Berger 105 BT vs 105 VLD ?

[Gman]

I have been shooting Berger 105 BT's (in a 6BR) for years with excellent results, but since I'm almost out of them and have a few thousand of the Berger 105 VLD's I have a couple of questions.

Is it a given that the bearing surface of the VLD will be shorter than the BT ?
If it is shorter (on the VLD), then the chamber pressure should be less, correct ?

When I START to load the 105 VLD's, can I use the same powder charge that I used with the 105 BT's ?

Finaly, should I use the same seating depth as I used with the BT's ?

Thanks !

 

[spclark]

Berger's quick-reference chart shows the 105 BT's (24428) bearing length as 0.341" while the 105VLD's (MY favorite! #24429) @ 0.389".

So I'd suggest at minimum you back off a grain or more, or start fresh with load testing.

I've never used the BT product, but moving from the 105VLD to the newer 105 Hybrid (bearing surface of 0.366", #24433) I used the same load & seating depth in two different cartridges (6XC & 6HAGAR, 0.020" off the lands) with equally fine accuracy & consistency.