Load Development with Berger VLD's

[megastink]

I have some 130gr .277 Berger VLD Hunting bullets that I'm going to work up a load for my Savage .270 Win with. Berger suggests that you seat the bullets off the lands a few thou. This is my first time loading Bergers, so should I load my ladder test rounds touching the lands and mess with seating depth later, or should I load them all, say, .004 off the lands to start with and refine seating depth later?

 

[Zen Archery]

Hunting or Long Range Plinking?
Hunting don't worry about it. Long Range Plinking find consistent velocity. Then tune with seating depth.

 

[megastink]

Hunting or Long Range Plinking?
Hunting don't worry about it. Long Range Plinking find consistent velocity. Then tune with seating depth.

Hunting out to 600 yards.

 

[QuietTexan]

Easy - start 0.050" off, run powder, be done most likely.

Hard - run a full VLD seating depth test, most likely end up at 0.050" or 0.090" off, run powder, be done.

Getting the Best Precision and Accuracy from Berger VLD bullets in Your Rifle

Berger Bullets' Eric Stecker has just made available a tech bulletin in Word format. You may download it here to save it one your own computer or read it online. Getting the Best Precision and Accuracy from VLD bullets in Your Rifle Background VLD bullets are designed with a...

www.longrangehunting.com

I say start 0.050" off because sticking a bullet is a bad deal and that's far enough to not get one jammed - my experience (and the data below shows) there's no need to be all snuggled up and cuddly with the lands. Use the ~20 rounds you save picking and sticking with to shoot from field positions.

Bullet Jump: Is Less Always Better?

About 2 years ago, Mark Gordon shared some preliminary research he’d conducted with the Applied Bal...

precisionrifleblog.com

Bullet Jump & Seating Depth: Best Practices & Conventional Wisdom

With so many events canceled and stores closed, what a great time to do some reloading! Over the pa...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[megastink]

Easy - start 0.050" off, run powder, be done most likely.

Hard - run a full VLD seating depth test, most likely end up at 0.050" or 0.090" off, run powder, be done.

Getting the Best Precision and Accuracy from Berger VLD bullets in Your Rifle

Berger Bullets' Eric Stecker has just made available a tech bulletin in Word format. You may download it here to save it one your own computer or read it online. Getting the Best Precision and Accuracy from VLD bullets in Your Rifle Background VLD bullets are designed with a...

www.longrangehunting.com

I say start 0.050" off because sticking a bullet is a bad deal and that's far enough to not get one jammed - my experience (and the data below shows) there's no need to be all snuggled up and cuddly with the lands. Use the ~20 rounds you save picking and sticking with to shoot from field positions.

Bullet Jump: Is Less Always Better?

About 2 years ago, Mark Gordon shared some preliminary research he’d conducted with the Applied Bal...

precisionrifleblog.com

Bullet Jump & Seating Depth: Best Practices & Conventional Wisdom

With so many events canceled and stores closed, what a great time to do some reloading! Over the pa...

precisionrifleblog.com

Thats the info I came here for. Thank you!

 

[waveslayer]

I'd run .030" off the lands, do your load development, find your nodes, then tweak with a quick searing depth test. Done.

VLD's are long so they like it up close and personal

 

[Wedgy]

Per Berger but you don't need 6 of each ;

Load 24 rounds at the following COAL if you are a hunter (pulling a bullet out of the case with your rifling while in the field can be a hunt ending event which must be avoided) or a competition shooter who worries about pulling a bullet during a match:
1. .010 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
2. .050 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
3. .090 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
4. .130 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds

Shoot 2 (separate) 3 shot groups in fair conditions to see how they group. The remarkable reality of this test is that one of these 4 COALs will outperform the other three by a considerable margin. Once you know which one of these 4 COAL shoots best then you can tweak the COAL +/- .002 or .005. Taking the time to set this test up will pay off when you find that your rifle is capable of shooting the VLD bullets very well (even at 100 yards)

 

[ARlife4me]

Case volume to bullet jump coralation has been my focus and have done this for decades. With @QuietTexan post 4 made me believe I'm not the only one off my rocker. Glad too see someone else thinks like me good or bad! If you shoot only 1 specific bullet you might have it made when it comes too long throating?

 

[L.Sherm]

Start at .010 of the lands at 500 yards and work backwards .010 at a time after you've got your optimum charge weight you will be amazed at what it does to your groups, test it for yourself.

 

[Deputy819]

For your consideration:

Load development VLD's

So I am awaiting my new barrel and trying to figure out how to load develop Berger VLD's. My old barrel did not allow me to reach the lands so I just shot groups at max coal with different powders. This is a 7mm WSM with a short throat so my VLD's will touch the lands at magazine length. I...

www.longrangehunting.com

Emphasis on @Mikecr responses

 

[DLJ6]

The Berger 130s shoot extremely well out of my Rem783 seated to mag. depth which ends up being .030" off. Used H4350 and the accuracy load from the Sierra mobile App. FWIW, the data in Sierra's App has proven spot on in several of my rifles which has enabled me to conserve components.

 

[Netz]

I have some 130gr .277 Berger VLD Hunting bullets that I'm going to work up a load for my Savage .270 Win with. Berger suggests that you seat the bullets off the lands a few thou. This is my first time loading Bergers, so should I load my ladder test rounds touching the lands and mess with seating depth later, or should I load them all, say, .004 off the lands to start with and refine seating depth later?

After my load development experience at various searing depths, I now shoot 130 grain Berger Classic Hunter VLD Hybrids in my .270 Win set .015" off the lands with outstanding accuracy. The load is 58.5 grains of H4831SC. From the bench, my 5-shot groups average .269"…holes touching. I also practice a lot at the range. My longest deer shot was 568 yards with the aid of a back pack rest and Gunwerks BR2 ballistic range finder. The rifle is a Christensen Arms Ridgeline restocked to a custom wood stock fitted to me. Hope the information is helpful.

 

[mnshortdraw]

With vld's I start .030 off the lands and usually finish at the same.

 

[RiverShooter]

I have some 130gr .277 Berger VLD Hunting bullets that I'm going to work up a load for my Savage .270 Win with. Berger suggests that you seat the bullets off the lands a few thou. This is my first time loading Bergers, so should I load my ladder test rounds touching the lands and mess with seating depth later, or should I load them all, say, .004 off the lands to start with and refine seating depth later?

I have very good luck at .010" off the lands in a 270 Win and a 270 WSM.