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tim in tx
Guest
have they discontinued these too?man i cannot find anything i need from them anymore and i need some fast.any help is apreciated. tim in tx
Tim
I saw some 7mm Bergers at the 600 Yard Nationals that were hot off the press.I thought I heard 182 or 185 grains but maybe someone with inside info can spill the beans.
I also looked at a very large Berger bullet that was bigger than any Berger bullet I have ever seen in the past.
Maybe someone will update us on what is going on and which bullets will be out first?
A buddy of mine is sending Jim Borden a 7mm Shehane reamer and barrel and I have access to the reamer while it is there.I don't know if I should build a 7mm or 338 now that there is going to be another source for bullets.
I will see what I can dig up for you.
Lynn aka Waterboy
I saw some 7mm Bergers at the 600 Yard Nationals that were hot off the press.I thought I heard 182 or 185 grains but maybe someone with inside info can spill the beans.
I also looked at a very large Berger bullet that was bigger than any Berger bullet I have ever seen in the past.
Maybe someone will update us on what is going on and which bullets will be out first?
A buddy of mine is sending Jim Borden a 7mm Shehane reamer and barrel and I have access to the reamer while it is there.I don't know if I should build a 7mm or 338 now that there is going to be another source for bullets.
I will see what I can dig up for you.
Lynn aka Waterboy
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tim in tx
Guest
thanks lynn dude
you know cabellas does not even sell the 180 anymore but they sell all the other bergers,naches is out,a buddy said sinclairs is out,man i am starting to panic,while you are at it could you keep an eye out for some 105 thicks as well? thanks tim in tx
you know cabellas does not even sell the 180 anymore but they sell all the other bergers,naches is out,a buddy said sinclairs is out,man i am starting to panic,while you are at it could you keep an eye out for some 105 thicks as well? thanks tim in tx
Eric Stecker
New member
Still making 7mm
I need to clarify which bullet you are asking about. The 7mm 180 gr VLD Target bullet is in stock now. We have about 80 boxes available. We also have over 100 boxes of the 7mm 180 gr BT Target. I am looking into the Cabela's situation but if they stopped selling them this is news to me.
If we are talking about the 7mm 180 gr VLD Hunting bullet then this is a different situation. As I relayed in the video update that is on our website home page, the jacket press that makes 7mm jackets had to be completely rebuilt.
This took nearly 2 months but the good news is the rebuild is finished. Today we are waiting for some tooling to be ground. This should be completed today which means that we should start making 7mm jackets again either later today or tomorrow. We will start with the jackets that make the 168 gr VLD Hunting bullets and then move on to the jacket that makes the 180 gr VLD Hunting. The 180 gr VLD Hunting should be available in about the 2nd or 3rd week in May (if nothing goes wrong).
We are also releasing two new 7mm bullets. These are the 175 gr XLD Target and the 180 gr Hybrid Target. Both of these bullets have been made in testing quantities while we had the THICK jackets in stock. We have a few boxes of these new bullets in stock but a larger run won't be available until we get through the jackets for the Hunting bullets. I estimate this will take us through May so these new bullets will be available in larger volumes in June.
The 175 gr XLD Target is designed with an extremely long secant ogive. It is the most aggressive VLD shape we've ever made. Due to this extreme shape we are using a .062 knockout punch which translates into a larger meplat than out 180 gr VLD Target. If you do nothing to the 175 gr XLD bullet it will have a BC just slightly higher than our 180 gr VLD. If you repoint the tip of the bullet your BC can increase by as much as 8%. This makes this bullet the highest BC bullet we've ever made until just recently (more on that in a moment).
The 180 gr Hybrid Target is designed with a tangent ogive that transitions into a secant ogive. The purpose of this design is to reduce seating depth sensitivity (which is a reality with the VLD) by using the tangent ogive shape at the transition between the bearing surface and the ogive. After the tangent portion of the ogive reaches the point where it is above the rifling the ogive shapes transitions to a secant shape for the lowest drag profile possible.
This bullet is meant to provide the best of both ogive shapes. The BC is a bit lower than a true VLD (secant ogive) but the lack of sensitivity to seating depth makes it a valuable option for those who like high BCs but don't have time or the desire to tune their rifle for the VLD.
I mentioned that the 7mm 175 gr XLD (Extreme Low Drag) is the highest BC bullet we have ever made (especially if you repoint the tip). This was true until we started making our 338 cal 300 gr Hybrid. This new 338 cal bullet is our first offering in the larger calibers. Right now we are testing this bullet. Early results are encouraging and we are nearly ready to release this bullet. We are waiting for a few more test results to come in. Unless something unexpected is discovered this bullet will be available in the next few weeks.
Our 338 cal 300 gr Hybrid bullet has an averaged G1 BC of .891 and a G7 BC of .455. Clearly our highest BC bullet and I believe the highest BC 338 cal bullet in existence.
Regards,
Eric
I need to clarify which bullet you are asking about. The 7mm 180 gr VLD Target bullet is in stock now. We have about 80 boxes available. We also have over 100 boxes of the 7mm 180 gr BT Target. I am looking into the Cabela's situation but if they stopped selling them this is news to me.
If we are talking about the 7mm 180 gr VLD Hunting bullet then this is a different situation. As I relayed in the video update that is on our website home page, the jacket press that makes 7mm jackets had to be completely rebuilt.
This took nearly 2 months but the good news is the rebuild is finished. Today we are waiting for some tooling to be ground. This should be completed today which means that we should start making 7mm jackets again either later today or tomorrow. We will start with the jackets that make the 168 gr VLD Hunting bullets and then move on to the jacket that makes the 180 gr VLD Hunting. The 180 gr VLD Hunting should be available in about the 2nd or 3rd week in May (if nothing goes wrong).
We are also releasing two new 7mm bullets. These are the 175 gr XLD Target and the 180 gr Hybrid Target. Both of these bullets have been made in testing quantities while we had the THICK jackets in stock. We have a few boxes of these new bullets in stock but a larger run won't be available until we get through the jackets for the Hunting bullets. I estimate this will take us through May so these new bullets will be available in larger volumes in June.
The 175 gr XLD Target is designed with an extremely long secant ogive. It is the most aggressive VLD shape we've ever made. Due to this extreme shape we are using a .062 knockout punch which translates into a larger meplat than out 180 gr VLD Target. If you do nothing to the 175 gr XLD bullet it will have a BC just slightly higher than our 180 gr VLD. If you repoint the tip of the bullet your BC can increase by as much as 8%. This makes this bullet the highest BC bullet we've ever made until just recently (more on that in a moment).
The 180 gr Hybrid Target is designed with a tangent ogive that transitions into a secant ogive. The purpose of this design is to reduce seating depth sensitivity (which is a reality with the VLD) by using the tangent ogive shape at the transition between the bearing surface and the ogive. After the tangent portion of the ogive reaches the point where it is above the rifling the ogive shapes transitions to a secant shape for the lowest drag profile possible.
This bullet is meant to provide the best of both ogive shapes. The BC is a bit lower than a true VLD (secant ogive) but the lack of sensitivity to seating depth makes it a valuable option for those who like high BCs but don't have time or the desire to tune their rifle for the VLD.
I mentioned that the 7mm 175 gr XLD (Extreme Low Drag) is the highest BC bullet we have ever made (especially if you repoint the tip). This was true until we started making our 338 cal 300 gr Hybrid. This new 338 cal bullet is our first offering in the larger calibers. Right now we are testing this bullet. Early results are encouraging and we are nearly ready to release this bullet. We are waiting for a few more test results to come in. Unless something unexpected is discovered this bullet will be available in the next few weeks.
Our 338 cal 300 gr Hybrid bullet has an averaged G1 BC of .891 and a G7 BC of .455. Clearly our highest BC bullet and I believe the highest BC 338 cal bullet in existence.
Regards,
Eric
Eric Stecker
New member
Cabela's
I've learned that Cabela's does not stock 7mm Target bullets. They also have not purchased the 7mm 180 gr VLD Hunting bullet for over a year. We are looking back but it is possible that they never stocked this bullet.
We will be in touch with them to discuss adding this (or putting it back) to their line.
Regards,
Eric
I've learned that Cabela's does not stock 7mm Target bullets. They also have not purchased the 7mm 180 gr VLD Hunting bullet for over a year. We are looking back but it is possible that they never stocked this bullet.
We will be in touch with them to discuss adding this (or putting it back) to their line.
Regards,
Eric
T
tim in tx
Guest
thanks lynn and eric
whew ,i was about to have a heart attack if you were to say that they were going to be discontinued.i am speaking of the 180 vld hunting.which i would assume are the same as the older 180s.i have been using them since walt was making them about 12 yrs ago.i will check with powder valley and see if i can get whatever they have .thanks for the update eric and will be looking forward to trying some new bullets you are coming out with when i put some new barrels on my rifles ,lynn i will give powder vally a shout. i apreciate the help guys.
whew ,i was about to have a heart attack if you were to say that they were going to be discontinued.i am speaking of the 180 vld hunting.which i would assume are the same as the older 180s.i have been using them since walt was making them about 12 yrs ago.i will check with powder valley and see if i can get whatever they have .thanks for the update eric and will be looking forward to trying some new bullets you are coming out with when i put some new barrels on my rifles ,lynn i will give powder vally a shout. i apreciate the help guys.
Last edited by a moderator:
LarryBartholome
Member
Larry
I did read the original post but was curious as to what other 338's might be in the works.
At the nationals last week I saw several new Bergers being tested including the 338 and was hopeful they are being made in all 3 configurations.
Maybe now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak Eric can update those of us whom are out of the loop?
Lynn
I did read the original post but was curious as to what other 338's might be in the works.
At the nationals last week I saw several new Bergers being tested including the 338 and was hopeful they are being made in all 3 configurations.
Maybe now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak Eric can update those of us whom are out of the loop?
Lynn
Eric Stecker
New member
I apologize for the delayed response. Today, a video update will be posted on our website announcing the official release of our new 338 cal 300 gr Hybrid. Since this caliber "moves our bookend" or said differently is entirely new to us, we are limiting the release to our technical partner for a short time.
You can call our tech line at 714-447-5458 to learn all about the new Berger 338 cal and order some if you want to try them. Our tech line is powered by Sinclair International. They have a well deserved reputation for being both technically knowledgeable and for stocking the latest and greatest products used by the precision shooter.
Regarding our other 338 cal bullets, since this is our first effort into the larger caliber bullets we want to make sure that we got everything right before we introduce different designs and weights. I can tell you that a 250 gr Hybrid is the next bullet to be released pending successful results with the 300 gr Hybrid.
After both weights in the Hybrid version are thoroughly proven we will start making a pure tangent version in both weights. Both weights will be released at nearly the same time. Our tangent bullet has a slightly higher BC than the SMK and the Scenar but the shape of our tangent bullet is similar to the SMK.
Once the tangent bullet is thoroughly reviewed and is proven to be successful we will make a VLD for testing purposes. It is possible that the Hybrid will prove both reduced seating depth sensitivity and a BC similar to a VLD. This Hybrid combination may prove successful enough as to make a VLD much less desireable.
A similar test is going on right now with the 7mm 180 gr Target class bullets. We have the 180 gr VLD going up against both a 180 gr Hybrid and a 175 gr XLD (Extreme Low Drag). We are watching the results from those shooting these bullets very closely. The results may influence which 180 gr class bullet remains part of the line and how we proceed with the 338 cal VLD.
Regards,
Eric
You can call our tech line at 714-447-5458 to learn all about the new Berger 338 cal and order some if you want to try them. Our tech line is powered by Sinclair International. They have a well deserved reputation for being both technically knowledgeable and for stocking the latest and greatest products used by the precision shooter.
Regarding our other 338 cal bullets, since this is our first effort into the larger caliber bullets we want to make sure that we got everything right before we introduce different designs and weights. I can tell you that a 250 gr Hybrid is the next bullet to be released pending successful results with the 300 gr Hybrid.
After both weights in the Hybrid version are thoroughly proven we will start making a pure tangent version in both weights. Both weights will be released at nearly the same time. Our tangent bullet has a slightly higher BC than the SMK and the Scenar but the shape of our tangent bullet is similar to the SMK.
Once the tangent bullet is thoroughly reviewed and is proven to be successful we will make a VLD for testing purposes. It is possible that the Hybrid will prove both reduced seating depth sensitivity and a BC similar to a VLD. This Hybrid combination may prove successful enough as to make a VLD much less desireable.
A similar test is going on right now with the 7mm 180 gr Target class bullets. We have the 180 gr VLD going up against both a 180 gr Hybrid and a 175 gr XLD (Extreme Low Drag). We are watching the results from those shooting these bullets very closely. The results may influence which 180 gr class bullet remains part of the line and how we proceed with the 338 cal VLD.
Regards,
Eric
Eric Stecker
New member
Correction
I'd like to thank Larry Bartholome for locating this thread as it has some misinformation that I need to correct. In previous posts I made the following statement:
This is incorrect on two points. The first is that the 175 gr XLD has a G7 BC of .336 while our 180 gr VLD has a G7 BC of .337. There are two reasons why our new extreme length 175 gr XLD has a BC essentially equal to (but not greater than) our 180 gr VLD.
The first reason is that the meplat of the 175 gr is slightly larger. This was intentional for the purposes of allowing us to better control bullet OAL and meplat diameter size uniformity. All our new 7mm X bullets (there are 3 versions) were designed to achieve the goal of remaining supersonic and achieve 1 MOA or less of vertical dispersion at 1 mile.
What I said in the original post about repointing is correct. Those who repoint their bullets can increase the BC of this bullet by quite a bit since the difference between our finished meplat and a repointed meplat is more than our other bullets in this class.
The second reason is the weight. This bullet was designed to be a 180 gr bullet but the lead column was too high in the finished product so we were compelled to lower the weight. One upside to this reality is that shooters can realize a slightly higher MV with the 175 gr XLD than you will get out of the 180 gr VLD. The differences are slight and each shooter who is interested is utilizing this reality should review how this manifests itself in their rifle.
The other point that is incorrect about the statement above is that the 175 gr XLD is the highest BC bullet we had made up to that point. In fact the 180 gr Hybrid has a G7 BC of .345 which clearly makes it the highest BC bullet we offer in 308 cal and smaller.
Misinformation on the forums is one of my pet peeves. I apologize for making this mistake and will do my best to ensure that it is a long time until my next oops.
Regards,
Eric
I'd like to thank Larry Bartholome for locating this thread as it has some misinformation that I need to correct. In previous posts I made the following statement:
This is incorrect on two points. The first is that the 175 gr XLD has a G7 BC of .336 while our 180 gr VLD has a G7 BC of .337. There are two reasons why our new extreme length 175 gr XLD has a BC essentially equal to (but not greater than) our 180 gr VLD.
The first reason is that the meplat of the 175 gr is slightly larger. This was intentional for the purposes of allowing us to better control bullet OAL and meplat diameter size uniformity. All our new 7mm X bullets (there are 3 versions) were designed to achieve the goal of remaining supersonic and achieve 1 MOA or less of vertical dispersion at 1 mile.
What I said in the original post about repointing is correct. Those who repoint their bullets can increase the BC of this bullet by quite a bit since the difference between our finished meplat and a repointed meplat is more than our other bullets in this class.
The second reason is the weight. This bullet was designed to be a 180 gr bullet but the lead column was too high in the finished product so we were compelled to lower the weight. One upside to this reality is that shooters can realize a slightly higher MV with the 175 gr XLD than you will get out of the 180 gr VLD. The differences are slight and each shooter who is interested is utilizing this reality should review how this manifests itself in their rifle.
The other point that is incorrect about the statement above is that the 175 gr XLD is the highest BC bullet we had made up to that point. In fact the 180 gr Hybrid has a G7 BC of .345 which clearly makes it the highest BC bullet we offer in 308 cal and smaller.
Misinformation on the forums is one of my pet peeves. I apologize for making this mistake and will do my best to ensure that it is a long time until my next oops.
Regards,
Eric
