6BR load with 68 Berger
- Thread starter Longone1
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Powders I have used with good results in a 14 twist 6BR. H322, 2015BR, N-133, Varget, 2230, H4895.
Other than the initials? Walt and Eric's Bullet? Berger has stopped making some other target bullets and replaced them with these and some other new bullets. I bought some just to see them and try them after reading about Eric Stecker's teeny lil F-class group he shot using the WEB. At a guess, I'd think that these have a longer ogive than the older bullets in the same weight class, but I am not sure, since I had none on hand to compare. Apparently they are so new that the Berger website has not caught up with them yet. Bruno and Graf had them in stock yesterday when I ordered some more.
I was able to compare them to some very high quality BR 66 gr. Precision Ballistics bullets that I like a lot. They were very similar the PBs being a #6/9 ogive and the WEBs may be even sharper. They are not VLDs but did real well this afternoon in a gusty 5 to 7 mph wind.
I was able to compare them to some very high quality BR 66 gr. Precision Ballistics bullets that I like a lot. They were very similar the PBs being a #6/9 ogive and the WEBs may be even sharper. They are not VLDs but did real well this afternoon in a gusty 5 to 7 mph wind.
amamnn how well did the 66gr PB shoot for you? were they the 66gr BT?
I just got a 500 lot of the PB 68GR BT, waiting on chambering work to get done.(its killing me waiting)..
I have had great luck with the 66gr fowler FB I have shot them for over ten years in three different barrels and they have allways been the most accurate bullets i've shot. But im out and need to order more and been wanting to try the PB 66gr BT but ordered the 68 BT to try ..Im trying to get stocked up for next year so i dont run out.
I just got a 500 lot of the PB 68GR BT, waiting on chambering work to get done.(its killing me waiting)..
I have had great luck with the 66gr fowler FB I have shot them for over ten years in three different barrels and they have allways been the most accurate bullets i've shot. But im out and need to order more and been wanting to try the PB 66gr BT but ordered the 68 BT to try ..Im trying to get stocked up for next year so i dont run out.
I did not get Don's 68 gr BTs bullet to shoot in my present 6BR barrel as well as his 66 gr FBs. They do shoot very well in my .243 WSSM AR. I have had a lot of samples from Don to play with in the last couple of years. I liked the 66 FBs the best.He says he has reports of the BTs shooting just as well as the FBs and I do not doubt him. I had more of the FBs to play with and was able to find the right seating and neck tension for them. I gave a lot of my samples to friends who liked the FBs, which prompted me to order enough to experiment with. At 100 and 200 yards, with such a short BT, I'd be surprised to see a lot of difference.
As with experiments concerning any component, we have to remember that one rifle's so-so load is another rifle's node..........and I have an aversion to compressed loads. My 6BR groups with the 68 gr PB and two other 68s I tried did not start to tighten up until I approached compression, and that with .003" neck tension. When I begin to wonder if I need to pack a mallet in my range bag in order to open the bolt, I figure I've reached the end of that experiment.......I've seen some nice groups using the 68s in the other cartridge, in fact, I was surprised at how well they shot with a medium powder charge being the node.
Both rifles are barreled with 24" Shilen select match 1/14 tubes.
As with experiments concerning any component, we have to remember that one rifle's so-so load is another rifle's node..........and I have an aversion to compressed loads. My 6BR groups with the 68 gr PB and two other 68s I tried did not start to tighten up until I approached compression, and that with .003" neck tension. When I begin to wonder if I need to pack a mallet in my range bag in order to open the bolt, I figure I've reached the end of that experiment.......I've seen some nice groups using the 68s in the other cartridge, in fact, I was surprised at how well they shot with a medium powder charge being the node.
Both rifles are barreled with 24" Shilen select match 1/14 tubes.
Ok thanks for the info, I have allways favored the 66 gr fowler FB just because they just allways seem to shoot well in two shilen's and a pac nor. but just have a feeling about this 68Gr BT so thought i would give them a try.
I have had many different 66-68 gr custom bullets for a 6ppc bench rifle and over the years i have shot them all up and i never had any luck with the 66 fowler bullet in my 6ppc, but when i shot them in the 6BR it was magic.
I belive its the velocity(node) some bullets just seem to work well out of a 14 twist at a faster velocity.
as we see now alot of 13.5 twist in 6ppc doing well.
I have had many different 66-68 gr custom bullets for a 6ppc bench rifle and over the years i have shot them all up and i never had any luck with the 66 fowler bullet in my 6ppc, but when i shot them in the 6BR it was magic.
I belive its the velocity(node) some bullets just seem to work well out of a 14 twist at a faster velocity.
as we see now alot of 13.5 twist in 6ppc doing well.
I shoot 31.8 grains of 2015 in my rifle and my uncle shoots 30.9 322 in his xp both 14 twist guns I would call sinclair and order some bart ultra 68gr. Bullets too you can get them from sinclair in 100ct boxes and not much more than the bergers. They shoot lights out in my rifle. I get groups in the .3s and .4s with the 68 bergers and now I get solids .2s with the barts. I still can't out shoot that damn xp it shoots under an inch @ 400 yds all day. All from a 18" pistol gotta love clay spencer
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
Guys,
I wonder if the differences in success some are finding using N133 while other recommend N135, isn't in the difference in the rifles they may be shooting or even the distances they are shooting. I have not tried N135 and have been using N133 religiously in my 6mmbr where I have always been using 68 gr Bart Ultra's @ 100 yds. I did have a drop off in accuracy back in April for some unknown reason, but found the cure by increasing .8 in the amount of N133. Weather had been hotter than in the past, but I've not know N133 to be temperature sensitive. But now that my accuracy is back, I'm going to have to go by a lb of N135 and see how that works. I'm never shy to try something that works better. Thx guys.
I wonder if the differences in success some are finding using N133 while other recommend N135, isn't in the difference in the rifles they may be shooting or even the distances they are shooting. I have not tried N135 and have been using N133 religiously in my 6mmbr where I have always been using 68 gr Bart Ultra's @ 100 yds. I did have a drop off in accuracy back in April for some unknown reason, but found the cure by increasing .8 in the amount of N133. Weather had been hotter than in the past, but I've not know N133 to be temperature sensitive. But now that my accuracy is back, I'm going to have to go by a lb of N135 and see how that works. I'm never shy to try something that works better. Thx guys.
shynloco dont be cheep about it if your going to test some new powder you should give RL10x a try along with the N135..I think if you compare them you wiil go to the RL10 or back to the N133..But understand i never had any luck with the N135..Oh it would shoot but was never consistant,Now i usually shoot more than most people. I have two buddys who have a large stock pile of N135 and swear by it. I will out shoot their BR's every time all the time at the range,now their excuse is I have a better rifle ect..I gave one of them enough Rl10 to load twenty rounds or so,He did it shot better in his rifle than the N135. but he said not well enough for him to buy any because he has all this N135..lol....I kind of think you said it...
Now powders can vary from lot to lot and also within the same lot if one has more moisture content.
We just were talking about this not long ago...but some years back i had a 1LB can of H322 that was sticking my bolt at 29.5 grs and my buddy had a 1LB can of H322 and he was shooting 31.5grs..so you would think maybe difference in rifles or chambers/throats ect...so we switched cans and yea it was vice versa. there was that much difference in burn rate between the two cans of H322..so there can be a burn rate difference that can affect the load and the tune in a particular rifle...ie like you got a slightly faster lot of powder than i did ect...Or like the one and only 2LB can of N133 i have left thats been in my basement for 12 years.lol...Ok i just checked it its not quite that old, date is 522/01.
Now powders can vary from lot to lot and also within the same lot if one has more moisture content.
We just were talking about this not long ago...but some years back i had a 1LB can of H322 that was sticking my bolt at 29.5 grs and my buddy had a 1LB can of H322 and he was shooting 31.5grs..so you would think maybe difference in rifles or chambers/throats ect...so we switched cans and yea it was vice versa. there was that much difference in burn rate between the two cans of H322..so there can be a burn rate difference that can affect the load and the tune in a particular rifle...ie like you got a slightly faster lot of powder than i did ect...Or like the one and only 2LB can of N133 i have left thats been in my basement for 12 years.lol...Ok i just checked it its not quite that old, date is 522/01.
Well I finally got a chance to try some Berger 68's and I tried Benchmark for the first time as well. I started with 29 grain load and worked up from there in 1/2 gr. increments to 31 gr. and from there in .3 grain. increments. Right from the gate it shot well, nice round groups, best of the day was 31.3 and 31.6 grains. I seated the Bergers to be in the lands .015" and was using CCI 450's.
It was a gusty day so anything that was out of the group with good elevation I chalked up to missed wind call. 31.3 shot about a .200" group while 31.6 put three through the same hole with 1 out to wind and one high (shooter).
When I got home to clean the rifle I noticed the fouling to be heavy like Varget which I disdain. I used at least 6 wet patches to get to the point where the fouling was just discoloring the patch. There was actually chunks of fouling coming out with the first few patches.
Even though it shot well I will most likely try another powder, fouling like this I will try to avoid whenever possible.
Just my 2 cents.
Longone
It was a gusty day so anything that was out of the group with good elevation I chalked up to missed wind call. 31.3 shot about a .200" group while 31.6 put three through the same hole with 1 out to wind and one high (shooter).
When I got home to clean the rifle I noticed the fouling to be heavy like Varget which I disdain. I used at least 6 wet patches to get to the point where the fouling was just discoloring the patch. There was actually chunks of fouling coming out with the first few patches.
Even though it shot well I will most likely try another powder, fouling like this I will try to avoid whenever possible.
Just my 2 cents.
Longone
Longone: Your dirty fouling is just one of the reasons I'm so happy with VV, N133 & N135 powders in the 6BR's and 6ppc's. I can tell how much carbon fouling I will have in the bore by looking at the fired case's as they come out of the chamber / very clean. Then I go into the bore with the hawkeye after a normal cleaning with Butch's, that will remove the powder & copper, and carbon will be non-existant or minimal, and then only after well over 200 rounds have been fired. Been using VV since 1998 and see no reason to change to anything else, for the lighter weight bullets.
RoyB: You are correct about N135. Loaded up 20 test rounds with 32.5 grs. of N135 with the 68 gr. Bergers seated to touch, Federal 205's. Side by side comparison with my old 30 gr.s of N133, same bullet, seating depth & primer. The N135 load outshot the N133 at 1 & 200 yds. Will take it out to 300 yd. next to check groups at that distance, and run them over the chronograph. N133 did leave a fair amount of dead airspace under the seated bullet whereas the N135 fills the case to the base of the seated bullet. Just touching, not compressed, the way I like it. Primers and bolt lift all normal. This may be my new standard load for all 3 6BR's with the 14 twist barrels, an older Shilen, new Bartlein and older Hart. Thanks for the suggestion. fds 
madmixerman
Gold $$ Contributor
Frank: I was up to 33.5 grs. of VV135 in my 6br 14 twist using Fed 205's & 68 gr. Barts originals. Load given to me by the guy I purchased the gun from. Shot well for me .
Sorry to butt in but I was reading your load sharing for the 6MM BR with the Berger 68 grain. I too use the 68 grain and can get all day long groups in the 1s and just last week got an honest zero group (.096, I know, not by much, but it was still in the 0 range and I am taking it). I have not ever tried H322 but have done a lot with Varget. Ladder testing led me to 32.8 grains of Varget as my go to load. This was out of a factory barrel. All day every day it shoots .119 to .150 groups with this load from my Savage 12 LRPV. So, I don't know if you have tried Varget with your 6MM BR but with any bullet I have used (Berger, Hornady and Nosler) I just cant get a really bad group. Between the Savage heavy barrel, 6MM BR and Varget, I am shooting better than I deserve to.
gmich,
I would assume that if you are shooting a factory Savage that the barrel would be 26" ? I'm shooting a 22" so I really think that Varget would be a tad slow for that length. That is just one reason that I'm going with a faster powder.
For the money, the Savage is a good buy.
Longone
I would assume that if you are shooting a factory Savage that the barrel would be 26" ? I'm shooting a 22" so I really think that Varget would be a tad slow for that length. That is just one reason that I'm going with a faster powder.
For the money, the Savage is a good buy.
Longone
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