#4 or #5 barrel contour for 280AI???

[Pdvdh]

I will tell you that the Berger VLD's are not 100% the cure all - I finally had one that wasn't text book, as they say, that I retrieved this past year out of an elk but that is a whole different story.

No expansion?

 

[elkaholic]

I know of a number of guys that are using the 168 Bergers with a 1-9" twist in 280AI that had their rifles built after I had mine up and running and they do very well with that combo. The only difference from your question is that they are using a minimum of 25" tubes and I think one guy finished his barrel at 26-1/2". We are at 3600' elevation.

With that said - when my 1-10" twist ever starts to go south I will replace it with a 25-26" long 1-9" twist. I would then probably try some 180 gr. bullets to see what the velocity/results were. I don't know why I need to switch from the 168 Bergers though to be quite honest with you. I have worked on literally dozens and dozens of animals taken with the 168 gr and really can't guess what the difference would be in using the 180's. A little better wind resistance and ft-lbs, a little less velocity etc but I don't think an elk at 4-700 yds would be able to tell the difference. Dead is dead.

I will tell you that the Beger VLD's are not 100% the cure all - I finally had one that wasn't text book, as they say, that I retrieved this past year out of an elk but that is a whole different story.

I think almost everyone who has shot Bergers, and is willing to admit it, has had failures! This is not to say that they are not a good bullet. Every bullet has good and bad points which has been said countless times on this forum. That said, the 180's, IMO, may NOT be the way to go. If you run the numbers at any reasonable distance, The 168, which has a thinner jacket, by the way, will outperform the 180 when it comes to expansion. Besides the jacket makeup, it also takes X amount of velocity to make a bullet open. The 168 has the edge there until a LONG way out there as far as performance on game animals. In fact, it may have the edge in nearly every case except where penetration might be an issue on a very large animal closer up, and that isn't "Long range hunting"! The exception MIGHT be in some of the largest capacity 7's where velocity is very high. The bottom line is, the heaviest isn't always the best. There needs to be a balance built in to the rifle combo you are shooting If weight was always better, we would be shooting 100 grain 22 bullets.......Rich

 

[cowboy]

I think almost everyone who has shot Bergers, and is willing to admit it, has had failures! This is not to say that they are not a good bullet. Every bullet has good and bad points which has been said countless times on this forum. That said, the 180's, IMO, may NOT be the way to go. If you run the numbers at any reasonable distance, The 168, which has a thinner jacket, by the way, will outperform the 180 when it comes to expansion. Besides the jacket makeup, it also takes X amount of velocity to make a bullet open. The 168 has the edge there until a LONG way out there as far as performance on game animals. In fact, it may have the edge in nearly every case except where penetration might be an issue on a very large animal closer up, and that isn't "Long range hunting"! The exception MIGHT be in some of the largest capacity 7's where velocity is very high. The bottom line is, the heaviest isn't always the best. There needs to be a balance built in to the rifle combo you are shooting If weight was always better, we would be shooting 100 grain 22 bullets.......Rich

Well said - I couldn't agree more and after my experience last year I wouldn't want a thicker jacket on a Berger VLD in .284 than the 168 gr. unless I was driving it a whole lot faster than what a 280AI is safely capable of.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The exception MIGHT be in some of the largest capacity 7's where velocity is very high. The bottom line is, the heaviest isn't always the best. There needs to be a balance built in to the rifle combo you are shooting If weight was always better, we would be shooting 100 grain 22 bullets.......Rich

Yep...

I'm rolling with high BC 150's in mine...Nolser 150 grain Accubond LR's....at 3,120 fps MV, they fly just like the 168's out to 800 yards, which is as far as I'll shoot at game anyway.

 

[cowboy]

Yep...

I'm rolling with high BC 150's in mine...Nolser 150 grain Accubond LR's....at 3,120 fps MV, they fly just like the 168's out to 800 yards, which is as far as I'll shoot at game anyway.

How far are you jumping them 150 LRAB to the lands?

My son just started load development on his 280AI with that bullet and was a little disappointed with his first time out as far as accuracy.

I talked to a guy from BOTW that has already shot lots of them in many different rifles and his comment to me was: start at .070 off the lands and seat them deeper from there. He compared them to a Barnes from a seating standpoint. Just wondering what your thoughts were - I may have to try these.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I seated them at ~3.34"... I have no idea how far that is jumping them, haven't gotten to the point of measuring bullet seating depth just yet, brand new rifle.... I just loaded them and shot them.