ELDx or Bergers

Originally Posted By: B23Originally Posted By: lyotehunterI am going to shoot 175's in my 7mm practical this month.i have a premium elk tag.should be a good test.we had poor results last year with 190.gr bergers on cow elk.

Are you talking about the Berger 30 Cal 190gr bullet or did you mean the 195gr 7mm Berger bullet???

Wondered the same thing! Don't think Berger has ever made a 190gr VLD in 7mm.... I think Matrix makes a 190gr VLD but not Berger!!
 
I have shot 3 elk with the bergers, they all died quickly but there was no blood trail at all. All were good hits and the elk never went more than a few steps but if one did run off into the timber I would like a blood trail.
 
Originally Posted By: B23Originally Posted By: xphunterGoing with the 175 grain ELD-X myself this year over the 180 Hybrid Berger in my 7mm Dakota, IF I can get the Hornady to shoot like I want. Load development is this week.
Will be used for deer, hogs, and elk.

If I recall this build is in a pistol, yes?

I have a 7mm build currently in the works that is a near ballistic twin to the 7 Dakota, the 175 ELD-X and the Hunting 180 Berger are my two top choices so I'll be anxiously waiting to hear the results from your load work up.

Yes, a custom Rem XP-100. Should be popping some whitetail deer and pigs with them at the end of the month. Elk hopefully in mid to late November.
 
Originally Posted By: B23Originally Posted By: lyotehunterI am going to shoot 175's in my 7mm practical this month.i have a premium elk tag.should be a good test.we had poor results last year with 190.gr bergers on cow elk.

Are you talking about the Berger 30 Cal 190gr bullet or did you mean the 195gr 7mm Berger bullet??? it is [beeep] to get old my bad they were 195 gr.one shot through the heart now expansion ran 200 yds and was shot again in the neck.one of the hunters shot another looked like a great hit they never found that one no blood and it was with other elk. the last elk I killed was with 190gr 30 cal. ultra mag one shot.
 
Originally Posted By: lyotehunter it is [beeep] to get old my bad they were 195 gr.one shot through the heart now expansion ran 200 yds and was shot again in the neck.one of the hunters shot another looked like a great hit they never found that one no blood and it was with other elk. the last elk I killed was with 190gr 30 cal. ultra mag one shot.

You would be the second person I've heard say they had expansion issues with the 195 Berger. I was told by another a couple weeks ago the 195's were penciling straight through. Never heard this to be a problem with the orange box hunting 180's though.

I've also talked to multiple reliable sources that said they couldn't get enough velocity out of the 195's, before they pressured out, to out perform the 180's. I'd have to go back and look but if I recall the 195's were something like 300 FPS slower than the 180's.
 
330 Dakota 250 grain Berger Elite Hunter on Elk. 4 shots to bring down bull with 2 penciling right through and the other 2 never making it to off side edge of body cavity. 2 blew up, 2 penciled through. I thought with the heavier bullet and larger frontal area that I would not need to trim meplats to help initiate expansion but I was wrong. If I would have trimmed meplats I think results would have been much better.
 
Originally Posted By: B23Originally Posted By: lyotehunter it is [beeep] to get old my bad they were 195 gr.one shot through the heart now expansion ran 200 yds and was shot again in the neck.one of the hunters shot another looked like a great hit they never found that one no blood and it was with other elk. the last elk I killed was with 190gr 30 cal. ultra mag one shot.

You would be the second person I've heard say they had expansion issues with the 195 Berger. I was told by another a couple weeks ago the 195's were penciling straight through. Never heard this to be a problem with the orange box hunting 180's though.

I've also talked to multiple reliable sources that said they couldn't get enough velocity out of the 195's, before they pressured out, to out perform the 180's. I'd have to go back and look but if I recall the 195's were something like 300 FPS slower than the 180's.

That's the whole problem with the 195gr Berger! They need the speed and there ain't much out there that will give it! The 280 Nosler may be the ticket for them, I have seen some pretty good velocity's with them in it!
THe 190 30cal in the Win mag or ultra mag is the cats meow.. The 180gr in the 7mm cal for hunting is where its at...
 
Originally Posted By: coyotezapper330 Dakota 250 grain Berger Elite Hunter on Elk. 4 shots to bring down bull with 2 penciling right through and the other 2 never making it to off side edge of body cavity. 2 blew up, 2 penciled through. I thought with the heavier bullet and larger frontal area that I would not need to trim meplats to help initiate expansion but I was wrong. If I would have trimmed meplats I think results would have been much better.

Pretty much the same thing right here... Not enough speed!
 
Originally Posted By: B23I've also talked to multiple reliable sources that said they couldn't get enough velocity out of the 195's, before they pressured out, to out perform the 180's. I'd have to go back and look but if I recall the 195's were something like 300 FPS slower than the 180's.
Not my experience, but I only shot the 180 Hybrids, not the VLD's. I'm running a custom 7x300 WM with a 27" barrel, and the 195's sweet spot is 3010, and the Hybrid is less than 200 faster, which is a wash in drops, but the 195's win the wind war.

I'm taking mine to MT this fall for my long range spot stoked with the 195's. Hopefully I get my own direct feedback....
 
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