bullets,bullets,bullets

[jraney]

i am kinda confused here. which would be the better bullet nosler or hornady? also where do i get load data for the berger bullets, is there a book i can get somewhere other than cabelas?


j

 

[RonAKA]

I believe if you e-mail Berger they will send you load data. I just go by bullet weight, and the various on line sources of data; Hodgdon, Nosler, Sierra (at 6BR).

 

[jraney]

so will every 50gr bullet for a .223 take the same charge of the same powder.( for example) say i have a sierra 50grhp taking 24grns of h335 can i also use 24grns of h335 for a berger of the same weight?


j

 

[headhunter1111]

Better bullet for what? Hunting? Accuracy? BC? Long range? Varmints? Go online to hodgdons website and cruise their data. Ron made a good point on that and Bergers email contact option.

 

[dmg264]

so will every 50gr bullet for a .223 take the same charge of the same powder.( for example) say i have a sierra 50grhp taking 24grns of h335 can i also use 24grns of h335 for a berger of the same weight?

NO. Not all load data for the same weight bullets will interchange. Bullet design, jacket material and other factors can change cartridge pressures. Most of the time you will be ok but it's that one time that will get you into trouble. Always start below max and work your way up.

 

[jraney]

thanks for the info. the better bullet is for varmint hunting and just overall accuracy at long ranges out to 3-400 yds i suppose. well i guess for now i will stick with what i have got and keep lookin for data on other bullets. oh ya thanks for explaining about the construction of the bullet, not to sound like an idiot but i have never really thought about that making a big difference, but i just started reloading also so i am still learning.

j

 

[RonAKA]

so will every 50gr bullet for a .223 take the same charge of the same powder.( for example) say i have a sierra 50grhp taking 24grns of h335 can i also use 24grns of h335 for a berger of the same weight?

That is the way I do it. I've shot lots of Berger, and have never seen any specific load data for it. Load data is just a starting point. You have to work up the loads that work in your gun.

 

[Laurie]

Berger has been working on its 1st edition loading manual for some time now. It was hoped to have it in print late last year - I don't know what the current target is, but it it's definitely in preparation.

For bullet information ion print, there are two essential sources. For the long-range target shooter and hunter, Bryan Litz's book Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting (advertised on this site) and accompanying PC ballistics program is way ahead of anything else available with 175 or so bullets range-tested from 3,000 fps MV down to the 1,500 fps mark to get their true BCs. It explains bullet design and external ballistics issues clearly without getting into the math as ballsitics books usually do - just the odd passage that's rather hard going. It doesn't go into bullet construction issues for 'terminal ballistics' (what the bullet does after striking a living target). If you're thinking of getting a copy, I'd hang back awhile as Bryan is working on a 2nd edition that has yet more bullets included in the data and performance section.

On hunting bullet features and terminal performance, look for Rifle Bullets for the Hunter .... A Definitive Study written by several top shooting writers including John Barsness and Craig Boddington, edited by Dave Campbell and produced by Ballistic Technology, 2005 Princeton, West Virginia.

Working off bullet weights is usually OK, but occasionally you'll find a big difference. Berger's two 0.224" 90gn Target models, the Match BT Long-Range, and VLD produce very different pressures in .223 Rem, and I run the BT model at 0.6gn less powder than the VLD - and I think I'll drop its load another 0.2 or 0.3gn as it's still causing primer pockets to expand too fast. Finding such a large difference between two same weight bullets, especially from the same maker is really unusual. Usually the one that needs smaller charges and produces the higher pressures has a much longer parallel bearing surface, but the pair are similar, so it must be down to something not immediately obvious like jacket thickness.

Laurie,
York, England