115 Berger bullet on axis deer

[BjornF16]

Hunting just west of Junction, TX this past weekend, had the opportunity to take an axis deer (indian sub-continent elk) with my 18" Satern barreled Grendel.

While I didn't have my camera available to take a picture of the animal, I did find the bullet jacket today while processing the meat. Pictures attached.

While I bear responsibility for bullet placement (ended up too high on shoulder), I can't say I'm too happy with the bullet performance on bone.

The bullet entered on shoulder, broke apart with lead deflecting off bone nearly 90 degrees and travelling through gut sack, then out the side near the opposite back leg. The bullet jacket ended up embedded in the backstrap (where I found it today while cutting steaks). I didn't find any broken bones in the shoulder that I shot.

I lost the tenderloins due to fecal contamination (it was one messy goo on the insides).

The 150 lb axis walked about 15 yards then lay down. I took a second shot to the neck to dispatch the animal.

Last year my son used same Grendel/Berger combination to take a whitetail...lost an entire shoulder due to the explosive nature of the berger bullet.

I think I'll switch to a different bullet for meat hunts and reserve the berger bullet for hogs, coyotes and such. It is a VERY explosive round!


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[Bwild97]

Are you sure it was a 115g 6.5mm projectile made by Berger? I am not able to find it on Berger's web site.

[sneaky one]

Bjorn, glad you took a deer. That bullet, and a few others are the reason I went to leadfree, and Interbonds for meat hunts. We've all been eating bits of lead forever.Time to change it up. Good shooting!

[sneaky one]

Bw, the 115 was from AA-last year, Bill A had a pallet load made for the forum members I remember now why I did not buy any. The weight is great---the bullet as designed is a lead based grenade. I won't use em-ever.

[BjornF16]

Are you sure it was a 115g 6.5mm projectile made by Berger? I am not able to find it on Berger's web site.

It is custom bullet/ammo from AA...see http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/6.5_Gre...ition.html

It is based off of the Berger 120 grain Match boat tail bullet, but with a "hunting" jacket instead of target jacket. See http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthrea...tion/page7

Bill Alexander:


Ok, here it is.

We will be running a one time only offer for this custom ammo. 115 grain Berger HPBT on Hornady brass at $162.50 per case of 200 plus shipping. The projectiles are based off the existing 120 grain so the Bc will be up at 0.480 but Berger is running the hunting type jacket so these will happily cross over from target to hunting applications. The offer is a first come first served deal and the run will be limited to a short production of 500 cases only. We will start to take pre orders for these immediately and anticipate completing the run and delivery by the close of this next month.

[BjornF16]

Sneaky One...you beat me to it!

BTW...I don't think the BC is anywhere near .480. I zero'd at 200 yards, ran jbmballistics based off of .480, and was significantly low at 400 yards (had good chrono data based off of 10 sample size).

[KentuckyBuddha]

So, is this the perfect inside-the-house home defense/varmint/ head or neck only shots hunting round for the Grendel though? So this was a one-off bullet for that special load for AA, but are there any other bullets that are designed to be "grenades" like that?

[Drifter]

So, is this the perfect inside-the-house home defense/varmint/ head or neck only shots hunting round for the Grendel though? So this was a one-off bullet for that special load for AA, but are there any other bullets that are designed to be "grenades" like that?

Based on my own testing using gallon-size water jugs, I believe the 100gr Berger will perform similarly. There are likely other lighter bullets that may provide similar results.


BjornF16- What was the shot distance?

[sneaky one]

KB. Try the 95 Hornady V-max- or the Speer 90 gr.TNT, or the 100gr. Hornady SP. I also found some wayyy old school Speer 87 gr. .263 units @ a gun show or 2, for El cheapo-5-8 bucks per 100.They go off like the varmint round they are, just fine. But I agree-head or neck shots only w/ these units lead dump bullets..Be lead free-someday-meanwhile eat safe.

[Bwild97]

Cool!! Thank you, I was actually looking for the BC and SD info on those 115g pills

[BjornF16]

BjornF16- What was the shot distance?

Roughly 75 yards...estimate velocity at impact was 2300 fps

[Whelenon]

Nice report on bullet performance, would like to see more of it. Congrats on your deer. Sorry to hear about those back straps.

[Nukes]

A fellow posted a picture of his head shot deer on Sniper's Hide and a wag commented, "Man that needs its own version of the Zapruder Film."
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...er=3599085