Berger Target VLDs Vs. Hunting VLDs

[MDM]

I'm building two identical 6.5x47s. My first choice in bullet is going to be the 130 Bergers. Has anyone experienced any accuracy differences in the Target VLD versus the Hunting VLD? Both have th same BC, but the hunting has a slightly thicker jacket. These rifles will be used for shooting long range steel, but it would be nice if the hunting vld shot the same as the target vld, so the gun could double as a nice deer round if the opportunity arose. Any experieces in accuracy differerences?

 

[kyreloader]

The hunting VLDs have a thinner jacket than the Match VLDs.

They should/will shoot to same POI.

 

[robinhood]

When I got my first 6.5x47L I could only find the target VLD's and did my load development with them. I later found some hunting VLD's and switched to them. They shot to the same POI and I could tell no difference in accuracy. I don't think you are going to blow up the hunting bullets in this cartridge.
Hope this helps.

 

[o2fish]

I Did Notice something different ???

I shot over 1200 rounds this summer with the 130 Target VLDs
and never change my Redding Comp seater die as it seated the bullets the same length consistently.
This time I only have a box of the 130 Hunting VLDs and no change to my seating die my oal is .025 ish LONGER.
So WTF, or is it just me ???

 

[kyreloader]

Berger has retooled, so maybe the base to ogive length changed marginally and the same die setting has given you the change. I would just adjust your die to give the same distance to the lands and rock on.

 

[glo]

As said, the difference between the hunting and target bullets is the thinner jacket of the hunting bullets. If I have followed the development of Berger bullets correctly, here's the story.

The hunting bullets (those that are VLD's) are the original Berger VLD's. As shooters started pushing these bullets up to and past 3000 feet per second, the bullets started blowing up. Also hunters started using them to hunt. I guess with very good results. But not all shooters have experienced bullet blow-up. So, to answer the target-shooting communities complaints, Berger went to a thicker jacket. Simultaneously dividing their line of bullets into 3 categories; varmint, hunting and target bullets.

Both the hunting and target bullets (VLD's) were run through the same bullet dies. Remember, the target bullets are now being made with thicker jackets. Here's what happened. The thicker jackets were bending the ejector pins in the nose forming bullet dies for VLD's. This meant a change for the new target bullets nose profile so as not to damage the bullet dies. However, not on all the new thicker jacketed bullets damaged the bullet dies. Some of the VLD target bullets have the same profile as the VLD hunting bullets.

But to the dismay of some target shooters some new thicker jacketed VLD's have been made with a different nose profile. This different profile to date has given these new bullets (again some of them) a lower ballistic coefficient (BC).

You need to check the Berger website to determine if the target VLD's have a different BC than the hunting VLD's .