Been reading quite about Berger's VLD hunting bullets. I am currently running in a new barrel in a 308 Rem 700 MAK tube gun (hunting version) and trying different loads. Amaxs shoot ok (0.4-0.9MOA), but I thought about trying some 168gn VLD Hunting bullets as I heard they are the balls...

Anyone had experience with these in 308 (or other calibre for that matter) in terms of accuracy and hunting ?

quote:

Originally posted by sevenmil:
Been reading quite about Berger's VLD hunting bullets. I am currently running in a new barrel in a 308 Rem 700 MAK tube gun (hunting version) and trying different loads. Amaxs shoot ok (0.4-0.9MOA), but I thought about trying some 168gn VLD Hunting bullets as I heard they are the balls...

Anyone had experience with these in 308 (or other calibre for that matter) in terms of accuracy and hunting ?

I have ran them before, my 1:10 takes them well..however, for some reason, i keep going back to the SMK. The 175 just seems like its running better in any match I shoot in. As for hunting, I dont like any of the targer/sniping bullets for hunting. case in point, This last year, I took a Moose at 200 yards with my 338 Lapua, I shot him with 250 grn Scenar. I have read that its a "great critter getter" Well I hit bullwinkle and all it did was make his ears drop when i smacked his lungs. Watched him for over two minutes. I pulled my mag with the scenars and replaced it with a mag with Barns and well the rest of the story turned is how you expected. I stay way from target bullets for hunting. That being said, Barnes makes a high BC in 30cal....

Good Luck!

Curtis

Thanks Alaskaman 11. Any other experiences out there....

I have only used the 95gr 6mm Bergers on pronghorn and a couple of whitetails here in the states and LOVE them. All have been DRT.

If I did my part, I had no problem getting 0.5 MOA at 200 yards with my Savage 243.

I also have a 6-284 that I shoot 105 Bergers in and get about half an inch groups at 200 yards. I have not taken any game with it yet thou.

thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. Any other experiences out there?

Heavy barrel Rem. 700 (PSS) in .308 Win. seems to prefer 162 gr. bullets, boat-tail. Accuracy starts to dial in when I use the case prep suggestions on Varmint Al's pages:

http://www.varmintal.com/arelo.htm

Hodgdon 4895 seems to fill the bill, but also H 335, and BL-C(2).

Give 'em a try. I shoot Bergers in a couple of rifles of mine and like 'em. In the 300 RUM I use 185's. In the 204 I use 40 grainers. Like 'em both for game.

God Bless, Louis

I've used the Berger Hunting VLDs in quite a few configurations, and animals just seem to make less tracks after hit with them than any other bullet I have tried. Ive shot pigs and a Bobcat with 155gr VLDs from a .308, pigs with 115gr VLDs from a .257 Wby and pigs, deer, Bobcat and Coyote with 130gr VLD from a .260.

If you are someone that is picky on shot placement and angle and likes to put the bullet through the heart/lung area, you will likely love them. If you like to shoot shoulders, they will still work great, but expect some meat loss. If you like to take hard quartering shots or butt shots, they may not be for you. That being said, to me pigs are varmints and unless I need some pork in the freezer, on them I am not picky about shot placement and will shoot a pig in whatever part of his anatomy is exposed. Even with some extremely poor shot placement on pigs running through the brush, if I hit them with a VLD they haven't made it more than a few feet from where I shot them. On the other hand, I've shot a couple of pigs with Sierra Matchkings, and had the pigs go quite a ways, even when hit squarely through heart/lung area, and leave minimal blood trail.

A lot of folks like to say "I don't use target bullets on game," lumping the hunting VLDs in this category. The hunting VLDs do not behave like other match bullets on game so any lumping them together with a Scenar or Matchking or whatever is not a valid comparison. Those are generally the folks who have never tried them and have maybe read something off the inturdnet about a guy who heard form his 3rd cousin about a guy who knew another guy who lost a deer after shooting it right through both lungs with a VLD.

John

Well put John!

God Bless, Louis

The hunting VLD works well IF the advice on heart/lung shots is followed.

Barnes and Partitions work from any direction.

For those of us who view 300 yards as a long shot and hunt game that does not always present a broadside shot there is no reason to use any VLD bullet.

If you get close and use a stout bullet you improve your chances of a clean kill a lot.

You can't really go wrong if you treat all big game as if it were a Cape Buffalo. Get reasonably close, break it down, then follow up shot if required. You can go wrong if you think your VLD makes you a 500 yard killer, that Elk turns and your fast expanding bullet lands in the paunch.

Good hunting !

I use the 168 VLD in my .308 with 43 grains of varget. IIFC my COAL is 2.83 but your gun may be throated differently. I get .5 MOA out to 400 then it opens up to 2MOA after that. Like the bullet, and as said before, the Heart/Lung shot is money with this little bullet. It is my go to round in my heavy barreled .308 for Alabama whitetails, quadrupeds of varying shape and size and punching paper. Good Luck.