Range Report 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

[bodywerks]

Maybe I've asked this before, but anyone compared these two bullets for long range? I need to go out to 600 yards with consistency. I thought the higher BC of the Berger would make it the obvious choice, but my experiences at 100 yards paints an entirely different picture. I'm struggling to get sub-MOA groups with the bergers, and I'm approaching sub-1/2MOA with the sierras.
My top performing 69ers are 26.5g blc-(2)@2.240": discounting one flier, the other 4 produced a .20" group and even the 5 shot group was a .7".
The other was 24.5 grains of [email protected]" for a .58" group.
Tried everything short of putting the bergers into the lands and can't get better than a 1" group. Well, OK, I haven't tried varget with them yet - just blc-2 and benchmark.

 

[bodywerks]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

BTW, the rifle is a factory savage fcp-k with the muzzle brake removed. Its a 24" barrel and 1:9 twist.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

You may want to test the bergers a little further out. The vld design doesn’t always work great at 100. Case in point I was getting about moa with a vld at 100 with my 308, at 300 the bullet was printing 1/2 moa groups. They sometimes need a little distance to fully stabilize...

With a nine twist you can also look at the 77 grain BTHP's and maybe the 75 amax. The amax would not work in my 1-9 rem tactical but others have had success with it.

 

[bodywerks]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

Thanks. If I can get 28-2900 out of the 77's they should stay stabilized to 600. I think the military issue rounds use 77BTHP's, no?
Since I have an 8 pound jug of varget here, and it is my go-to powder for my 308, I will try the bergers over 24.5-25 grains of it, and seat them all the way to the lands.

 

[deadly0311]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

id run either the 77 SMK or 75 AMAX....both with 23.2ish of Benchmark just kissing the lands. It will net you pretty good results

 

[sinister]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

The Hornady 75 A-Max is a very good pick for a 1-9 twist bolt rifle barrel. Sierra 77s and Hornady 75s are optimal for magazine-length semiautomatic feed with a 1-7 or 1-8 barrel. They may or may not work from a bolt action with a longer than 20-inch barrel (better velocity but they still need to spin fast enough to stabilize for their length).

24.5 to 24.7 of Varget should work -- 25 might be too hot, depending on chamber reamer and leade.

The Berger 75 Match Very Low Drag (VLD) may also stabilize in a 1-9, but you'll have to try some.

 

[bodywerks]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

Took some of the 70g Bergers out to 100 and 200 today. I loaded them with 24.7g of Varget and seated them to 2.365", which just kisses the lands on my rifle. Performance at 100 was not bad, but not stellar, about a 3/4-7/8" group. However, I took them out to 200 yards and realized their potential:

For a factory rifle, I'll take darn near sub-half MOA @ 200 yards any day!
I'm wondering, though, if I should experiment with jamming the Bergers about .005" into the lands????

 

[bodywerks]

Re: 69smk vs 70vld for long range(500+yds)?

Also, I shot some 69smk's today as well, their 100 yard performance was slightly better than the Bergers, but their 200 yards groups were not as consistent. One was a 1-1/4" group and the other was a 2-1/8" group.