Which bullet is easier to shoot for accuracy, Berger 156 EOL or Nosler 150 ABLR in 6.5mm / .264?

Not that there are any scientific studies, but looking for opinions. I have an ample supply of both, but my 6.5x284 barrel is perhaps more precious and I'd rather start with my best "shot" at long range accuracy first, rather than burn through much more throat. I am throated reasonable long, though not extremely. I can get to the lands before I run out of magazine in my LA Savage action. Its a 28" Proof Research CF wrapped barrel if that matters. I have Norma MRP, Retumbo, Ramshot Magnum, H1000, H4831SC, VV N570, and Stabal HD for powder. Oh, and RL-26, but that's what I used for break-in and I was not happy with my ES at all.

For me long range would be on game perhaps out to 800 yards. I'd don't much get off on shooting rocks at a mile. Guess I might if I ever had a gun that could do that!!!!

Berger. Hands down.

I have found all different flavors of the NABLR to be very finicky. 80% of the time, I get two in, one out on 3-shot groups. Regardless of caliber or bullet weight, charge weight or seating depth. I have found few rifles that shoot them extremely well. Honestly, 4 out of 20.

I have only found one 6.5mm that didn't like the 156s. And I feel that was a twist rate issue. Barrel was listed as a 1:8", but running a tight patch showed it to be just over a 1:8.5" for actual twist rate. And it wasn't a gain twist.

I shoot the 6.5 cal 129 and 142, both have to be sorted by ogive length, just like nosler, hornady, and sierra. In the 7mm, I shoot the 175 in the 280 AI and 7 Rem Mag. I could not get the 7mm 150g to shoot in a barrel that otherwise shoots small groups. In the case of all the other bullets, I am seating the bullets to barely kiss the lands or just barely off, what ever is the most accurate and you can only do this if you sort bullets by ogive length to begin with.

In many rifles, seating to Mag length is the best you can do, in which case it will be a Hail Mary attempt to find accuracy.

If you like to see off side holes in deer and hogs, these heavy for caliber LRAB will get you there in spades, they put a lot of shock on an animal.

6.5/284 on a long action is a wet dream!

Remember that the 156 Bergers are money in the bank. You probably have 800 rounds of barrel life in the 6.5/284, H1000 is the coolest burning of the powders you have mentioned.

Berger is easier to dial in on tune, but I find the ABLR likes touching to .010" off with the occasional cal/weight liking between .010"-.020" off.
I also found on a normal SAAMI throated 300WM that the 210g ABLR likes to jump at a 3.4" (3.390") mag length can be quite accurate too.
If all else fails, seat at touching, not jammed.

Cheers.

My experience with LRAB hasn't been good. They were difficult to find accurate loads for in my rifles. Oddly enough, the regular Accubonds are rather easy to find good loads for and have very predictable terminal performance.

I have found that one of the biggest advantages of shooting Berger bullets is lot-to-lot consistency.

OK, Berger 156 it is.

Since I have attracted some smart folks to this question, here are some QL numbers. These are seating .005 off the lands. The numbers are for my 28" bbl. I tend to run QL to get comparisons and also predict case fill. I don't like compressed loads much -- kind of like that 100% fill at max load scenario.

Certainly a vote for H1000. H4831sc gets a lot of accuracy love. Anyone think I should try the Norma MRP? I have LOTS of it and no other gun that likes it much. VV N570 has rep for barrel burning, so that is probably out. Ramshot Magnum is ball and I've never had a gun shoot it well. I have between 4-8 lbs of all of them.

Cartridge : 6.5-284 Norma
Bullet : .264, 156, Berger EOL ElitHuntG7 #26550
Useable Case Capaci: 59.419 grain H2O = 3.858 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.184 inch = 80.87 mm
Barrel Length : 28.0 inch = 711.2 mm

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms
-04.0 96 53.16 2901 2916 61690 10088 99.8 1.367 ! Near Maximum ! H4841sc max before overpressure 96%
+06.0 106 57.43 2953 3021 60827 10402 100.0 1.357 ! Near Maximum ! H1000 max before over pressure 106%
+10.0 110 60.58 3023 3166 61613 10770 100.0 1.351 ! Near Maximum ! Retumbo max before p 110%
-04.0 96 54.87 2996 3110 63118 10611 100.0 1.360 ! Near Maximum ! Norma MRP max before p 96%
-02.0 98 58.47 2953 3022 63028 10025 100.0 1.357 ! Near Maximum ! Ramshot Magnum 98%
+06.0 106 61.22 3061 3247 60974 12443 98.7 1.362 ! Near Maximum ! VV N570 106%
-06.0 94 55.35 2979 3074 61174 10421 100.0 1.386 ! Near Maximum ! RL-26 94%


* note to future readers, above numbers are max for comparison and for a longer than standard load. DO NOT START, WITHOUT VERIFYING AND CHARGE REDUCTION*

Others have noted the ABLR as "finicky".
I have not had that experience with them.
0.02-0.03" off the lands has proven plenty accurate out to 800 yards in my 7mm Rem Mag. (150gr)

Problem I had with them was that I don't feel that they expand the way they are supposed to.
I was surprised at the LACK of damage on a white tailed buck at 50 yards. More like 35 yards.

Berger's have always performed exactly as advertised for me.
1-3" of penetration then rapidly expand.
No, they don't "blow up or explode" as others have stated.

I have measured and weighed a lot of both bullets and I can tell you that Bergers are a lot more consistent in both weight and BTO. Attached is a picture of a target with both bullets from the same gun and load the only difference was the bullet used. Bergers on left ABLR on right. 5 shot groups.

I used Bergers and Retumbo to make a one shot kill at 750 on a whitetail out of a Savage. Really like the 6.5's, probably going to get another 6.5x284 or 6.5PRC.

sedancowboy said:

I have measured and weighed a lot of both bullets and I can tell you that Bergers are a lot more consistent in both weight and BTO. Attached is a picture of a target with both bullets from the same gun and load the only difference was the bullet used. Bergers on left ABLR on right. 5 shot groups.

Click to expand...

Where did you get those targets?

My powder choice in order of what you have:
1. H1000
2. Retumbo
3. H4831SC

I have no experience with MagPro, but would absolutely experiment with it.

N570 is probably too slow. I couldn't get enough in the case to build enough pressure in 6.5PRC, 6.5PRC/SI, 6.5SAUM, or 6.5SS to get adequate speeds compared to other powders.

cajun said:

Where did you get those targets?

Click to expand...

MagnumManiac said:

Berger is easier to dial in on tune, but I find the ABLR likes touching to .010" off with the occasional cal/weight liking between .010"-.020" off.
I also found on a normal SAAMI throated 300WM that the 210g ABLR likes to jump at a 3.4" (3.390") mag length can be quite accurate too.
If all else fails, seat at touching, not jammed.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Same here. I was frustrated with the ABLR for a long time because I had read they liked a lot of jump. In my chambers they want just the opposite, they want to be close. The 142 shoots very well in my 260AI out to 1560 yards. The BC is not as advertised on the box. My adjusted BC on them ended up at .298 instead of .312.