168 7mm Berger bullets?

[muddydogs]

Hi guys, first post to this site.

I decided I wanted more out of my Win model 70 then the Speer 160 grain Grand Slams could give me so I decided to try the Berger 168 VLD hunting bullet after messing around on ballistic charts for a few days.

I guess I am looking for any tips or hints to reloading these bullets in a long throated rifle with shorter mag box. Planning on starting out with Reloader 22 powder as I have it on hand. Bullets and Berger reloading book should be here in a couple days.

I mostly deer and elk hunt with some antelope thrown in from time to time but maybe I will luck out this year and draw a moose or sheep tag.

Thanks Jim S.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Welcome to LRH.

Listing the chambering will better help us to help you... 7mm-08, .280 Rem, .280 AI, 7mm RemMag, 7mm STW, 7mm RUM?

 

[muddydogs]

Ya sorry I'm old school back when 7mm was 7mm and not much else. I shoot the one and only 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[brentc]

I'll give you my standard Remington Sendero load.

Have you measured to the lands with Bergers yet? If not, do so. Then seat a Berger VLD .070" off the lands. Next, get yourself some Hornady or Winchester cases, seat a CCI250 primer, work up to 70.7 grains of H1000, and go to work. This should get you to around 3000-3025 fps in a 26" barrel and still fit in your magazine.

 

[jf239]

Definitely find your distance to the lands. Seating depth will contribute tons to accuracy. I shoot this bullet loaded with 71gr of retumbo with the bullet .005 off the lands. But your rifle will require load development to find max load and accuracy node. This bullet is a elk hammer from my experience

 

[muddydogs]

Nothing measured yet as the bullets are still in transit. I will be using Win cases and CCI 250 primers. Going to start with Re22 as I have a few pounds of it. Might try some H1000 if I can find it.

 

[AZShooter]

I suggest you try Berger's suggestion on trying widely spaced seating depths:

"For years we have relayed that it is best to jam the VLD into the lands for best performance. This works for many rifles however there are many rifles that do not shoot the VLD well when the bullet is jammed. We have learned that the VLD can shoot best as much as .150 jump off the rifling. VLD bullets can be sensitive to seating depth and it has been found that these bullets shoot best in a COAL "sweet spot". This sweet spot is a COAL range that is usually .030 to .040 wide.



The quickest way to find this sweet spot is to load ammo at four different COAL. Start with a COAL that allows the bullet to touch the rifling. The next COAL needs to be .040 off the lands. The third COAL needs to be .080 off the lands. The last COAL needs to be .120 off the lands. One of these COAL will outperform the other three by a considerable margin. It has been reported that the VLD bullets don't group as well at 100 yards but get better as the bullet "goes to sleep" at further ranges. We have learned that by doing the four COAL test you will find a COAL where the VLD bullets will group well at 100 yards. Once the COAL that shoots best is established you can tweak +/- .005 or .010 to increase precision or you can adjust powder charges and other load variables. Frankly, those who do the four COAL test usually are happy with the results they get from this test alone."

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If you don't have success then switch to the 168 classic hunter which is a hybrid. It the classic was created to use in SAMMI chambers like your 7 Rem mag.

Classic Hunter Bullets Put To The Test | Berger Bullets Blog