Bulldawg
11-02-2007, 11:34 AM
Out of curiosity and the fact that I had time to do it I decided to load my 300 RUM with Berger VLD bullets. This came about after I read an article in a magazine, the name of which eludes me right now (article had Berger and other bullets fired into test tubes). The article talked about the fact that even though the Berger VLD Bullet was a match type "paper punching: bullet it preformed good on game due to its terminal performance.
The Load:
Gun: Remington M 700 SPS w/ 26: Barrel
Bullet: Berger VLD (Very Low Drag) 155 gr
Powder: IMR 7828
Charge: 93.0 grains
Primer: Federal 215M
Case: Remington
COAL: 3.60:
MV: 3260 fps a little slower than published data. I've chronyed Remington Premier Scirrocco Bounded and have gotten velocities anywhere from 3400-3650 fps
BTW I am getting good groups on paper shooting 0.75" 3-shot groups at 100 yards.
Since I've only read of how these bullets perform I was a little skeptical of shooting a large buck as they can prove to be more tenacious in running after shot and have a knack for getting themselves lost in the woods after being wounded. With this in mind I went to the woods in hopes of seeing a suitably sized doe to shoot before I saw a buck that I couldn't resist.
After a couple of days in the stand seeing nothing but small does and fawns my wishes came true (I still can't believe that I was wishing to see a doe before I saw a buck :confused: ). Late yesterday afternoon a group of 5 does walked into the field my stand overlooks. A few minutes later after picking out the doe that would become my test media, a few relaxed breaths and one squeeze of the trigger later I had the first whitetail of the season laying on the ground. I later stepped off the distance that she had run after the shot; it turned out to be 30 yards. Not the instant, drop where shot result that I was hoping for but non-the-less dead.
The shot entered just behind the shoulder penetrating the lungs and did NOT exit :eek: . Upon opening her up I discovered that the bullet entered between two ribs hitting no bone at all. The expansion and energy transfer was great and the chest cavity looked like mush. The bullet definitely did what Berger and reporters claim it does. It expanded! Much to my dismay I was unable to find the bullet in my haste to get her quartered as it was getting late and my stomach and Mrs. Bulldawg were both yelling at me.
I was, however, hoping that it would have exited. Upon further inspection this morning the doe didn't bleed a drop (that I could find) which would leave me no way of tracking her if she had run into the woods or thick cover.
I know that this is just one instance and I still need to do more testing (guess I'll have to tell the wife I gotta go back into the woods a lot more this year) but thought that I would relay my findings to anyone who may be interested.
Conclusion: Don't think that I would want to be confronted with a quartering or any other kind of shot other than broad side and I dont think that I would feel comfortable shooting at a bigger buck without the bullet passing though and exiting to leave a blood trail to track by. Definitely would not take a shoulder shot as I am not sure how the bullet would perform on bone.
The Load:
Gun: Remington M 700 SPS w/ 26: Barrel
Bullet: Berger VLD (Very Low Drag) 155 gr
Powder: IMR 7828
Charge: 93.0 grains
Primer: Federal 215M
Case: Remington
COAL: 3.60:
MV: 3260 fps a little slower than published data. I've chronyed Remington Premier Scirrocco Bounded and have gotten velocities anywhere from 3400-3650 fps
BTW I am getting good groups on paper shooting 0.75" 3-shot groups at 100 yards.
Since I've only read of how these bullets perform I was a little skeptical of shooting a large buck as they can prove to be more tenacious in running after shot and have a knack for getting themselves lost in the woods after being wounded. With this in mind I went to the woods in hopes of seeing a suitably sized doe to shoot before I saw a buck that I couldn't resist.
After a couple of days in the stand seeing nothing but small does and fawns my wishes came true (I still can't believe that I was wishing to see a doe before I saw a buck :confused: ). Late yesterday afternoon a group of 5 does walked into the field my stand overlooks. A few minutes later after picking out the doe that would become my test media, a few relaxed breaths and one squeeze of the trigger later I had the first whitetail of the season laying on the ground. I later stepped off the distance that she had run after the shot; it turned out to be 30 yards. Not the instant, drop where shot result that I was hoping for but non-the-less dead.
The shot entered just behind the shoulder penetrating the lungs and did NOT exit :eek: . Upon opening her up I discovered that the bullet entered between two ribs hitting no bone at all. The expansion and energy transfer was great and the chest cavity looked like mush. The bullet definitely did what Berger and reporters claim it does. It expanded! Much to my dismay I was unable to find the bullet in my haste to get her quartered as it was getting late and my stomach and Mrs. Bulldawg were both yelling at me.
I was, however, hoping that it would have exited. Upon further inspection this morning the doe didn't bleed a drop (that I could find) which would leave me no way of tracking her if she had run into the woods or thick cover.
I know that this is just one instance and I still need to do more testing (guess I'll have to tell the wife I gotta go back into the woods a lot more this year) but thought that I would relay my findings to anyone who may be interested.
Conclusion: Don't think that I would want to be confronted with a quartering or any other kind of shot other than broad side and I dont think that I would feel comfortable shooting at a bigger buck without the bullet passing though and exiting to leave a blood trail to track by. Definitely would not take a shoulder shot as I am not sure how the bullet would perform on bone.