2014 Bull and Berger performance
- Thread starter BigGrizz
- Start date
That is a devastating round.... Nice bull...
Looks like you might of hit a limb and mushroomed the bullet before entry. That is not a typical entry.
Longcruise
New member
Nice bull, congratultaions!
Not wanting to rain on your parade, but that entry has all the looks of an "exploding" bullet. To each his own, but I want a mushroom with weight retention and a guaranteed wound channel through both lungs no matter the angle.
Not wanting to rain on your parade, but that entry has all the looks of an "exploding" bullet. To each his own, but I want a mushroom with weight retention and a guaranteed wound channel through both lungs no matter the angle.
Originally Posted By: LongcruiseNice bull, congratultaions!
Not wanting to rain on your parade, but that entry has all the looks of an "exploding" bullet. To each his own, but I want a mushroom with weight retention and a guaranteed wound channel through both lungs no matter the angle.
Oh, you're exactly right. That's what Elite Hunters are designed to do. After 2-5" of penetration they're suppose to fragment.
Not wanting to rain on your parade, but that entry has all the looks of an "exploding" bullet. To each his own, but I want a mushroom with weight retention and a guaranteed wound channel through both lungs no matter the angle.
Oh, you're exactly right. That's what Elite Hunters are designed to do. After 2-5" of penetration they're suppose to fragment.
K-22hornet.
New member
Originally Posted By: BigGrizz[quoteThat's what Elite Hunters are designed to do. After 2-5" of penetration they're suppose to fragment.
That 2-5" of penetration then fragment thing, I can't understand it.
How can a bullet punch through relatively hard hide, muscle and ribs not expand, and then fragment when it hits the lungs???
Anyway, congrats on the nice bull! Did you find fragments of the bullet?
That 2-5" of penetration then fragment thing, I can't understand it.
How can a bullet punch through relatively hard hide, muscle and ribs not expand, and then fragment when it hits the lungs???
Anyway, congrats on the nice bull! Did you find fragments of the bullet?
Lol, no I didn't find any at all. They probably washed out with the red bloody vitals soup.
That was a redacted and shortened explanation. By the time the round penetrates the rib cage it should be fragmented along with the bone matter creating more damage to vitals. All I know is that it did its job masterfully.
Boom. Smack.
That was a redacted and shortened explanation. By the time the round penetrates the rib cage it should be fragmented along with the bone matter creating more damage to vitals. All I know is that it did its job masterfully.
Boom. Smack.
coyotekiller82
New member
Originally Posted By: BigGrizzLol, no I didn't find any at all. They probably washed out with the red bloody vitals soup.
That was a redacted and shortened explanation. By the time the round penetrates the rib cage it should be fragmented along with the bone matter creating more damage to vitals. All I know is that it did its job masterfully.
Boom. Smack.
^^exactly...just as they were designed! I love me some Berger bullets!
Congrats on the bull, he'll be awesome eatin!!
That was a redacted and shortened explanation. By the time the round penetrates the rib cage it should be fragmented along with the bone matter creating more damage to vitals. All I know is that it did its job masterfully.
Boom. Smack.
^^exactly...just as they were designed! I love me some Berger bullets!
Congrats on the bull, he'll be awesome eatin!!
Longcruise
New member
Ok, I'm a crank and will play devils desciple.
I think Berger looked around one day and realized that they had reached the limit of their market for match bullets (and dang good ones they are). I think they decided to market the same bullets as hunting bullets to expand their market. Apparently that is working for them, but it's my considerate opinion that their VLD bullet is a poor choice for hunting big game. A bullet that penetrates a few inches and then fragments is a classic description of a failed big game bullet. Eventually one of these will break up and fail to get both lungs on a large animal and that animal will travel a long ways before going down.
I think Berger looked around one day and realized that they had reached the limit of their market for match bullets (and dang good ones they are). I think they decided to market the same bullets as hunting bullets to expand their market. Apparently that is working for them, but it's my considerate opinion that their VLD bullet is a poor choice for hunting big game. A bullet that penetrates a few inches and then fragments is a classic description of a failed big game bullet. Eventually one of these will break up and fail to get both lungs on a large animal and that animal will travel a long ways before going down.
I doubt that happens coming out of a 338 Lapua, Elite Hunters or the OTM tacticals. 250-300 grain bullets are going to penetrate. But I concur with the overarching basis of your opinion.
I believe the guys from Extreme Outer Limits use the Bergers out of 300s and 338s at long distance, and they appear to do the job. And I'm definitely not a "long range hunter", so I feel that I'll be covered. Otherwise, every other gun of mine eats Nosler Partitions, and Remington Core-Lokt bullets.
I believe the guys from Extreme Outer Limits use the Bergers out of 300s and 338s at long distance, and they appear to do the job. And I'm definitely not a "long range hunter", so I feel that I'll be covered. Otherwise, every other gun of mine eats Nosler Partitions, and Remington Core-Lokt bullets.
Longcruise
New member
Well, extreme long range and lower velocities would probably serve to mitigate the tendency to fragment. I think your other choices are excellent.
Longcruise, you could be correct with your opinion, but in my opinion based on time spent with my .308 shooting 155 grain VLD's hunting deer and hogs each animal I have field dressed look as though I had placed a grenade in the chest cavity. Maybe I have just been lucky in hunting with a poor choice of bullet but my results have been pleasing to me and my freezer. Deer are a thin skinned animal so in my opinion bullet choice can vary. Hogs on the other hand can be difficult if shot in the shoulder with a fragile bullet. Best shot for them in my opinion is in the neck but sometimes at longer distances the shoulder is where I put the crosshairs. Either or the VLD has performed well for me.