Longer Bergers 400-500 yd. Terminal Ballistics

No not for me, but I just read somewhere else that guys were actually annealing their bullets to soften the tips and supposedly getting better terminal performance from VLDs.

This was news to me but sounds like an option.

 
Yeah, it sure isn't the same as annealing brass ever 3 or 4 loadings...

I would be interested if the annealing changes their flight behavior at all. If they shoot identical to the stuff that hasn't been annealed maybe you could set them aside and keep 20 or 30 dedicated for only hunting. That all depends on how much hunting you're doing of course, 20 or 30 hunting rounds have lasted me a couple years but for more fortunate(probably more skilled) hunters could go through 20 or 30 hunting rounds quick.
 
Not sure what your considering longer but I had great luck with the 87 and 95 VLDS in my 243wssm. I know Skinny on here cousin shot the 95 out of his 243wssm also and had several long range kill. All I ever shot were coyotes. Furthest being just over 400 and it left a softball size exit. So no question in my mind it wouldn't of been deadly on deer size game at long range.
 
Guys have been annealing bullets for a very long time - I learned about it as a kid over 30yrs ago, and it didn't seem like anything new even back then.

No change in flight behavior (at least as accurately as I've ever been able to shoot), so I shot with non-annealed bullets to practice, then stashed a few boxes away for hunting.

Wouldn't ever do it for prairie dog blasting, but for big game or coyotes where the annual shot count is low, it wasn't that bad.

I WILL say, the guys who taught me to do it always did it with loaded ammunition, to eliminate potential for tip deformation during seating. Not everyone is comfortable with taking a flame to loaded rounds.
 
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