Berger match/hunting VLD Difference?

[mewachee]

I have a new .300 ultra and have decided to start out with Berger VLDs in 210 gn.

I can not figure out what the difference between the hunting and match bullets are. Berger says that the match bullet is not for hunting. I have read that they are virtually identical. I want to start shooting F Class with this gun and thought that I could shoot both with similar results.

Here is the question, is there a structural difference in them? Do you know what that difference might be? If they are in fact similar/identical, then why not shoot one bullet for both applications?

 

[mewachee]

Nobody knows?

Did I name the thread wrong?

 

[BFE]

I believe them to both be the same, I see no difference what so ever in them.

 

[45ACPUSER]

There is a jacket thickness difference between the Match Hunting VLD and Match Target VLD or Match Target BT. The Match Hunting VLD's have a thinner jacket.

If they were the same they would be the same stock # which they are not so there goes that idea they are SAME!


The Hunting Bullets come in an orange box versus the yellow box for match or varmint bullets or black for moly coated offereings.

 

[BFE]

I have shot deer with both target & hunting VLD's and see no difference in the wounds or end results. Guess I will have to cut a couple up to see for myself if there is a true difference. I have heard that some tried the target VLD bullets, found they did great for hunting and that's why they started selling them for hunting, if they were so good why would they change the bullet design.

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

45 acpuser is correct that is the difference. you I suppose could use the match ones for hunting. But it was found that the match ones needed a thicker jacket to keep them together.

 

[atvalaska]

well i "heard" that the target bullets "all weighed near the same" so they went in one box ...and the others/2nds/next box ...etc????/ looks to me as every box of there bullets say "match grade"

 

[mewachee]

This is where my confusion comes in. If they have the same shape, weight and BC, but the jacket is the only difference. Then why not use the hunting bullet, and keep it all the same. Unless the only real difference is tighter tolerances. In that case I would just by the target version, considering they cost the same.

I love barnes' SSTs for shorter range, but I like what these will do out there at longer ranges.

I guess a couple will have to go through the band saw.

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

I shoot bergers in all of my competition rifles.
First berger does not sell seconds like sierra does. second the bergers you buy are the same ones being shipped to any of their sponsered shooters. when you get a box of bergers they all came out of the same die compared to the sierra which comes out of many dies. what you get is a more consisent bullet.
sierra's big team sponsered shooters and I am not talking about state teams that are sponsered bullets are done the same way as bergers.
buy a box of bergers and you get the same bullets as EVERYONE else, not so with sierra.
Sierra makes a fine bullet also I just chose not to shoot them anymore.

thin jacket bullets have a tendency to come apart in certain barrels that you come across in competition barrels. Walt and eric plus a few others have used and experimented with actual hunting situations and they came up with the thin jacket version for hunting as the bullets just work better to give you a better hunting round.

You are using certain tartget vld's from berger at long distances like 800 to 1k yards and they are pushed much faster than a hunting round. I use the berger 6.5 and the berger 30 cal. for long range and a few friends are working with the 7mm bergers also.

 

[longdayjake]

While at shot show I asked what the difference was. They said that the hunting bullet uses a j3 jacket and the target bullet uses a j4 jacket. The only difference is the jacket thickness. They used to use the j3 jacket exclusively until the j4 jacket became the norm for bench rest shooters.

 

[mewachee]

Those are great answers. So explain this to me, why not just use the hunting bullet.

Based on what you said, Longday, is the old match bullet the new hunting bullet?

 

[45ACPUSER]

The were using J4 jackets when Berger first started! Sometimes people can not get it thru their head that the bullets are IN FACT DIFFERENT. The target bullets used to have thick in the product number. But, 2009 Berger redid the stock #'s. So, I know this for fact from one of the larger Berger Suppliers in the nation. So, do as you want, but in the end use the Match Hunting VLD's for hunting and the others for target shooting.

 

[mewachee]

Those are great answers. So explain this to me, why not just use the hunting bullet.

Based on what you said, Longday, is the old match bullet the new hunting bullet?

 

[atvalaska]

ok i had enough of here say... and called them today ...i was only looking at the .224 bullets 22/250... there all match grade!...(they watch there p's and q's)...." target ones" have a smaller "hp" then the varmit ones a bigger hp to expand faster....other than that they are the same.! ..last word right :from there person on the phone ..all jackets are "j4"?... as that is what they forund to be the "ticket"......

 

[mewachee]

thanks for calling, I think I will have to do that.

I still have more than a month before I can shoot these out past 400 yards. I will load both and check them out. I am still confused with that answer, just because the BC on both bullets are the same. If they do in deed have different HPs, then they should have different BCs. I have the target VLDs right here, but can't find the Hunting VLDs locally. I look forward to measuring and shooting both. It is interesting if they are in fact virtually the same externally, because the package on the target bullets says, "Not suitable for hunting."

 

[BFE]

In the 30 caliper 210 gr VLD the hunting & target have the same size points, there is no difference and I am glad to hear someone called and they verified.
Thanks!!!

atvalaska ok i had enough of here say... and called them today ...i was only looking at the .224 bullets 22/250... there all match grade!...(they watch there p's and q's)...." target ones" have a smaller "hp" then the varmit ones a bigger hp to expand faster....other than that they are the same.! ..last word right :from there person on the phone ..all jackets are "j4"?... as that is what they forund to be the "ticket"......