Berger Varmint Bullets - 6mm 69gr High BC

[Geezedtee]

Looking for some advice.
These bullets look to have a long ogive and short bearing surface. The little info I have found is that they like to sit close to the lands.
I've got a Sako 85 Varmint in .243 in 1 in 10" twist. I've found a source for these in the UK. However, I'm not keen to fork out for 300 bullets only find they're too short to fit in the neck of the case.
Has anyone here had experience of these bullets in a .243? For example will they work if only sat halfway, or partially, into the neck?

 

[dgeesaman]

I’ve had a few Sakos including a 243.

With a factory chamber there really was no way to get that close to the lands, unless you took a flat base bullet and seated it .06” deep in the neck.

Which is to say, don’t worry about it. Your jump will be measured with a ruler not a micrometer. Sakos can shoot that way. If it likes this bullet then it will shoot.

 

[Geezedtee]

I’ve had a few Sakos including a 243.

With a factory chamber there really was no way to get that close to the lands, unless you took a flat base bullet and seated it .06” deep in the neck.

Which is to say, don’t worry about it. Your jump will be measured with a ruler not a micrometer. Sakos can shoot that way. If it likes this bullet then it will shoot.

Thank you for your prompt answer.
It is a flat base bullet. I normally use 80 grain bullets but there aren't any 6mm bullets in weights between 70gr and 90gr in the UK. Or, if there are, I can't find them.
For some reason these 65 Bergers are available. Being a suspicious chap I wondered why?
At $160 for 300 bullets I'm kind of looking for a bit of re-assurance.
.06" into the neck isn't filling me with confidence LoL.

 

[dgeesaman]

I guess I’m saying my success in obtaining top accuracy with factory Sako chambers have had no relation to the amount of jump. Jump or no jump, it either liked the bullet or loved the bullet. With Bergers my results ranged between good and great.

I had poor results with Barnes and poor to good results experimenting with Nosler. Lapua bullets ranged from good to great.

 

[Geezedtee]

I guess I’m saying my success in obtaining top accuracy with factory Sako chambers have had no relation to the amount of jump. Jump or no jump, it either liked the bullet or loved the bullet. With Bergers my results ranged between good and great.

I had poor results with Barnes and poor to good results experimenting with Nosler. Lapua bullets ranged from good to great.

That's heartening. Perhaps I "should bite the bullet:" and order a 100 to try? I suppose I'll never know if I don't.

 

[expiper]

my 6mm BR chamber has 040" freebore--i am guessing your factory chamber is ~100"--in my chamber the 69 hi BC Berger when touching the lands has ~010 less shank than a Berger 80--so if the Berger 80s seat properly in your chamber the 69s will be ten thousands less--if you have at least 060 grip on the bullet shank (bearing surface) you will be fine---Roger

 

[Geezedtee]

my 6mm BR chamber has 040" freebore--i am guessing your factory chamber is ~100"--in my chamber the 69 hi BC Berger when touching the lands has ~010 less shank than a Berger 80--so if the Berger 80s seat properly in your chamber the 69s will be ten thousands less--if you have at least 060 grip on the bullet shank (bearing surface) you will be fine---Roger

That's making me feel better, thanks very much

 

[expiper]

That's making me feel better, thanks very much

im glad to help (my keyboard had coffee spilled on it and some of the keys dont work haha including the shift key on occsion ---my grammer is ok but my typing skills are handicapped haha) over your way vita vori powder should be available and i had amazing results with 60-80 gr bullets using 150 and 550 powder --Roger

 

[Geezedtee]

im glad to help (my keyboard had coffee spilled on it and some of the keys dont work haha including the shift key on occsion ---my grammer is ok but my typing skills are handicapped haha) over your way vita vori powder should be available and i had amazing results with 60-80 gr bullets using 150 and 550 powder --Roger

Yes, between my dismal key board skills and auto spell check I need a proof reader .
My barrel is only 20" so I'm using IMR4166 with 65gr VMax (all I could find) at the moment. I use the rifle mostly at night and wanted a powder that's gives me a full burn and less muzzle flash. It seems to be working, with a velocity of 3265fps and SD of 9. Groups are sub 1/2" at 100m.
We are suffering - like you are - with a shortage of components, hence when i saw the Bergers i was tempted to snap them up.
Thanks again.

 

[75vmax]

Rem 40x 14 twist . 3454 fps jammed. And my 9 twist shoots them as well just tweek charge

 

[JEFFPPC]

Looking for some advice.
These bullets look to have a long ogive and short bearing surface. The little info I have found is that they like to sit close to the lands.
I've got a Sako 85 Varmint in .243 in 1 in 10" twist. I've found a source for these in the UK. However, I'm not keen to fork out for 300 bullets only find they're too short to fit in the neck of the case.
Has anyone here had experience of these bullets in a .243? For example will they work if only sat halfway, or partially, into the neck?

I shot these in a 6ppc at 500 yards. They would be in the case barely enough to hold the bullet and they still did not reach the lands. They did no better in the wind than my 68 Hammonds so I quit using them. On a still evening I have shot 3 shot 1 inch groups at 500 yards with them. Never ever tried them at 100.

 

[Murray Brook]

Are you guys referring to the Berger 24411. TKS

 

[Geezedtee]

Are you guys referring to the Berger 24411. TKS

no, it's the SKU berg-24313

 

[Murray Brook]

Can't seem to find it on the Berger site

 

[AckleymanII]

69's are made on a .900 length jacket with a very sharp ogive length. They like to seat close to the lands, and I can not stress this enough.

I do not believe that the 69 is a good match with a rifle with a std factory chamber due to OAL. 80g would be more to your throat's configuration. Sako's can have some long throats, brand new out of the box.

 

[newbieshooter]

SKU: 24313

DISCONTINUED - 6 mm 69 Grain High BC FB Varmint Rifle Bullet

This product was discontinued in 2018. Berger High BC Flat Base Varmint Rifle Bullets feature Match Grade quality construction and have a large hollow point that produces rapid expansion when used for varmint hunting. The High BC Flat Base Varmint Rifle Bullets have a secant ogive design which...

bergerbullets.com

 

[AckleymanII]

The 69;s do a good job on coyotes, I shot a few thousand of them on p. dogs, and some coyotes. They liked a slight jam. As far as how explosive they were on p. dogs, they were on par with the 70g Nosler ballistic tips and the 70g Speer TNT.

 

[Laurie]

69's are made on a .900 length jacket with a very sharp ogive length. They like to seat close to the lands, and I can not stress this enough.

@Geezedtee, that was my reading too of these bullets looking at Bryan Litz's drawing and stats of the design. It has a long 15.02 calibres nose radius and Rt/R value of 0.60. (The Rt/R is a numerical metric of the nose to shank transition. ) 0.50 is 'traditional' Knox / Berger VLD and 1.00 is a true tangent ogive type as in most older Sierras. These HBC designs are basically VLDs of a generation ago with the boat-tail section removed making them flat-base.

Norman Clark in Rugby had Berger make up a number of such bullets way back as a special order of 'Match' HBCs in 6mm 66, 71 and 88gn form with the jackets left a little longer and the meplat closed from the wide-open varmint form to something closer to a HP Match design. I'm assuming, can't be certain, that the 71gn has the same form as the 69gn Varmint with the extra 2gn coming from the longer jacket / nose. I have c. 175 of these bullets left if you want to try them, but I can help you with some other types too including 200 85gn Sierra HPBT GameKings that I understand are now like gold-dust and which I bought just before everybody ran out of such bullets in anticipation of a handloading project that is stillborn. (I also live in the UK, so supply isn't an issue.)

Let me know if you're interested and if so, I'll root around in my 6mm bullets and let you know what I have on hand.