Peregrine VLR-4 on Wildebeest

[Nkawu]

Good afternoon folks,
Just some interesting ballistic information after a recent hunt here in South Africa.
I have been using 167 grain VLR-4 Peregrines in my 308 win with a MV of around 2400 fps.
I have been using them on a few impala and warthogs with very minimal meat damage and no rounds recovered. Small game like the impala and pigs always run a bit but with recent blood trails if I place my shot well.
About two weeks ago a shot a big blue wildebeest bull at 80m that was broadside. I hit it high on the shoulder and it dropped on the spot. The peregrine went through both shoulders taking out the lungs and exited.

 

[Nkawu]

Photos: Big heavy blue wildebeest bull. Entry wound on a pig at 40m. Entry and exit on different impala rams.

 

[Heym SR20]

I really think the dropping on the spot versus runs a bit has bugger all to do with the bullet but much more due to shot placement.

If you put a bullet behind the shoulder in the traditional heart lung shot you are just putting a bullet through the heart and lungs, causing massive blood loss. The animal is still conscious and will run any where from a few yards up to 100 or so in a pure fight and flight reflex. It will keep going till it runs out of blood pressure and oxygen in the brain - perhaps 10 to 20 seconds.

However if you put a bullet through the shoulder, there are massive bundles of nerves in the armpits and also end / top of thoracic cavity where the aorta and wind pipe connect to the heart and lungs. Also the shoulder is lie next to the spine.

So a bullet going into shoulder gives a massive blow to all the nerve bundles, and to the shoulder blade which in turns smacks the spine.

This blows knocks out the animal rendering it unconscious.

The bullet still goes through the heart and lungs causing massive blood loss, so that by the time the animal might have been coming to after being knocked unconscious its dead from loss of blood pressure and oxygen in the brain.

Yesterday evening I took at Roe buck at about 100 yards with 223 VLR4 bullet. It was broadside and I deliberately took the old fashioned meat saver heart and lung shot. Typical jump and kick out of back legs and it ran out of sight and made 30 yards jumped over a wall and collapsed and fell into a load of brambles. Hound found it easily enough.

Pretty much all other deer I have shot withe Peregrine or Fox have dropped on spot. But i have put the bullet in line with the leg, half way up straight through the shoulder.

I really do like the way these new monolithics work. They are accurate. No issues with penetration, a good wound channel but no excess damage beyond the wound channel, and no fragments of lead and copper sprayed throughout the carcass.

Or to quote Swift bullet endorsement of African hunting videos

“The Bullet - the least expensive, but most important part of your hunt - its the only direct connection with your animal”.

I think the extra 50p or £1 per bullet cost over a cheap lead cored bullet is money very well spent.

And looks like good fun hunting in Africa.

 

[Nkawu]

I am tempted to try the VRG-3 next as most of my shots are <150m.
I agree 100% on the shoulder shot information- I always aim to hit the opposite shoulder, and with the monolithics the meat damage has been acceptable.

 

[scrumbag]

I have the 250gr VRG3 to try out in my 9.3x62. Nice flat nosed bullet for energy transfer

 

[ChesterP]

I wonder how anyone ever managed in the past with all those cheap old fashioned lead bullets

The right bullet and proper bullet placement every time, lead or lead free, doesn't matter. Plenty of perfectly decent jacketed lead bullets which have been doing the job reliably for donkeys years.

Talking of meat saver shots, just curious as to why many stalkers still don't use the HILAR placement?

 

[Heym SR20]

I wonder how anyone ever managed in the past with all those cheap old fashioned lead bullets

The right bullet and proper bullet placement every time, lead or lead free, doesn't matter. Plenty of perfectly decent jacketed lead bullets which have been doing the job reliably for donkeys years.

Talking of meat saver shots, just curious as to why many stalkers still don't use the HILAR placement?

Re HILAR placement, the biggest reason why most don’t use it is tradition. They were taught to come up the foreleg and go slightly back as thats what our forefathers and mothers did 100 years ago with open sighted lee speed 303’s.

British Sportsmen and women are nothing if not traditional. On a shoot we do same drives in the same order every year. Fishing - you cast into the same pools with same fly in the same way.

Heaven forbid anybody should actually try something new - jolly colonial or continental!

 

[Heym SR20]

I have the 250gr VRG3 to try out in my 9.3x62. Nice flat nosed bullet for energy transfer

I have used 1 100g VRG3 out of my 243 at c200yds on a Sika Stag. Straight through shoulders. It bounded a short distance and collapsed dead.

 

[ChesterP]

Re HILAR placement, the biggest reason why most don’t use it is tradition. They were taught to come up the foreleg and go slightly back as thats what our forefathers and mothers did 100 years ago with open sighted lee speed 303’s.

British Sportsmen and women are nothing if not traditional. On a shoot we do same drives in the same order every year. Fishing - you cast into the same pools with same fly in the same way.

Heaven forbid anybody should actually try something new - jolly colonial or continental!

That's the point. Times have changed and heaven forbid but education has moved on too as have sights! Surely the welfare of the animal trumps "tradition"? I can and do appreciate tradition in all other areas of stalking but shot placement should be without compromise imho. For those who haven't tried it, why not give it a go. You'll have less meat damage and fewer runners...a properly placed HILAR shot results in a bang-flop every time. Animal doesn't know what's happened as it's instant lights out.

 

[scrumbag]

I have used 1 100g VRG3 out of my 243 at c200yds on a Sika Stag. Straight through shoulders. It bounded a short distance and collapsed dead.

Cool.

I am wondering about the 100gr Peregrine VRG3 in 25 Cal for the 257 Roberts (The 100gr VLR4 did not expand well in my experience)

 

[Heym SR20]

That's the point. Times have changed and heaven forbid but education has moved on too as have sights! Surely the welfare of the animal trumps "tradition"? I can and do appreciate tradition in all other areas of stalking but shot placement should be without compromise imho. For those who haven't tried it, why not give it a go. You'll have less meat damage and fewer runners...a properly placed HILAR shot results in a bang-flop every time. Animal doesn't know what's happened as it's instant lights out.

Agreed. But with traditional bullets if you put a bullet in or near shoulder you get lots of meat damage.

These days with modern monolithics not an issue.

 

[ChesterP]

HILAR is not to be confused with a high shoulder shot though. It's taken lower and avoids pinning the shoulders.

 

[Kalahari]

Cool.

I am wondering about the 100gr Peregrine VRG3 in 25 Cal for the 257 Roberts (The 100gr VLR4 did not expand well in my experience)

This may be today's best understatement!

David.

 

[paul o']

About to try there plans game in 243 75 gr VLR4 with N160 cci200 any one use this combo