7mm RUM/180gr Berger Disappointment

[Hicks]

After your hunt you can go back and try some more tweaking. I have a 7 STW and 7 RUM that didn't shoot the 168 Berger VLD when close to the rifling. You won't believe where they do shoot. Both are approx .160" away.

I admit to having several rifles that won't shoot the VLDs BUT the two rifles chambered for 257 Weatherby shoot super tight groups with the 115 VLDs and a .070" jump.

If you still have bullets hanging around try continuing the seating the bullets deeper into the case. .020" increments should show you a trend.

FYI I ordered some 180 VLDs to try in the 7 RUM. If I can get 3100 with a 26" barrel I will be happy.

Have a great antelope hunt.

When I read the .160" away part I said "WHOA!" Ok, then I need to go back to the bench and try them again. I have to admit that the BC of the 180 Bergers is really attractive and if I could get them to shoot AT ALL I'd shoot them exclusively. I will certainly be moving them deeper into the case in the sequence you suggest.

I found that 102gr of US 869 gave me a bit over 3200fps but 3 of the 5 rounds in the string showed signs of pressure (ejector marks on the case). 101gr gave just a bit under 3200fps with no signs of pressure. That in and of itself is exciting but also moot becase I couldn't keep the groups under 2". My goal after running the numbers was 3100fps, and I proved to myself that it was possible to push a heavy bullet that fast with a 26" bbl AND have some room to spare pressure-wise. So I could, if the Bergers will shot, use the factory barrel until it's a chared and smoking cinder and save myself some money over a longer custom bbl. And the numbers look REALLY good, infact way out there the Bergers carry almost the same energy than my 8 Mag can deliver a 220gr SGK at but with a substantially flatter arc.

Excited again!

Hicks

 

[Hicks]

I know that I will get flamed for this but----never had much luck with the Berger Pills. Not in my custom sporters or my match rifles. In only one instance have I gotten the Bergers to outperform the SMK's and that was in a factory rifle.

Just my .02.....

That's funny. I had the same thought about the SMKs because I've never been able to get them to shoot in anything. I've tried them in my 7mm, my .223 and my buddy's .26-'06. My dad has had not much luck with his 300 Ultra with those either. I started to wonder if the seating depth was an issue with those as well. I think with what I've learned over the last month I'll give them a try again at various depths.

Hicks

 

[Hicks]

I am working with a 25-06 right now with 115 vlds from berger and every time I take it above the 3050 the groups start to fall off. I am pretty sure that accuracy node for this combo it gonna be right at 3000 even. There may be another node above that in velocity but I will not have the power to get there in this round. Is this the same thought you have?
T

Don't know if you were asking me or not but I couldn't make groups shrink or get any kind of consistency except crap groups.

Which brings me to a question. I know "every bbl is different" but there has to be some kind of logic to these bullets. Why is it that "generally" greater accuracy is obtained the close to the lands they are seated? Why do the Noslers shoot so much better much further out from the lands? Is there some math that relates to this?

Hicks

 

[reimers84]

wow That kind of sux. ever since I looked at the burgers I have wanted to build a rifle around them. right now I have a 300 wsm 26" barrel yatta yatta and I like it but since the first day I read about the berger 180's I started saving money to have my rifle converted to a 7 wsm or 7-300 wsm. hearing this kinna buts a little shake in my step. with college I dont have allot of money if the bullets dont perform the way I thought they would this project might just be a waste of money.

 

[AZShooter]

Reimers84,

I wouldn't worry much about whether or not a rifle shoots the Berger VLDs. Buy a box and they don't shoot, you move on. I have four rifles that won't shoot them but I have another four that do.....

I would be more concerned about you, a self proclaimed "poor" college student considering rebarreling AND making a wildcat 7/300 WSM. Special reamer, dies etc would be a heck of a drain on your finances.

Why not just buy some 30 cal VLDs and shoot them in the current package. When you graduate and get a steady income then go nuts with a total change to your equipment.

Sites like this can ruin a guy, always dreaming of the next package.

My opinion.

 

[tooner]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I accualy registered after reading your posts because I struggled with the berger 180's also. It took me almost 2 boxes of bergers to ginally get them dialed into my rifle. I have a bone stock rem 700 7mm rem mag 26" tube 1-9.25 twist. I started with reloader 22 and variouse c.o.a.l.'s . Seating in the lands and way out with no luck. My groups were so erratic that I thought there was szomething wrong with my rifle. I pulled my scope mounts and. And put them back on with loctight again and yet that was not an issue. I had the same erratic results. I finally bought some retumbo and and started by seating at the lands and working my way out to 30 thousandths out from the lands and at 15 thousandths I saw a slight improvement. So I stuck with that and started increaseing powder in quarter grain incraments and with every increase in the charge I saw a great increase in accuracy. Soon I was at max load and still wasn't happy with my groups. So I carefully proceeded to increase charge watching for pressure signs. At 69 grains of retumbo and 3050 fps my groups were amazing and no signs of pressure. At 69.5 grains and 3170 fps my groups opened up. I have shot hundreds of loads at 69 grains of retumbo cci mag primers federal cases and berger 180's with no issues and average groups of .38" . I almost gave up on the bergers but I am glad I didn't.