Anyone use Berger bullets in Africa

[buckmarkhunter]

So I am bow hunting a cape in April of 18. But I also am doing pg with my wife and using a gun. My question is at my current setup I have a 7mm and 300 rum that shoot bergers very well but I hear mixed reviews on African animals. Should I switch or will these be all right?

Kudu, zebra will be the biggest all other animals will be smaller. I now Barnes will work great but don't know about bergers. Thanks

 

[Buckdog]

Bergers are super accurate bullets but not up to the job of african critters in my opinion. Most on this forum will tell you barnes, swift a frames and personally i shoot nosler accubonds at plains game and swift a frames at DG. Nosler partitions have killed alot of critters in there day but getting a little long in the tooth, but in the day i have put alot of stuff down with noslers.
my fear for you with a 300rum that bergers will just exploded at those impact velocities and not penetrate very well. your 300rum will shoot thru most critters easily at 200 yds with a good bullets and put them down where they stand. 7mm's are no slouch either with good for purpose bullets. of the bullets i mentioned I can almost guarantee you that the accubonds especailly 200yds plus will be the most accurate. now the barnes guys are going to jump on me for that so be nice guys.

 

[BRICKBURN]

............. Most on this forum will tell you barnes, swift a frames and personally i shoot nosler accubonds at plains game and swift a frames at DG. ..........

I'll tell you to use the bullets that shoot best out of your rifle and you are confident with.
That being said, you have obviously had some of your confidence in the Berger bullets eroded.

Have you hunted with the Bergers at home?

 

[Patrick R]

Bergers are super accurate bullets but not up to the job of african critters in my opinion. Most on this forum will tell you barnes, swift a frames and personally i shoot nosler accubonds at plains game and swift a frames at DG. Nosler partitions have killed alot of critters in there day but getting a little long in the tooth, but in the day i have put alot of stuff down with noslers.
my fear for you with a 300rum that bergers will just exploded at those impact velocities and not penetrate very well. your 300rum will shoot thru most critters easily at 200 yds with a good bullets and put them down where they stand. 7mm's are no slouch either with good for purpose bullets. of the bullets i mentioned I can almost guarantee you that the accubonds especailly 200yds plus will be the most accurate. now the barnes guys are going to jump on me for that so be nice guys.

true words and my 2cents

 

[billc]

Berger bullets are design for long range shooting and work best at long range. Will they work maybe if everything is perfect and you don't hit bone at a distance the bullets were not meant for. Most shots in Africa will 1oo to 300 yards with most in the under 200 yd range.

I myself would use a barnes ttsx or swift A frame. Plenty of good bullets out there to use but I myself would put bergers done the list for hunting Africa. Test a few and pick what your gun likes and shots the best.

 

[gillettehunter]

I started to bring some Bergers this yr. Then had something happen with my accuracy. Went to a 1.5 inch group and the AB's were essentially 3 in 1 hole. So AB's it was. If you use the Bergers use heavy for caliber. I used 180's in my 7mm SAUM this yr. Took a Pronghorn and a deer. Neither large and both under 100 yds. Both were bang-flops. Never even twitched. The exit on the pronghorn was about tennis ball size and on the deer it was a bit smaller. In the .30 cals use the 215 hybrid. They have been used by a friend with excellent results on elk. Close range they may not exit depending on shot placement. Closer ranges behind the shoulder is better than on the shoulder.
One other thing to always do with a Berger is to run a SMALL drill bit down the hollow point. Ocassionally they are clogged and the bullet pencils through. With my current batch of 28 cal 180's I'm finding like 1 in 12 clogged...... Bruce

 

[Velo Dog]

I started to bring some Bergers this yr. Then had something happen with my accuracy. Went to a 1.5 inch group and the AB's were essentially 3 in 1 hole. So AB's it was. If you use the Bergers use heavy for caliber. I used 180's in my 7mm SAUM this yr. Took a Pronghorn and a deer. Neither large and both under 100 yds. Both were bang-flops. Never even twitched. The exit on the pronghorn was about tennis ball size and on the deer it was a bit smaller. In the .30 cals use the 215 hybrid. They have been used by a friend with excellent results on elk. Close range they may not exit depending on shot placement. Closer ranges behind the shoulder is better than on the shoulder.
One other thing to always do with a Berger is to run a SMALL drill bit down the hollow point. Ocassionally they are clogged and the bullet pencils through. With my current batch of 28 cal 180's I'm finding like 1 in 12 clogged...... Bruce

Hello gillettehunter,
Your attached post tends to validate my long standing distrust for all hollow point bullets, regardless of brand, caliber, velocity, material composition, and so forth.
Conversely, I have had such unwavering stellar performance from dreaded "cup & core", jacketed soft point bullets that, I continue to use same with every confidence.

Hello buckmarhunter,
The hyper-velocity cartridges you have there, can potentially cause very soft bullets to shatter at close range.
Therefore since you are a hand-loader, I highly recommend that you try the very sturdy Swift A-Frame bullets.
For your 7mm Ultra Magnum - the 175 grain or 160 grain.
And respectively, for your .300 Ultra magnum - the 200 grain or 180 grain, according to which of these 4 bullets proves most accurate, for your individual Ultra rifles.
Provided you find a powder / primer combination that results in usable accuracy with the A-Frames, these will serve you extremely well.
I promise you, there will be no failures to expand.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[buckmarkhunter]

This gives me a great starting point. Kind of what I thought just wanted to bounce it around and see what you guys thought. As always thanks for all your help.