215 vs 230 Berger

shooters

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
1,081
Location
South Dakota
Have a 300 PRC build finished. Kinda short at 22" Carbon on a Defiance action.
Running ADG brass and N570.
Has anyone compared the 215 and the 230 side by side? Velocities, drop, and terminal performance? Shot game with BOTH? I've used the 215 for years with mixed results so I'm familiar with it. I purchased a few thousand of each and while I'd like to just find out for myself at the range, it's a little tuff to shoot and shoot with the way powder supply is currently, especially N570. I assumed the 230 was just like the 215 but more of a good thing. I may be wrong after reading a bit. I'd really like to know if the 230 has anything on the 215 either close range on game, or where if ever the 230 takes over at a certain yardage. Which this would I'm sure lead me down the rabbit hole of shooting others like the 245 Berger and so on.
Thanks.
 
I'm definitely interested here too. Planning to build one at 22". But with h1000 as my desired powder. Have you gotten any velocities with either so far?
 
I'm definitely interested here too. Planning to build one at 22". But with h1000 as my desired powder. Have you gotten any velocities with either so far?
I haven't even started yet. I have a lot of H1000 but figured I'd start with the N570 since it's supposedly is 70-100fps faster without pressure, but not sure how well the N570 will work in that short barrel.
 
I haven't even started yet. I have a lot of H1000 but figured I'd start with the N570 since it's supposedly is 70-100fps faster without pressure, but not sure how well the N570 will work in that short barrel.
Let us know! I've considered 570 and had some for a bit but never used it. It's reputation for barrel burning scared me out of it
 
I have shot game and steel with both out of a 28" .300RUM, both at just over 3100fps. Both WRECK elk. I have seen no difference in killing power. They both have it in spades.

Lance,
What powder, cases are you using?

With a 215 using ADG/N570 I am only getting to about 2998 FPS out of a 27" barrel.

With the 245 and Rem cases (seem better to me) preliminary tests got me to about 2874 FPS.
 
Shoot the 215 in that shorty .. ive shot big bodied mountain critters with both

I shoot the 215 in my short 22" 300 rum @3K with H1K and have now decided long barrels are no longer for me because the 22" is way quieter 😁 😁

I've shot the 230 since they came out with it and have been impressed as long as i can run it at a faster speed..

The 215 has a slightly larger meplat and keeping it clean is essential, these bullets absolutely work! in my opinion the giant 30 cals need to be ran at or around 3100 or above to make a world of difference. kinda like the 180 hybrid vs 195 .. that 180 @ 3250+ is unreal compared to the 195 at 3k I've shot game with both!
 
Lance,
What powder, cases are you using?

With a 215 using ADG/N570 I am only getting to about 2998 FPS out of a 27" barrel.

With the 245 and Rem cases (seem better to me) preliminary tests got me to about 2874 FPS.
Throw some Norma brass at it ..

im not sold on the adg brass so far .. is it tough yes.. it new an shiny ..yes. but as far as consistent piece to piece too piece and lot too lot norma has it spades
 
Throw some Norma brass at it ..

im not sold on the adg brass so far .. is it tough yes.. it new an shiny ..yes. but as far as consistent piece to piece too piece and lot too lot norma has it spades

So I took your advice on the Rem brass as that is what I had and was able to get higher than ADG.

I would have gone Norma but you sold it all to someone else... :p
 
Ha ha ha yea you gotta be fast!!

I've had mixed feelings about the ADG its good but way less capacity and not as good as peterson and lapua,, i personally believe they are going the wrong way,, I'll stick with my Lowly mere peasantry junk norma and rem brass!! and honestly I get enough reloads out of my rem and norma brass to not warrant switching!!
 
I went from the 215's to 230's in my Nosler 30 as I've heard the 230 jacket is a little thicker. The few kills I had with the 215s while devasting to the animals health but were showing to blow up internally and not pass through. I know, everything is a comprimise but I feel like the 230 is having your cake and eating it to. I killed a bunch of stuff this past year with the 230's ranging from a Red deer hind at 610 to several Texas white tail out for 450 and a large hog at 325. The hog was the only not to have a pass through and I wouldn't have expected one with a 200 grain A-Frame or Partition...Big thick shouldered critter.

Here's a pic of a 215 recovered from a cow elk at 185 and a couple of picks from the 230s this past fall.

The exit holes and blood spray were impressive to say the least.

That's a chunk of lung next to my boot from a buck at 200 yards. Blood spray was 20 feet past the point of impact.

Velocity in a ladder testing with H1k was virtually identical. Both maxing out at 3025 due to capacity and settling in at 2975 for .5MOA out to 600.

Screenshot_20210130-100803_Photos.jpg
20201118_072014.jpg
20201118_071224.jpg
 
Last edited:
Lance,
What powder, cases are you using?

With a 215 using ADG/N570 I am only getting to about 2998 FPS out of a 27" barrel.

With the 245 and Rem cases (seem better to me) preliminary tests got me to about 2874 FPS.
Rem R-P brass from 1999. I bought one of the very first .300RUMs, and 6 boxes of Rem factory ammo. I had about 8 firings on the brass when the factory barrel went south. Put a 28" Rock Creek on, and have about 300 rounds down it. Meaning 10-11 firings on the brass.
215 Hyb over H1000
230 Hyb over Retumbo
 
Tagging in. My rifle ( 30 Nosler) would not shoot the 215s but loved the 225 ELD-Ms. Hoping it will like the 230 Bergers as Hornady doesn't seem to keeping up with the current demand as well as Berger is.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Recent Posts

Top