# Berger VLD hunting match bullets



## jk3hunter (Dec 29, 2010)

Does anybody have any experience with these bullets on big game? From what Ive read on other sites they are supposed to be the cats meow but would like to get more info. For a 308 I would like to shoot a 175 gr and Berger is the only brand to make a high BC hunting bullet in that weight. It also seems almost identical to the SMK but more reliable on big game


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

I have shot a few critters with them. They are good bullets much better reliability than a SMK. The SMK has a much thicker jacket. If you are going to shoot critters with them it is best to use the hunting version of the bullets. Both will get the job done but the hunting version come apart much better.

Some people ask for a Kleenex when they sneeze, Chuck Norris asks for a body bag.


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

I have no experaince with these, but I am not a fan of the "dump all the energy inside" theory, I like a bonded core that will shoot through an animal. Also that whole, should be touching the rifling kind of scares me as a rookie reloader, getting things that close is best left for profesionals.



> The Hunting bullet line features Very Low Drag (VLD) match grade bullets have the highest possible ballistic coefficient designed for 300 yards or more. These bullets are less affected by wind and expand rapidly upon impact. VLD bullets feature a sharp nose that allows the bullet to penetrate 2" to 3" before they begin to expand. They were designed to shed 40% to 85% of its weight for a large amount of internal damage, producing wound cavities approximately 13" to 15" in length. Please note that the bullet should be touching the rifling when loaded and won't work in most magazines. This is not loaded ammunition.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

I'll let you know after November. Just loaded up a bunch for my Savage 10FP. They shoot great, but I haven't shot any game with them yet.

huntin1


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## liljoe (Jan 25, 2008)

I have used them extensively the last few years as well as one of my sons. We both shoot 280AI and use the 168 Berger VLD's. We've used them on 8-9 elk, twice that many deer and antelope, 2 black bear and a Big Horn sheep. We have had no problems. Accuracy is stellar and performance is as good.

I started off 40 some years ago using sierra, became a Nosler partition customer, switched to Barnes X bullets for about 15 years and have now converted to the Berger VLD's. I am not knocking any of the other brands of bullets but have had nothing but good experiences with the VLD's. I will only switch brands of bullets when I think something is superior.

As far as having to jam them into the lands to get accuracy - that is an ********* tale that came from the bench rest circuit. I load mine at .020 off the lands and my son uses .015 off the lands. You might want to read this article in regards to getting max accuracy out of a VLD for hunting purposes:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/article ... racy-1.php

There will always be a difference of opinion on where you want the energy of your bullet to perform. I got on the VLD band wagon way before they became as popular as they are for a hunting bullet. I might add I was quite skeptical at first until I saw what my son was doing with them at some pretty far distances.

I might add that we bone out just about everything at the kill site , do all of our own meat processing and packaging so after being over a couple hundred gut piles I feel I have a pretty good idea of what happened at bullet impact and path of penetration.

The only negative I have found with the Berger VLD's is there have been times when no one in our area has them on the shelf - that can be a big pain when you are in the reloading room and want to get something done.


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## jk3hunter (Dec 29, 2010)

That is excellent! What MOA do you shoot with them? and this is a bit beside the point but what method do you use to measure how far the bullet is from the lands?


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## liljoe (Jan 25, 2008)

jk3hunter said:


> That is excellent! What MOA do you shoot with them? and this is a bit beside the point but what method do you use to measure how far the bullet is from the lands?


Both my sons rifle and mine are an honest 3/4 MOA any day of the week and on a good day they will go under a 1/2 MOA at 200 yds. I see no reason in the world to use the 100 yd target except to get a new rifle on paper.

To get my OAL I use a Sinclair seating depth tool along with one of their hex head comparator nuts that measures on the ogive not the tip of the bullet.

If you are looking for consistent accuracy here are a couple of things I have found after 40+ years of punching paper that have helped. No one thing seems to make a huge difference but the sum total seems to add up in spades.
-- -- There are many other things you can play with but if you start with good brass, life will be easier. Use same brand of brass and you may even decide to weight sort it.
-- Debur your brass flash holes (You only need to do this 1 time on new brass)
-- Uniform the primer pocket (One time on new brass)
-- I full length resize every time but only bump the shoulder back 1-2 thousands
-- If you are not annealing your brass, learn how - it pays, it is not expensive and only takes a very little time. I anneal every 3rd time reloading on my brass which in my personal opinion from observation greatly improves neck tension consistency on your bullets. This will also drastically increase the number of times you can reload a brass before things go south.
-- when you find the powder you like - buy enough of same lot number to last a long time, same with primers and the same with bullets. Every manufacturer has certain acceptable limits which means there is a variance. I have seen the same brand of powder in these 280AI's vary by as much as 2 grains from one lot to another to maintain the same velocity that was previously used. Every time we have to buy a different lot of powder we reload a few rounds and run them through my chrony and then double check by using our drop charts and firing out to at least 500 yds.

GOOD LUCK


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

liljoe, I enjoyed your post. As per your suggestion I should keep better track of my brass. Often I have once fired mixed with three or four times fired. 
I have used the 150 gr hunting VLD in my 270 and shot a few deer with that. What made me happy was the performance at 800 yards. Some bullets don't want to open. Now 800 yards some may think is a long ways for the old 270, and it would be with factory ammo and many reloads using other bullets. However, the high ballistic coefficient of the VLD gives my 270 more energy at that range than a factory load out of my 300 WSM.
I just ordered a 28 inch Bartlein barrel with radiused rifling, and a match chamber reamer custom built from Pacific tool and die to cut my chamber 300 Win Mag, 210 VLD, .004 off the lands. Right now I am shooting that bullet from my Remington Sendero and getting 2920 fps. With a 20 degree angle Ferris mount I can dial my Nikon past 1500 yards. I have shot deer to 1130 yards with 165gr Ballistic Tip so this year have to try top that range. I hope the new barrel will give me 3000 fps.

I'll have to be shooting my 300 Win Mag single shot when using the 210 VLD, but I have never felt that handicapped with a single shot anyway. Well, not deer hunting. Coyote is another story though.

Oh, I shoot the 140 VLD in my 6.5 X 284 Norma and I also have that .004 off the lands. I have that in the Cooper Phoenix and I'll have to say the VLD is accurate in that rifle. The smallest 100 yard group is .09 inches. I had some large ones as I tested seating depth, but once that was done most groups are under .2 inches. One of the four tags this fall will have to be filled using that rifle. I am using Lapua brass with that rifle, but found I still needed to turn the necks for better consistency. You would think at $125 per 100 brass that they would be perfect. They actually don't do that much better than necking down 284 Winchester and turning the necks down.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Thought I'd post up a pic,










After my ladder tests to find the best load I settled on 45.5 grains of Varget, loaded .004 off the lands. I then shot 5 strings of 5 rounds each for a total of 25 rounds at 100 yards. Group size was right around 1/2" for each string with the best at .464" and the worst at .542". The average velocity for these 25 rounds was 2735 fps. Was out at Pipestem the other day and shot three 5 round groups that were .765, .821 and .794, at 200 yards. I need to get out in the next week or so and do some longer range stuff, just haven't had time lately.

huntin1


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

Pretty...

Xdeano


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## jk3hunter (Dec 29, 2010)

huntin1 those things are beautiful! mind mentioning what rifle you shoot them out of? Also not to go off subject but does moly add a noticeable difference?


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Thanks guys, I usually don't care what they look like as long as they perform. For some reason I wanted these to look good too.

Rifle is a Savage 10FP 24" barrel, topped with a Nikon Monarch 4x16x42.

The moly cuts down on copper build-up and results in lower pressures. The 45.5 grains of Varget are slightly compressed. I am getting no indications of excessive pressure, I have no idea what the pressure would look like if the bullets were naked.

huntin1


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

I've had 200 of these (155g) for the 308 for some time now, just collecting dust. I should have worked up a load for this season with them, but opted to go with a 165 SGK because I figured it'd be a lot easier to get them to shoot well enough for a hunting load. Been a busy Fall, and load testing/reloading is not one of my major priorities. Still not done with that load.

May end up just shooting the Scenar this year. If this wind would ever die down I could maybe get something done.


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## Goose Huntin' Machine (May 8, 2005)

Only game I have shot with them is pigs. Dead right there. This is with 210g out of a 300RUM at about 2900fps muzzle velocity. Amazing terminal performance.


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