185gr Classic Hunters in .308

[Hondo64d]

The 185gr Berger Classic Hunters seem to do fine from my .308. Warm load, so proceed with caution. Base to ogive is 2.190”. OAL allows good function from my AICS mags but not from magpul.

24” Criterion Light Varmint Barrel, 10” twist.
44gr Varget
185gr Berger Classic Hunter, lightly kissing the lands.
Tula Large Rifle Magnum.
5 shots at 100 yards

Can’t say with certainty if the flyer was me or not. 4 of the five went into .285”.

John

 

[byrddog]

what kind of velocities you getting with that 185?

 

[Hondo64d]

what kind of velocities you getting with that 185?

Haven’t chronoed them yet. I will soon though now that I’ve nailed down the accuracy I want.

Ran a seating depth test. It likes the 185gr Classic Hunters at .030” off the lands. At that depth, it put five into .304”. Left to right; .010” off, .020” off and .030” off. The load in the post above was .010” into the lands.

John

 

[byrddog]

Good shooting on your part and good shooting load. I've been shooting the 168 Berger classic hunter out of my 308. Averaging around 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards. they shot good enough for hunting purposes i never tried them off the lands that far. Loaded them on the lands. Getting 2780 out of a 24" carbon six barrel. Its been a great hunting round. Taken deer and elk with with load from 40 yards to 550 yards.

 

[centershot]

Since it is a Classic Hunter, how would it perform on larger game? Does it have a tapered jacket?

 

[byrddog]

not really sure about the jacket, but i have killed elk at 200 yards and 550 with them. All of them one shot kills and performance was really good. i will upload some photos later, but the bullets are getting a lot of penetration and good trauma where it counts. you shooting something bigger than elk?

 

[Hondo64d]

what kind of velocities you getting with that 185?

Still haven’t chronoed them yet, but did use the Ballistic AE velocity truing function and it came out to 2662fps. Matched trajectory exactly from 100 to 600 yards.

John

 

[byrddog]

That's pretty good. I could definitely live with that. Not sure I could get that much powder in mine with that heavy of a bullet without running into pressure.

 

[284winner]

Still haven’t chronoed them yet, but did use the Ballistic AE velocity truing function and it came out to 2662fps. Matched trajectory exactly from 100 to 600 yards.

John

That's about right. I shot the 185 VLDs and velocities were closer to and just above 2700 with a 26" barrel.

 

[Hondo64d]

They work ok on pigs.

Decent sized boar. 478 yards. 7 knot 3/4 value wind.

368 yards. Same conditions.

John

 

[byrddog]

Very nice, bullets exit?

 

[Hondo64d]

Very nice, bullets exit?

Yes. The exit is showing on the boar above. Small, so you have to look for it. The exiting bullet actually killed this piglet. Looks like it might have exited in two pieces, as ther appears to be two entrances on the piglet.

Here is the exit on the sow.

John

 

[byrddog]

I'd say you have a winner! May have to try them in mine at some point.