80 grain Bergers FB

[1holeaddict]

Just finished some extensive load development on one of my 6br's. I wanted a long range bullet to use for chuck hunting. Well after testing the most consistent bullet happened to be the 80 grain Berger Fb. It is shooting in the 2's-3's consistently at 200 yards. Just wondering if anyone has any experience at shooting these at longer ranges and around what distance should i expect to see accuracy dropping off?
Thank You
Good shooting to all.
Ryan

 

[260Ravage]

Good question! I shoot the 80 grainer in league competition. It does me well at 100 & 200 yds. Next week I'm gonna use it at 300, for it tested well at that distance. Now, I'm wondering how it would hold up at 600. anybody with more to add would be great.

 

[RJinTexas]

I found that both 80 and 88 grain Berger's shot very well at 500 and 600 yards so I loaded them for shooting p-dogs at long range. I was disappointed with their performance. I found that a high percentage of dogs shoot managed to crawl back into their holes as the bullets just punched a hole through them without expanding. Some actually just stood there after being shot and took a few seconds before falling over. I tried them in both my 6BR and 6x47L, I'll not use them again for shooting varmints because they did not provide a clean kill. They both shot very accurate and are best suited for target shooting.

RJ

 

[djporter]

Ditto what RJinTexas said on PD's but they do preform for me on groundhogs. Guess it's the bigger body. That's the 80 gr. have not tried the 88 er's

 

[1holeaddict]

I found that both 80 and 88 grain Berger's shot very well at 500 and 600 yards so I loaded them for shooting p-dogs at long range. I was disappointed with their performance. I found that a high percentage of dogs shoot managed to crawl back into their holes as the bullets just punched a hole through them without expanding. Some actually just stood there after being shot and took a few seconds before falling over. I tried them in both my 6BR and 6x47L, I'll not use them again for shooting varmints because they did not provide a clean kill. They both shot very accurate and are best suited for target shooting.

RJ

So you have shot them out to 600 yards with good accuracy??

 

[lpreddick]

re performance on varmints: i love the 80 bergers and the 80 fowlers in a 6BRX, 6x47 lapua and 243 ackley. to get the best terminal ballistics i drill out the tip of these bullets to thin and open the tip. there is an open space inside between the lead core and tip that collapses after impact and results in the bullet really coming apart dumping its energy and subsequently liquifying the innards of the varmint. i spin the bullet in a variable speed b&d drill , file the tip slightly, then insert a very small drill bit that has a hex shaped shank the is held nicely. the process takes a little bit of time but my varmint hunting is ghogs, so in the dead of winter i'll have a hollowpointing hour or three and i'm set for the season. most varmint bullets have low bcs, so i tend to use target/vlds due to their higher bc, flat shooting nature. the 105 berger vlds, thus treated, have come apart in varmints at 500+yards!

 

[1holeaddict]

Great info guys. I am very intetested to know if anyone has used these out to 500-600 yards. Im interested in the accuracy of these bullets at longer ranges. I do understand that the bc is much lower than a vld but they shot so good at 200 i figured i would try them out.

 

[Coleridge]

I've shot the 80gr Berger many times out to 500 yards. However, the wind can make it fun. I noticed the wind carrying them about twice as far as the 105 VLD's on one windy trip to the range.

The 80's are plenty "accurate" that far but can be harder to shoot well with switchy/changing conditions. The lower BC of that bullet has the bullet slowing quicker & the outside circumstances are more prevelant on the bullet. In ideal conditions they will be great out 500-600 yards.