Just got finished shooting and i recovered a Berger 115 gr VLD out of my 25-06 at about 250 yards. The bullet was completely mushroomed but the core hadn't seperated from the jacket. I haven't weighed it but i'd say weight retention was probably only about 30-40% which in my book would constitute some pretty dramatic expansion. I shot a groundhog with one of these about a month ago and it picked him up and threw him back off of a rock. I figured it'd just pass through the groundhog leaving a caliber sized hole. Instead, it left pretty dramatic damage for a match bullet. The ground the ground in which the bullet was recovered from is free of rocks as well so i know it didn't hit a rock. Anyone ever hunted with these things? I dont plan on it but i was just curious. Any accompanying pictures would be appreciated as well.
Ruck
115 gr Berger VLD is on the left and a 85 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip on the right, both recovered at 250 yards

Just one. I got a groundhog with a 75gr. A-Max out of my .223 AI a couple years ago. It was at maybe 125 yards, and removed most of his head. I too was suprised at how much damage it did.

I've seen similar results out of the A-max's but i haven't ever heard anyone really talk about the VLD's before. If expansion was reliable, This might prove to be a good long range groundhog bullet with a B.C. of somewhere around .562 i think. thanks for your input!

Ruck, Haven't tried the VLD's BUT those guys who did the long range videos, use the MATCHKINGS, AMAXS and other such match bullets on the LONG RANGE stuff they shoot!!!.....I just shot some 200 grain and 220 grain MATCHKINGS in the 300SAUM this evening!......guess what they'll be doing in 3 weeks!! The .260 will be tried with the 140AMAXS either tomorrow or very soon!
The match bullets, long range bullets seem to work pretty darn good way out there!! GHD

I have found that the 95 gn Berger opens up very quickly on larger varmints .

I shot my goat 2 years ago with a 6.5-284 XP-100 handgun at around 350 or so with the 140 A-Max, and it performed perfectly. I also used it on a 75 yd., and 400 yd. coyote and it peformed just fine.

Juat went out with my partner for the last several days trying to break the record for the longest handgun shot ever, and i believe he did it in less than 10 shots with a 1590 yd. pr. dog using an XP-100 6-284, and the 115 DTAC bullet. Believe it or not it actually exited with a rather large wound, taking entrails with it. Next day he shot a pr. dog @ 1800 yds. with a 20 lb. 6.5-284 XP-100 handgun 140 A-Max, but we didn't recover it. Just blood on the hole, that's it.

FWIW the A-Max bullets are actually advertised as a smaller big game bullet.

sscoyote, A "20lb 6x.284 XP-100" is not a "handgun"!!!!
But it was some hellacious varmint busting!!! Even if it was a 32 lb 50BMG!!! Great shooting!!! GHD

My experience is with Bergers 80gr VLDs. I have shot a few coyotes with it and it seems to pass right through without expansion. I have also tested them in wet newspaper. They have a tedency to bend and break in half rather than expand. The hole in the tip isn't large enough to initiate expansion. This is why the US military uses Sierras 77gr HPBT match bullet in their ARs and the snipers use Sierras HPBT Match bullets in their rifles. I didn'y think they could do this, but obviously from my evaluations they react no differently than a FMJ for the most part.

Thks. GHD-- that rig of his probably isn't good for much more than off the bench-- but it did kill that dog waaaayy out there.

quote:

Originally posted by sscoyote:
Thks. GHD-- that rig of his probably isn't good for much more than off the bench-- but it did kill that dog waaaayy out there.

I would like to see a picture of the weapon you are describing as I can't visualize it.
I do know what a XP-100 looks like though.