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88 Berger Load Development

Just thought I would post my process in trying to find a VLD varmint bullet for busting yotes. It started by missing several yotes in the 300 yard plus area in the wind with 55 bal tips and 70 TNT's. TNT's were half MOA and I was happy with that. Shot under MOA at 400 yards. But, I ran out of the powder (W760) and the TNT's.
On to the 88's. The berger website said it needed a 1-10 or faster to stabilize. I just recently had a douglas 1-12 installed on my kimber montana. A PM poster pointed out that my math wasn't a 100% in regards to velocity of the 55 bal tip[ @ 4000FPS compared to a VLD in the 90 to 105 range going at a decent speed. I then contacted my smith to see if I could change my twist rate order, but he said it was too late.
I started off doing an OCW test with W760 (H414), and H100V. Both powders gave about the same results (above and below MOA), with the 760 getting the higher velocity, so I tried that first. I then went directly to the berger depth seating procedure as they directed. It was then that I felt that I was pushing a boulder right up the hill. With previous rifles and berger VLD's, I guess I just got lucky with the depth seating tests. I found something under MOA with factory rifles without too much trouble. I am addicted to the BC's smile
Anyway, this 243 win. wasn't wanting to shine w/o some more effort and patience than I use to giving. The OCW test were above and below MOA with both powders. I didn't go to all the time and $$ for a rebarrel job to shoot MOA.
Emailing pics to berger's tech staff and conversing with them, I was wanting to make sure I was following the correct procedure. I don't want to spend any more time or money, and barrel life than I have to. After doing the initial depth test, things looked bleak (MOA). Then berger suggested to go in-between the depth seatings that have already been tested. I thought great! More $$, time, and no break through results.
And then it happened. Load development ecstasy! 3 shots, all horizontal, in a 7/16'' group at 100 yards. Being tired of what seemed like a waste of components, I went directly to 200 yards and shot 2 shots with both almost the same horizontally, at 1 1/4'' apart. I know this test is not 100% conclusive, but with components being hard to come by, I wanted to save the rest for the big, fluffy, Yotezz! I think it's pretty good grouping for a rifle that weighs just over 7 lbs. field ready. Id post a target pic, but my tech ability is somewhat lacking.
It takes some time and effort to get the bergers going, but once you do, its good times. I like them and they do deflect the wind better than the average bullet. I tried the 87 Vmaxes when I first got the rebarrel job done, and it wasn't pretty at all. 2 plus MOA. The 80 bergers did MOA, but the BC just wasn't their. PM member RONINFLAGG posted that he had success in the past with the 88's so thats really what gave me the inspiration that I could in fact get it done. PM is a very cool place.
And Now for the yotes in the wind!
ust thought I would post my process in trying to find a VLD varmint bullet for busting yotes. It started by missing several yotes in the 300 yard plus area in the wind with 55 bal tips and 70 TNT's. TNT's were half MOA and I was happy with that. Shot under MOA at 400 yards. But, I ran out of the powder (W760) and the TNT's.
On to the 88's. The berger website said it needed a 1-10 or faster to stabilize. I just recently had a douglas 1-12 installed on my kimber montana. A PM poster pointed out that my math wasn't a 100% in regards to velocity of the 55 bal tip[ @ 4000FPS compared to a VLD in the 90 to 105 range going at a decent speed. I then contacted my smith to see if I could change my twist rate order, but he said it was too late.
I started off doing an OCW test with W760 (H414), and H100V. Both powders gave about the same results (above and below MOA), with the 760 getting the higher velocity, so I tried that first. I then went directly to the berger depth seating procedure as they directed. It was then that I felt that I was pushing a boulder right up the hill. With previous rifles and berger VLD's, I guess I just got lucky with the depth seating tests. I found something under MOA with factory rifles without too much trouble. I am addicted to the BC's smile
Anyway, this 243 win. wasn't wanting to shine w/o some more effort and patience than I use to giving. The OCW test were above and below MOA with both powders. I didn't go to all the time and $$ for a rebarrel job to shoot MOA.
Emailing pics to berger's tech staff and conversing with them, I was wanting to make sure I was following the correct procedure. I don't want to spend any more time or money, and barrel life than I have to. After doing the initial depth test, things looked bleak (MOA). Then berger suggested to go in-between the depth seatings that have already been tested. I thought great! More $$, time, and no break through results.
And then it happened. Load development ecstasy! 3 shots, all horizontal, in a 7/16'' group at 100 yards. Being tired of what seemed like a waste of components, I went directly to 200 yards and shot 2 shots with both almost the same horizontally, at 1 1/4'' apart. I know this test is not 100% conclusive, but with components being hard to come by, I wanted to save the rest for the big, fluffy, Yotezz! I think it's pretty good grouping for a rifle that weighs just over 7 lbs. field ready. Id post a target pic, but my tech ability is somewhat lacking.
It takes some time and effort to get the bergers going, but once you do, its good times. I like them and they do deflect the wind better than the average bullet. I tried the 87 Vmaxes when I first got the rebarrel job done, and it wasn't pretty at all. 2 plus MOA. The 80 bergers did MOA, but the BC just wasn't their. PM member RONINFLAGG posted that he had success in the past with the 88's so thats really what gave me the inspiration that I could in fact get it done. PM is a very cool place.
And Now for the yotes in the wind!
ust thought I would post my process in trying to find a VLD varmint bullet for busting yotes. It started by missing several yotes in the 300 yard plus area in the wind with 55 bal tips and 70 TNT's. TNT's were half MOA and I was happy with that. Shot under MOA at 400 yards. But, I ran out of the powder (W760) and the TNT's.
On to the 88's. The berger website said it needed a 1-10 or faster to stabilize. I just recently had a douglas 1-12 installed on my kimber montana. A PM poster pointed out that my math wasn't a 100% in regards to velocity of the 55 bal tip[ @ 4000FPS compared to a VLD in the 90 to 105 range going at a decent speed. I then contacted my smith to see if I could change my twist rate order, but he said it was too late.
I started off doing an OCW test with W760 (H414), and H100V. Both powders gave about the same results (above and below MOA), with the 760 getting the higher velocity, so I tried that first. I then went directly to the berger depth seating procedure as they directed. It was then that I felt that I was pushing a boulder right up the hill. With previous rifles and berger VLD's, I guess I just got lucky with the depth seating tests. I found something under MOA with factory rifles without too much trouble. I am addicted to the BC's smile
Anyway, this 243 win. wasn't wanting to shine w/o some more effort and patience than I use to giving. The OCW test were above and below MOA with both powders. I didn't go to all the time and $$ for a rebarrel job to shoot MOA.
Emailing pics to berger's tech staff and conversing with them, I was wanting to make sure I was following the correct procedure. I don't want to spend any more time or money, and barrel life than I have to. After doing the initial depth test, things looked bleak (MOA). Then berger suggested to go in-between the depth seatings that have already been tested. I thought great! More $$, time, and no break through results.
And then it happened. Load development ecstasy! 3 shots, all horizontal, in a 7/16'' group at 100 yards. Being tired of what seemed like a waste of components, I went directly to 200 yards and shot 2 shots with both almost the same horizontally, at 1 1/4'' apart. I know this test is not 100% conclusive, but with components being hard to come by, I wanted to save the rest for the big, fluffy, Yotezz! I think it's pretty good grouping for a rifle that weighs just over 7 lbs. field ready. Id post a target pic, but my tech ability is somewhat lacking.
It takes some time and effort to get the bergers going, but once you do, its good times. I like them and they do deflect the wind better than the average bullet. I tried the 87 Vmaxes when I first got the rebarrel job done, and it wasn't pretty at all. 2 plus MOA. The 80 bergers did MOA, but the BC just wasn't their. PM member RONINFLAGG posted that he had success in the past with the 88's so thats really what gave me the inspiration that I could in fact get it done. PM is a very cool place.
And Now for the yotes in the wind!
ust thought I would post my process in trying to find a VLD varmint bullet for busting yotes. It started by missing several yotes in the 300 yard plus area in the wind with 55 bal tips and 70 TNT's. TNT's were half MOA and I was happy with that. Shot under MOA at 400 yards. But, I ran out of the powder (W760) and the TNT's.
On to the 88's. The berger website said it needed a 1-10 or faster to stabilize. I just recently had a douglas 1-12 installed on my kimber montana. A PM poster pointed out that my math wasn't a 100% in regards to velocity of the 55 bal tip[ @ 4000FPS compared to a VLD in the 90 to 105 range going at a decent speed. I then contacted my smith to see if I could change my twist rate order, but he said it was too late.
I started off doing an OCW test with W760 (H414), and H100V. Both powders gave about the same results (above and below MOA), with the 760 getting the higher velocity, so I tried that first. I then went directly to the berger depth seating procedure as they directed. It was then that I felt that I was pushing a boulder right up the hill. With previous rifles and berger VLD's, I guess I just got lucky with the depth seating tests. I found something under MOA with factory rifles without too much trouble. I am addicted to the BC's smile
Anyway, this 243 win. wasn't wanting to shine w/o some more effort and patience than I use to giving. The OCW test were above and below MOA with both powders. I didn't go to all the time and $$ for a rebarrel job to shoot MOA.
Emailing pics to berger's tech staff and conversing with them, I was wanting to make sure I was following the correct procedure. I don't want to spend any more time or money, and barrel life than I have to. After doing the initial depth test, things looked bleak (MOA). Then berger suggested to go in-between the depth seatings that have already been tested. I thought great! More $$, time, and no break through results.
And then it happened. Load development ecstasy! 3 shots, all horizontal, in a 7/16'' group at 100 yards. Being tired of what seemed like a waste of components, I went directly to 200 yards and shot 2 shots with both almost the same horizontally, at 1 1/4'' apart. I know this test is not 100% conclusive, but with components being hard to come by, I wanted to save the rest for the big, fluffy, Yotezz! I think it's pretty good grouping for a rifle that weighs just over 7 lbs. field ready. Id post a target pic, but my tech ability is somewhat lacking.
It takes some time and effort to get the bergers going, but once you do, its good times. I like them and they do deflect the wind better than the average bullet. I tried the 87 Vmaxes when I first got the rebarrel job done, and it wasn't pretty at all. 2 plus MOA. The 80 bergers did MOA, but the BC just wasn't their. PM member RONINFLAGG posted that he had success in the past with the 88's so thats really what gave me the inspiration that I could in fact get it done. PM is a very cool place.
And Now for the yotes in the wind!
ust thought I would post my process in trying to find a VLD varmint bullet for busting yotes. It started by missing several yotes in the 300 yard plus area in the wind with 55 bal tips and 70 TNT's. TNT's were half MOA and I was happy with that. Shot under MOA at 400 yards. But, I ran out of the powder (W760) and the TNT's.
On to the 88's. The berger website said it needed a 1-10 or faster to stabilize. I just recently had a douglas 1-12 installed on my kimber montana. A PM poster pointed out that my math wasn't a 100% in regards to velocity of the 55 bal tip[ @ 4000FPS compared to a VLD in the 90 to 105 range going at a decent speed. I then contacted my smith to see if I could change my twist rate order, but he said it was too late.
I started off doing an OCW test with W760 (H414), and H100V. Both powders gave about the same results (above and below MOA), with the 760 getting the higher velocity, so I tried that first. I then went directly to the berger depth seating procedure as they directed. It was then that I felt that I was pushing a boulder right up the hill. With previous rifles and berger VLD's, I guess I just got lucky with the depth seating tests. I found something under MOA with factory rifles without too much trouble. I am addicted to the BC's smile
Anyway, this 243 win. wasn't wanting to shine w/o some more effort and patience than I use to giving. The OCW test were above and below MOA with both powders. I didn't go to all the time and $$ for a rebarrel job to shoot MOA.
Emailing pics to berger's tech staff and conversing with them, I was wanting to make sure I was following the correct procedure. I don't want to spend any more time or money, and barrel life than I have to. After doing the initial depth test, things looked bleak (MOA). Then berger suggested to go in-between the depth seatings that have already been tested. I thought great! More $$, time, and no break through results.
And then it happened. Load development ecstasy! 3 shots, all horizontal, in a 7/16'' group at 100 yards. Being tired of what seemed like a waste of components, I went directly to 200 yards and shot 2 shots with both almost the same horizontally, at 1 1/4'' apart. I know this test is not 100% conclusive, but with components being hard to come by, I wanted to save the rest for the big, fluffy, Yotezz! I think it's pretty good grouping for a rifle that weighs just over 7 lbs. field ready. Id post a target pic, but my tech ability is somewhat lacking.
It takes some time and effort to get the bergers going, but once you do, its good times. I like them and they do deflect the wind better than the average bullet. I tried the 87 Vmaxes when I first got the rebarrel job done, and it wasn't pretty at all. 2 plus MOA. The 80 bergers did MOA, but the BC just wasn't their. PM member RONINFLAGG posted that he had success in the past with the 88's so thats really what gave me the inspiration that I could in fact get it done. PM and Accurateshooter is a very cool place.
And Now for the yotes in the wind!
 
Nailed a 1st year female @ 200 yards in a 15-20 MPH crosswind. Had a pencil size hole going in and a golf ball exit. Bang-Flop. Next I would like to connect with one in the 350 - 450 yard range and see how the bullet does.
I know this wind deflection thing might be all in my head, but whatever makes you a more confident shooter, I'll stick with the 88's for now.
 

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