185 Berger Hybrid 308 win and Varget info needed.

[chuckbuster243]

Hello guys,
I am looking for input on 308 185 Grain Berger Hybrid bullets in my 308 Win. I plan to use Varget powder Lapua brass and CCI BR2 primers. I am looking for what kind of oal and charges that seem to work the best. I will work up, but would like to know what kind of results you have had in accuracy (100-1000 yards) and velocity. I have a savage with a Criterion 30 inch 1-10 bull to try these in... Just looking for any threads of info anybody can give me on the hybrids. Thanks, Matt

I have been shooting 175vld at 2725fps with 44.6 Varget into 1/2 inch or less at 200. I just want the better wind bucking bc of the 185 hybrid.

 

[DennisH]

Using CCI BR primers, Varget, 44.6, I am .050 off the lands, Lapua brass.

This combo works for me, It MAY not work for others.

Good Luck.

 

[Mark Walker in TX]

Hello guys,
I am looking for input on 308 185 Grain Berger Hybrid bullets in my 308 Win. I have been shooting 175vld into 1/2 inch or less at 200.

Uh, if that is the case, stick with what IS working. Barrels are like women, feed them what they want and they will take care of you...

 

[gsg5pk]

I also using Lapua brass , CCI BR2 and Varget with Berger 185 LRBT.

Have a load up test and my accuracy load was 43.0 of Varget.

2,590 fps out of 24" Barrel (1:10" tw)
Shoot sub MOA out to 800 yards.


For Hybrid design, I would start load as 185 LRBT but need to concern with COAL which may slightly different from LRBT.

 

[XTR]

Using CCI BR primers, Varget, 44.6, I am .050 off the lands, Lapua brass.

This combo works for me, It MAY not work for others.

Good Luck.

To the OP, This is a lot of Varget for that bullet, he states seated .050 off but not how long. Last yr I was shooting 185s in WW brass, which has more case volume than Lapua and blew primers with 44.4 grains on a hot day. Be careful above 44 grains with with 185s, you are getting close to the edge there.

 

[DennisH]

Using CCI BR primers, Varget, 44.6, I am .050 off the lands, Lapua brass.

This combo works for me, It MAY not work for others.

Good Luck.

To the OP, This is a lot of Varget for that bullet, he states seated .050 off but not how long. Last yr I was shooting 185s in WW brass, which has more case volume than Lapua and blew primers with 44.4 grains on a hot day. Be careful above 44 grains with with 185s, you are getting close to the edge there.

Thanks for posting the above. Yes, it's close to MAX and I am not recommending you use this load in your rifle.

Start at least 10% less or more and work up. I will post my COAL if requested. I tried loads up to .080 off the lands and for some reason .050 worked the best. My ES & SD are very good and I pretty well maintain a avg speed of 2,725 fps.

The above is "not" a compressed load in my rifle.

Please use the above as a reference for my rifle only.

Dennis

 

[savagedasher]

Quickload list the case at 56 gr of H2O with 43.varget the case is 104.6% full with 2.800 OAL length
61106 Psi very near max .I never would start there .Most hybrids like to be jumped .010 to.030. To give you a better information i need to know Grains of H20 and OAL length to lands .
Happy New Years Larry

 

[chuckbuster243]

Thanks for the info guys. I actually looked at my data and my load is 44.2 grains with the 175's. What kind of pressure is the 44.2 load with lapua and the vld coal at 2.9. It seems very mild. I hope to have the 185 bullets in a week or so to give a try. If they dont do well I can always use the 175's. I hope I can get the 185's to 2700 in my 30" using less than 44.0 grains. Do y'all think its gonna be obtainable without crazy pressure?? Matt

 

[its only light]

I think you should be able to get there. I use federal brass with the 175's and 43.5gr of varget and get 2825 to 2850 from a 30 in barrel on a savage target action. The accuracy is great btw. It will be close just work up to and be willing to settle for a little under 2800 if that's where it shoots.

 

[savagedasher]

Quickload says 43.5 gr varget, 175 Berger Hybrid 30'' barrel 63379 psi 2739 fps. Guys DON'T
worry about speed make it shoot. The different between a fast bullet and a slow one is its a FAST miss. Quickload says your nearly 2000 psi over safe . Keep it safe Good Shooting Larry

 

[yukonal]

I have been shooting 175vld at 2725fps with 44.6 Varget into 1/2 inch or less at 200. I just want the better wind bucking bc of the 185 hybrid.

I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[XTR]

I think you could grab just about any of the 175-185 grain bullets, load them over 44.2 Varget and go work on seating depth, and have a load. That load has worked in 3 different barrels for me with 175SKMs, Hornady 178HPBTs and 185 Bergers.

 

[savageshooter86]

XTR interesting that you mentioned 44.2 gr. That is my current load using the 178s and seating depth test got me on the right track. Several posts suggest the same load should be good using the 185s too

 

[LAKESNAKE]

Using 42.1 gr of Varget with 185 Hybrid 308 win, 2.230 OAL measured from ogive. 0.90 freebore, 1 in 10 twist, 28" barrel. Five shot groups are one ragged hole at 100 yards.

 

[chuckbuster243]

When I originally worked up a ladder test for the 175 vld I worked from 42.5 to 44.5... Accuracy just kept getting tighter and tighter.. It peaked at 44.2 and dropped back at 44.5 with almost no speed gain. So I reduced back to 44.2 and played with the seating depth a little bit. I had already ran a few modest loads .010 in and .010 out and found that .010 into jam from touching shot the most consistent. The 44.2 load with the VLD had the least SD and ES than all the other load tests I tried. If I remember corect it was ES around 12 and SD 8 I think. Now with my Nosler Custom comps in FC brass to get the accuracy and speed I wanted (2700) FPS the load shot best at 44.5 grains at a COAL of 2.850 If I remember correctly. The load shoots great low SD and ES but at long range its just not quite as tight. 1.5 to 1.75 at 500 VS .75 to 1.00 with the VLD. If I can get the 185 hybrid to do that I will be thrilled. But as I have read it seems as 44.0 + with a 185 may be hot unless I seat way out with lapua brass.

 

[chuckbuster243]

Using 42.1 gr of Varget with 185 Hybrid 308 win, 2.230 OAL measured from ogive. 0.90 freebore, 1 in 10 twist, 28" barrel. Five shot groups are one ragged hole at 100 yards.

What kind of fps are you getting from this load??

 

[LAKESNAKE]

Unfortunately no chrono.

 

[LAKESNAKE]

chuckbuster,
Chrono today, 0.456 five shots @ 100 yards. Average FPS 2577, ES 17.02, DS 6.08 I was wanting to see higher FPS... May be a good for midrange.

 

[chuckbuster243]

chuckbuster,
Chrono today, 0.456 five shots @ 100 yards. Average FPS 2577, ES 17.02, DS 6.08 I was wanting to see higher FPS... May be a good for midrange.

Thats about what I had for the 43.0 range loads I tried.. I have just started to find the accuracy I want. I have worked up to 44.6 and 44.0 to 44.5 was the most accurate range for me. I am currently working on seating depths. I have found the best at 44.2 seated .005" out of the lands its around 2.990 coal in my rifle. It chronos in lapua brass in my 30" 1-10 at 2670. 1/2-3/4 inch 5 shot at 200 yards and 1.5-2 at 500 yards. I think I am getting close. Its odd I am shooting the same charge weight that I used on my 175 vld loads. No pressure shown at all. I want to get a water capacity and get someone to quickload it for me. The bearing surface is shorter than on the 175 vld so thats part of it I think. The hybrids seem to be able to take a hotter load than the btlr and the VLD. I just shot in in Blakely, GA at 1000 yard F class match. If I could read the wind better I would do very well with them. I shot old 180 SMK and 190 smk and shot almost 20 points higher with the berger in the same conditions. When I get the wind figured out I will be good. AIM is a tough windy range. Matt