.308 Berger 185 VLD

[Fieldstone]

I will be running a 24" 11.25 twist barrel using Varget power. What velocity can I expect shooting the Berger .30 cal 185gr VLD?

Thanks for your input

 

[Fieldstone]

Sorry I for got to specify the cal. It is a .308

 

[6fatrat]

I get 2800 F.P.S. out of a 30" with no signs of excessive pressure. You need to be careful, the length of the freebore and throat are in a .308 are the key to higher velocities as well as barrel length.

 

[watercam]

My results were not as fast - 44.5 gr. Varget was max in my 32" Bartlein at about 2730 fps. Was more accurate at 43 gr./2690 fps though. My barrel also liked to jump the VLDs .020" which surprised me. Any closer to the lands and accuracy went to hell. This barrel also liked the 185 Juggernauts jumped the same amount and were every bit as accurate (plus the Jugs have a higher BC).
Have fun with yours!

 

[ohaniazx]

The bore dimension (bore/groove) can account for the velocity variations within the same barrel length / caliber also as it drives up the peak pressure point. It is good to ask what velocity is to be expected but it does not mean one can get to the same velocity without getting into the details; BTW if you do the practical ballistic analysis you will see that the 75 fps difference at 500 yds will translate into 2/3 of that and at 1000 yds will be practically under 25 fps. It is always an advantage to have velocity but at what expense , accuracy, safety or KE.

Zareh

My results were not as fast - 44.5 gr. Varget was max in my 32" Bartlein at about 2730 fps. Was more accurate at 43 gr./2690 fps though. My barrel also liked to jump the VLDs .020" which surprised me. Any closer to the lands and accuracy went to hell. This barrel also liked the 185 Juggernauts jumped the same amount and were every bit as accurate (plus the Jugs have a higher BC).
Have fun with yours!

 

[wboggs]

watercam Do you think a longer throat and seating the bullets out with more of a slower powder would increase your velocity (assuming your barrel is long enough)?

 

[XTR]

watercam Do you think a longer throat and seating the bullets out with more of a slower powder would increase your velocity (assuming your barrel is long enough)?

Some folks may be getting more with long barrels. My experience is find a node and shoot there, whether it's at 2740 or 2810. Pushing the velocity gets flyers and dropped points. (been there done that)

Seating long (like the .168 freebore in a PT&G FTR reamer) and running slower powder should be able to get you more MV, but I have serious doubts about the claims much over 2800FPS. Getting to 2800 in a node is achievable, but I have not been able to get a stable load that is much above that. You may get something that works but you are going to be on the ragged edge out there and the load will probably get unstable if the temperature gets up much above where it was tested.

H4350 is about the slowest powder you would be able to get to work at all in a 308, you are talking about a really compressed load. I've used a 24" drop tube and still had problems getting uniform seating depths when I played with it. I didn't try vibrating the loads down, that's just getting too many steps for loading several thousand rounds a yr for competition and practice.


The problem with getting an unstable load is that it starts to eat at your confidence as to why the bullet hit where it did. We all know flags lie, but bullets don't. If it went there it went there for a reason, either you pulled the shot or there is wind you didn't see, unless your load is getting wonky. You get dialed in, and you get a couple that hit high in the 10 or a leaker 9 at 2 o'clock, you take off 2 clicks and you shoot a 9 at 5 o'clock, now what do you do?

Get a load that will shoot X ring vertical that you can trust. That way if you see your shots creeping to the top of the 10 ring you know your barrel is getting hot and walking a little and you don't have to sweat taking off ¼ MOA. The other component is that dispersion is not all vertical, so if it starts to give you vertical it is also giving you horizontal and now your wind calls have a higher error and you get more second guessing of yourself.


My opinion, based on what I perceive as the mistakes I made last yr, is that chasing velocity beyond a certain point can and will hurt your scores more than it will help. Test and find a node, load in the node not at the top. If you load at the very top of the node you run the risk of discovering temperature issues at the worst possible time. (like the State Championship or the FCNC)