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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game
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BB416
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Reged: 01/10/13
Posts: 68
Loc: QLD Australia
Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets
      #244718 - 31/03/14 10:55 PM

I am in the middle of preparing for a plains game hunt in Namibia. I am taking a Sako 30.06 with me and am wondering whether 175grain Berger Bullets will do the job for me. My rifle shoots really well with these projectiles but also shoots just as well with Hornady 150 grain SST's and GMX. I have over 400 Berger's on hand, so have plenty to practise with. Would appreciate any comments from people who have used Bergers on there plains game, good or bad ???

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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: BB416]
      #244720 - 01/04/14 12:41 AM

I have not used them at this point..but know many that do especially for shooting long range as they typically have a high BC..so someone should be able to help you on this

I have only heard and not seen their performance and it has been mixed..at the bullets you have "HUNTING" or "TARGET" from Berger??

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26908
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: Ripp]
      #244725 - 01/04/14 02:05 AM

This is second hand, but a local chap tried them on elk and didn't get as long a shot as he thought he would. The elk was only 150 yards away and the bullet, which did not hit a rib going in, blew up in the lungs and didn't make it to the ribs on the far side. The elk died, but had he hit a leg bone or maybe even a rib going in, it may have blown right there and only wounded the elk.

Perhaps bullets that are designed for long range expansion cannot be trusted to perform properly at close range.

Perhaps it is better to use a good, known bullet for the game in question and not play with possible problems - Africa is a long way away to find your bullets are too soft for 99.8% of your shooting. I've never been there, just saying.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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jvw
.300 member


Reged: 15/05/08
Posts: 101
Loc: Australia
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: DarylS]
      #244742 - 01/04/14 06:12 AM

DON'T!

Get something decent like Nosler Partition, Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond, and any of a bunch of others.

The Bergers are like Sierras. GREAT on paper but spare the animals.

Your angles won't always be perfect and the distances won't always be the way you want them. Plan accordingly. Use something that will keep together and save you a wasted trophy fee.

Keep paper-punching bullets for paper-punching.

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Ruger_450
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Reged: 10/03/13
Posts: 163
Loc: WY & FL
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: jvw]
      #244746 - 01/04/14 07:04 AM

Morons use target bullets (I don't care what Berger calls them, section one and learn)

Ethical hunters use strong bullets like those mentioned above. I would add any of the monometals to that list as well.

I have not hunted in Africa, but it will be a VERY unusual circumstance that would have me shooting over 300 yards at any big game. Wayyyyyy to many variables to wound a fine animal. 50-100 yards is hunting, 300+ is target shooting using live targets.

Seen far to many 3 legged Antelope, gut shot deer eaten alive by wolves, and the remains of Elk hit in the wrong place with an insufficient cartridge/bullet.

If you can't get it done with a 30-06 and 165 gr TSXs perhaps you should not try it.

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BB416
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Reged: 01/10/13
Posts: 68
Loc: QLD Australia
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: Ripp]
      #244754 - 01/04/14 08:46 AM

Rip
These are "hunting" bullets. I wasn't using them thinking I was taking a kudu at a thousand yards But was wanting to know if they worked...Have used them on chital in the past and they preformed well

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gatsby
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Reged: 05/09/05
Posts: 862
Loc: inland valley CA USA
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: BB416]
      #244759 - 01/04/14 09:57 AM

If your talking about the Berger vld's read this;

www.longrangehunting.com/articles/berger-barnes-bullet-performance-3.php

Then draw your own conclusions.

--------------------
"Recoil is insignificant when there is a tiger on the head of your elephant" The Maharaja of Cooch Behar



Edited by gatsby (01/04/14 10:01 AM)

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Rell
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Reged: 03/12/04
Posts: 642
Loc: Oyster Bay, NY, USA
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: BB416]
      #244762 - 01/04/14 10:07 AM

I used the 6.5mm 140 gr hunting vld in a 6.5x284 to take 2 whitetails.

The first was at 235 yards off a sandbag rest in my tree stand. Waited for him to go broad side and put one in just behind the shoulder. Spectacular kill! The second was at 85 yards walking back to the trail from a mountaintop glassing morning. The 14 point whitetail was quartering towards me. I took him on the point of the shoulder at 85 yards. Fired again at 230 yards on the hillside ( total miss) and then again at 355 yards and hit him in the liver. After he topped out I waited 45 minutes and then walked over to the point I lost him creating the hill. I then tracked him for about 2 miles before I finished him off with a neck shot at 30 yards.

I stopped using Berger Hunting VLDs after that for anything but coyote and Wolfe. Not my best shooting but with a Barnes x that first shot would have put him down within eye sight, at least I think so.

My conclusion based on a huge sample size of 2 .... Is that the Berger hunting bullets kill like wildfire if you hit them in the boiler room. If you have to go through bone, not so much.

When I head to Africa I'm always worried about shooting in front of a crowd, if a flub the first opportunity I can start a negative spiral and my confidence and maybe even my accuracy go to hell. No way would I risk it with this bullet.

--------------------
450-400, 9.3x74r and 7x65r.

Edited by Rell (01/04/14 10:07 AM)

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BB416
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Reged: 01/10/13
Posts: 68
Loc: QLD Australia
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: Rell]
      #244779 - 01/04/14 07:50 PM

Thanks Rell for your honest opinion, this is the feed back that I was wanting although was hoping to hear that the berger hunting vld's were a good thing but apparently not. I will take the Hornady's instead. Thanks everyone for your input

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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: BB416]
      #244796 - 02/04/14 12:07 AM

Quote:

Thanks Rell for your honest opinion, this is the feed back that I was wanting although was hoping to hear that the berger hunting vld's were a good thing but apparently not. I will take the Hornady's instead. Thanks everyone for your input



think that is a VERY wise choice..my first trip to Africa I took my 300RUM..shooting 180gr Accubonds at 3370fps..as someone else mentioned, many shots there in Zim are 100 yards or less..shot a waterbuck..similar experience as others have had with the Bergers..blew up and poor penetration..ended up tracking him and shooting him 4 times before it was over..put that gun away and used my 416REM for the remainder of the trip shooting A-Frames...

the accubond is a good bullet in my opinion, but even they are too thin for the really fast guns at close range...much prefer the Swift Scirroco or Barnes Triple shocks...think the accubonds do well in guns in the 3000fps range and less.

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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Khharris
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Reged: 22/03/14
Posts: 3
Loc: Ft. Worth, TX
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: Ripp]
      #245985 - 18/04/14 02:26 PM

I hunted with them two years back and killed two Zebra, Kudu, Croc and numerous other plains game with them. Had no problem whatsoever. You will rarely not have a broadside shot as the PH more than likely wont allow it. Now after you shoot it is anyone guess how your next shot will be but if you put a good one him the first time you have nothing to worry about. I have also hunted with Barnes over there several times and do like their bullets alot as well.

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BB416
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Reged: 01/10/13
Posts: 68
Loc: QLD Australia
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: Khharris]
      #245990 - 18/04/14 06:52 PM

Just to clarify, when you say you hunted with them, do you mean Berger or another brand? What calibre/ weight did you use?

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Khharris
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Reged: 22/03/14
Posts: 3
Loc: Ft. Worth, TX
Re: Hunting Plains Game With Berger Bullets [Re: BB416]
      #246254 - 23/04/14 01:13 PM

.300 RUM, 190 grain Berger

I was very impressed but also have had great luck with Barnes bullets as well. When I shoot a Barnes I tried to break bones whereas with the Berger I try to hit in the lungs and not aim for the shoulder. Both are good bullets IMO and can work well with a well placed shot. Crappy shot and it doesn't really matter as African animals are just sooo damn tough.

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