Berger VLD hunting bullets

Buck8541

Buck8541

Member
Sep 29, 2012
72
0
Northern California
A friend of mine gave me a partial box of HSM, 300 WSM, 185gr Berger VLD Hunting rounds. I took them to the range and shot five shot quarter sized ragged hole at 200 yards. My question is, has anyone out there used these bullets on anything bigger than antelope or deer? I generally stick with Partitions and Accubonds, but these are so accurate I would change if they will hold up on bigger critters like elk.
 
K

Kentucky hunter

Active Member
Jul 22, 2013
275
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loretto ky
Buck8541 said:
A friend of mine gave me a partial box of HSM, 300 WSM, 185gr Berger VLD Hunting rounds. I took them to the range and shot five shot quarter sized ragged hole at 200 yards. My question is, has anyone out there used these bullets on anything bigger than antelope or deer? I generally stick with Partitions and Accubonds, but these are so accurate I would change if they will hold up on bigger critters like elk.
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The Guys from the Best of the West have shot many diff size big game from moose to bear an elk I have shot them but did not like the way they came apart I hunt with HDY SST in 165gr an mostly Barnes TTSX 168gr have been told buy fellow hunters they put lead in Ur meat
 
Retterath

Retterath

Veteran member
Dec 24, 2013
1,440
1
South Dakota
I have shot Berger bullets for a long time now killed a couple does at 600 using 190 grain vld 300 win mag and also mule deer at 200 yards and they worked flawlessly. I have a buddy that killed his elk this year using 168 vld out of 7 wsm at 200 dropped in its tracks. I also seen a buddy shoot a whitetail right in the shoulder at 150 yards hit the dirt and then got up and ran away and never found it. If u make a good shot on a elk with those its not going anywhere. It's all about shot placement! If they are shooting that good go with them just make sure they are the hunting bullet and not the match bullet because the match ones have a lot thicker jacket so they don't open up when shooting matches, the hunting jacket is thinner designed for hunting. Good luck
 
ElkTrout

ElkTrout

Veteran member
Feb 2, 2012
2,443
50
Parker, CO
I have shot four elk now with the Berger. Three were from a 30-06 and the other from a 7mm mag. Everyone of them dropped them in there tracks or they didn't go more than ten yards. I have been very satisfied. Hope that helps.
 
V

Varhunter

New Member
Dec 30, 2013
14
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Billings Mt
I've read on Berger's website that they take a different approach to killing game with their bullets. They want their bullets to dump all their energy into the animal instead of hold together and pass all the way through like other bullets. They claim that their bullets do more than "poke the animal like an arrow". So from what I've figured from that, being as I've never shot berger bullets, is that they fragment into the animal to cause a large wound channel and have very little weight retention, but that seems to be what they are going for so I don't think it's a bad thing. Just an FYI
 
UB-AZ

UB-AZ

New Member
Dec 17, 2013
42
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AZ
My understanding is the same. The Hunting VLD's are designed to fragment. So shot placement in the lung/heart area is best. If you do high shoulder it will ruin some meat, but it should also make for a fast kill. Seen a couple of mule deer drop like sacks of potato's at 600yrs & 800yrds with high shoulder shots using these bullets.

Personally I have taken three AZ Coues deer 430/330/410 yards all with HSM's 130gr 270win Hunting VLD's. All three deer were shot in the heart/lung area and none went more than 10yrds. I hated this rifle until I switched to these bullets. Using HSM made it darn accurate.

Also seen this year a Spike Elk take Hornaday 180 SST Superformance .300win mag in the chest and not come out the other side. This spike did not expire quickly and took another two shots. What was odd for me is that the bullet did not expand all that much. It was a 100yrd shot right in the basket??? So picking the right bullet for shot placement has been more my focus and research.

Going to try some 150gr Hunting VLD's out of my .300RUM on Javi this spring. If I can get out and practice. I know, I know.... little much for the stink pig. But I really want to try a 500+ yrd shot on one of these criters. Plus that rifle needs to get out of the safe. For backup the .270 will work..... :)
 
M

MAKAIRA

Active Member
Oct 8, 2011
240
1
Aptos,Ca
I got a used HS Precision and the seller recommended HSM 168 Berger as the shot well.I tried them on my Nevada mule deer hunt with good results.The shot was 335 yards and the shot was in the boiler room as the deer was laying down.The deer got up and made it 15 yards and piled up and lets just say that the insides were a mess!
I would be hesitant on a shoulder shot on a elk but worked well on deer.
 
Montana

Montana

Veteran member
Nov 3, 2011
1,104
400
Bitterroot Valley, MT.
UB-AZ said:
My understanding is the same. The Hunting VLD's are designed to fragment. So shot placement in the lung/heart area is best. If you do high shoulder it will ruin some meat, but it should also make for a fast kill. Seen a couple of mule deer drop like sacks of potato's at 600yrs & 800yrds with high shoulder shots using these bullets.

Personally I have taken three AZ Coues deer 430/330/410 yards all with HSM's 130gr 270win Hunting VLD's. All three deer were shot in the heart/lung area and none went more than 10yrds. I hated this rifle until I switched to these bullets. Using HSM made it darn accurate.

Also seen this year a Spike Elk take Hornaday 180 SST Superformance .300win mag in the chest and not come out the other side. This spike did not expire quickly and took another two shots. What was odd for me is that the bullet did not expand all that much. It was a 100yrd shot right in the basket??? So picking the right bullet for shot placement has been more my focus and research.

Going to try some 150gr Hunting VLD's out of my .300RUM on Javi this spring. If I can get out and practice. I know, I know.... little much for the stink pig. But I really want to try a 500+ yrd shot on one of these criters. Plus that rifle needs to get out of the safe. For backup the .270 will work..... :)
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I too am in the very beginning stage of switching over to this bullet. One of the things they (HSM) said was that this bullet simply not a close range bullet. It was/is designed strictly for a distance of 300 yds or greater. Oh course I have no personal experience with this at all and my uncle dumped a buck this yr in his tracks at a 130yds with the VLD so go figure.

Just thought it may be of value to mention.
 
Montana

Montana

Veteran member
Nov 3, 2011
1,104
400
Bitterroot Valley, MT.
Buck8541 said:
A friend of mine gave me a partial box of HSM, 300 WSM, 185gr Berger VLD Hunting rounds. I took them to the range and shot five shot quarter sized ragged hole at 200 yards. My question is, has anyone out there used these bullets on anything bigger than antelope or deer? I generally stick with Partitions and Accubonds, but these are so accurate I would change if they will hold up on bigger critters like elk.
Click to expand...
What rifle do you have?
 
mcseal2

mcseal2

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,172
196
midwest
I use them in my 264 and have used them and seen them used in a 243. What others have said is true. I got to test the 87gr 243 loads when they sent them out to people for field testing. I have used them on whitetail as close as 30yds and they performed well on both shoulder and lung shots. Two hunters I met in Wyoming this fall used them in their 7 mags and both had great bulls taken at over 500yds. I have yet to see one fail, but I've not shot anything bigger than deer and antelope with them.

The thing that worries me a little is that they seldom exit on bigger bodied deer. They aren't designed to, they rely on massive internal damage. Also they penetrate 3" or so before expanding much so they make a small entrance wound. I hauled one doe home with the entrance wound on the bottom side and didn't even have blood on my truck bed, the fat sealed the wound. The internal damage when we opened her up was massive. Blood trails are minimal if they exist, but it hasn't been a problem since I've never seen a deer or antelope go very far after a hit. Even on a couple hits to far back they put the animal right down. Elk are much bigger and tougher but I still can't see one going to far with his lungs wrecked. I know some hunters chamber a accubond round in case of a short shot and have the Berger loads in the magazine for shots with time to set up. Guess that is an option if your gun shoots them close enough to the same.

I have had trouble with them on coyotes past 175yds in the 243. They didn't open fast enough in the small narrow body of a coyote to put it down right away on broadside shots. I went away from them for that use. They are designed for big game not varmints.

I can't say anything bad about them for big game. I still chose to use the accubond from my 270 for my elk hunt. I figured with a gun on the light side I should stick with a tough bullet.
 
P

packmule

Veteran member
Jun 21, 2011
2,433
0
TX
They're a long range bullet that really don't do anything special until about the 500yd mark when BC takes over. They're designed to impact at lower velocities than your bonded bullets.
 
W

WapitiBob

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,385
58
Bend, Orygun
I haven't had an Antelope blink after being hit with 180's out of a 7STW from 300-425 yards. I thought I saw a cpl come off the ground a few feet though. I'll be killing Elk with them in Sept.
 
X

xtreme

Very Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
859
4
Searcy, Arkansas 72143
I loaded my 7mm with 168 for my just turned 14 , grandson to a large black bear from the ground. Bear fell over backwards DRT. Recovered the bullet and it weighted what Berger said it would. I use RWS 177 for very close range but have yet to shoot a large animal with them. RWS is the most accurate round I have shot from my Rem 700, shooting 1/4 in, but Berger is what I hunt with. Shot a 180 mule deer at 200 yes, DRT. Shot a wt. (300lbs) with a 55gr Silvertip. Bullet was a pass thru double lung and deer went about 75 yds. All the bullets will do a good job if they hit the proper vitals.
 
Bitterroot Bulls

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
I have killed a few elk with Berger VLD hunting bullets. One shot kills, excellent performance. This season I ran the Classic Hunter with similar performance. They don't go far.

Like many expanding designs, they do cause a pretty good wound channel on the off side, so keep that in mind during shot placement. If the bullet is going to exit in an area of desirable cuts, you could lose some meat.
 
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