Any experience with new Berger 40 gr. 204 bullet?

[Tiratore]

I've been using the Berger 40 grain .204 bullet, part number 20304, in a .20 VarTarg. Splendid bullet. I understand Berger is now supplying a different design bullet with a different boat-tail angle and a different diameter at the junction between the boat tail and the bearing area. Is this true, and has anyone tested the new bullet against the original design?

 

[Tiratore]

nobody?

 

[Bangs OH]

Wish I could try them, but I'm stuck with 39gr. max until I wear out one of my 12-twist .204 barrels.

 

[michaeljp65]

Im going to load some 40's this week, just peeping brass now, its the same lot as you have (20304) Tiratore, what powder and charge are you using for the 40's? I have some RL7 only 2 bottles, no one in Australia has anymore, and ADI 2207 (H4198)My rifle is a Tikka 204 rebarreled and re chambered to 20 VT with a Krieger 24" 11 twist barrel.

 

[Tim s]

If I read it right it's got a BC of .227 vs the Vmax at, I believe, .275

 

[Tiratore]

Im going to load some 40's this week, just peeping brass now, its the same lot as you have (20304) Tiratore, what powder and charge are you using for the 40's? I have some RL7 only 2 bottles, no one in Australia has anymore, and ADI 2207 (H4198)My rifle is a Tikka 204 rebarreled and re chambered to 20 VT with a Krieger 24" 11 twist barrel.

I have only used H-4198 and LT-32 with the "old" Berger 40. With Lapua cases made from match 222 brass and Fed 205Ms I load to 3450 fps in a 23" Hart one-in-twelve twist barrel. This may be on the ragged edge of making primers leak; surely any more velocity has caused such to happen. Start with what works with other 40 grain bullets as a starting load and keep an eye on velocity - it's the only reliable indicator of pressure we have, IMO.

Il Tiratore

 

[stacy]

HAVE U EVER TRIED 35 GR BERGERS THEY WORKED WELL FOR ME IN A 204

 

[sundance]

Ditto to what Stacy said. Imr 8208 did really well in my 204 with this bullet.

 

[JORTZ]

Same here 35gr bergers!!!

 

[kountryboy2]

I'm happy with the 39 gr Sierras.

 

[SmokinJoe]

I think AA2200 will be your friend for this load somewhere between 19.5 & 20.5 (hot).

 

[JORTZ]

I tried 40gr berger with just about every powder and primer combination and never had great results. But once i tried 35gr bergers had great results. To this day thats all i shoot out of 204 rugers

 

[17VLD]

One of the reasons I shot the original 40 Berger is because my coyote rifle was made back when all you could get was a 13twist barrel and 33 V-Maxs.
When those dried up I thought that a heavier bullet would be nice to anchor a coyote.I knew that the 40 Berger shot well from my 20BR 12 twist so I tried the 40 Berger in the 13 and it worked,mostly because it is a short bullet compared to the 40 V-Max.Like the original poster I am curious if anybody has shot the "New"Berger 40 and how it compares to the old 40.
I love how well the original 40 kills coyotes DRT.My 20AR drives that bullet accurately right at 4000fps and is one of my favorite coyote killers so far.
Matt

 

[Tiratore]

Im going to load some 40's this week, just peeping brass now, its the same lot as you have (20304) Tiratore, what powder and charge are you using for the 40's? I have some RL7 only 2 bottles, no one in Australia has anymore, and ADI 2207 (H4198)My rifle is a Tikka 204 rebarreled and re chambered to 20 VT with a Krieger 24" 11 twist barrel.

Now using LT-32 in Lapua cases made from .222 Match brass and loading to 3450 fps in a 20VT.