Berger 153.5

[Fast14riot]

Anyone shooting the 153.5 in a 260AI? I'm interested in trying them out in my 29" 1:8 twist. I shoot at sea level. I normally run the 140VLDT at 2975fps and it has served me well, but I can't find them. I suspect velocity would be somewhere around 2850.

 

[Ron Gorski]

Anyone shooting the 153.5 in a 260AI? I'm interested in trying them out in my 29" 1:8 twist. I shoot at sea level. I normally run the 140VLDT at 2975fps and it has served me well, but I can't find them. I suspect velocity would be somewhere around 2850.

I use the 153.5s in a 30" barrel at 2860 fps with reloder 16. I have my own reamer with a .210" throat. I have had it over 2900 fps.

 

[Carl Edwards]

I use the 153.5s in a 30" barrel at 2860 fps with reloder 16. I have my own reamer with a .210" throat. I have had it over 2900

I use the 153.5s in a 30" barrel at 2860 fps with reloder 16. I have my own reamer with a .210" throat. I have had it over 2900 fps.

The 153.5 Berger is a "lights out shootin' " kinda bullet. Possibly the most accurate bullet I've ever used in my 6.5mm PRC.

 

[Ron Gorski]

Which powder and what velocity are getting in your 6.5 prc?

 

[Fast14riot]

A little update. Finally finished my rifle and got out to test fire it last Sunday. Barrel is shooting well with my fire forming loads using 130smk pulled bullets.


I also shot two, 1 shot ladders to find pressure with the 153.5. I might have a little room to go up still, but no real need too. One string at .020 off and one at .080 off the lands. .080 had more consistent numbers, but only have 36 rounds on this barrel now, so im not holding on to these numbers real hard.


Will keep it updated as testing continues.

 

[Bc'z]

A little update. Finally finished my rifle and got out to test fire it last Sunday. Barrel is shooting well with my fire forming loads using 130smk pulled bullets.
View attachment 1329008

I also shot two, 1 shot ladders to find pressure with the 153.5. I might have a little room to go up still, but no real need too. One string at .020 off and one at .080 off the lands. .080 had more consistent numbers, but only have 36 rounds on this barrel now, so im not holding on to these numbers real hard.
View attachment 1329013

Will keep it updated as testing continues.

How did the ladder targets look?

 

[Straightshooter1]

A little update. Finally finished my rifle and got out to test fire it last Sunday. Barrel is shooting well with my fire forming loads using 130smk pulled bullets.
View attachment 1329008

I also shot two, 1 shot ladders to find pressure with the 153.5. I might have a little room to go up still, but no real need too. One string at .020 off and one at .080 off the lands. .080 had more consistent numbers, but only have 36 rounds on this barrel now, so im not holding on to these numbers real hard.
View attachment 1329013

Will keep it updated as testing continues.

RL-23 has worked nicely for me in my PRC (see pic below). While the loads there worked well, I'm not going to be able to use them much here in Arizona for most of the year as the temperatures are now moving up quickly, which will just make this just too hot of a load. I was going to find a lower node for this powder, but recently I was able to pick up some Retumbo and am currently developing a load with it for these 153.5's. I tried an initial charge of 57.2 gr and it did nicely for a starting load (.693" 5 shot group @200 yds; 2944 fps). Now, I'm ready for a OCW series to find a charge somewhere a little lower than that and hopefully with better results. I'm also curious how CCI magnum primers will do with 55-58 grs of Retumbo, though with the higher ambient temperature, I wondering if I should just stay with standard RL primers???

 

[JLT]

RL-23 has worked nicely for me in my PRC (see pic below). While the loads there worked well, I'm not going to be able to use them much here in Arizona for most of the year as the temperatures are now moving up quickly, which will just make this just too hot of a load. I was going to find a lower node for this powder, but recently I was able to pick up some Retumbo and am currently developing a load with it for these 153.5's. I tried an initial charge of 57.2 gr and it did nicely for a starting load (.693" 5 shot group @200 yds; 2944 fps). Now, I'm ready for a OCW series to find a charge somewhere a little lower than that and hopefully with better results. I'm also curious how CCI magnum primers will do with 55-58 grs of Retumbo, though with the higher ambient temperature, I wondering if I should just stay with standard RL primers???

View attachment 1329143

In my experience, RL-23 has proven to be among the most temp stable of powders. It is not at all like RL-22 in this respect. I've run the same load (45.9 grs. RL-23 behind a 140 Hybrid, Lapua brass, Fed 210M) out of the same rifle over a MagnetoSpeed at well below zero (upstate NY in February) and a little shy of 100F (East Texas, August) - the average velocities were within a few fps of each other. The only other powder I've seen with a similar temp characteristic is RL-16. Neither one seems to care a whit about ambient temp.

 

[Straightshooter1]

In my experience, RL-23 has proven to be among the most temp stable of powders. It is not at all like RL-22 in this respect. I've run the same load (45.9 grs. RL-23 behind a 140 Hybrid, Lapua brass, Fed 210M) out of the same rifle over a MagnetoSpeed at well below zero (upstate NY in February) and a little shy of 100F (East Texas, August) - the average velocities were within a few fps of each other. The only other powder I've seen with a similar temp characteristic is RL-16. Neither one seems to care a whit about ambient temp.

Thanks. That's good to know.

The velocities associated with the RL-23 loads used on the targets I posted above are in the low 2900's and according to my QuickLoad app after making appropriate adjustments (like for burn rate), it shows all those loads well over Max pressure at 62°F . . . and especially on that 53.8 gr load that was showing pressure signs anyway. QuickLoad shows the pressure for that 53.5 grs load to be ~68,600 psi at that temperature. When I change the temperature to 96°, QL indicates a pressure of ~73,000+ psi with an MV of 2,939 fps ( only ~24 fps difference). That's about .71 fps per degree, which is still pretty good in my book. But 73,000 psi is just way more pressure than I'm willing to subject my 6.5 PRC chambers to.

 

[JLT]

Thanks. That's good to know.

The velocities associated with the RL-23 loads used on the targets I posted above are in the low 2900's and according to my QuickLoad app after making appropriate adjustments (like for burn rate), it shows all those loads well over Max pressure at 62°F . . . and especially on that 53.8 gr load that was showing pressure signs anyway. QuickLoad shows the pressure for that 53.5 grs load to be ~68,600 psi at that temperature. When I change the temperature to 96°, QL indicates a pressure of ~73,000+ psi with an MV of 2,939 fps ( only ~24 fps difference). That's about .71 fps per degree, which is still pretty good in my book. But 73,000 psi is just way more pressure than I'm willing to subject my 6.5 PRC chambers to.

Based on the numbers at your disposal, I would agree! Shooting almost a proof load over and over would be asking for big trouble. But in this case, I think QL is not entirely accurate. You may want to test this as the temp rises. Drop a couple of grains on a hot day and test .5 gr. increments back toward your preferred load and see what the chronograph tells you. I did that twice in the E. Texas heat, just to make sure.

 

[Fast14riot]

Based on the numbers at your disposal, I would agree! Shooting almost a proof load over and over would be asking for big trouble. But in this case, I think QL is not entirely accurate. You may want to test this as the temp rises. Drop a couple of grains on a hot day and test .5 gr. increments back toward your preferred load and see what the chronograph tells you. I did that twice in the E. Texas heat, just to make sure.

I agree, RL23 has proven to be real temp stable for me as well. Develop my loads in 60° weather and have shot the same load in 110° heat with minimal difference.

How did the ladder targets look?

Top row is -0.020, bottom row is -0.080.

 

[Bc'z]

I agree, RL23 has proven to be real temp stable for me as well. Develop my loads in 60° weather and have shot the same load in 110° heat with minimal difference.



Top row is -0.020, bottom row is -0.080.

View attachment 1329220

I like that top row, especially around 45.5.

 

[Fast14riot]

I like that top row, especially around 45.5.

Yeah, that one didn't look terrible, but the .080 off overall showed more stability. I need to test at 300y+ before I will really settle on a load.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Based on the numbers at your disposal, I would agree! Shooting almost a proof load over and over would be asking for big trouble. But in this case, I think QL is not entirely accurate. You may want to test this as the temp rises. Drop a couple of grains on a hot day and test .5 gr. increments back toward your preferred load and see what the chronograph tells you. I did that twice in the E. Texas heat, just to make sure.

You're right about QL not being entirely accurate and I only use the app with that in mind. But, as I've learned how to use it, it does give me a good sense of where I'm at and what to expect with my loads using live firing data that I collect.

That's a good suggestion about dropping down a couple of grains for the hot days. I hadn't even thought about that yet as I was so excited that I finally got some Retumbo that I've been after for well over a year. And I feel pretty sure that'll work, as I've don't that in the past with some more volatile powders.

 

[Fast14riot]

Got to test a few 5 round groups with the 153 at 600 yesterday at the end of a couple strings.

Both groups were well under 1/2 minute, but it was rather windy at the match, and had rather low vertical dispersion. I have to resize the picture to post them here. But I think they're going to work well. Velocity is right around 2780-2785 in a 29" krieger, 8 twist. Also, no stability issues at all. All bullet holes at 600 were nice and round. Shooting at sea level.