Berger 40 Grain Match Varmint

[FireBallGuy]

Look for some feedback as to how well these bullets perform on vermin.....what is the "splat factor" like? Recently learned my remington loves these bullets with 10X and I need to know if thier performance warrants thier price tag. Thanks all!

[joghotrod]

Look for some feedback as to how well these bullets perform on vermin.....what is the "splat factor" like? Recently learned my remington loves these bullets with 10X and I need to know if thier performance warrants thier price tag. Thanks all!

I just loaded up some of the 40 Bergers for my 4th annual trip to Co. to shoot Prairie Dogs, so I can't tell you about them until June. I can tell you that 50 grain Bergers do a great job on them. I normally shoot 39 BK's in my 1/12 twist and 50's out of my 9 twist rifles, but this year I an going to try the 40 Bergers in the 9 twist to see how they work. As long as they stay together, I am sure they will do just fine. Can you say splat? I can't wait! I will also be using RL 10x behind the 40's.

Jimmy

[FireBallGuy]

Please......let me know. Going to shelf them for the moment as the summer load has already been selected.

[joghotrod]

Please......let me know. Going to shelf them for the moment as the summer load has already been selected.

I will let you know. I did find out today that my 9 twist AR shoots the 40's really well, even from a mag. My 12 twist looks like a shot gun group. But that is ok, because it loves 39 sbk's.

Jimmy

[joghotrod]

I found out today that the 40 grain Berger has a pretty good splat factor. Picture below will verify.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b260/ ... 010006.jpg

[FireBallGuy]

Not bad!!

[pdsnyper]

I felt obligated to join the site, just to give you my real world experience.

I first noticed this post a few weeks back, when I was searching for feedback on Berger Varmint bullets.

I too, had learned that my Remington loves the Berger Match Varmint. I, however, was shooting the 35 grain, so not exactly what you are asking about, but again, I felt obligated to report.

My Savage .204's shoot Hornady 32 grain V-max bullets very well, but I couldn't get the Remington to group with the loads I had worked up.

When I tried the Berger, it was like somebody had switched guns on me. It had finally earned a pass to go prairie doggin'!


I'll jump ahead to the trip.

All the way out, I couldn't help but wonder how these Bergers would perform on prairie dogs, as I had never used them on anything but paper on the last trip to the range.

Well, we arrived, got set up, and the very first shot was a direct hit.
That hit, however, simply made a hole through the animal and he managed to crawl off and find a hole to go into, before I could get a follow up shot. Not the way I wanted to start and I even said something about my concerns to my hunting buddy.

I found my next target and basicly had the same type of results. I've maybe been spoiled in the past with the "explosive" results of the V-max bullet, but these Bergers were letting me down. They just didn't seem to expand. Almost passing through like I was shooting FMJ.

I proceeded to try about half a box and gave up on ever using them again for anything but paper.
They just do not provide a humane kill.

I do not know if a 40 grain would be that much of a different result, but my recommendation is to leave the Bergers for paper and maybe larger varmints with more mass.

I hope this helps.
Tim

[joghotrod]

Did you see the picture above? That was shot with a 40 grain Berger. I shot a lot of PD's with the 40's. I was using a 9 twist barrel which may make a differance, but they do work pretty good. I would rather use the 39 SBK's but in my 9 twist they come apart before the target. I have also used the 50 gr. Berger and they work pretty good also. I don't know anything about the 35's, because I have never used them. I also posted some more pictures and those pictures were shot of PD's which were shot using the 40's I agree they don't work as well as some, but from what I shot they worked pretty good.

Jimmy

I felt obligated to join the site, just to give you my real world experience.

I first noticed this post a few weeks back, when I was searching for feedback on Berger Varmint bullets.

I too, had learned that my Remington loves the Berger Match Varmint. I, however, was shooting the 35 grain, so not exactly what you are asking about, but again, I felt obligated to report.

My Savage .204's shoot Hornady 32 grain V-max bullets very well, but I couldn't get the Remington to group with the loads I had worked up.

When I tried the Berger, it was like somebody had switched guns on me. It had finally earned a pass to go prairie doggin'!


I'll jump ahead to the trip.

All the way out, I couldn't help but wonder how these Bergers would perform on prairie dogs, as I had never used them on anything but paper on the last trip to the range.

Well, we arrived, got set up, and the very first shot was a direct hit.
That hit, however, simply made a hole through the animal and he managed to crawl off and find a hole to go into, before I could get a follow up shot. Not the way I wanted to start and I even said something about my concerns to my hunting buddy.

I found my next target and basicly had the same type of results. I've maybe been spoiled in the past with the "explosive" results of the V-max bullet, but these Bergers were letting me down. They just didn't seem to expand. Almost passing through like I was shooting FMJ.

I proceeded to try about half a box and gave up on ever using them again for anything but paper.
They just do not provide a humane kill.

I do not know if a 40 grain would be that much of a different result, but my recommendation is to leave the Bergers for paper and maybe larger varmints with more mass.

I hope this helps.
Tim