Berger VLD Hunting

[Cherokee]

Does anyone have any firsthand feedback on terminal performance (deer) for these bullets? I have good accuracy results but have not hunted with them yet.
I'm using 140 Gr. VLD Hunting in 6.5 Creedmore.
My only concern from what I read on Berger's website is their somewhat explosive expansion and weight loss. While I do like to put em' down fast, I hunt for meat and don't want too much damage on shoulders.

 

[ADR]

I've shot the same bullets out of a 6.5x55 Swede. Very accurate but terminal performance on game on less than perfect broadside shots is less than satisfactory in my opinion. The last deer I shot with that bullet was approximately 100 yards and quartering away. Bullet hit last rib going in (where I was aiming) and literally exploded. Very small percentage of fragments did penetrate the diaphragm thus killing the deer but left almost no blood on a 100 yard track job(it was recovered that day). I have shot deer with at least 2 dozen different bullet types mostly of 6.5 persuasion and have settled on accubonds for inside of 400 yard work. YMMV

 

[mr.big]

I use the 130 from a 6.5x47 and they plain flatten white tails.

 

[nso123]

I haven't had one take a step after shooting them with the VLD. That said, there are plenty of bad stories about them, just like most bullets. Ford vs. Chevy, they can both break down. I am shooting the Hammer bullets now, but the deer won't cooperate with me, so no performance reports yet.

 

[280longshot]

Yes, 105 vld in my 6 CM, deer are DRT. I like how they perform but I hunt fields with that setup.

 

[megalomaniac]

I use them in my 6.5 WSM. Now granted, they are leaving the muzzle at 3300 fps, and I just don't think they are designed for that. I've had excellent results with them at 400 to 600 yards (pass thru with gaping wound channel) but have never used them for anything up close until this year. My son picked this gun out of the safe to hint with, he shot a 170lb buck with it back in Nov at 60yds, and the bullet absolutely disintegrated. Pencil entrance, no exit, and even though it was a chest shot, there were tiny copper fragments almost back to the hams.

We are going to change to the 150g accubonds or the 156g berger hunters to slow them down a tad for my son to be able to hunt with at closer ranges.

The 140 bergers may do just fine out of reasonable 6.5 Creedmore velocities.

 

[ronnycl]

168 grain vld out of 30.06 has been devastating. Interior performance is highly destructive. No tracking required, but could be an issue with no exit hole. All have dropped in their tracks.

 

[Robtattoo]

I've had the exact dame experience as @ADR
6.5x55 2860fps. I've killed 7 deer with them from 30 - 550yds & everything under 150yds has run like hell. Very poor penetration, massive entrance wounds & the only exit was on the one doe at 550(ish). Poor blood trails at best, mostly non existent. They are designed to be a long range bullet, to be fair, so slapping them into critters up close isn't really in their design parameters. I quit using them a couple of years back in favor of 129gn Interlocks, which have been utterly faultless.

Incredibly accurate though.

 

[megalomaniac]

Just a bit more info... finally located some of the nosler 150g LR accubonds. I was thrilled to get them. I called Nosler to see if they had any data using them out of the 6.5WSM... no data, but the fellow from Nosler I talked to said the LR accubonds in all calibers are much more frangible than regular accubonds and designed to expand reliably at 400y. Sounds like they too are going to be grenades at close range out of my 6.5 WSM unless I download them to 3000fps... but that's no fun. He suggested I use the 130g accubonds which are more stout. But I bet they will still grenade at 3400fps up close. Does anyone make a bullet that can controlled expand at high impact velocities, yet still open up at 1800fps long range? Prob not.

 

[nso123]

Just a bit more info... finally located some of the nosler 150g LR accubonds. I was thrilled to get them. I called Nosler to see if they had any data using them out of the 6.5WSM... no data, but the fellow from Nosler I talked to said the LR accubonds in all calibers are much more frangible than regular accubonds and designed to expand reliably at 400y. Sounds like they too are going to be grenades at close range out of my 6.5 WSM unless I download them to 3000fps... but that's no fun. He suggested I use the 130g accubonds which are more stout. But I bet they will still grenade at 3400fps up close. Does anyone make a bullet that can controlled expand at high impact velocities, yet still open up at 1800fps long range? Prob not.

Hammer bullets. They are designed to open down to 1800, and high velocity is their game. They use light for caliber loads at high velocity.

 

[megalomaniac]

Hammer bullets. They are designed to open down to 1800, and high velocity is their game. They use light for caliber loads at high velocity.

I want heavy for caliber bullets... my.6.5 is built with a 7.5 twist and wyatts box to be able to load the highest BC bullets and still fling them at insane velocities.

Does Hammer make anything in 6.5 with a higher g1 BC of .45? I want to be able to take advantage of the way this rifle is built and kill at 600y, but my kids can use the same ammo and kill at less than 100.

Although it might be fun to load Ethan up a 100g round at 3800 fps to shoot up close.

 

[Jcalder]

I want heavy for caliber bullets... my.6.5 is built with a 7.5 twist and wyatts box to be able to load the highest BC bullets and still fling them at insane velocities.

Does Hammer make anything in 6.5 with a higher g1 BC of .45? I want to be able to take advantage of the way this rifle is built and kill at 600y, but my kids can use the same ammo and kill at less than 100.

Although it might be fun to load Ethan up a 100g round at 3800 fps to shoot up close.

Swift scirocco

 

[megalomaniac]

Swift scirocco

All I see on their website is a 130g, .571 BC bullet... giving up a LOT in BC compared to heavier bullets from Berger or Nosler.

That being said, I could almost make up for the BC deficiency if I fling them at 3400fps out to 600y (and I don't shoot game past 600), IF they will hold together at close range...

I still would probably be better off down loading the 150 LRAB'S to 3000 fps to save barrel and throat life in the long run (but what fun is that? )

 

[Jcalder]

All I see on their website is a 130g, .571 BC bullet... giving up a LOT in BC compared to heavier bullets from Berger or Nosler.

That being said, I could almost make up for the BC deficiency if I fling them at 3400fps out to 600y (and I don't shoot game past 600), IF they will hold together at close range...

I still would probably be better off down loading the 150 LRAB'S to 3000 fps to save barrel and throat life in the long run (but what fun is that? )

I didn't know what they offer, but do know they're a bonded bullet and wouldn't be scared to push them. I agree with the barrel life, they're made to replace

 

[nso123]

Swift scirocco

They have a 129 Absolute Hammer that is a .245 G7. It is actually made for a 7.5 twist. Their website says they got 3420 in a 264 Win Mag. 3400 would still put you close to 2500 pounds of energy at 600.

 

[megalomaniac]

They have a 129 Absolute Hammer that is a .245 G7. It is actually made for a 7.5 twist. Their website says they got 3420 in a 264 Win Mag. 3400 would still put you close to 2500 pounds of energy at 600.

THAT sounds interesting!

 

[nso123]

THAT sounds interesting!

I killed one last week using the 130 AH in my 280 AI and it was impressive. I had not had time to get the velocity up on the load yet, but was still getting 3150 in a 22 inch barrel. I shot her at 102 yards and the bullet performed perfectly.

 

[megalomaniac]

I killed one last week using the 130 AH in my 280 AI and it was impressive. I had not had time to get the velocity up on the load yet, but was still getting 3150 in a 22 inch barrel. I shot her at 102 yards and the bullet performed perfectly.

I already have a bunch of the 140 bergers loaded... I may just keep those for long range and make a totally different load for the kids, after all, I have mark 4 turrets on my vx 3 scope, so easy enough to change on the fly.

We have 5 deer killed this year so far with the 140 bergers... the only pass thru we got was at 300y. The other 4 completely grenaded less than 100y.

But jeez, those Hanner bullets are pricey!

 

[nso123]

I already have a bunch of the 140 bergers loaded... I may just keep those for long range and make a totally different load for the kids, after all, I have mark 4 turrets on my vx 3 scope, so easy enough to change on the fly.

We have 5 deer killed this year so far with the 140 bergers... the only pass thru we got was at 300y. The other 4 completely grenaded less than 100y.

But jeez, those Hanner bullets are pricey!

This is the exit wound. She hit the ground and never moved.

 

[megalomaniac]

View attachment 124147
This is the exit wound. She hit the ground and never moved.

Perfect shot placement... thats exactly where we aim... which does not bode well for the bergers