Jeff Porter
Gold $$ Contributor
I currently have a load for my 6 BRA of 105 Berger Hybrid running at 2900fps using H4895. This is grouping 0.3MOA - 0.5MOA for 5 and 10 shot groups.
Always looking for an advantage, I noted the higher BC’s of the 109 Hybrid. I ordered 100 to play with and see what I can do with those. Using H4895, I can get them up to 2900fps but starting to see ejector shiny spot and edges of primers flattening out. 2850 did not show the pressure signs. The 8 shots I took with powder charges from 28.5-29.8gr all piled into similar POI in a 0.7moa group.
Long term, looking at the Berger calculator….and JBM and Hornady 4 DOF, I am not seeing the benefit over my current load. I am a sling shooter from 600-1000 yard known distance paper targets. Flatter elevation is always nice but not as critical in my known distance games. The wind difference is insignificant between the 105 at 2900 and the 109 at 2850.
The 105 Hybrid 2900fps 600 yard wind deflection on my home range is 0.37 moa/ mph per the Berger calculator. The 1000 yard deflection is 0.72 moa/mph.
The 109 Hybrid 2850fps 600 yard wind deflection on my home range is 0.36 moa/ mph per the Berger calculator. The 1000 yard deflection is 0.68 moa/mph.
The scoring rings on the sling targets are ½ MOA per scoring ring in the middle of the target. This means in order to have the 0.04 moa/ mph advantage of the 109 bullet “save me a point” I would have to miss the wind call by about 10-12 mph.
The added extra cost of the 109 over the 105 can’t be justified by this difference.
BUT- I also tried a series of N150 (yeah, a lot slower I know). I never got to 2800fps and had very rounded primers, so way under max pressure. BUT- these 8 shots all went into a 0.7 MOA horizontal row with the same elevation.
There is room in the case to go up to 31grains so I may try to get the 109’s up to 2850+ and see if that pattern holds, as well as test the 105’s with N150 and see how that vertical is. Cutting vertical in half is worth looking into with N150 and other slower powders.
Always looking for an advantage, I noted the higher BC’s of the 109 Hybrid. I ordered 100 to play with and see what I can do with those. Using H4895, I can get them up to 2900fps but starting to see ejector shiny spot and edges of primers flattening out. 2850 did not show the pressure signs. The 8 shots I took with powder charges from 28.5-29.8gr all piled into similar POI in a 0.7moa group.
Long term, looking at the Berger calculator….and JBM and Hornady 4 DOF, I am not seeing the benefit over my current load. I am a sling shooter from 600-1000 yard known distance paper targets. Flatter elevation is always nice but not as critical in my known distance games. The wind difference is insignificant between the 105 at 2900 and the 109 at 2850.
The 105 Hybrid 2900fps 600 yard wind deflection on my home range is 0.37 moa/ mph per the Berger calculator. The 1000 yard deflection is 0.72 moa/mph.
The 109 Hybrid 2850fps 600 yard wind deflection on my home range is 0.36 moa/ mph per the Berger calculator. The 1000 yard deflection is 0.68 moa/mph.
The scoring rings on the sling targets are ½ MOA per scoring ring in the middle of the target. This means in order to have the 0.04 moa/ mph advantage of the 109 bullet “save me a point” I would have to miss the wind call by about 10-12 mph.
The added extra cost of the 109 over the 105 can’t be justified by this difference.
BUT- I also tried a series of N150 (yeah, a lot slower I know). I never got to 2800fps and had very rounded primers, so way under max pressure. BUT- these 8 shots all went into a 0.7 MOA horizontal row with the same elevation.
There is room in the case to go up to 31grains so I may try to get the 109’s up to 2850+ and see if that pattern holds, as well as test the 105’s with N150 and see how that vertical is. Cutting vertical in half is worth looking into with N150 and other slower powders.
