31'' Colorado buck 3rd season

[robby denning]

Fab buck, thanks for the photo. Impressive velocity out o that 280. Rivals most 7mags!

I've only shot two deer with Bergers. Both in classic hunter and one 7mm Rem mag 168 gr and one 270 in 130 gr. Both bullets created massive internal damage and only one out of four shots on the two deer passed through. Small sample size but happy so far.
I did have a Speer boat tail do almost the same thing as you guessed happened on your buck- very steep quarter angle with little penetration but my buck got away. Killed a half dozen more bucks with the speer with no more problems. Who knows. Seems like all bullets can fail depending on how we hit them.

 

[TrophyHunter_colorado3322]

Yea 280 Ackley Improved is vary effitiant when using H1000 powder. I agree with you on how no matter what bullet, there is a situation that will make them not work as desired.

 

[Formidilosus]

I wish that I would have taken more pics of the cape but this is what makes sense to me. The buck was quartering away, the bullet went down his ribs shaving the fir off him like a razor for 4 inches before entering the skin. It then hit a rib and literally exploded on surface sending some fragments in to the chest cavity. My best observation was that the steep angle of the bullet entering and the contact with the hide and rib was enough to initiate the bullet expansion. I know that I don't post a lot here but I have harvested a lot of animals and have never had this happen to an animal. Im just stating my findings so it may help give data that may help somebody with a similar problem. Thanks to everybody for there observations and opinions as it helps me think outside the box!

That would make some sense. Have shot A LOT of bullets in testing and Berger VLD's are some of the most consistent bullets out there. They will penetrate 2-3 inches with no expansion before the nose collapses and they fragment violently. They have no issue getting through bone or hide in those first couple of inches, but once the nose starts collapsing, they come apart in a hurry. If the bullet slid along the skin on a hard quartering shot, it very well could be starting to fragment by the time it reaches the shoulder.

 

[cmbbulldog]

Congrats on a great buck.

 

[TwoTikkas]

That's a wall buster. Nice!

 

[robby denning]

That would make some sense. Have shot A LOT of bullets in testing and Berger VLD's are some of the most consistent bullets out there. They will penetrate 2-3 inches with no expansion before the nose collapses and they fragment violently. They have no issue getting through bone or hide in those first couple of inches, but once the nose starts collapsing, they come apart in a hurry. If the bullet slid along the skin on a hard quartering shot, it very well could be starting to fragment by the time it reaches the shoulder.

That gets my vote for what likely happened.

 

[bigmoose]

That would make some sense. Have shot A LOT of bullets in testing and Berger VLD's are some of the most consistent bullets out there. They will penetrate 2-3 inches with no expansion before the nose collapses and they fragment violently. They have no issue getting through bone or hide in those first couple of inches, but once the nose starts collapsing, they come apart in a hurry. If the bullet slid along the skin on a hard quartering shot, it very well could be starting to fragment by the time it reaches the shoulder.

I think a hard quartering shot is a worse case scenario for these bullets and for that reason, I've stayed with Accubonds and Partitions. You don't always have a perfect broadside shot, especially if you jump the buck and a hard quartering, going away shot is the only shot he leaves you with. Just sayin...

I will say, that those Berger bullets will explode like a bomb once they enter the animal. There are some very impressive one shot kills on their web site.

 

[TrophyHunter_colorado3322]

I think a hard quartering shot is a worse case scenario for these bullets and for that reason, I've stayed with Accubonds and Partitions. You don't always have a perfect broadside shot, especially if you jump the buck and a hard quartering, going away shot is the only shot he leaves you with. Just sayin...

I will say, that those Berger bullets will explode like a bomb once they enter the animal. There are some very impressive one shot kills on their web site.

This is why I have used there target bullets for hunting, especially the 230 OTM, 215 target Hybrid and the 105 Target. I know these are not .284 bullets but just stating what I have had a lot of BOOM FLOP kills with. The thicker jackets on these bullets allow you to get away from the situation I ran in to with the hunting VLD's. I like Berger bullets High BC's for long range precision shooting and they are vary, vary accurate. I was always worried with the Hunting VLD's because of what happened with me on this buck, I for one wanted to see it for myself before having an opinion on them. I also understand people kill animals year in and year out with the hunting VLD's with no issues, i commend those people for sticking to what works for them.

 

[Formidilosus]

Proper application of bullets that are violent expanders such as Berger's, Hornady AMAX's, etc. is different from controlled expansion bullets in non-broadside, or nearly so, shots. On extremely hard quartering away or facing away shots, don't try to slide them into the chest cavity, instead go straight to the tailbone. An animal facing straight away isn't going anywhere with a VLD or AMAX put into their hips. Yes, it will require a finishing shot, but if you're shooting an animal going straight away then you've already decided that the perfect shot isn't important.

 

[Pass-n-Thru]

Very nice buck for sure! I'm riding on 6 points for Colorado next year, just can't decide which unit to target. Being here in WA, makes it only research scouting on the inerweb.

Congrats again!

 

[TrophyHunter_colorado3322]

Very nice buck for sure! I'm riding on 6 points for Colorado next year, just can't decide which unit to target. Being here in WA, makes it only research scouting on the inerweb.

Congrats again!

Any unit in Western Colorado from Grand Junction all the way to Vail and then north to Kremmling and south to Durango you have a chance at a good deer as long as you do your part. Colorado is a magical state for Mule deer. This buck I killed in a unit that takes 1 point to draw and I have killed 165-190 bucks every year I have hunted it.

 

[Pass-n-Thru]

Any unit in Western Colorado from Grand Junction all the way to Vail and then north to Kremmling and south to Durango you have a chance at a good deer as long as you do your part. Colorado is a magical state for Mule deer. This buck I killed in a unit that takes 1 point to draw and I have killed 165-190 bucks every year I have hunted it.

Nice! I hunted unit 42 the first time I was down there, did not know the land. I was a bit blown away by the OTC elk hunters in the area, I would love to hunt a 3rd season with just deer, but I don't think I have the points for that. I definitely don't mind putting in the work, in fact that's most of the fun!

 

[TrophyHunter_colorado3322]

Yes 42 is hard with all the OTC guys for sure. My method is to hunt low country, there is always lower deer densities but there is low hunter densities. The big mule deer bucks have learned this in these kind of units as well, you might be surprised at what might pop up.

 

[Pass-n-Thru]

Yes 42 is hard with all the OTC guys for sure. My method is to hunt low country, there is always lower deer densities but there is low hunter densities. The big mule deer bucks have learned this in these kind of units as well, you might be surprised at what might pop up.

I keep tabs on areas I would like to go, but see more and more gas/oil that stuff is everywhere, sorry for jacking your thread, I'll PM you some time in the future and maybe pick your brain on a few spots I have in mind.

 

[bobhunts]

Very nice buck for sure!

 

[FURMAN]

Very nice deer.

 

[Queets30#]

Beautiful buck, congrats!!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Nice looking buck!

I was hunting O2 for a buck as well with my 280AI, found some nice 4x4 sheds in the afternoon after moving midweek and sat down to glass the evening. Got distracted by the 5x4 bull that wandered into view instead (had a tag for him too) and took him out with a 145gr LRX. Due to circumstances I didn't make it back out to look around for that buck again, this thread makes me wish I had...

 

[elkguide]

Super deer.