i've shot Berger VLD'S out of 6.5x55,270 WSM, and the 30-06 with excellent results,accuracy and terminal performance on whitetail. On a recent elk hunt, a friend used the 168 VLD in his 7mm Rem mag and had excellent results on a nice bull. There are a lot of bullets out there that will do the job well. If it is accurate and you feel confident, its meat in the freezer.
Terminal Capabilities of Berger's VLD Hunting Bullets?
- Thread starter Cerebral Stalker
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Not the 168 grain you are asking about but I was bored a few days ago so I thought I’d do a little crude bullet testing with 6.5 140 grain berger started at 3100fps. I had an elk femur in the freezer for the dogs but decided to wrap it in a couple layers of card board. Then I taped the bone to a water jug and put it in line with a couple more. Walked back to 40 yards and shot the bone. Bullet blew through the femur and shrapneled in the first jug. If it had been a live elk it definitely would have ruined his day. That’s a rough test on a bullet and it did exactly as it was suppose to
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Doublecluck
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If you hit an elk (or any game animal) with a .284 vld out of a 7rm from 0-1000 yards, shoulder, chest cavity, or neck and it is going down. If you hit the shoulder there will be meat loss, solution... don’t shoot them in the shoulder... 9 animals last year were killed with my 7rm and not one of them took a step and not one of them had significant meat loss. all were shot behind the shoulder or in the neck.
cahunter805
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Brockel
140VLD hunting or hybrids? Either way that's pretty impressive and should prove what some of us already know about bergers.
140VLD hunting or hybrids? Either way that's pretty impressive and should prove what some of us already know about bergers.
Vld hunting. Did the same test with 142 lrab and 143 eldx
TheDudeAbides
Well-known member
I shoot the 168 gr HSM out of the .30-06 and have had great results. Touching holes at 100 yards. They shoot out of my gun.
Some guns do not like Bergers.
Animals do not go far if at all.
Shooting bone is not recommended with any bullet.
If you like heart meat, then this bullet would not be a great one if you aim low.
The only other thing is the amount of lead in meat, the bullet pretty much penetrates 3-4 inches and grenades.
They are a great bullet if your gun will shoot them well for thin skinned game.
I do not know if I would use them for thick skinned game, because the bullet may expand before it penetrates.
Which bullet would you say performed best? mtmuley
It really depends on what you look for in bullet performance. The berger and eldx did the most damage to the first jug which might have resulted in a quicker kill and t might not have. The lrab surprised the hell out of me on penetration. I’ll post results here in a little bit
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I don't have any femurs left but have a couple shoulder blades I could try a 130 grain accubond on.
The 142 LRAB was started at 2950 fps. Shot from 40 yards again. The lrab blew through the bone and first jug, dumped a little shrapnel in the second jug, made it into the third jug and had enough momentum to put a hole in the far side of the 3rd jug but not enough to pass through. The lrab slug was 63.2 grains after all that. Didn't do near the damage the berger or eldx did to first jug but penetrated 3' of bone and water which is a hell of a performance at 40 yards if you ask me.
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Tradewind
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I shoot the 168 grn Berger in my 7mm.
I hit one elk in the shoulder from a fair ways away. It hit the bone and broke the shoulder, traveled through to the other side and hit the bone on the
other shoulder and fragmented along with the bone it hit. The first shoulder was ok. The offside shoulder was like hamburger.
I hit another one in the shoulder at close range and lost the first shoulder. You will do well to hit them behind the shoulder.
They fragment once they get inside. I tend to err on Mid-ship of the elk,
much to the chagrin of some on here. The elk won't go very far. It is my preferred bullet due to accuracy at extended range.
Much as it pains me, I agree with Lawnboy :W: choose your poison
I hit one elk in the shoulder from a fair ways away. It hit the bone and broke the shoulder, traveled through to the other side and hit the bone on the
other shoulder and fragmented along with the bone it hit. The first shoulder was ok. The offside shoulder was like hamburger.
I hit another one in the shoulder at close range and lost the first shoulder. You will do well to hit them behind the shoulder.
They fragment once they get inside. I tend to err on Mid-ship of the elk,
much to the chagrin of some on here. The elk won't go very far. It is my preferred bullet due to accuracy at extended range.
Much as it pains me, I agree with Lawnboy :W: choose your poison
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NVDesertHunter
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Here is a test I did a few years ago with various bullets, including the Berger VLD hunting bullet. I shot from 100 to 400 yards at water jugs using a 130grain bullet from a 270 WIN. The cutting edge bullet was a 115 grain.
http://huntingwithnonlead.org/bullets_long_range.html
hope it helps,
Russell
http://huntingwithnonlead.org/bullets_long_range.html
hope it helps,
Russell
Tradewind
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Yeah, rock on, Muley :hump:
Actually gonna rock some copper this Fall. mtmuley
429421Cowboy
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I have had very good luck with the 168 VLD Hunter out of my 7Mag, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 dozen antelope, 4-5 whitetail, a dozen mule deer and two cow elk. Both elk were under 150 yards and both folded like a cheap green tent, complete passthroughs. God willing I will try them on a bill this year since I finally drew a bull permit. I have been using them since 2009, and couldn't be happier, it is my only hunting rifle/round, and my loaner for when family comes from out of state to hunt. I think it has more to do with using a bullet you trust than anything special about the bullet itself. We butcher our own game and have never recovered a bullet, nor do they waste any more meat than any other bullet, and we have never lost an animal hit with one. In fact I can only think of having to look for one buck hit too far back, that made it 60 yards.
Cerebral Stalker
Active member
Thanks for all the feedback from everybody. Exactly the kind of info/experiences I was looking for. I now feel very confident that once I get a load worked up, a 168 grain VLD Hunter is going to get the job done in short order.
