Bullet experences requested, Help me understand the Berger for big game

[Goshawk]

Thanks for the feedback all.
One item I still don't understand is the claim that Barnes foul barrels more than other copper bullets. Are the Barnes bullets made out of a different material than other copper jacketed bullets? If not, then with the same amount of surface bearing area why would they foul more?
Hope everyone has a great season out there!

[Stein]

All copper bullets lay down copper as they exit.  Whether you consider that a bad thing or not is up for debate.  I maybe powder clean my barrel once a year and never pull the copper out.


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[BULLBLASTER]

I shot barnes one year from a 7 mag and could only get 15-20 rounds before accuracy went to crap clean it and good again.

Back to topic I made another kill with my trusty 215 Berger on a large Whitetail buck this fall through the ribs, golfball size entry and exit vitals wrecked. 300 yard shot and deer took 3-4 steps and dropped. I shot a buck last weekend with a 260 grain partition right behind the shoulder at 130 yards and lost more meat from that one than my Berger kill.

[bobcat]

I'll never use Bergers again. I recently shot a mule deer in Wyoming at 50 yards. It was broadside, the .277 140 grain VLD went in right behind the shoulder, through both lungs, and that deer ran up over a hill, and nearly a half mile before I was able to catch up to it and finish it off. I've used them before and never had any issues, but from now on I'll be using Accubonds or Barnes in my 270 Win.

[Jonathan_S]

Same experience with Barnes and cleaning with a .25-06 at moderate speeds.  Not really up for debate when it's a negative impact for accuracy within 20 rounds.  Never got through a box without needing to clean.

Only one Berger kill this year, a large black bear at 50-60 yards.  300WSM, 185 hunting VLD, 3000 FPS at muzzle.  High shoulder impact, no exit.  Devastating trauma to entire chest

[Karl Blanchard]

2 berger kills for me this year so far.  One buck was 340.  Bull went in mid rib cage and didnt exit.  Did what bergers do best on the vitals.  Second buck was 90 yards.  Behind the shoulder double lung.  Core exited.  Straight up jello lungs. Same 185 hunting vld as Jon out of my  300wsm but MV is 3110fps.

[Taco280AI]

For elk, the Barnes LRX.

Will never use Berger anything, ballistic tips, or similar. Have others used them successfully? Of course. But I'm not interested.

[jasnt]

One beget kill for me this year. 115gr vld at 675 yards

[Jonathan_S]

I'll never use Bergers again. I recently shot a mule deer in Wyoming at 50 yards. It was broadside, the .277 140 grain VLD went in right behind the shoulder, through both lungs, and that deer ran up over a hill, and nearly a half mile before I was able to catch up to it and finish it off. I've used them before and never had any issues, but from now on I'll be using Accubonds or Barnes in my 270 Win.

That's a mighty tough animal

[bobcat]

I'll never use Bergers again. I recently shot a mule deer in Wyoming at 50 yards. It was broadside, the .277 140 grain VLD went in right behind the shoulder, through both lungs, and that deer ran up over a hill, and nearly a half mile before I was able to catch up to it and finish it off. I've used them before and never had any issues, but from now on I'll be using Accubonds or Barnes in my 270 Win.

That's a mighty tough animal

Yep, I couldn't believe it. Never have I seen a deer run that far when shot perfectly through the lungs. It's a good thing I have a witness! At first I was just watching it run away, waiting for it to drop, as I could see the red spot right behind the shoulder where I had hit it. I never thought it needed to be shot again. The Bergers I have remaining will be used only for coyotes. Just don't trust them anymore. I loaded up some Accubonds for my deer hunt in 2 1/2 weeks. They're just a little less accurate in my rifle but I hope they're more effective at putting down a deer with the first shot.

[BULLBLASTER]

Did the bullet just not cause damage in the cavity? Or was the vitals tore up and for whatever reason it just kept on trucking? Did it exit?

[bobcat]

Did the bullet just not cause damage in the cavity? Or was the vitals tore up and for whatever reason it just kept on trucking? Did it exit?

Yes, it exited. My guess is it didn't expand at all. Did the gutless method so I don't know what the insides looked like. Even without expanding I don't understand how a deer can survive that. But that deer sure seemed perfectly fine until I got a second shot into it.

[BULLBLASTER]

Did the bullet just not cause damage in the cavity? Or was the vitals tore up and for whatever reason it just kept on trucking? Did it exit?

Yes, it exited. My guess is it didn't expand at all. Did the gutless method so I don't know what the insides looked like. Even without expanding I don't understand how a deer can survive that. But that deer sure seemed perfectly fine until I got a second shot into it.

Ya that’s crazy.

[Karl Blanchard]

How in the world did curiosity not compel you to dissect that sucker!?!?! I've been intimately involved in 300+ rifle kills with  every caliber and bullet combination you can think of and I've never seen a double lung animal go more than a few hundred yards. As much as I despise gutting an animal there is no way after having one go half mile I wouldn't be tearing into that thing trying to figure out what went wrong

Edit: I've had one go a ways I'd just forgotten about it.  Summary in my following post.

[Karl Blanchard]

Crazy stuff happens though. I shot a whitetail in Idaho once at a hundred yards 165 grain accubond.   bullet took the top of the heart off But that deer ran at a dead Sprint for 400 yards. That's not an estimated 400 that's an actual ranged 400 yards. He stopped to look back and just as I was ready to send another one his way he tipped over dead. Accubond did its job just for whatever reason he was able to get his wheels turning and made