Pergrine VRG3 vs VRG2 for general hunting

[Adoons]

Morning to all. Over the last few weeks I started shooting more with my .404 Jeffery and am now on the brink of starting to hunt with the new rifle. I feel ready for hunting shots, but will limit shots to 120 m and 150 on larger antelope.

My question: I am planning a hunt that will have available to hunt on the farm to be Impala, BWB and Eland, but only Eland cows.

I have Peregrine VRG3 and VRG2 in 350 gr and 360 gr. They walk along at 2300 fps for all practical purposes.

I am hunting for biltong. Don't want too much wasted meat, but a wounded animal is wasting all of it.

On the same shot placement, the VRG3 should be more effective than VRG2 with regards to "Knock down" as it should expand. But the VRG2 should be more forgiving on blood shot meat (probably no blood shot development.)

I don't hunt with FMJ in any of my rifles. Do use some expanding monos, but that is not "solids". Punching a small hole through something with a 6 - 8 mm bullet at 2600-2800 fps is not my idea of ethical hunting for my perspective of ethics.

So my actual question is: Is VRG2 in .423 Cal with its almost flat nose and sharp edges at the front an effective hunting bullet for BWB, Impala and Eland cows? Or will it do the same as a round nosed FMJ? And then also how bad would meat damage be with use of VRG3. I dont want to halve the Impala in the field.

[Desperatezulu]

Meat damage is going to be minimal with the VRG-3 at 404 speeds. VRG-2 I think will struggle to expand much, especially on the smaller game. I think performance of the 2 bullets will be very close with the VRG-3 hopefully expanding a bit more with its 'plunger' in the nose.

[driepootx]

At the speed of 2300fps you will not get much bloodshot meat. The VRG3 is rated to expand at 1500fps+ and you would need to keep shots at closer distances. Even if it does not expand the .423 hole will be large and be through and through. I would err on the positive side and use the VRG3.

[ady]

The Peregrine loading manual says that the VRG2 is a softer backup bullet for outfitters and PH's on dangerous game. The VRG2 has similar ballistic properties as the VRG3 and is suitable for load development, target shooting and practice purposes. As Desperatezulu said. The VRG2 doesn't have the plunger in the nose.

The VRG3 is a hunting bullet for bushveld conditions. Stick with the VRG3 for hunting.

[Robert M]

I used to use the 400gr peregrine Vrg 3 in my 404, at 2120fps. they work exceptionally well, but I did find the brass plunger did funny things. ( broke a couple of impalas lower front legs at the elbow, when the shot was a heart shot) that said meat damage is minimal, I now use claws and woodleighs and they also work well, expand and penetrate nearly the full length of a frontal shot gemsbok, and do minimal meet damage ( much less than the 3006 with 180gr accubonds going 2600FPS)

[Adoons]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. If VRG3 at the lower velocities will not mince them up that is what I will use and keep the VRG2 for its stated purpose and be more sure of clean killing shots because of expansion.

Just hope the farm owner will agree that the .404 is enough gun for his Impala.

(Velocity and "soft points", always the meat wasting factor. The worst blood shot damage I ever saw on Impala was with a .22 Hornet with some sort of open lead tipped cup and core bullets. He was culling, missed a shot because of a twig in front of the barrel, the Impala stepped on a few paces with his head in the sekelbos and so the hunter decided to take it on the shoulder. Bad idea....)

[TStone]

I would stick with the VRG-3's for general hunting. The wound channel will be larger, which does mean more meat damage, but they should kill a little quicker.

[Rigby]

VRG 3 , the bullet does not open as much as a conventional bullet and meat damage is minimal , i use them in my 375 Ruger

[Gert Odendaal]

Adoons, my experience is , what ever you shoot at with your 404 Jeffery , it creates a hole as big as your fist and cause meat damage. Especially smaller frame game like impala. There is no way to skip the reality on the ground here.
If you hunt with the 404 Jeffery , you hunt with a caliber that is intended for dangerous game heavy body game..

The only way you can eliminate meat damage is to do head shots with the 404 Jeffery. This was the reason I asked hunters for suggestions to eliminate this challenge.

The answers I received was that I should use a 400gn solid bullet..the problem with this scenario is even then when I hit bone there still will be a mess....I have not hunted with a solid on soft skin game yet...since I accept the reality of hunting with a 404 Jeffery caliber and will have meat damage even with a 400gn core bonded bullet at 2100f/s....this is my experience hunting with my 404 Jeffery Westly Richards.

[TStone]

Adoons, my experience is , what ever you shoot at with your 404 Jeffery , it creates a hole as big as your fist and cause meat damage. Especially smaller frame game like impala. There is no way to skip the reality on the ground here.

This is completely contrary to my experience with the .416 rem mag and .404 Jeffery, with hunting bullets, on game. You must be using really fragile bullets.

Meat damage on wildebeest with my .416 rem mag and 400gr bullets at 2300fps is no more than with a .30-'06 with 167gr premium bullets.

On a springbok, shot with a 400gr Hornady DGX at 200m the bullet hole was the same diameter as my thumb with minimal bruising and blood shot meat.