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6.5mm - Berger VLD
Below is look at the 140 grain VLD. Muzzle velocity was 2950fps from a very fast .260AI, range 630 yards, impact velocity 2093fps. The animal is a Red deer hind, bullet entered just behind the front shoulder, exited through the off shoulder. It appears that the autonomous plexus was destroyed (nerve ganglia just above the heart) which accounts for the deer taking one step before collapsing and expiring.
On side entry wound
Below, damage to the heart can be clearly seen. The lungs are intact but bruised. The wound channel is centralized and not displaying the signs of full fragmentation but was more than sufficient for this clean kill. Normally, heart shot animals will run but when the autonomous plexus is disrupted or destroyed as was the case here, collapse occurs quickly.
Lots of bruising on the offside as has been typical with the new style VLD (see 7mm wound pics / fallow deer)
All told, the above was a good result but I still hold concerns for the new VLD bullet. The hunter who donated these pictures explained that at 800 yards, he was seeing pin hole wounding on goats resulting in very slow killing and that perhaps the VLD needed increased body weight resistance to initiate expansion/fragmentation.
Unfortunately however an Elk hunter from Northern U.S.A experienced pin hole wounding on Elk with the same bullet, similar 600 yard range as the Red hind, but from a lower MV of around 2750fps. It is therefore hard to predict exact outcomes with the new VLD, certainly impact velocities may have come into play with both of the above instances of pin hole wounding (around 1900fps), but based on all of the research I have been able to perform or obtain, there remains a level of unpredictability with the VLD. To this end I still thoroughly recommend either annealing the VLD (see VLD annealing video in the knowledge base), meplat trimming to 70 thou (BC around .550) or a change to the A-Max. It certainly is a tough call, especially when the above photos show so much promise. I would like to thank Brian Cornish for donating these pictures, I am immensely grateful, you did a great job of detailing the autopsy.
On side entry wound
Below, damage to the heart can be clearly seen. The lungs are intact but bruised. The wound channel is centralized and not displaying the signs of full fragmentation but was more than sufficient for this clean kill. Normally, heart shot animals will run but when the autonomous plexus is disrupted or destroyed as was the case here, collapse occurs quickly.
Lots of bruising on the offside as has been typical with the new style VLD (see 7mm wound pics / fallow deer)
All told, the above was a good result but I still hold concerns for the new VLD bullet. The hunter who donated these pictures explained that at 800 yards, he was seeing pin hole wounding on goats resulting in very slow killing and that perhaps the VLD needed increased body weight resistance to initiate expansion/fragmentation.
Unfortunately however an Elk hunter from Northern U.S.A experienced pin hole wounding on Elk with the same bullet, similar 600 yard range as the Red hind, but from a lower MV of around 2750fps. It is therefore hard to predict exact outcomes with the new VLD, certainly impact velocities may have come into play with both of the above instances of pin hole wounding (around 1900fps), but based on all of the research I have been able to perform or obtain, there remains a level of unpredictability with the VLD. To this end I still thoroughly recommend either annealing the VLD (see VLD annealing video in the knowledge base), meplat trimming to 70 thou (BC around .550) or a change to the A-Max. It certainly is a tough call, especially when the above photos show so much promise. I would like to thank Brian Cornish for donating these pictures, I am immensely grateful, you did a great job of detailing the autopsy.
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