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Berger Classic Hunter

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jonoMT View Drop Down
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    Posted: November/12/2013 at 12:44
I wanted to give these a try since they have a high BC (.254 G7 for the 168 grain .308 bullet). I first loaded up 30 rounds of .308 Win and took them and the Tikka T3 Lite to the range. I shot 10 cold bore shots at the 100 yard range (until I was cold and bored), alternating with 10 rounds of .22 rimfire in between. The chrony was giving me weird readings...maybe from the snow on the ground, but it was in the shade, so perhaps an aging battery. Still, 7 of the 10 rounds were within ± 8 fps of 2780, which is very fast for a .308 barrel, especially a production barrel, yet I felt usable. I will revisit the subject next trip up there.
 
Over on the 300 yard range, I dialed in 1.2 mils elevation, per the inputs I entered in my calculator. I didn't have time to set up paper but shot 5 rounds at the 8" gong, then 8 rounds at the 4" gong. All hit except one shot on the 4" I know I pulled. So I felt the rifle was dialed in fine and that the chrony readings I averaged must be within 20 fps.
 
Last Wednesday, I got within 150 yards of two cow elk that had gotten separated from a bunch I'd spooked earlier. They were quartering away from me. I shot one in the rib cage. She ran on about 30 yards and dropped. Later, when field dressing her, I found the bullet (which I saved but lost). It had liquefied the heart and lodged in against the opposite shoulder blade. It had some mushrooming and a small piece (also recovered) had broken off. I was happy to see no disintegration into shrapnel.
 
Saturday, we were hunting antelope and whitetail in south-central Montana. Both were scarce on the ranch this year. My friend had a tag for a mule deer buck, which he filled early on. Finally, late in the afternoon after lots of poking around, we spotted some whitetail does and a buck bedded down. One of the other guys belly crawled with me to the edge of a ridge overlooking them. I asked if he wanted the buck, but he preferred to fill his deer tag with a big muley back home. I ranged the whitetail at 334 yards, dialed in 1.4 mils of elevation. There was no wind.
 
Being bedded down, he offered less target area. But the shot went true. He stood up and fell back over. When I field dressed him, I saw that the entry wound was right where I'd aimed. The exit wound was about 5/8" across. It had also hit a rib going out so there was a 1/2" wide channel about 2" long beside it. But certainly no grenading and no meat damage.
 
No telling how this bullet will fare up close. And I wish I could have tried one on an antelope. But from my experience so far, I'm happy with the accuracy and terminal performance. I'm not overly concerned with high BCs since, IMO, hunting should be confined to 400 yards or less (and that's 300 for elk), especially with a .308 Win. Yet, it certainly doesn't hurt.
Reaction time is a factor...
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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/12/2013 at 14:10
Good information.

I too like the Berger 168gr's. Excellent accuracy, but I've only shot 1 hog with one and that went through the noggin and out the other side with ease. 

What powder were you using? Seems like my load was 44.5gr. of Varget.  
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jonoMT View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/12/2013 at 23:00
45 gr. Varget in Lapua brass. Not being familiar with hog hunting was that a good result?
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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/13/2013 at 13:15
Originally posted by jonoMT jonoMT wrote:

 Not being familiar with hog hunting was that a good result?

Uh....yep. Dropped right there. The piggie was all of about 20 yards away. Wink  


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jonoMT View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/13/2013 at 13:57
Got it. I just wasn't sure whether it's better to splatter the insides or just shock 'em on the way through!
Reaction time is a factor...
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cheaptrick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/13/2013 at 14:35
I apologize. I used the VLD's, not the classic hunter you used. My bad.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bitterroot Bulls Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/13/2013 at 15:30
I shot an antelope in the throat patch with a 168 Berger CH from a 7mm RM at around 260 yards.  It left a large 4-5" wide exit wound after around 3 inches of penetration.

I think the high impact velocity combined with the soft tissue of the throat shot combined to cause the fragmentation.

I do think a thicker target like a broadside elk would have kept the damage from the fragmentation inside the animal and a smaller exit wound.  I hope to put this to the test soon.

This performance is similar to the Berger VLD Hunting kills I have had.

I like that Berger bullets seem to penetrate a few inches before fragmentation.  Kills have been very quick for me with Berger bullets as well.
-Matt
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November/13/2013 at 15:36
I think our friend Brandon has used the VLD's on deer before too, if I'm not mistaken.  
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