anyone shooting Berger Hunting Bullets?

[MtnMuley]

I took an bull with a 175 VLD out of a 300 RUM this year at 856yds.  Didn't take a step.  I have no plans on shooting another bullet for big game.

[elkslayer069]

 Idk I shot my deer this year with 150 grn vld Bergers using 55 gens of hodgens 4831 with my 270 win. I hit him mid neck on his right side at the base of neck at 75 yards. It made no exit hole and it ran about 50 yards and he dropped and there wasn't a drop of blood to be found. It ruined a ton of meat. I'm sure they are an excelent bullet when shooting with some range but I've already switched back to my nosler partions 

[sakoshooter]

Berger bullets have been a great bullet for accuracy for many years. It's really unfortunate that they don't offer a bonded core/jacket bullet to compete with today's technology. If they did, I'd probably be hunting with them.
There are two schools of thought on bullets.
1) Retained weight, retained velocity, exit hole.
2) Fragmentation.
Both do damage and under the right conditions with proper shot placement both will kill animals. But how often are conditions just right and how often is the shot perfect?
I prefer #1.

[MDGrand]

Well, I agree with your assessment and specifically in this case it all comes down to philosophy.

Some demand and exit wound and a bullet that holds together.

Others feel and believe that by the bullet fragmenting it is leaving ALL its energy I'm the animal causing more hydrostatic shock.

Now what makes Berger bullets so unique is that they have a delayed expansion. Unlike ballistic tip bullets that shatter on impact. This makes them very unique.

In the end my philosophy is that it all depends on the game...

I load 3 bullets:
 
Berger for deer, elk, antelope and maybe black bear. I use it for longer shots where open country shots are common after some research I found out that the bullet is designed to be most effective at as close to 3K feet per second...not super high velocities. They have the highest BC on the market in the higher weights too. They really are designed to be a long long range bullet.

Barnes for tougher animals like moose and brown bear or where closer shots are common...non open country. They only become not as effective at super long range where the wound cavities shrink due to lost velocity.

Accubonds for everything...open country and close by. But they still don't perform like a Berger or Barnes.IMHO.

Ballistic tips I don't use at all unless I am varmint hunting.

[bhylton]

good way to look at it. i love the accubonds too. i know alot of people dont like the ballistic tips. but the first 10 deer i ever shot were with a 150ge ballistic tip out of an old model 88 winchester in 308. they did an amazing job. all i ever did was center the should and make smoke. always broke the should and made exit wounds.. which i could fit my fist in. i wouldent hesitate to hunt deer with them more. but my success might be due to the slower velocity "2750fps" although my buddie shot the 12th biggest black bear in washington state with factory loaded 300 wsm 15o bal tips. just set the bear right down. skull measured 20 14/16in at sportsmans show this year

[sakoshooter]

Keep in mind that muzzle velocity is just that: Muzzle velocity. No one shoots an animal just off the muzzle. Most of your average hunting bullets out of your average hunting rifles are only traveling 2000fps or less at 500yds. Much less at greater yardages. Berger even states their bullet was designed for target shooting.
A good hunting bullet needs to expand and hold together for enough penetration to do damage to all vital organs in the bullet's path. This needs to happen at 35 yds and at long distances. It also needs to happen from quartering angles. My experience with cup/core, non-bonded bullet designs are that they seem to work best on game after their velocity has been slowed down and the shot is broadside into the chest cavity. I've had more than my share of bad luck with close shots(under 200 yds) that fragmented way to fast leaving a wounded animal that took a lot of trailng and another shot or two.
I do not have this troulble with any of today's bonded bullets or solid copper expanding bullets. One shot kills are not just the norm for today's bonded core or solid expanding bullets, it's a fact.
Also, most of us do not have an entire team of camera men, guides, spotters etc keeping an eye on the animal and where it went like the Best of the West or whatever does. Nor are we getting paid by a given bullet company to go hunting like they are.

[jess]

i shoot berger's and love them..... They do exit sometimes when they do its a big hole.... I have shot animals from 40 yards to 690 yards and they kill everything they hit deer, elk, bear, moose..... You cant go wrong with these bullets...