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My first Berger bullets / not impressed!

They may shoot good but there is a lot of sorting! Never seen so many different sizes in the same lot. I'm finding .632, .633, .635, .636, .637, .638 in two 100 count boxes I mixed together in one bigger box. These are VLD Target 6mm number 24429 and lot number PO1418 on both boxes.
 
I used to sort bullets, now I only investigate if there is an issue with performance. I determined that I was not good enough to determine any difference between sorted and unsorted at the target. Just my personal experience.

I have never sorted my Berger 140 Hybrids. Possible they have such variance but unless I encounter a lot that does not perform I will never know. I did measure the BTO when I switched lots. There was a difference but performance on target was unchanged and no change to my load was required.
 
So...0.006" extreme spread within one lot (n=200). Not bad from a bullet mass produced on machinery. Just shoot that lot unsorted. If you're load is tuned well you will likely be happy. OTOH...I have shot two different bullets from two other manufacturers of the same caliber/in the same cartridge and barrel that measured much better consistency in BTO and OAL that would not score as well in MR/LR F-class as unsorted Bergers (with the two unnamed bullets at least a couple of unexplained mid/outer '9's' in each 20 shot match where one or two nines out of 60 shots put you out of a medal). Again, 0.006" ES is not bad IME.

Like we say in Sout Loosiana….. jus' choot dat!

Robin
 
I'm assuming these are base to base to ogive measurements your talking about, yes?

With the exception of the new Hornady A-Tip which has VERY little variance in them, all manufacturers have a certain amount of variance. I recently had a couple boxes of Hornady 80gr ELD-M, both were same Lot#, that were terrible and the base to ogive measurement was all over the map, but the same bullets from a different box from a different Lot# was much better.

I generally go through and presort my bullets by base to ogive length and put them into separate little groups, for me, it makes getting consistent seating depth measurements to ogive, a lot easier. Does it make them shoot any better, maybe, but for me, it's more of a mental thing and in all honesty, they'd probably shoot just as well loading them straight out of the box, unsorted.
 
That's the thickness of a light cat hair !
I sort by weight. Then at reloading time measure the ogive. I'll have 4 or 5 rows of bullets .oo5 apart. (about 20 bullets)
If one is way out by itself on either end is a sighter.
 
I don’t like base to ogive measurements myself - they’re a good sanity check and often a way to tell one lot from another, but that’s all I use them for. You also have to keep in mind the “acceptable” tolerance will vary based on bullet design. A bullet with a very gradual ogive at the measuring point will appear to have “worse” variation simply because smaller dimensional changes produce larger bto measurement spreads. It’s just geometry and nature of calipers/comparators. That said, if they’re way out of line, there’s a problem. But what you’re seeing is not unusual in my experience. Maybe a little worse than a typical box, but not crazy.
 
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Make sure the VLD nose is not contacting the seating stem first. .

The stem/plug should only contact the bullets ogive.
 
How large the range of some length measurement within a given Lot # of bullets is not what defines how well they shoot>>>that would be your groups on the target. Load them up and shoot them. Hopefully, you'll be pleased with them at that point.

FWIW - a .006" spread in BTO within a single Lot# isn't all that bad. I generally sort bullets by OAL for the purpose of pointing them. I routinely get ~8 sub-groups of .0015" difference, or about .012" to .015" total length variance.
 
How come ya mixed um ?
Just for keeping them all together in one box, didn't think it would matter since they were all the same lot number. I will say that sorted they fricken do shoot and it appears they like being jammed. Well all I tried so far is .015 off and .007 jam.
 
I buy them in 4k lots and I have found the same kind of variance. What will really tell the tale is how well they print on target. After you have shot them report back.

If they aren't the best groups you've ever shot, you need to re-examine your reloading process.

I'm not a fan boy, but if you find better bullets please send me a private pm because I sure would like to know.

Joe
Never shot any hand made custom bullets Joe?
 
Which bullets do you find to be better?

And I'd suggest you field test a product before posting negatively about it. I've no stake in berger but just think that is a good rule to live by.

--Jerry
 
I did shoot some JLKs about 5 years ago, but when I started running low his production line was down and I had to either stop shooting or find a more reliable source. Once I switched I never looked back.

Dusty,
Is there something you would like to share?

Joe

I’d say Bart’s, Vapor Trail, Hunter or Ezor bullets will easily shoot as good or better than then a production bullet. Particularly day in day out and lot to lot.

Bart
 
I buy them in 4k lots and I have found the same kind of variance. What will really tell the tale is how well they print on target. After you have shot them report back.

If they aren't the best groups you've ever shot, you need to re-examine your reloading process.

I'm not a fan boy, but if you find better bullets please send me a private pm because I sure would like to know.

Joe
Well today the Sierra 107's out shot them posting a .827 group at 300yds and the Bergers did a .895. Now those might not be great but for me those are awesome and I'm really happy I finally got the 6br shooting. These are the first I shot of the Bergers and will most likely need futher tuning but they will indeed shoot!
 

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