6BR load development...newbie looking for some help and guidance

[alzerh]

Hi there
Alex from PA here (via the UK....don't moan!) and a complete newbie to the alchemy of precision reloading. I'm looking for some help and guidance to help me (any my bullets!) get up to speed. I have just worked-up my very first set of load-development rounds for my 6BR based on web research primarily sourced from the 6BR website: 105gr Berger VLD bullet, BR4 primer, RE15 powder ranging from 29.6-31.2gr (increasing in 0.4gr increments), seating depth just touching the lands (as a starting point. In the BR website the 'favorite recipes' for 105 bullets range from 29.5-31.5gr. However, I just purchased the Berger hand-loading manual and I checked the load development for said bullet and powder, and it suggests starting at 26.5gr with max of 29.9gr. Is the Berger manual overly cautious or did I misinterpret the table of 'favorite recipes' in the 6BR website? Please advise...I am hoping I won't have to jettison my first batch of load development rounds, but equally don't want to start with overly hot rounds. Many thanks.

 

[ShootDots]

Generally speaking, VLD's like it in the lands (use "just touching" the lands as a basis to go "into" the lands) about 10-15K.. RL-15 is an excellent powder>>> Try using CCI 450's with it and somewhere between 29.3 to 30.4>>>Go in 0.2gr increments>>>By the time you finish that, you will be sitting on and excellent load. Also, this just came to mind, keep your neck tension 2K or less..

 

[alzerh]

Great - many thanks for the quick feedback, much appreciated

 

[searcher]

1+ for not "just touching". Either in or out by at least .003" if your bullets have been measured from base to ogive - otherwise more. If you compare Bergers load data with, say, Sierra, you will see a big difference. That could mean that Berger is very conservative - but I have tried to work up to more than one max load in Sierra's manual (with different guns in different calibers) and had to quit before I got even close. Your gun will tell you what it is capable of. I would not discount Berger's data for getting you onto a useable load - they likely just won't be "hot" - something not recommended as starting out anyway. Have fun!

 

[michaelnel]

Generally speaking, VLD's like it in the lands (use "just touching" the lands as a basis to go "into" the lands) about 10-15K.

First off I have to say that although I have done a lot of reloading, I have yet to reload my first 6mm BR round. I pick up my new rifle this coming Friday and have all the reloading hardware and components on order as well, so I will be reloading these soon. To that end I have been doing a lot of research.

I wrote to Berger about their recommendations, and in addition to the two pages from their manual with the loading data for the 105 VLD, they sent me a .pdf of a paper by Eric Steckler entitled "Getting the Best Precision and Accuracy from VLD Bullets in Your Rifle".

Interesting reading. Eric talks about the history of the VLD and how the commonly held belief for many years was that VLDs had to be shot jammed. This paper goes on to show how through extensive experimentation, they have found that in fact VLD bullets have a .030 to .040 wide "sweet spot" where they shoot better, and that ranges from jammed up to 0.150 jump off the lands. He goes on to give a methodology for testing to see what works best in your rifle.

It's definitely worth reading and is available free from Berger Bullets. The filename is "VLD - Making It Shoot.pdf".

 

[R.Morehouse]

I also just got done reading the same blog on the Berger site. I would like to hear from anyone that has used this method of starting with 10 jam then to 40-80-120 jump to find the "sweet spot" for VLD's. And if this was successful would you think it would work with the 105 HyBreds as well. And if this is the case would you still start looking for your powder node with your seating at 20 jump as per Eric C.'s instructions in the Load Development At 100yds thread then go to the big jumps suggested by Eric Steckler and fine tune from there going a few thou. in either direction.....I Know....A Lot of questions...Just trying to learn and get it right .....Thank's ....Rick