I found a great deal on 95 grain Berger VLDs for my .243. Worked up some preliminary loads, and lo and behold, two loads with IMR 4350 went under an inch. Now I'm gonna mess with seating depth, and a higher charge. Has anybody used this bullet in a .243 on a critter? They have promise to be really accurate, but my experience with them in a .300 RUM wasn't very good. Thanks, mtmuley
The VLD in .243?
- Thread starter mtmuley
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Topgun 30-06
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mtmuley---I sure hear a lot about the Berger bullets, but since I found a load for the Hornady BTSPs in .243, 25-06, and 30-06s that all give under MOA I'm going to stick with them. I shot my 80" antelope in Wyoming with my .243 Sako last Fall using 33 grains of IMR 4064 behind the 100 grainers and he didn't know what hit him. This is the target that I worked up to with that load and is the best I've ever shot from the bench with any rifle in my life. You can cover 8 of those 9 shots with a dime.
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Bugle 'Em In
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mtmuley - what do you mean by this statement..."They have promise to be really accurate, but my experience with them in a .300 RUM wasn't very good."?
Topgun: My Dad bought me a Sako Forester .243 in 1961, and I shot countless animals with it over the years. Always used a 100-grain Hornady Spire-Point (I think it is called the Interbond today.) For years I used IMR-4064 powder, then switched to H-4831 because I got similar accuracy and more velocity. I had the rifle completely restocked with a glorious piece of French walnut that I bought for half price when Reinhart Fajen went out of business in the 1990s, had the barreled action reblued in a rust blue, front sight removed and put a 2X-7X B & L Elite 3000 on it. I hope to pass it on to my grandson one day.
Topgun 30-06
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Papa-Zula---The Interbond is a bonded bullet that Hornday offers in a lot of calibers and is different than the BTSP we're talking about. Fajen did make some gorgeous stocks and I'll bet with what you had done to yours that your grandson will be inheriting a work of art. Any pictures of it?
tarheel
Well-known member
Haven't tried the Bergers yet, but have been using the Partition in a 95 weight with 42.5gr of IMR4350. That's pushing it to the edge but I get 3100fps and better groups than with lighter loads. I know that flies in the face of reason and the norm, but that's what my Winchester 70 likes. The partition isn't the most accurate bullet, but I get sub MOA and I like what happens when it arrives at it's destination.
jryoung
Well-known member
The 105s seem to work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY0w1c-gf18&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY0w1c-gf18&feature=youtube_gdata_player
TOPGUN, I'm geting this rifle ready for my daughter. Got almost a full box of the VLDs on MM. I'm a bit nervous about using them for her to hunt with. I figured I could get no nonsense real world advice here as opposed to some other sites as to how they work in a hunting situation. At the very least, they will be great for practice, and I plan on loading the Accubond too. Bugle Em In. That means exactly what it says. The 95 grain VLD looks to be very accurate in my .243, just as the 190 is in my RUM. Shot an antelope last fall and didn't care for the result. mtmuley
track1
Well-known member
I killed my mule deer this year with my wife's .243 at 420 yards with the hornady superformance 95 gr. I found the bullet in the far hide and it weighed 58.5gr.
Topgun 30-06
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mtmuley---If you are hesitant about the bergers like you stated, I'd really like you to try that load I mentioned as that BTSP in all three calibers I use them in has been absolutely outstanding for both accuracy and for big game performance up through mule deer size animals. I quit huntiing elk, but went to the Interbond 150s in my 30-06 with similar results and the same POI as the 150 BTSP in that caliber before I quit and just started helping friends hunt them.
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Elkmagnet
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The 190vld's killed elk great but made a mess doing it. I'm just not a fan of bullet fragments in my burger. You won't find any Burger fragments in my burger anymore .
belly-deep
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Have you seen the video John Burns posted on youtube of a girl dropping an elk at 600 yards with a VLD/.243?
Elkmagnet
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He also has one of a 4 year old shooting a pronghorn with the new vld pellet out of a custom air rifle. It sounds ethical as long as you use the 22cal. for the b.c. At ranges of 200+ the 177cal drops to much.
belly-deep
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Elkmagnet
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I'm going to need a new chronograph.
webejmn
New member
Prefer the Hornady 100 gr Interlock. Sub one inch group, at 200 yards with a savage axis, plenty of put down on deer. Nuf said.
I've seen the Burns thing. I wouldn't try shooting an elk with a .243 and VLD at 60 yards much less 600. The bullets were a cheap score, and they shoot well so far. Perfect for practice. Like I said, I'm an Accubond guy anyway. mtmuley
Topgun 30-06
Active member
mtmuley---That Burns video got a lot of LR shooters ticked off that he would do such a thing with a .243 and that girl had never shot it or at a big game animal at any distance before that cow elk!
Papa-Zulu---If you know how to email pictures, send them to me that way at:
[email protected]
Papa-Zulu---If you know how to email pictures, send them to me that way at:
[email protected]
sbhooper
Well-known member
I agree. Bergers are probably OK, but I have killed over 100 deer with 100 grain Hornadys and they have never failed to perform as expected. I shoot them out of a 6mm at 3000 fps and that velocity really seems to be the sweet spot for that bullet. The farthest measured kill was 336 yards.
