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Lapua scenars & Berger VLDs

paul T

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 31, 2006
160
0
Ireland
Has anyone tried the Lapua 185g scenar in a 24in barrel 1 in 11 twist 308 at 600-1k ifso how did it compare for accuracy against the 155g Lapua scenar and the 185g berger VLD.
 
Re: Lapua scenars & Berger VLDs

Paul
I cant get 155's todo squat out of mine but the Lapua's do just fine.. Did no work with the 185 VLD yet YET
 
Re: Lapua scenars & Berger VLDs

155 scenars shoot good (factory ammo) out of my 1:12 25" -- factory ammo ran and average of 2851 over 5 different days of testing. Never tried the 185 scenar - a few here said they fall out of the air after 600yds despite the high BC number.

Never tried the Bergers -- - - - wonder what Bryan Litz would have to say about this comparison question ??????
 
Re: Lapua scenars & Berger VLDs

Hi Esromvre, noticed i was getting flyers with the 155g scenars tried vl from 2,840-2,970fps with vit n540, Better results with the 185g scenar and vit n550 but only tried as far as 400y, the 185g scenars are giving just over clover leave sized groups at 200y, cant seem to get the berger VLDs to shoot so guess i will have to play with seating depth, paul.
 
Re: Lapua scenars & Berger VLDs

Speaking of BC only, the 185 Scenar is a poor performer. The bullet has a reputation for very good accuracy, but the drag is over 14% higher than the 155 Scenar. It has a slightly higher BC only because it's so much heavier.

.30 cal 155 Scenar: G7 BC = 0.236
.30 cal 185 Scenar: G7 BC = 0.247

Considering the MV hit you take with the 185, the overall comparison is in favor of the 155 Scenar for both wind deflection and drop.

If you're looking for a 185 grain class bullet for target shooting, I highly recommend the 185 Berger BT: G7 BC = 0.287 (0.006 higher than the VLD). This is the bullet I'll be shooting in Palma competition this year (in matches where the < 156 grain restriction isn't enforced). Even at lower MV's, this bullet outperforms the best 155's by a noticeable margin (speaking of wind deflection only. The 155's will still be flatter for quite a ways).

You'll have an easier time finding accuracy with the BT than the VLD because of the tangent ogive, it's not nearly as sensitive to seating depth as the VLD. In the case of the Berger .30 cal 185's, I would only recommend the VLD's if your application is hunting (the VLD's are Berger's Hunting bullets). If you're intent on shooting the VLD, here's a link to our recommended seating depth test that's been used sucsesfully by many shooters to find the <span style="font-style: italic">seating depth sweet spot</span> for VLD's.

The 190 grain Sierra Match King is another popular option in this weight class: G7 BC = 0.270. Easy accuracy and lots of high scores and records shot with this bullet. Ballistic performance wise, it's between the 185 Scenar and 185 Berger BT. Sierra recommends against using their Match King bullets for hunting.

All of the above bullets are stable from a 1:12" twist or faster barrel.

I hope this information is useful,
-Bryan