I employ a Sauer 200STR/SSG3000 "clone" as my primary long range rifle. Primary because it is the rifle i like best, out of the rifles i have, this is recreational shooting only, fun shooting, plinking at long range, and on and off hunting for small game or roe deer.
The chambering is 6.5x55, and the barrel(s) have a rifling twist of 1:220mm or 1:8.66"
Been using it out to about 1300m, but mainly between 100 and 800m, excellent accuracy using the Lapua Scenar 139gr bullet over 40grs of VV N550, a rather mild load, but exceedingly accurate, at least for the first 2.5k rounds.
Now i tested the Berger 130gr VLD bullet (not reading it needs 1:8"...), @ 100m it shoots plain and simple fantastic, AVERAGING 1/4" groups @ 100m, and giving much more encouraging velocities than i have managed with the Scenars, the groups come apart with hotter loads, unless i use N570, and that is a real hassle
- so i'll run out and test more of the 130s @ 500 next week, improving on the Scenars 3-4" 10shot groups (cold, prone, bipod, in the dirt..) would be something to raise my performance to another level so im eager about this, and >1km shooting coming up in january, i want to have everything set up.
Now Norway is a cold country, particularly in vinter and our range is a frozen lake. Air density IS an issue. I have "lost" 90gr .224" Bergers enroute to 1km earlier, grouping well and then some at 750, but simply disappearing somewhere after 750m. Other bullets arrive @1km sideways, or not at all. Normas othervise excellent 130gr VLD but from a 1:9" twist, is among the disappearing acts.
The Scenars fly along quite nicely, both the 155s in .308 and the 139s in -b6.5mm, both grouping <10" @1000m, field conditions, and generally first round on paper.
So, at last, will the 130 Berger VLD "fly" in our thick winter air, launched from the 200STR 1:8.66" twist tube, at some 2750fps/830m/s?
K
The chambering is 6.5x55, and the barrel(s) have a rifling twist of 1:220mm or 1:8.66"
Been using it out to about 1300m, but mainly between 100 and 800m, excellent accuracy using the Lapua Scenar 139gr bullet over 40grs of VV N550, a rather mild load, but exceedingly accurate, at least for the first 2.5k rounds.
Now i tested the Berger 130gr VLD bullet (not reading it needs 1:8"...), @ 100m it shoots plain and simple fantastic, AVERAGING 1/4" groups @ 100m, and giving much more encouraging velocities than i have managed with the Scenars, the groups come apart with hotter loads, unless i use N570, and that is a real hassle
- so i'll run out and test more of the 130s @ 500 next week, improving on the Scenars 3-4" 10shot groups (cold, prone, bipod, in the dirt..) would be something to raise my performance to another level so im eager about this, and >1km shooting coming up in january, i want to have everything set up.
Now Norway is a cold country, particularly in vinter and our range is a frozen lake. Air density IS an issue. I have "lost" 90gr .224" Bergers enroute to 1km earlier, grouping well and then some at 750, but simply disappearing somewhere after 750m. Other bullets arrive @1km sideways, or not at all. Normas othervise excellent 130gr VLD but from a 1:9" twist, is among the disappearing acts.
The Scenars fly along quite nicely, both the 155s in .308 and the 139s in -b6.5mm, both grouping <10" @1000m, field conditions, and generally first round on paper.
So, at last, will the 130 Berger VLD "fly" in our thick winter air, launched from the 200STR 1:8.66" twist tube, at some 2750fps/830m/s?
K
