210 grain Bergers

[Brillo]

Next month I'm going to start load development for my 308 barrel which is throated for 210 grain Bergers. What's the consensus on the best powder to use and why?

Thanks

[Laurie]

The Americans mostly use H. VarGet. Here, Viht N550 is the favourite amongst the remaining 210gn users in FTR. (That's the BT version, hardly anybody uses the VLD.)

 

I say' remaining' as there has been a large scale switch to the 185 - 215gn Hybrids amongst heavy bullet fanciers.

 

Why? Presumably because they work better in terms of group size / MV / extreme spreads than the alternatives! In the case of the Americans, VarGet's temperature tolerance is a major plus as potential heat induced pressure spikes are bad news when you're loading what are very heavy projectiles for the cartridge.

 

The Lapua 'Palma' small primer case is pretty well universal in this application on both sides of the Atlantic.

[Brillo]

Thanks Laurie. Would a barrel throated for the 210 Berger BTs be ok with the 185 Juggernauts?

[Laurie]

Yes.

[Brillo]

Great. Many thanks

[blaser308]

The Americans mostly use H. VarGet. Here, Viht N550 is the favourite amongst the remaining 210gn users in FTR. (That's the BT version, hardly anybody uses the VLD.)

 

I say' remaining' as there has been a large scale switch to the 185 - 215gn Hybrids amongst heavy bullet fanciers.

 

Why? Presumably because they work better in terms of group size / MV / extreme spreads than the alternatives! In the case of the Americans, VarGet's temperature tolerance is a major plus as potential heat induced pressure spikes are bad news when you're loading what are very heavy projectiles for the cartridge.

 

The Lapua 'Palma' small primer case is pretty well universal in this application on both sides of the Atlantic.

I switched from shooting the 215G Hybrid to the 185g hybrid which i found a great alternative to the super heavy 30 cal bullets easy to shoot and when pointed & run at the 2,840fps node very accurate & flat shooting just doint know why the 185g hybrids not a more popular choice for FTR.

[Laurie]

The 200gn Hybrid has become the default choice in long-range 'high-level' FTR for those who like heavies. The US FTR team has already adopted the new 200-20X version of the bullet which we have yet to see. (I shudder to think what they'll cost when they do arrive.)

 

From my own point of view, I ended up using the 168 Hybrid, which worked better for me than any of the 'heavies', but it's really a matter of finding what best suits your rifle set-up and shooting style. When I do shoot 308 now, which isn't that often, I probably use more 155s than all other weights put together.