Would You Use Berger Bullets For Elk

[Cow Town Bill]

I'm working up loads for my 30-06 and am considering using Berger 165 hunting bullets. My test loads are very accurate but I wonder how they work on big animals like moose and elk. I have used their target bullets on paper and gophers and they work great.
I have great experience with Nosler partitions and Barne's TSX's and am considering Bergers---always good to try new products and I have read good things about Berger.
What experiences do members have with Bergers on moose and elk?
Bill

[Bergerboy]

You will find only two opinions on this subject and they should be fairly equal.
-The Elk that was shot with a Berger walked away unscathed and it was either lost or not found until 10 miles and 3 days has gone by.
-The Elk dropped in it tracks like it was hit with an electrified garbage truck.

[Pudelpointer]

If it was the only option available, sure.

If I had ANY other hunting bullet available, no.


You asked....

[32-40win]

I always try to allow for a shot that I may have to punch some bone on, or have to go the hard way into an animal. You don't always have the opportunity of a broadside shot. I dare say a Berger may be an accurate bullet, and more readily available at the moment than some others. but not my first choice for an elk or moose. What is the point of using it if you are not sure about its capabilities?

[Mateo]

I've been shooting Bergers for awhile and will use them on both my deer this fall and to fill my Elk tag. ( hopefully)
I have no hesitation. It's the most accurate in my .270 and I know I can put it where it counts. Shot placement outweighs selection between different HUNTING bullets. If it's accurate, use it.

[Robmcleod82]

Berger will make dead animals. Biggest I killed with bergers was a buffalo with a 190g vld

[Leeper]

I have not been able to come up with a scenario which would cause me to want to use Berger bullets on big game but a lot of people seem to like them. Leeper

[astepanuk]

Berger Bullets are just like advertised they Shed 60% of their weight I shot a bull elk at 200Yard good sold lung shot I found pieces of bullets just about in every bite of the elk. If you’re looking for a bullet to drop an animal they work great do I still shoot them answer is I just loaded 50 more 230 GR Berger Hybrids ready for the season. Everyone has their favorite bullets and my 300 RUM loves them.

[Unregistered user]

I used the same bullet in my-06 for deer last year, very accurate, very quick kills but lots of wasted meat. Going back to the good ol' Interlock this fall.

[elkhunter11]

There are too many tougher bullets on the market, for me to resort to using Berger bullets on elk.

[Gboe8]

They flat out kill. My yummy elk steaks prove it

[Bobby B.]

Tougher bullets? Tougher how? Sure as Hell they aren't tougher on animals. Bergers kill better than any other bullet I've used, or seen used. That includes a number of German bullets as well as others.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, almost every animal I've shot with the 168 Bergers out of my 7RM was a DRT. Including 1 shot on a 1800 lb eland, a zebra, a blue wildebeest, moose, elk.... and many other 'tough' African PG.

There are many 'good' bullets out there, my favorite is the Berger VLD. Nothing like a 'handgrenade' in the chest to destroy vital tissue.

Bobby

[elkhunter11]

Tougher bullets? Tougher how?

Tougher as in tough enough to hold together if it has to pass through a shoulder before reaching the vitals, on a raking shot.

Nothing like a 'handgrenade' in the chest to destroy vital tissue.

A hand grenade in the lungs is great for destroying tissue, but first it has to reach the vitals, and every animal doesn't provide a broadside shot.

[gtr]

Google is your favourite,better use it.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by gtr

Google is your favourite,better use it.

And not surprisingly, your posts continue to be nothing more than cheap shots at various people, with no information worth reading.

[Robmcleod82]

how many animals have you shot with bergers elkhunter?

[Bobby B.]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Tougher as in tough enough to hold together if it has to pass through a shoulder before reaching the vitals, on a raking shot.



A hand grenade in the lungs is great for destroying tissue, but first it has to reach the vitals, and every animal doesn't provide a broadside shot.

From my personal experience, Bergers have penetrated through the shoulder and well into the vitals, and beyond. Based on my personal experience, Bergers are more than tough enough, and then plus some. I'm talking personal firsthand experience and not something I've heard or read.

Almost every animal presents a broadside shot if the hunter bides his time. Having said that, I've shot a few running animals in the ass with Bergers and every single one of those animals went down thus offering me a broadside shot.

How many animals have you shot with Bergers?

Bobby

[silver lab]

Originally Posted by Robmcleod82

how many animals have you shot with bergers elkhunter?

Sounds like a big fat zero. Lol
I have used them, and still do. I use barnes, horn and even BTs, I've made some bad hits with bergers and ALL animals shot with a bergers drop at the shot.
Use them and tell use all how they worked out. You"ll buy more.

[elkhunter11]

Having said that, I've shot a few running animals in the ass with Bergers and every single one of those animals went down thus offering me a broadside shot.

My intention with the first shot, is to kill the animal, not to cripple the animal, so that it presents a shot that I can finish it with. If I am not confident that I can kill the animal with the first shot, I won't shoot at all.

I haven't used Berger bullets on big game, but I have seen enough negative reports, not to bother trying them, given that there are so many bullets that I know can get to the vitals, with any shot that I choose to take.

In fact, some comments made by fans of Bergers on this thread, make me even more hesitant to try them.. Comments such as;

Nothing like a 'handgrenade' in the chest to destroy vital tissue.

I don't want a bullet that fragments like a hand grenade, for game like elk and moose, I want a bullet that expands and retains most of it's mass, to aid in penetration.

[Bergerboy]

Elkhunter, stop trying to discredit what everyone says. You say that you want "deep penetration". Berger's come apart, dump lots of energy (that causes trauma to kill things quickly BTW) and then carries through the animal. Ones I have shot with Bergers had holes in both sides.....cant get much deeper penetration. I have also made a liver shot on a deer and it only made it 30 yards. Its was a messy gut session but at least it came apart, killed the animal, and didn't hold together and make a pencil hole through it. If you read some of Bobby B's posts you will recognize he has done more hunting over this planet than most of us could dream of.

[Bobby B.]

Everybody's intent is to kill with the first shot. So what? It doesn't always happen that way. Your confidence is not the deciding factor, what kills the animal is.

Rather than presenting your theories about Bergers, present some firsthand facts.

Despite your insinuations about what bullets will or will not make it to the vitals, the fact remains you have zero firsthand experience with Berger performance on game. Until you do, it would be wise to limit your speculations. The OP asked which members had experience with Bergers. You have none. Let's stick to the facts, it seems the logical thing to do.

Bobby

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

A hand grenade in the lungs is great for destroying tissue, but first it has to reach the vitals, and every animal doesn't provide a broadside shot.

I just realized Elkhunter is not aware lungs are vitals. Wow.

(see what I did there Elk? I used your trick)

[Gboe8]

This is getting good...

[sns2]

I'm no authority on anything, but I do know that when you go into gun stores across North America, you often see that Berger has various promotional materials, most of which have Bobby B's picture on them. Why? He was one of the early pioneers that set out to prove Berger VLDs as an effective plains game hunting bullet, not some Johnny come lately who just started watching Best of the West and wanted to duplicate the success they watched on tv with the magic guns and pretty blue topped scopes.

He's not a poser people. He knows that of which he speaks.

I would have a hard time believing that there are many people on the face of this earth who have shot a greater number of species with Berger VLDs than Bob. His trophy room(s) bears witness to it. His African room is stunningly full of world-class trophies that all dropped to 168 grains of Berger lead and gilding metal, many of which were NOT ideal broadside shots. No bullets "blew up on the skin" either. Many of them broke bones more stout than on elk or moose.

Full disclosure here. I have killed a handful of whitetail deer with them. All died instantly. More importantly, over the last two seasons I have also watched numerous animals fall to Bobby B's 260 Rem which was launching 130 VLDs, including bull elk.

Trust me people. They work. But as we know, so do many bullets.

Are they better than Barnes for a raking shot that needs to bust a front shoulder? Undoubtedly not. Are they the best single choice for bull elk? Some may say yes. Some may so no way.

But for the Interweb Jockeys on various forums who say they shot animals who ran away because a Berger blew apart? To be polite, I doubt it.

It's all about choices, and in the OP's scenario, bull elk, there are many good ones, including Berger VLDs.

To the OP, if you're curious about them, go ahead and use them, then you can speak from experience, as well as be able to eat nice elk steaks.

[Bigmountainrider]

Well written, Thank you.

[Pathfinder76]

You guys are going to shame me into trying them yet. :-)

I guess why not, I've used just about everything else. My conclusion is that nothing is perfect. Maybe Berger will change that. :-)

[Bergerboy]

I'm still trying to figure out how people killed animals for years with round lead balls. The second we wrap said round ball in copper, it fails to work. Must be the velocity (sarcastic intent).

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Bergerboy

I'm still trying to figure out how people killed animals for years with round lead balls. The second we wrap said round ball in copper, it fails to work. Must be the velocity (sarcastic intent).

I have shot enough game to know that bullets can fail to penetrate properly.

[Bergerboy]

Originally Posted by chuck

I have shot enough game to know that bullets can fail to penetrate properly.

Fair enough, it just seems like there is a constant battle between bullet performance such as Barnes that hold together to the opposite side of the spectrum like Bergers that dump energy to partitions that span the gap. The body of a game animal is complex and is not a block of ballistic gel. The question is....what is the right answer. I happen to like Bergers. They go through bone and dump energy. Stuff dies fast. If I begin to have bad luck with them I will change my stance....and my handle too.....Barnesboy?

[DaleJ]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

And not surprisingly, your posts continue to be nothing more than cheap shots at various people, with no information worth reading.

Just like your posts.