Berger Bullets

[Bloody_Tailgate]

Guys, I have been using the 168gr Hunting VLDs in my 300WM for a while with great results.

I just opened a new box of them and decided to measure them and found that they are .020 shorter from base to ogive than the other box I just finished up. Is this common from lot to lot? It seems excessive to me.

Thanks

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Berger Bullets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bloody_Tailgate</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Guys, I have been using the 168gr Hunting VLDs in my 300WM for a while with great results.

I just opened a new box of them and decided to measure them and found that they are .020 shorter from base to ogive than the other box I just finished up. Is this common from lot to lot? It seems excessive to me.

Thanks </div></div>

Seems excessive to me unless they've intentionally changed something. I've read that Sierra has a three, four bullet making machines and depending on which machine your lot was produced on, you might have some variation.

I have three iterations of Hornady's 7mm 162gr HPBT National Match bullets. It's actually interesting to see the progression over the years.

Chris

 

[bohem]

Re: Berger Bullets

Is this a different lot number than the last ones?

My experience with Bergers has been that they are very consistent in the same lot, when the lot numbers change then you are going to work on the load again. I buy 500 qty of them at a clip for that reason.

 

[1shot2kill]

Re: Berger Bullets

is one box a hunting vld and the other just a vld ?

 

[frankythefly]

Re: Berger Bullets

The hunting ones are like that, most of the time people switch from hunting match to just match and there is a big difference. The hunting one has thicker jackets than the match vld so they are not as concentric as the normal match. However the thicker jacket does enable faster velocities of over 3000 FPS. This I have seen a common thing with hornady A Max bullets they can't handle 3000 FPS they explode 100 yards or so down the range like a grenade.

 

[jeffersonv]

Re: Berger Bullets

Dang that sounds like fun!

 

[kyreloader]

Re: Berger Bullets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankythefly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The hunting ones are like that, most of the time people switch from hunting match to just match and there is a big difference. The hunting one has thicker jackets than the match vld so they are not as concentric as the normal match. However the thicker jacket does enable faster velocities of over 3000 FPS. This I have seen a common thing with hornady A Max bullets they can't handle 3000 FPS they explode 100 yards or so down the range like a grenade. </div></div>

That is opposite. The Hunting VLDs have the thinner jackets. The original VLDs were having trouble staying together at higher velocities in 3 groove cut rifled barrels in 6.5mm, so Berger came out with the Match line with thicker jackets to prevent this from happening. The original VLDs were found to be good hunting bullets, so they became the Hunting VLD line.

So Match have thick jackets, Hunting have thin jackets.

 

[Bloody_Tailgate]

Re: Berger Bullets

They are from different lots but both are hunting VLDs. I emailed Bryan Litz and he said it isn't unheard of to have the bearing surface vary this much and that I should be careful not to mix the lots. Just wondering how much this difference is going to change my POI with everything else in the load the same? Sure hope I don't have to go through load development after every 100 rounds.

 

[Bloody_Tailgate]

Re: Berger Bullets

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankythefly</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> This I have seen a common thing with hornady A Max bullets they can't handle 3000 FPS they explode 100 yards or so down the range like a grenade. </div></div>

I've been shooting the 75gr A Max through my 22-250 Improved for 2 years now at 3400fps with no catastrophic results...other than to the p-dogs, rabbits, coyotes, skunks, and any other critters unlucky enough to cross my path inside 400yds.

 

[bohem]

Re: Berger Bullets

OP-

If you're going to stick to shooting Bergers, just start buying them in 500+ quantities. Small changes in OGL won't make much difference in the actual load, but you'll likely need to adjust the seating depth each time you switch lots.

Yes, buying 500+ Bergers at a time can be expensive but when you think about how many bullets you're going to eat up from each box of 100 by tweaking the seating depth it starts to make sense.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frankythefly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The hunting ones are like that, most of the time people switch from hunting match to just match and there is a big difference. The hunting one has thicker jackets than the match vld so they are not as concentric as the normal match. However the thicker jacket does enable faster velocities of over 3000 FPS. This I have seen a common thing with hornady A Max bullets they can't handle 3000 FPS they explode 100 yards or so down the range like a grenade. </div></div>

It's not the just the speed, it's really the RPM. From Hornady's tech department (and it is supported by my results across almost every Amax bullet on the market) they don't like being spun faster than 250-275krpm at the muzzle.

I know a 208 Amax will survive 3000-3100fps without issue from a 10 twist, but at 3300 they get spotty.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: Berger Bullets

The lot differences could have been in between when they replaced dies.

I know Berger is as careful as they can be, but it's just not going to match 100 %. I've heard they're in the process of retooling the 6.5 stations. This is why no one has any in stock. I and others had some 130 VLD's jackets in the previous lot(s) that looked (for lack of a better term) a "fault line" in them. There were only a few here an there for me but I know some folks who returned 500 to over 1000 for refunds at a time out of those lot #'s. It's unfortunate but it happens and Berger stands behind their products.