30BR starting loads for 125 & 135 Bergers

T

tiny68

Member
I have a 1:16 twist 22" 30BR as my starter rifle. Making up the first test loads. I have done a search and found a lot of hits for starter loads with the smaller bullets (110-118s). I need starter loads for the 125s and 135s Bergers with H4198. Got some BenchMark too. I figured I would start with a 0.005" into the lands. I know the 135s have a lot of bearing surface compared to the 125s. Anyone have any data to share with the Bergers?

Never sorted bullets before in my life. However, I picked up 20 and made a quick measure of the variation in bearing surface. How tight of groups do you pros sort these into? +/-0.001, 0.002, or even less? Do you even have to sort the true customs? I saw 0.006" as the spread with the 135 Bergers, but most where within 0.003" (18 out of 20). What is acceptable?

Thanks and make questions to follow, tiny
 
Berger loads

In my 30BR I use 32.5grs. of H4198 with 125gr. Berger FB bullets.
With the 110's I use 34.5grs.
 
Hey Tim...

Do you even have to sort the true customs?
Shouldn't be needed. Bullets like Bibs, Cheeks should be dead on, at worst < 10% out of 500 might very A thousandth and that's a maby...
The 118gr Bibs I have measure dead on. No I didn't measure all of them but Ohhh 50 or so I did, dead on for length to the ogive same with weight.

I saw 0.006" as the spread with the 135 Bergers, but most where within 0.003" (18 out of 20).

Jeeesh! .006..............! Heck, .003 is strange....

I got a box of Berger 125gr and they measure real good < 10% go short by .001


What is acceptable?
.006 variable is not so good.....Ultimately... How do they shoot....?

I know this, my .222 40x varminter shoots 50gr Sierra SPX (I got a buncha these bullets) into dots... Even though these bullets measure wildly at the ogive, like + -.004 variable. Stuck in the lands + .010 seems not to matter...

Barrels that like a jump or seated "to" the lands I have noticed are a bit more sensitive to bullets with ogive variable.
cale
 
load info

Thanks for the replies. That gives me a good start for the 125s. If anyone has tried the 135s, I still would like that. I figured the higher BC would be big enough that some of you guys would have tried them out. I guess it may be too slow for the BR world.

thanks again, tiny
 
Tiny

If you look at the wind drift figures at 10 mph, and then divide it by 10 to see how much drift at 1 mph, you will see that the difference between the 125 and 135 isn't much. Some will tell you that you can't read the wind down to 1 mph, but you can. The 1 mph wind drift at 200 yards is around .3" - .4", and my groups are smaller than that. Most 30BR shooters like to stay with 110-125gr for less recoil. Less recoil means better luck controlling it and shooting small groups. If you want to buck the wind, you should try the Sierra 150 MK. I have shot a lot of these out of my 16 twist 30-30 at 2800 fps. They shoot .3's at 200 yards and won almost every 200 yard match they saw. Just remember controlling the recoil will be tough. I currently shoot the 110-125gr myself in an 18 twist barrel. And yes I see about .005" difference in the ogive length of my 125 Bergers, I like to keep them as close to .001" as I can.

Michael
 
loads for the 150 SMK and 30BR

At Micheal's suggestion I picked up a box of the 150 SMK with a gift at BassPro I needed to use today. Anyone had any suggestions for starter loads for the 150 SMK and the 30BR with H4198? Is that to quick of a powder for a 150 gr? Thinking about starting at 30.0 gr and working up.

Thanks again, tiny
 
mturner said:
Less recoil means better luck controlling it and shooting small groups. If you want to buck the wind, you should try the Sierra 150 MK. I have shot a lot of these out of my 16 twist 30-30 at 2800 fps. They shoot .3's at 200 yards and won almost every 200 yard match they saw. Just remember controlling the recoil will be tough.
Michael
Click to expand...

That is possible the understatement of my BR experience to date. Finally got some range time today after a long break. Compared to the 125 Bergers and 125 TNTs, the 150 SMK kick the snot out of you. I only tried them with 30.0 and 30.9 gr of H4198 at a couple of seating depths. Recoil was so noticable that I decided I would stick with the 125s for a while. Groups were twice that of the 125s. Granted this recoil probably shocked me so much it was a factor for shooting them.

Thanks for everyone's input again. It taking a while, but I am finally getting to try some of this stuff.

Tiny
 
Tiny....don't waste time sorting or measuring the Berger bullets...just load em' and shoot em' when you get a load combination that works stay with it..
I went thru all of that measuring and sorting into groups and could NOT see any improvement...the Bergers will come alive at the correct seating depth...that is what you must find...:D
 
tiny,
30g of H4198 & 32g of N133 are close to max in my 16 twist 30BR with the Berger 135s. The new Sierra 135g SMK maxes at a half a grain more doing pretty much the same speed with a very little gain in claimed BC. Accuracy wise they are so close at this point in my testing that I can’t honestly say that one to be more accurate than the other. Or if either will give me any advantage over the 125g Bergers out past 300 yards where the 30BR falls off for me.


Bill
 
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