Berger 338 OTM hybrid bullets test results for 338 win mag

CADDIE5

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Like Tarey, I was chosen to test the Berger 338 OTM hybrid bullets. The rifle I used was my 338 win mag elk rifle-- a Mauser 98 action, 26" Mcgowen barrel with 4 magnaported slots, in a McMillan fiberglass stock that is glass and pillar bedded. Scope is a Leupold 4.5x14x50mm scope with a Bulzeye pro 3.5 eyepiece.
I will present my results in an excel spreadsheet. Shot the rifle with a 100yd zero at 300yds so that I would not shoot my chrony. Used 3 target frames- one for each powder used-just shifted bulls bag to line up on each target. My son, Steve jr., recorded velocity, conditions, and shot pattern-- this way my only job was to shoot and call my shots. Saw the target results after we pulled down targets to go home. Therefore the ladder test is a drop POI. Shooter is firing uphill to targets because of pits. I let barrel cool for 5 minutes after each 5 shot string. Didn't clean barrel during testing. Did not adjust for wind changes. Bullet's vertical is fantastic when velocity similar. Loads are conservative because I had no experience loading 250gr match hybrids. All rounds single loaded and fired--box mag length is 3.34" --rounds seated for coal of 3.64" which is 0.050" off the lands. Ammo loaded on Forster press, RCBS sm. base die, Forster ultraseating die. Used CCI 250M primers. New 338 win Winchester brass. Primer holes done with KM tool and seated with KM tool with dial indicator. Forster seating die caused tip to flatten ever so slightly-- did not affect accuracy. ISRA range is in Illinois. I liked these bullets and would use for hunting at longer range shots if a close shot did not present itself on elk, moose, etc. Thanks Berger and Michelle Gallagher for the opportunity to test these bullets. The short bearing surface makes tuning easy and can push loads more than Nosler 210 gr partition or Barnes 225 gr tsx or ttsx bullets. Like Tarey, I was chosen to test the Berger 338 OTM hybrid bullets. The rifle I used was my 338 win mag elk rifle-- a Mauser 98 action, 26" Mcgowen barrel with 4 magnaported slots, in a McMillan fiberglass stock that is glass and pillar bedded. Scope is a Leupold 4.5x14x50mm scope with a Bulzeye pro 3.5 eyepiece.
I will present my results in an excel spreadsheet. Shot the rifle with a 100yd zero at 300yds so that I would not shoot my chrony. Used 3 target frames- one for each powder used-just shifted bulls bag to line up on each target. My son, Steve jr., recorded velocity, conditions, and shot pattern-- this way my only job was to shoot and call my shots. Saw the target results after we pulled down targets to go home. Therefore the ladder test is a drop POI. Shooter is firing uphill to targets because of pits. I let barrel cool for 5 minutes after each 5 shot string. Didn't clean barrel during testing. Did not adjust for wind changes. Bullet's vertical is fantastic when velocity similar. Loads are conservative because I had no experience loading 250gr match hybrids. All rounds single loaded and fired--box mag length is 3.34" --rounds seated for coal of 3.64" which is 0.050" off the lands. Ammo loaded on Forster press, RCBS sm. base die, Forster ultraseating die. Used CCI 250M primers. New 338 win Winchester brass. Primer holes done with KM tool and seated with KM tool with dial indicator. Forster seating die caused tip to flatten ever so slightly-- did not affect accuracy. ISRA range is in Illinois. I liked these bullets and would use for hunting at longer range shots if a close shot did not present itself on elk, moose, etc. Thanks Berger and Michelle Gallagher for the opportunity to test these bullets. The short bearing surface makes tuning easy and can push loads more than Nosler 210 gr partition or Barnes 225 gr tsx or ttsx bullets. Send me a pm if you want the xls spreadsheet since it won't allow me to upload.
 

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Here is the spreadsheet in a jpg format- you will have to print both pages and tape together. Steve
 

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Thank you for sharing, I was wondering about these in a 338 win mag I am building. Sure seems like imr4350 is a great powder in the 338 win mag in a variety of weight bullets. Closing in on 2800fps with a 250 bullet seems great. Excuse me if I am not finding it but it had a 1" vertical what did the best group measure, 1"?
Thanks
Bob
 
2817 is smoking with a 250 grain in a 338 winny. Thanks for reporting. I really like what Berger is doing with the hybrid bullet. Enjoyed talking to Eric at the shot show about them.
 
Hey guys. I'm new here but I'm wondering the same thing. I can't pull up the excel spreadsheets or jpegs on my phone and I don't have a computer. Just my iPhone. The joys of sophisticated technology I guess. I also have a .338 win nag in a Remington 700 Sendero which ad many of you probably know is their top of the line over the counter rifle. Anything more is custom shop. It has an H-S Precision pillar bedded stock on it and a 26" fluted heavy "magnum" contour barrel on it. I want to e able to effectively and accurately shoot at LEAST 1,000 yards with it and be able to kill whitetail. I have a Millett LRS-1 6-25X56mm scope on it with 120 moa of adjustment vertical and horizontal with a one piece Millett 20moa scope base. I'm thinking about going with the new 45moa badger rail to compensate for my lower velocities ad harder fall. I was going to shoot the new Berger 250 OTM's but brownell's and midway are both on backorder till "sometime in August" was all the customer service rep could tell me. So instead I ordered the bore tech 245 grain solid V3 match bullets made entirely of a brass copper alloy! They are CNC machined on a lathe not extruded and jacketed as conventional bullets. The problem is I can't find any load data for a 245 grain so I called the company and they had data for a .338 Lapua but not a win mag so they told me to use the same load I would for the 250 grain berger's but to START AT THE MAX AND GO UP FROM THERE as their bullets are solids and have bands on the back to seal the bore and generate less pressure!!!! This alarmed me as conventional reloading wisdom and data always says to NEVER start at the max nor ever exceed it so I asked them again to be sure and they said yes start at the max and go up as you normally would watching for signs of pressure spikes i.e. blowed out primers ripples in the case neck and to start off seating .050" off the lands and go farther OFF the lands not closer that they have found ideal seating depth to be between .030" and .050" off the lands. That their bullets do better with a jump to the lands and that they also MUST be coming out of the barrel at LEAST 3,000fps to even stabilize which is my thin line of margin with my 26" 1-10" twist barrel!!! I have got to burn it hot to get that magical 3,000 mark. They told me their bullets are not designed to be shot or zeroed at 100 yards that they won't group that well that close because they haven't had enough time to "equalize' yet. That all of their personal guns are zeroed at three hundred and that their bullets are designed to be shot to the MOST EXTREME ranges possible! They are using the same bullet design as Cheyanne Tactical (i.e. CheyTac) in their .408 CheyTac cartridge that is designed to be shot at up to 2,200 meters!!!! Thanks guys for taking the time to read my long post and as always thank a vet, keep it safe, and send em down range!
 
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