168 gr Berger VLD's in 300WSM

[Larryh128]

Bought a lot of bullets this year that included some 168 VLD Bergers. Decided to try them in one of my 300WSM's. I usually run 130gr Barnes TTSX but thought they might be better in high wind so worth a try. Grouped nice with RL-17 & only had about 3" of drift at 300 in a strong 20mph crosswind. Opening day in Michigan was Nov.15th, got an opportunity at a coyote that evening at dusk. Glassed him up on a hillside after a couple deer were gooning him. Close shot at about 200 yds sitting on his hauches quartering to. Bullet hit him in front of left leg & exited out the back. Big male with a good coat. Minimal entrance wound, fipped him over & he was missing about 4" of spine & exit hole about the size of a big softball. OK, I have read where they will penetrate a few inches & then grenade. 2 evening later I got a shot a large 8pt that was dogging a doe big time. About a 250yd shot that had to be rushed, aquired & fired putting the red dot on the front shoulder low. Almost like a shotgun wing shoot. Saw the front end drop as he went out of sight. Found him about 30 yds, mostly downhill from the impact. Bullet hit left shoulder at top of the heart & exited thru the opposite shoulder. I haven't seen the damage with the hide off but the bullet certainly didn't come apart. Minimal chest damge but they don't operate well with a non functioning heart. Confusing results & I'm not sure what to think of it. Any thoughts from experiences?

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

A target bullet was never designed for hunting from the ground up and you can expect inconsistent results, even under the exact same conditions. Did you actually hit the shoulder of that deer going in...?

 

[FryeGuy]

well it sounds like the bullet did it's job both times. to only go 30yds when already running is not far at all for a whitetail!! My only questions? did the bullet expand at all before passing thru the vitals? did the heart have massive damage or was it just a clean hole thru it? other damage to lungs??? I only ask because I am using the 155vld hunting bullets in my .308. would really like to know other experiences with folks using them.

 

[Larryh128]

Shoulder on entrance was smoked, totally broken, not as large an exit wound as I would expect. The Barnes will create a much larger exit. There was enough damage to obviously kill quickly but there wasn't massive damage like I would have expected. It definitely worked but I'm going to shoot a couple cull deer & check the performance on them. I just can't figure why there was massive expansion on a 200 yd coyote & not on a 250 yd deer. Possibly it dropped below the velocity required to cause violent expansion??? No 30 yds isn't far at all BUT I've never had a deer take a step when hit with the 130 gr Barnes TTSX BUT it's also running 400 fps faster.

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

Larry, bullets with a consistent jacket thickness, having a pressed core and a large hollow void up front will do some mighty unpredictable things when shot into tissue and bone. It's why the majors have long steered their customers away from those designs for hunting.

 

[Larryh128]

I've steered away from them as well but I thought that it might be an avenue to use up these bullets. Most of the "long range" programs are using them BUT I'm thinking it's for the BC. & areo qualitys. Looks like I'll probably switch back to the Barnes. They are totally predictable. The heart & lungs would have been scrambled.

 

[barnesuser28]

if you really want to shoot bergers and hunt with them go with 200 grain + weights. They will leave an exit 60-70% of the time. But i would just shoot the barnes since i also found them extremely reliable.