168g or 180g berger

7run

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Nov 11, 2007
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trying to find some info on what bullets to use in my 7rum. it will be used mostly for long range hunting. as of now i have been using 175g matchking at 3500fps and getting 1/2 moa at 400yds. these loads were to see what i could expect from this rifle i just hade built. i would use the mk for hunting because the accuracy is there but i dont think i will get the durability out of the mk that im looking for to hunt elk sized game. i was thinking of the 168 or 180g burger. is their any advatage to the 180 over the 168 if the accuracy is the same for both? and lastly i was going the get one of those huskima scopes and have turrets made thats why i want to find a bullet that i can use for everything. any help would be great.
 
as of now i have been using 175g matchking at 3500fps
You must have close to a 36" barrel. Best I could ever do was 3350 out of a 30" barrel.

i dont think i will get the durability out of the mk that im looking for to hunt elk sized game.
The SMK's have a thicker jacket than the Bergers do. If you're looking for durability, shoot an Accubond or a TSX. You could probably get those going 3600 fps.
 
trying to find some info on what bullets to use in my 7rum. it will be used mostly for long range hunting. as of now i have been using 175g matchking at 3500fps and getting 1/2 moa at 400yds. these loads were to see what i could expect from this rifle i just hade built. i would use the mk for hunting because the accuracy is there but i dont think i will get the durability out of the mk that im looking for to hunt elk sized game. i was thinking of the 168 or 180g burger. is their any advatage to the 180 over the 168 if the accuracy is the same for both? and lastly i was going the get one of those huskima scopes and have turrets made thats why i want to find a bullet that i can use for everything. any help would be great.

" as of now i have been using 175g matchking at 3500fps".......WHAT powder,
primer, barrel length are you using to achieve this? It absolutely defies
every loading chart I can find!??
 
The SMK's have a thicker jacket than the Bergers do. If you're looking for durability, shoot an Accubond or a TSX. You could probably get those going 3600 fps.

If the rifle likes the 175s then I would stay with them for the reasons stated above. An Accubond has a tough jacket and a hard alloy core and a long bearing surface. Those factors cause it to hit high pressures before other similiar weighing bullets, so be careful and start low and work up slowly with it.

P.S. Don't ever buy a chronograph and then you can just claim any velocity you wish to with a straight face.:D
 
try the 180 berger and seat it into the lands. Just make sure you work up the load. When seated into the lands the berger's are scary accurate. They will make you do a double take when you look at your target. With the extra b.c. on the 180 why not use it over the 168. Also they kill stuff really good I tried it. tiny entrance wound and very large nasty exit wound.
 
my gunsmith and i built matching barrels chambered in 7mm wsm for long range hunting on deer and antilope. i was shooting the 168 berger and he shot the 180 berger. he was haveing trouble with the bullet performace. i on the other hand had great performance. this gun and bullet combo have 1 shot kills on antilope at 350, 375, coyotes 100,and 350 and 5 deer from 480 and 889yrds. the only down side i can find is that they havent exited any of the animals that i have shot. i have never got my 168 over 3175 they lost there just wouldnt stabilize in my gun. now he got his 180 over 3200fps and they started to blow up after shooting a few rounds.as far as the accubond i was shooting them in my 7mm rm i was very pleased with the performace i just havent had a chance to shoot those past 600yrd on an animal yet. they have about the thickest jacket that i would shoot.
 
i know 3500 sounds fast, and to me it does too. i chronographed over 15 shots all being very consistant. i am using a 28in hart barrel and off the top of my head 91g of reloader 25. now if this sounds that its going to fast maybe my chrono is off but that what it was reading. so back to the bullet if the 175smk shoot so well is their any reasion to be looking for another bullet.
p.s. i will recheck the speeds after hunting seasion is over the range i use is on our hunting land.
 
i just checked some data from last year and i was pushing 150g smk at 3755 with 96g of reloader 25. again if that sounds fast my chrono might be off. any help would be great.
 
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