Berger report from last October

[luvdemcoues]

I posted this in an old thread yesterday, but figured I would share with the rest of you that aren't interested in reloading. I didn't post these last year and just now getting around to it. I am pushing 140 grain Bergers with 59 grains of RL 22 and getting great accuracy with my 270 WSM. After switching to this load last year, in October my gun took 3 out of 4 deer from camp. My deer was shot at 235 yards and if not for the steep terrain would have likely died about where it stood. A buddy and fellow member on here shot his at 750 yards and my dad took his at 650 yards. My dad's shot was truly a lifelong memory I will have. It was his longest shot ever and to do it with just one shot was a thrill for him. The 750 yarder needed another shot to put it down for good but when we found it (pretty much where we shot it) it wasn't going anywhere. The first shot hit pretty high and to the back.

 

Needless to say, I am very impressed with the way the Bergers perform. Both accuracy and terminal performance.

 

In fact, I have finally convinced my brother to let me load him up some for his 300 WSM. I will be using either RL 22 or H4831sc with magnum primers pushing a 168 grain Berger. So if anyone has any suggestions on this caliber, that would be great.

 

None of the deer from last year were big, but the distances made it really exciting. Here are just a couple pics:

 

My dad's buck before he shot it.

 

My dad's buck with me and my brother. It was a little 2x3 but super cool.

 

All our deer.

 

First time my dad had ever taken an animal with any of his sons being there. And two of his sons also took animals. It was a year to remember!!!!

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Nice job guys. I too have had great success with Bergers. Everything from Elk to Coues out past 700. Nice job.

Congrats to the whole fam.

[Red Rabbit]

Were you able to investigate the wound channel? What tissues and bones did they penetrate? Did they exit? Pics of recovered bullets?

[luvdemcoues]

Were you able to investigate the wound channel? What tissues and bones did they penetrate? Did they exit? Pics of recovered bullets?

 

The deer I shot at 235 yards had an exit the size of a tennis ball, and the heart was completely destroyed as were the lungs. The damage to meat was minimal. The 650 yard shot had no exit wound, was gut shot but all of the vitals were like chunky soup. No bullet recovered and again virtually no meat damage. The 750 yard shot didn't break the deer's back but made it sick enough that it couldn't/wouldn't move. No exit wounds on that one either and no bullet recovered just a couple fragments here and there. I think those bergers literally just split into tons of different pieces and shred up the insides of animals.

All in all, I am a believer now.

 

And thanks Houston, it was a great experience. My dad can't stop talking about his "650 yard shot" and it makes me proud.