The scoop on the Berger 300gr Hybrid

[jmden]

I'm curious to see what happens with the bullet dimensions Shawn measured when Berger changes the boatail angle from 9 to 7 as Bryan has said they will do soon. That should increase the bearing surface length. Is it possible that a reason Shawn is getting 30 to 40 fps over the 300 SMK with the 300 Berger Hybrid is there's less bearing surface? So, with a bit more bearing surface caused by changing the boatail angle to 7, it will be interesting to see if Shawn and others get a reduction in MV a bit. However if this does happen, at long range, I wonder if the increased BC of about 2.5% as Bryan predicts with the new 7 deg boatail angle would 'erase' the potential MV reduction?

 

[elkregulator]

Anyone shoot these in a 338 AM or other 338-408's?

3400 fps?

 

[Chas1]

Good question elkregulator, same here anyone shot them in a 338AX?

 

[Shawn Carlock]

It will depend on what way they change the boat tail as to baring surface length. I don't believe that it will change the MV much and the little it might will easly be offset by the increase in BC.

 

[Topshot]

Anyone shot this bullet out past 1K yet? Interested to see how it shoots compared to the predicted trajectory.

 

[Rymart]

"Future Plans:

The .338 caliber 300 grain Hybrid bullet from Berger already has one planned modification, and that is to change the boat tail angle from 9 degrees to 7 degrees. This change has a very predictable effect of decreasing drag / increasing BC by about 2%. The shallower boat tail will also improve stability at transonic speeds by a small amount. This change will occur soon after the initial production runs are finished."

Anyone know when this will happen? Seems pointless to me to work up a load if the bullet will change soon.

 

[Autorotate]

If you've got a bunch of powders from the same lot, just buy enough bullets of the same lot....problem solved.

If you don't.....well you'll need to rework your load development anyways once you run out of your powder of the same lot.

I say get 'em while you can.gun)

 

[Chas1]

Autorotate, just curious how much variance you've experienced from lot to lot of same powder brand...ie mv/accuracy?

 

[yama49]

Just wondering if any one has confirmed the bc of the bullet?

 

[jmden]

Just wondering if any one has confirmed the bc of the bullet?

Data from actual testing by Berger's ballistician, Bryan Litz:

 

[captacademy]

Shawn, thanks for the great info on the Berger!

 

[Rymart]

Autorotate, just curious how much variance you've experienced from lot to lot of same powder brand...ie mv/accuracy?

My limited experience:

Quite a bit with Hogden Powders

Not as much with the Reloader series powders

I now buy my powders at a minimum of 5lb quantities, sometimes more, so lot variance is not as much of an issue anymore. In a perfect world, once I found "the load" I would buy enough of all the components to last the life of the barrel.

 

[Rymart]

If you've got a bunch of powders from the same lot, just buy enough bullets of the same lot....problem solved.

If you don't.....well you'll need to rework your load development anyways once you run out of your powder of the same lot.

I say get 'em while you can.gun)

Thanks for your suggestion. I have plenty of powder in matching lots. Here's the dilema...

I buy a bunch of the 300 gr Bergers now and my rifle doesn't like them. Then what? Try to sell them, but everybody wants the new 7 degree version with a higher BC.

Buy a few (say 50) and try them out. Two possible outcomes. Rifle doesn't like them, lesson learned. Rifle does like them, hope I can get a hold of a bunch more before the design changes.

 

[mmmooretx]

There was a BC update posted on 7 June:

The revised BC's for the 300 grain .338 Hybrid are:
G7 BC = 0.419
G1 BC = 0.818

Bulletin : Berger Bulletin