135gn Sierra's

[ricky5042]

Hi all does anyone have any experience with the 135gn sierra HPBT match in 308?

Rick

 

[vtmarmot]

In fact, I do

I had my experience yesterday. I had a wild hair to build a hunter bench rest rifle "on the cheap". I bought a Remington 700 SPS in .308, lapped the barrel, bought a Lee Six HBR stock off eBay, a Time Precision tuner and installed a Rifle Basix 2 ounce trigger. This rifle has a one in twelve twist and a very long throat. Any bullet short of 190 grains is going to be jumped pretty good. I finally got around to shooting it yesterday. I had an idea that the 135 SMK's would work, but don't ask me why. I get a lot of funny ideas. I got some Lapua palma cases and primed them with 205m's. My seater is a Redding competition model. I loaded up 10 Remington 165 Core Lokts for the initial shoot and clean sequence. It shot them great. Then I had fifteen 168 SMK's at various depths. It shot them well no matter the depth. Both these loads used 42 grains of Varget. Then I had 25 135 SMK's loaded up with 45 and 46 grains of Varget and various seating depths. They universally shot poorly. I thought about using them in my 30 BR but the 17" twist is probably too slow. I may use them for plinking with my K31 swiss 7.5x55. The neat thing about the new rifle is that the stock rings like a bell when you shoot it. Weirdest thing I have experienced with a rifle. Also, even though the whole kit and kaboodle only weighs a shade over 9 pounds including scope, I didn't mind shooting the thing 50 times free recoil. using a Cabela's shoulder pad.

 

[R.G. Robinett]

I had my experience yesterday. I had a wild hair to build a hunter bench rest rifle "on the cheap". I bought a Remington 700 SPS in .308, lapped the barrel, bought a Lee Six HBR stock off eBay, a Time Precision tuner and installed a Rifle Basix 2 ounce trigger. This rifle has a one in twelve twist and a very long throat. Any bullet short of 190 grains is going to be jumped pretty good. I finally got around to shooting it yesterday. I had an idea that the 135 SMK's would work, but don't ask me why. I get a lot of funny ideas. I got some Lapua palma cases and primed them with 205m's. My seater is a Redding competition model. I loaded up 10 Remington 165 Core Lokts for the initial shoot and clean sequence. It shot them great. Then I had fifteen 168 SMK's at various depths. It shot them well no matter the depth. Both these loads used 42 grains of Varget. Then I had 25 135 SMK's loaded up with 45 and 46 grains of Varget and various seating depths. They universally shot poorly. I thought about using them in my 30 BR but the 17" twist is probably too slow. I may use them for plinking with my K31 swiss 7.5x55. The neat thing about the new rifle is that the stock rings like a bell when you shoot it. Weirdest thing I have experienced with a rifle. Also, even though the whole kit and kaboodle only weighs a shade over 9 pounds including scope, I didn't mind shooting the thing 50 times free recoil. using a Cabela's shoulder pad.

With the 1:17" twist, don't rule them (the Sierra 135 Gr. MK) out - especially if they are 1.10" or, shorter - in summer temperatures, you may be pleasantly surprised . . . during dead-of-winter (DENSE air), they may act up a little. The 17" twist is GREAT with FB bullets of up to 1.10" long (Sg 1.4), and though Sg is a little low, I, and others, have shot 134 Gr. BT (based upon the defunct 1.080" J4 jacket - finished length 1.11") via a 17" twist barrels, and won Hunter events out to 300 Yd. Keep 'em ON the X! RG

 

[caroby]

135gr MK!

I thought about using them in my 30 BR but the 17" twist is probably too slow. I may use them for plinking with my K31 swiss 7.5x55.

WAIT..!

Ohhh wait........... Randy said it...>>>

With the 1:17" twist, don't rule them (the Sierra 135 Gr. MK) out - especially if they are 1.10" or, shorter - in summer temperatures, you may be pleasantly surprised . . . during dead-of-winter (DENSE air), they may act up a little. The 17" twist is GREAT with FB bullets of up to 1.10" long (Sg 1.4), and though Sg is a little low, I, and others, have shot 134 Gr. BT (based upon the defunct 1.080" J4 jacket - finished length 1.11") via a 17" twist barrels, and won Hunter events out to 300 Yd. Keep 'em ON the X! RG

DO try them in your 30BR 17 twist...............!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME BULLET..! Love that 135gr MK in my 17 twist Krieger 30BR...
Currently I have shot my smallest >EVER< 100 yd 5-shot group with a .048.. In my 30BR 135gr MK's................... Lotta .100 and .200.........
WONDERFUL at 200 an 300yds.........! And varified in my shoot'n buddies 30BR and his Lilja .308 custom hunter....

The O.P.

Hi all does anyone have any experience with the 135gn sierra HPBT match in 308?

Rick

Yes, do try them..... I can't see how you won't love em..... Even in a long throat..... Varget / 4895 / Benchmark / V135 / V140............
cale

 

[Charles E]

In fact, last weekend, I shot some 125-grain BIBs in my puny little 30 PPC with a 17-twist barrel. Randy made these bullets using his old (& now long-departed) Blackmon dies. Bullets measure 1.087. I was just fire-forming brass, but dang, I'll have to use something else, because they shot good.

 

[ricky5042]

Thanks for the input guys mine is a 1-12" so im hoping they will shoot ok out to 400 yards I keep getting told the 135s wont be any good but none of them have tried them! they just say the twist and the weight is wrong and they wont shoot very well.

Rick

 

[GerryM]

135grn sierra

The 135 gr shoots pretty well in the 12 twist 308. One member of our club}{excellent shooter uses both the 135 and 125 Sierras to shoot the short stages of high power
100, 200 300 with good results and less recoil. He changes to the 155 Sierras for the 500 and 1,000 events

 

[ricky5042]

Hi thanks that's good to know as soon as I get some more powder il be testing them out and il post the results.

Rick