide or in the bloodshot hunk of meat. Bullet fragments made three holes in the scapula. Most of the damage was in the piece of meat that I left in the field. To clarify, she was quartering away, and that’s the off-side scapula. If you zoom in you can see the base of the jacket and it’s clear that the jacket is completely empty. I consider this to be exactly what I want a Berger to do. Others consider this to be a failure. Similar to most of my Berger kills, she dropped instantly without taking a single step.

I have no idea what you and I are doing so differently to get such different bullet recoveries.

good fast clean kill> congrats>
I shoot berger I shoot better

 

[brockel]

Stayed in the chest?

Yep these ones did