How come so much love for ELDMs and not as much love for Berger’s ?

[justin davis]

It seems like the ELDMs are so popular with people here on rokslide. Don’t get me wrong I think They are awesome bullets. Im just curious why more hunters don’t use Berger’s? Berger’s seems to always shoot better for me in my guns. I understand how the tipped ELDMs open immediately and Berger’s go in a few inches before they open. Berger’s are little more price but seem
To be more consistent

I’ve had great luck using Berger Elite hunter bullets on critters. Just curious why they aren’t more popular?

 

[Natebonebusta]

Comes down to price for me. Dead at $.35/ea or the same dead at $.65/ea. They do make a sharp looking projectile. The Eldm and the TMK are priced so close it’s a toss up. Caveat to say, I’m an eastern NC whitetail hunter, my shots are typically 20y-200y.

 

[wind gypsy]

I've killed a whopping 1 animal (muley) with a berger. Worked well.

Reported terminal performance - Long necks and more inconsistent results is what keeps me from using em more. Especially in 6mm - seen a handful of discouraging reports on the 108 EH which otherwise is an attractive bullet.

I primarily shoot bergers in target guns still.

 

[TxLite]

I have tried to like the eld m’s in several cartridges but just never have as much luck in accuracy as the bergers. The bergers have been my go-to. They are just so easy to load

 

[flyfisher117]

For the money I can shoot 2x-3x the Hornady than I can Berger. I’ve never had an issue getting a good level of accuracy out of my Hornady projectiles either.

If I was worried about bench rest levels of accuracy or extreme accuracy at extreme ranges then maybe I’d shoot Berger.

 

[PathFinder]

Some of it may have started when Bergers were hard to find there for a while. Hornady offerings are always available, in stock just about everywhere, and cheap. ELD-M seem to be more consistent in the way and the degree to which they upset over a very wide velocity range.
Bergers are probably a more precisely manufactured projectile, but a ~.5 MOA difference in precision is negligible for almost all (even LR) hunting and it just doesn't outweigh the advantages of the ELD on anything other than paper for a lot of guys.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I plan to try the Berger .257 133-grain in my new 1:8 twist barrel on my .25-06. I bought some, but I haven’t loaded them yet. They look like lawn darts. My normal hunting load with that rifle has always been 120-grain bullets. I am very, very interested in seeing how well this heavy-for-caliber bullet performs.

My typical approach to shooting is to find a bullet I like for hunting, then find a cheap cup-and-core bullet the same length and weight. Or sometimes a factory load if it meets acceptable criteria. I use the cheaper bullets for range practice sessions and shoot the more expensive ones as needed. That is hard with the Berger bullets because the ones I like don't have cheaper equivalents.

Edit - I just noticed that some of the other major bullet manufacturers offer heavier .257 bullets now. I also got some ELDMs.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[hereinaz]

Inside the most common “long range” for hunters inside 500, the difference is minimal. Still killing. So, for cost ELDm wins.

My experience is Bergers are more ballistically consistent past 500 when it matters much more bullet to bullet.

I have killed all my critters with Bergers. If you want massive damage and more chance of an exit, Berger is your bullet. It’s just barely “tougher” than the TMK and ELDm.

100 yard with 180 gr and 133 gr on small caribou is way more than needed and I got carnage inside and an exit that left a chunk of lung out.

Destruction and exit on Coues deer at 730 with a 180 gr 7mm, at 630 with a 133 gr 25 cal.

No exit on elk at 520, 600, or 1000 but carnage inside with 180 gr 7mm.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Maybe like unit numbers people are staying quiet hoping for availability and possibly a price drop?

 

[WeiserBucks]

I've been using Berger for over a decade and I'm not switching.

 

[Lawnboi]

Not happy with Bergers on deer. They don’t upset or a few inches, to half way through it seems. Versus eldm or tmk they just don’t seem to make as long of a sound channel on deer shot broadside in the ribs. I won’t use bergers on deer anymore.

Elk I could see them being viable option, but I don’t have the experience to speak to that.

They are a more consistent bullet ime

 

[wapitibob]

Using a Berger 195 and have no desire to use an ELD.

 

[Mike Islander]

Exceptionally accurate factory ammo.

 

[ckleeves]

Bergers are a horrible bullet, nobody even needs to pick them up off the store shelf. Just leave them right there. Don’t even look at them. Especially the 140 and 108 EH. Those really need to stay on the store shelves. I heard they won’t hardly break the skin of elk.

 

[hereinaz]

Not happy with Bergers on deer. They don’t upset or a few inches, to half way through it seems. Versus eldm or tmk they just don’t seem to make as long of a sound channel on deer shot broadside in the ribs. I won’t use bergers on deer anymore.

Elk I could see them being viable option, but I don’t have the experience to speak to that.

They are a more consistent bullet ime

That is the dilemma, they do take longer to upset, so depending on the velocity it won’t be the same as an ELDm or TMK. That is a compelling reason.

They are fine on elk. Plenty of distance to open inside and destroy.

And, they are still fine on deer as well, with the .25 and above in my experience and the group around me.

Also, much of the talk here on Rokslide is smaller caliber, slower velocity, inside 300 yards where most killing takes place.

I would not use Berger out of a .223 rem because the shorter range doesn’t call for the accuracy of a Berger needed inside the 300 yard mark plus I want quicker opening with the smaller bullet.

I won’t switch from Berger for anything that could go past 500.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I've used them on everything that bleeds from 10 feet to 900+ and I witnessed a legitimate 1300 yard one shot kill on a bull elk. They work. Only reason to avoid Berger in my opinion is trying to save a few dollars.

 

[TaperPin]

Was listening to last week’s Berger Bullet podcast this morning and really liked the sound of. . . oh wait. . .

 

[eoperator]

After the last shortage supporting hornady is a consideration for me.

 

[Robobiss]

I’ve never used bergers.

I think a lot of it is the marketing genius that is Hornady. What is on the shelves in factory ammunition at a reasonable price, everywhere you go? How many people have shot their first deer with cheap hornady American whitetail or SST’s? Why would your average Joe spend $70 a box when he could spend $25?

It’s natural to then move to the more “premium” hornady lines later, even after buying a press and dies. Plus, I’ve never wanted for more with Hornady products, therefore I have never looked elsewhere (other than TMK’s and the dark ages when I was shooting Barnes).

I’m sure bergers are great, vast majority of hunters and shooters have little reason to try them.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I’m sure bergers are great, vast majority of hunters and shooters have little reason to try them.

The reason is to find out for yourself. Might be more gooder, might not. We'd all be using Corelokts if we never tried anything else.