which bullet to use

[m_freeman]

I will probably be hunting Southern California desert next year, so I expect to make a 250 to 375 yard shot with my 7mm-08.
I want to use a high BC bullet like Berger VLD but I don't want to waste meat either, any suggestions for a high BC bullet that
expands well without blowing up a side of meat. Or am I wrong about the meat damage done by the VLD I have never used one.

 

[Craig]

I don't know much about the Berger bullet but the Accubond works great.

 

[Iwrk2hnt]

I use the Berger 168 out of my 300 win and it performs great. I also use the 180gr accubond out of my 30-378 and it also works great. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

 

[longshot349]

I've killed Four deer with the Accubond this year already and it performed perfectly. I'm a long time Partition user and it was hard to get me to change , but for deer this bullet is near perfect.

 

[Lawrence]

My business partner killed a mule deer at about 280 yards this year with a 270 Weatherby Mag with a 150 grain Berger VLD. Dropped in its tracks, bullet performed as advertised.

 

[m_freeman]

>My business partner killed a mule
>deer at about 280 yards
>this year with a 270
>Weatherby Mag with a 150
>grain Berger VLD. Dropped
>in its tracks, bullet performed
>as advertised.


thanks for the info guys I realize how good these Berger VLD are my concern is wasting too much meat.Looking for good long range bullet (high BC) that won't waste a side of deer.

 

[JB148]

I use 150 grn Accubond in my 300 WBYMag. I use it on antelpoe, deer and elk works great. My last antelpoe at 578, furthest elk 496, and longest mulie at 406, my friends dad shot with my gun. I have used it up close as well works fine.

BC doesn't mean a thing unless you hit what your aiming at. JB

 

[oz31p]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-09 AT 06:42PM (MST)[p]+1 for the accubond.

i took my general season muley from 291 with a handloaded 180g accubond from my 300wm. dropped in his tracks. i have tested them out to 500y and i cant find a hunting bullet that flys better.

accubonds bc is quite high

 

[tex270]

For what you described in yardage, and the modest velocities of the little 08, I would try the 139 gr Hornady SST. I shoot them out of a 26" barreled 280, at about 3100 fps, and love them.

 

[BBB]

AB's have a high BC and my experience is they are consistent, unlike some other high BC high-dollar bullets. AB's are not what you want if you look to retain 100% weight, but they open up and hold together well with the bonded process and penetrate very well. I haven't seen one blow up nor not open yet, two reasons I don't shoot other high-grade bullets that I have had bad experiences with. I have not had an AB fail yet.

 

[treedagain]

for me the nosler partican is the best

 

[npaden]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-26-09 AT 04:51PM (MST)[p]I also like the accubond, but tried the E-tip this year. Shot my Muley head on and found the bullet just before it entered the hindquarter.

It looked almost like the commercial, but 2 of the expanding sides folded back, I guess from hitting bone.

The 95% weight retention claim was dead on.

P.S. - this was at about 50 yards out of a 7mm Rem Mag. 150gr.

 

[lip_curl]

the hornady sst has almost the identical BC as the berger doesnt make a mess unless you hit solid bone. i compared the sst and the accubond at the range also, the accubond groups start to get big at 400yards in my gun. ssts were tight out to 600.

 

[JB148]

Lip-Curl what type of gun are you shooting?

 

[lip_curl]

brownin A-bolt. light trigger and muzzle break.

 

[deerbedead]

Here's my two cents. I shoot a 25-06 or rather two of them for deer sized game. One takes Berger VLD's and the other takes Nosler accubonds.

I have shot several deer with both of these bullets, and they are all dead. But.... I am not going to shoot another animal with the vld's. They are a fine shooting bullet, but they are not for hunting. I know there are a lot of guys that have killed all sorts of animals, but in my opinion they have some faults that I won't chance on an animal.

My wife shot a buck this year at 240 yards with the 25-06 and the vld. The buck was standing behind a small sage bush and the bullet clipped the sage and hit the buck in the chest behind the shoulder. It ran off. We tracked it and found it about 80 yards away dead. The lungs and part of the guts were hanging out of a hole in the ribs that was the size of a football. The bullet had expanded before it hit the deer and blew an enormous hole in the rib cage. It didn't penetrate more than an inch. I know the deer died quickly, but to me that isn't what I want in a bullet.

Last year I shot a bear with the 7mm stw using 168 gr vld's. The bear was broadside and when I shot he lifted his front leg to step and the bullet hit the front leg and blew up on the front leg. The bear ran off and I tracked it for over two miles never recovering it. I believe the bullet did just what it was advertised to do... penetrate 2-3 inches and blow up violently. That kept it from penetrating the chest cavity like most other premium bullets would have done.

My two cents aren't worth much, but for me I'm shooting accubonds and staying clear of the VLDs for big game. The vld doesn't really do much for you until you are shooting at extreme long range anyway. Not 400 yards either. I'm talking 600 to 1200 yards. I want a bullet that is designed to penetrate and hold together, not blow up. You never know when you will have to take a shot at an angle that is not perfectly broadside. Besides, my favorite rifle likes the accubonds better anyway.

DeerBeDead

 

[m_freeman]

thanks for the info I think I'll buy some accubonds and a few other controlled expansion bullets see what my rifle likes.