FYI-Berger .243 88 gr. HBC FB

[MrMajestic]

I was out the other day Chucking with my Son and I spotted one that would have been extremely tough to explain where it was so I went ahead and took the shot. I had my 788 chambered in 6X47 Lapua loaded with the Berger 88 gr. High BC Flat Base at a chrono'ed 3350 fps. The Chuck was a laser-ed 154 yards and was a cake walk through the 36X Leupold. This load was sub 1/2 MOA at 200 yards with many 1/3 MOA 5 shots group at that range. The 1 lb. Timney trigger broke beautiful and I saw it flatten out and lay still for bit then roll over off it's stump perch. I claimed a kill and was flabbergasted when we walked down as we were leaving and there was no Chuck, blood or hair! It's burrow was right were it rolled off and nothing there either. I sucked it up and took the miss. :-[ Today I took it back out and flatten one at 174 yards freestanding off the tripod. Made me feel pretty good but when I tried to find it in the scope after reloading and scanning for more I couldn't find it! Another appeared a while later at 184 and again it was flattened from the sitting position off the tripod. This one stayed put and when packing it up for the day the first was MIA. When I reached the second there it lay but no blood, no fur blown out, nothing! I couldn't even find the entrance or exit hole! It was quartering towards me and it felt like it's shoulder was busted but I didn't perform an Autopsy so I wouldn't swear to it. A typical case of penciling. Berger lists this as a Varmint bullet and I should have had plenty of velocity but it isn't working for me! They sure are accurate but I think I will switch to the A-Max until I can find some 87 grain V-Max. Sure does explain the one the other day!

 

[wvlongshot]

Keep using the bergers. A hit is a hit. If they get in the hole to finish death so be it. Keeps the dogs from carrying to the house.....

 

[CaptainMal]

Varmint bullets are supposed to expand easily. Berger lists it as made with the standard J4 jacket. They should have opened.

Try more. Two does not make much of a statistical standard.

 

[CJ6]

I can't say I've ever had the penciling issue with them, and I've used them in several 6mm cart (6-250,243, 243 AI,6mmRem, 6-284).

 

[357Mag]

Mr.Majestic -

Howdy !

Yeh.... the 88s underwhelmed me; when tried on tough NE Indiana "Soybeanus Digestus ". Those bullets are not what I would call
" varmint bullets ".

For more-positive terminal effects, you may want to try Sierra 85 BTHPs for in closer.
Heck, even Sierra 95MKs killed better ( all ranges tried ) than the 88s. My gun, my loads.

And of course, the "V"-Max line may serve your needs well.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Nomad47]

MrM, I have a friend that tried a .243 caliber Berger varmint bullet that weighted somewhere between 80 and 90 grains (sorry, can't remember anything more than that). He had the same issues - the bullet would hit said groundhog (and apparently stun it) but the groundhog would recover and run to its hole.

 

[LCazador]

I experienced this before with Berger bullets in a different caliber. Same scenario like you're describing, incredibly accurate groups, and incredible long shots on game( big desert Jackrabbits)offhand! All the game showed no signs of entrance or exit but dead right there or in the case of a couple of coyotes a "run off"after laying there for a few minutes. My puzzlement continued until one day, I found that the bullets were disintegrating right around the 200 yard mark. I was checking my scope at 200 yards after missing several shots at 300 yards, and poof there it was a nice little puff of lead surrounding the hole in the target! I was shooting a shotgun not a rifle at the 200 yard plus mark!

 

[funkyon4wheels]

Is it possible that the bullet is hitting them and completely disintegrating inside the groundhog? I used to shoot a .204 Ruger and 39gr. SBK's and that thing would wallop chucks, but rarely ever left any red mist factor. I assumed that the bullet was hitting the chuck and dissipating all of its energy inside but didn't have enough to create and exit wound.

 

[lpreddick]

if the 88 berger came apart in the ghog it would hae DIED instantly amd may not have tail waved. these bullets pencil in and pencil out and if they puncture a big enough blood vessel, the pig bleeds out min later. true varmint bullets need a large enough tip to open very shortly after entry. i had too many do as you noted so i spent one winter hollowpointing match j4 jacketed bullets. slightly tedious but once hollowed out these bullets REALLY come apart, often with no exit. in my 6br he 68 cheeks/bergers drop the pigs instantly and most have no exit. some have just stopped moving...i initially thought i missed but the sound of impact is there. instead of the 88 bergers the 87 vmax would suffice, but i like hollowpointing my own.

 

[GrocMax]

Similar experiences with the 88 about the same velocity on PD's, usually hole-pokers BUT if you hit them juuuust right (hit bone on entry?), they would explode like I've never seen. Nothing left but 1" chunks in a 20 ft circle, and a bag of skin.

 

[AckleymanII]

Well, you have learned a very valuable lesson on the 88's. Now, for the ranges you are shooting, I would suggest the 80g Sierra Blitz, watch those chucks go fly'en! This is a very accurate bullet in my rifles. I shoot the 80g Sierra at 3400 through a stock 243 with IMR 4064, turns chucks in to fly'en gut rugs!

Another option is the 70 & 80g Nosler Ballistic tip.

Send me a PM and I will talk to you further, been down this road.

 

[MrMajestic]

I tried the Sierra 80's first but my gun didn't like them. I am going to use the A-Max until some V-Max become available. Just trying to get the velocity up a bit as this is my "Walking Gun" and if a 4-500 yarder presents itself I will still be able to handle it. In the areas I hunt in SC PA I really like the bullet to stay in them. The 39 grain BlitzKings in my .20-.223AI do and the 55 grain Bergers in the same are extremely destructive so I doubt there is much left after impact. I shoot the V-Max in all my .17's(Ackley Hornet, Ackley Bee and Fireball) and the 20's don't exit but the 25's from the Fireball do. There again I doubt much left due to the carnage! I also shoot the 70 grain Sierra BlitzKing in my 14tw .243AI and it performs great and doesn't exit on the large Chucks but the BC ain't great. Killed two tonight with the Fireball, 200 and 220, and it killed them stone dead!
Thanks for all the support and those that called me crazy you are correct also! ;D

 

[5spd]

I get rid of bullets that don't drop varmints on the spot myself, but like you try them out after seeing that happen to insure its the bullet that's not living up to expectations.
I have the 87g vmax if you need any.
The local wallymart stocks them out here weekly.
I agree on the 70g NBT and sierras 70g BK, they pop varmints perfectly, at least in my 6mms.

 

[sscoyote]

we also have them at our Wal-mart also--i have about 10 boxes of that bullet on hand constantly--great BC/varmint bullet IMO.