New Berger .224 Bullet

[CharlieNC]

That’s strange, I know a few people that shoot them in their 223s including myself and they shoot outstanding for us and we all use Varget.

That's bullets! I sold them to a fellow shooter who tried 100 and sold the rest. A number of my buds shoot 223 Ftr and only one likes the 85.5, but that's why you try a selection.

 

[ArtinNC]

Midway has them listed as ""

Recommended Twist Rate

1 in 7" or Faster

 

[mike mccormick]

My chamber has .175 fb, and my rifle likes the 85.5s at .010 jammed

 

[DR_2297]

Fired a few thousand at 600-1000 yd before I gave up on them. Elevation wander something terrible. Sold everything else I had. I am not the only one to observe this behavior and move away from them.

 

[PracticalTactical]

At long last.....

Bullet: 85.5 Berger, seated 1.786 to Ogive (ETA: 224 Valkyrie)
Powder : 24.3 gr AR-Comp
Velocity: 2880 fps. SD: 7.0 ES: 17 fps
Group size: 0.25 - 0.55" at 100 yds, holding true to 400 yds(far as I've shot it)
Gun: Origin bolt action, 24"s barrell (suppressed)
Scope: NF 8-32x

And the 80.5 Berger shoots a hair better.

View attachment 1173875

Reading some of the comments in this thread...

If you want to run heavies, it helps tremendously to have a long throat and a long seating depth. That increases your case capacity for one thing, but more importantly, the long freebore serves to align these high BC bullets so they dont start into the rifling at cockeyed angles.

The picture from grandman here shows a plastic mag, that's another bell ringer for me... These production mags are not made long enough to feed bullets seated long enough to get good performance from a 223 case. If your throat is long enough, you need to modify the mags to feed up to about 2.700" OAL.

The only way I have been able to do it is with the steel AccurateMags or the new MDT steel mags. Both of these can be disassembled so the inserts can be milled to increase the round length. Having done this to several mags at this point, I have encountered no complications from the modification.

BTW, I run a straight 223 case with 26 inch 1:7 twist barrels and with fire formed brass I can maintain 2,900 FPS with 88s and 90s. I do reduce the load to 2,800 FPS for new brass though, just to blow them out. Case life is just fine as I have never yet thrown out a case due to loose primers.

If your throat is not long enough, consider hand reaming the freebore to extend it, or get a smith to do it. You can hand ream accurately if you simply make a bushing to align the reamer in the bolt nose counterbore. Even in an engine lathe, this is advisable to ensure proper alignment.

 

[DR_2297]

Reading some of the comments in this thread...

If you want to run heavies, it helps tremendously to have a long throat and a long seating depth. That increases your case capacity for one thing, but more importantly, the long freebore serves to align these high BC bullets so they dont start into the rifling at cockeyed angles.

The picture from grandman here shows a plastic mag, that's another bell ringer for me... These production mags are not made long enough to feed bullets seated long enough to get good performance from a 223 case. If your throat is long enough, you need to modify the mags to feed up to about 2.700" OAL.

The only way I have been able to do it is with the steel AccurateMags or the new MDT steel mags. Both of these can be disassembled so the inserts can be milled to increase the round length. Having done this to several mags at this point, I have encountered no complications from the modification.

BTW, I run a straight 223 case with 26 inch 1:7 twist barrels and with fire formed brass I can maintain 2,900 FPS with 88s and 90s. I do reduce the load to 2,800 FPS for new brass though, just to blow them out. Case life is just fine as I have never yet thrown out a case due to loose primers.

If your throat is not long enough, consider hand reaming the freebore to extend it, or get a smith to do it. You can hand ream accurately if you simply make a bushing to align the reamer in the bolt nose counterbore. Even in an engine lathe, this is advisable to ensure proper alignment.

What powder and charge are you using to get 2900 out of a 26” barrel with 90s????

 

[PracticalTactical]

What powder and charge are you using to get 2900 out of a 26” barrel with 90s????

Varget or 8208XBR... again, throat is long. Bullets are seated close to 2.700" OAL.

 

[22BRGUY]

80.5's Shoot and stabilize very well in my 8 twist 22BR.

 

[dnellans]

I have to admit - I've def had some trouble getting the 85.5 to shoot consistently in a bolt 7 twist bartlein in a 223 Rem. I was hoping to use CFE 223 because it gets good velocity and I've got a lot of it, but it really won't group well (4 in a .4 and 1 out at .7 or .8). I was going to totally give up but varget gets near similar velocity and does shoot under .5's for me. Backing off the CFE charge to get the same velocity as varget doesn't yield the same results, so its not purely a velocity node issue.

For 600 and in as a lower cost alternative for 6BRA as practicing I'm not sure the 85.5 is worth it. I thought the heavier might be good out to 1000 in practice but its really not. After I run out of these thousands of 85.5's (doh) I'd probably go back to 80.5 or 75 ELD honestly for 600 and in. The additional velocity makes up for lack of BC at shorter distances.

 

[LVLAaron]

Any other updates from guys shooting these at 5-600 yards? I'm at a pivotal moment... Shelf full of rifle parts, barrels, and reamers, and need to pick a 223 bullet.

 

[dnellans]

I’ve shot a -bunch- more groups with the 85.5 now. In my barrel it will shoot 4 groups .2-.3 x5 shots and then suddenly throw one to .8. i was sure i had it figured out until i didn’t, frustrating.

I just ordered a bunch of 80 elds. If it’s the barrel that doesn’t like the 85.5’s I’ll make you a deal if you can wait a week?

I’m at PRS finale this weekend

 

[XTR]

Any other updates from guys shooting these at 5-600 yards? I'm at a pivotal moment... Shelf full of rifle parts, barrels, and reamers, and need to pick a 223 bullet.

Pick the 90VLD and don‘t look back.

Look at some of @Ned Ludd posts for loads with H4895 or mine for loads with Varget. The answers across the board for FTR setup are almost identical.

 

[Colnagotex]

Let me know if you have large quantities of 85.5 that won’t shoot that you want to sell cheap and I’ll make space in my bunker.

 

[XTR]

Let me know if you have large quantities of 85.5 that won’t shoot that you want to sell cheap and I’ll make space in my bunker.

I heard you had them shooting well.

 

[Jdne5b]

@ryanjay11 has them shooting well also.

 

[CharlieNC]

Quite a few of us shoot 223 at our local 300yd fclass matches, and most have tried the 85.5 due to it's calculated advantages . So far two have liked it. Berger 80, 80.5, and 90 are the preferred bullets. For me the lighter has been more accurate at 300yd but the 90 rules at longer distances due to windage.

 

[LVLAaron]

That's a real bummer. It seems like the latest bunch of bergers new hybrid bullets are not what we expected. :/

 

[BP1]

I had 3 of them disappear on the way to the target at TSRA, 6.7 twist 30” Bartlein 5r ..I still need to crono them and check my speed..24.4gr of Varget

 

[Colnagotex]

Keep this thread going, that way I’ll always be able to find 85’s in stock.

 

[Jdne5b]

I had 3 of them disappear on the way to the target at TSRA, 6.7 twist 30” Bartlein 5r ..I still need to crono them and check my speed..24.4gr of Varget

That's unfortunate. I was just telling @sfinn1 i hadn't heard of them blowing up.

.219 or .218 bore? 24.4 doesn't sound that hot, some run more than that with 90s.