This is an AWESOME thread. Thanks for all the pictures (although it makes me jealous I still don't live in CO). Looks like the bergers are doing the trick.
Hunting & Fishing 7WSM 180 Berger takes down two Grizzlies and More!
- Thread starter Skyking
- Start date
How do the 180 VLD's feed through the Gap NT, what bottom metal are you all running and how is the clearance?
Great thread.... I just got started developing a load for my DTA SRS 7WSM.... might have to give the 180's a try. I was going to use 168's.
I am pretty sure this thread just cost me some money in the next 6 months! Are all of the rifles non-typicals or are some of you using more customized builds from GAP? Looked like an A-5 on one of them maybe? 26 inch barrel long enough?
Only one of the guns was a GAP non-typical, some are GAP custom builds with a few other custom builds in there as well. Its an A3-5 with 26 inch barrel.
Here is the latest kill from this year.
I shot mine at 1100 yards with my 7saum Thunderbeast 30p-1 Berger 168 vld's hunting. Dropped it in its tracks. I will post video of it later.
My Brother's 785 yards. 243AI Berger 105 Hybrids.
Long Range Hunting. - YouTube
Last edited:
Here is a few more for you guys.
My Buddy shooting a Crescent Customs 7wsm 180 hunting vld 240 yards
Practicing Thursday before the hunts. 1000 yards
Four different guns. 243AI, Two 7wsm's, 7saum
900 yards
The hunt. The guy on the right took the shot in the picture above, that's his boy with the deer. 7wsm 180 hunting vld 960 yards. The deer rolled 1000 yards down the hill.
300 win mag 190 hunting vld 545 yards
My Buddy shooting a Crescent Customs 7wsm 180 hunting vld 240 yards
Practicing Thursday before the hunts. 1000 yards
Four different guns. 243AI, Two 7wsm's, 7saum
900 yards
The hunt. The guy on the right took the shot in the picture above, that's his boy with the deer. 7wsm 180 hunting vld 960 yards. The deer rolled 1000 yards down the hill.
300 win mag 190 hunting vld 545 yards
Last edited:
I am with you 100% on this and thats why I will be taking Accubonds with me on my Alberta whitetail hunt next year. Bergers might kick ass 95% of the time and drop more game than any other bullet but I do NOT want a bullet that "dumps all of its energy." I want large exit holes 100% of the time.
Your dreaming if you think there is such a bullet. There is no prefect bullet. Nothing in hunting is 100%
Your absolutely right in that nothing is 100% but by design, a bullet such as an Accubond is going to give you that large exit hole more than a bullet like a Berger that brags about "dumping all of it energy".
Your right, nothing is 100%, and therefore, the Accubond is NOT always going to give you that large exit hole. Every bullet can fail, putting all your faith in one bullet will eventually leave you hanging. Concentrate on putting a bullet through the oil pump, and the rest will take care of itself.
Man, I'd really like to try the vlds in my 7saum but the finicky seating depth issue was a problem for me on my 308. I mean, I could get minute of pig with them but I never found a sweet spot.
Is there a secret to finding the right seating depth without going through several hundred rounds? I'd like to try the 140vld hunting bullets if they can handle 7 saum velocities.
My saum will be strictly a hunting rifle, but I want to be successful out to as far as 600yds on javelina and deer so a sub minute load is a must.
By the way, several very impressive kills on here - I'm jealous!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Is there a secret to finding the right seating depth without going through several hundred rounds? I'd like to try the 140vld hunting bullets if they can handle 7 saum velocities.
My saum will be strictly a hunting rifle, but I want to be successful out to as far as 600yds on javelina and deer so a sub minute load is a must.
By the way, several very impressive kills on here - I'm jealous!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Thanks! George ordering that first gun from you is what started this whole thing, and I couldn't be happier.
Why not just load up the 180gr Hybrid and forget about seating depth? Seems there is a large enough sample set of guys using the Hybrids in hunting situations where it performs as well as a VLD.
I want the lighter, faster flying, flatter trajectory bullets for the greater point blank range, plus I don't think I'm throated long enough for the 180s.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Admittedly, no. I'm not ruling the vlds out, but right now it's a moot point as they are elusive right now. I saw some last week at a lgs but passed them up. I doubt they're there anymore but I'm going to check tomorrow.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the heads up, but I am giving the Berger 168 classic hunters a try first. I'll let you know how that goes.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Just got this picture from my shooting buddy Sam. His dad just shot this Ram. They scored it at 182.5 Takes 175 to make the books, 180 to make all books.
7wsm 180 Berger vld 500 yards
7wsm 180 Berger vld 500 yards
Had a good day of cow elk hunting with my dad and brother.
Shot mine at 1350 yards 7saum 168
Dads Gap 7wsm 180 Berger 180 vld 760 yards
Bro's 243AI Berger Hybrid 105 875 yards called head shot. We have it all on video. I will have to get it on here.
7mm 168 Berger vld bullet from the 1350 yard elk
Shot mine at 1350 yards 7saum 168
Dads Gap 7wsm 180 Berger 180 vld 760 yards
Bro's 243AI Berger Hybrid 105 875 yards called head shot. We have it all on video. I will have to get it on here.
7mm 168 Berger vld bullet from the 1350 yard elk
My buddy has a 30 Hart that he has run the 190 VLD and 210 VLD. The 210 is on the upper side of being effective on smaller size deer but still kills them. You just get more exit wounds than with the 190's. Just about everything he shot with the 190 was bang, flop from 70 yards to I think to around 7-800 and the bullet never comes out.
If you want to shoot deer sized game at higher velocities, in any caliber with the VLD, I'd go with the lighter offerings from Berger if you want bang-flop and no exits. If you don't care about bang-flop every time then the heavier offerings will do just fine. You will just get a few more exit wounds from my experience.
For example, out of my STW at around 3140 with the 180VLD I get an exit about half the time and a bang flop about half the time. Always dead animals. I tried the 140VLD and it was bang flop every time and never an exit wound. Its all relative and situational.
Bottom line, you put any quality hunting bullet in the boiler room its going to result in dead game.
Nice muley we got in 2011 Wyoming
Attachments
Last edited:
Ill never understand it. Dont get me wrong I have been shooting since I could hold a gun, hunting since I was about sixteen. But all the animals I kill I eat, weather its a fish or a deer. Did these guys eat the grizzly bears? What is the point in shooting them? That a 180 gr bullet will kill one?
