any of these bullets in .308 168gr more consistent than the other??
- Thread starter perazzisc3
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Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
From my experience it's a combination of gun, powder, bullet and casing that makes good shot groups. I used Sierra and always had good success. Not outstanding but good. Measured ogive did all the neck sizing stuff. Switched to Norma and things got worse. Moved the bullet closer, changed loads, moved bullet farther back and BINGO! Amazing results. Did the same with Sierra so so results. switched to a different size bullet (Sierra) super duper results. The moral of the story. Load development. It takes time and effort but it's worth it.
From my experience it's a combination of gun, powder, bullet and casing that makes good shot groups. I used Sierra and always had good success. Not outstanding but good. Measured ogive did all the neck sizing stuff. Switched to Norma and things got worse. Moved the bullet closer, changed loads, moved bullet farther back and BINGO! Amazing results. Did the same with Sierra so so results. switched to a different size bullet (Sierra) super duper results. The moral of the story. Load development. It takes time and effort but it's worth it.
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
Load development, back to loading press!!!
Load development, back to loading press!!!
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
You picked 3 of the best bullet manufacturers, pretty hard to make a clear choice between them.
You picked 3 of the best bullet manufacturers, pretty hard to make a clear choice between them.
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
they are all good and can be, pretty much, replaced by one another with the same powder charge and OAL.
they are all good and can be, pretty much, replaced by one another with the same powder charge and OAL.
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
Nosler is better know for their hunting bullets than their match grade bullets. Sierra Match bullets are easy to make shoot well (in 308, at least), but tend not to have the higher BC's of the Bergers. Max range on the 168 gr SMK is about 600 yards. Berger has a higher BC, but is a bit more finicky.
Nosler is better know for their hunting bullets than their match grade bullets. Sierra Match bullets are easy to make shoot well (in 308, at least), but tend not to have the higher BC's of the Bergers. Max range on the 168 gr SMK is about 600 yards. Berger has a higher BC, but is a bit more finicky.
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
I use Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady bullets without prejudice or preference.
There has been a constant natter on this site over the years about an elitist nitpicking disdain for the major producers' manufacturing tolerances.
Get this; nobody makes perfectly consistent bullets, and if they did, nobody could afford to buy them. The production reject rate would drive their retail prices right out through the top of the stratosphere.
Furthermore, none of us practical shooters, and maybe a bunch of the BR shooters too, can provide equipment and skills to conclusively demonstrate that the current commercial production standards are priority number one, or even number two, on the list of primary bullet dispersion origins.
This is a big world, with bunches and bunches of constantly varying condition, most of which we cannot even begin to quantify, let alone alleviate, which affect our bullets' flights.
I'd say offhand that someone who worries about such things must have a very solid lock on their equipment and skills to be pointing the blame for inaccuracy on the leading bullet producers.
It's not the bullets, and it's usually not the gun that generates the misses.
It's just pain little old us.
Greg
I use Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady bullets without prejudice or preference.
There has been a constant natter on this site over the years about an elitist nitpicking disdain for the major producers' manufacturing tolerances.
Get this; nobody makes perfectly consistent bullets, and if they did, nobody could afford to buy them. The production reject rate would drive their retail prices right out through the top of the stratosphere.
Furthermore, none of us practical shooters, and maybe a bunch of the BR shooters too, can provide equipment and skills to conclusively demonstrate that the current commercial production standards are priority number one, or even number two, on the list of primary bullet dispersion origins.
This is a big world, with bunches and bunches of constantly varying condition, most of which we cannot even begin to quantify, let alone alleviate, which affect our bullets' flights.
I'd say offhand that someone who worries about such things must have a very solid lock on their equipment and skills to be pointing the blame for inaccuracy on the leading bullet producers.
It's not the bullets, and it's usually not the gun that generates the misses.
It's just pain little old us.
Greg
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
Why are you shooting 168s in a 308?
More specifically, I wouldn't bother with Sierra 168s because of the transonic issues that particular bullet has. Sierra's 175MKs are really just as easy to get to shoot well, can be launched at about the same velocity, and stay supersonic to at least 1000.
Some people have a little more trouble developing loads for VLD bullets like most of the Berger line..I dont mess with the more expensive Bergers in my 308 because it is so easy to load the 175SMKs, but lots of people shoot Bergers with great success. Berger also makes a hybrid bullet more forgiving in seating depth.
Nosler Accubonds are the only bullet I use for hunting, I believe they are the best bullet on the planet for that purpose. I shoot the 165 Accubond for hunting with the 308. These bullets group as well as the Sierras and Bergers, at least in my rifles they do.
Why are you shooting 168s in a 308?
More specifically, I wouldn't bother with Sierra 168s because of the transonic issues that particular bullet has. Sierra's 175MKs are really just as easy to get to shoot well, can be launched at about the same velocity, and stay supersonic to at least 1000.
Some people have a little more trouble developing loads for VLD bullets like most of the Berger line..I dont mess with the more expensive Bergers in my 308 because it is so easy to load the 175SMKs, but lots of people shoot Bergers with great success. Berger also makes a hybrid bullet more forgiving in seating depth.
Nosler Accubonds are the only bullet I use for hunting, I believe they are the best bullet on the planet for that purpose. I shoot the 165 Accubond for hunting with the 308. These bullets group as well as the Sierras and Bergers, at least in my rifles they do.
Re: Berger, Nosler or Sierra Bullets
For shorter ranges I like the Nosler 168 gr Custom Competition BTHP's. Buy them in cases of 1.000 and the last batch cost me 21 cents per bullet. After some load development time they shoot nice tight groups.
For distances over 300 yards I use either the Nosler 175gr Custom Comps or the Hornady 178gr A-Max.
Hard to beat a competition grade bullet that costs less than "two bits".
For shorter ranges I like the Nosler 168 gr Custom Competition BTHP's. Buy them in cases of 1.000 and the last batch cost me 21 cents per bullet. After some load development time they shoot nice tight groups.
For distances over 300 yards I use either the Nosler 175gr Custom Comps or the Hornady 178gr A-Max.
Hard to beat a competition grade bullet that costs less than "two bits".
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