I used a pair of Wilson neck-sizing and bullet-seating dies to make up four reloads with the Berger 130gn bullets, with 46gn of ADI 2209 as the propellant. For the first shot I aimed at the middle of a ram. It went over the top, which is understandable. The 130gn Bergers are lighter and more slippery than the Nosler 140 grainers, so shoot a bit flatter. My second shot was aimed at the bottom of the ram's belly, but still went over, though not by much. I measured the difference between point of aim and point of impact with the Kahles K624i's MSR reticle and adjusted six clicks down. My third shot knocked the ram over - great fun that. :-) So I knocked another one over.
I reloaded the four empty cases and turned my attention to the target shown in the picture below. The shimmering heat mirage was distorting my view and made aiming at the fly quite tricky. I could only see it if the dot in the middle of the MSR reticle was away from it, so to take each shot I slowly moved the dot towards the fly and then tripped the Mauser's set trigger at what looked like the right moment. The shots felt pretty good. Checking with a big spotting scope was not much use - too much heat mirage being blown from left to right in the breeze that was varying around 5+ knots. It was only when I drove back up to the 500 metre mark that I saw the three shot group. The dispersion was half my handspan, so about 10 centimetres. I'm pretty sure I said to myself, 'Not bad! I think I'll be sticking with this load.'
I'd fired the fourth shot at the middle of a ram that was sitting to the right of my paper target. I hit it, smack in the middle, evidenced by a splotch in the fresh paint. Thank you to the guy who had the spray can. But this ram didn't fall over. That can happen if the shot lands too close to the middle, I was told. A less accurate rifle might have done a better job, by hitting the ram closer to the edge.
It's just as well these new Berger bullets are working in this Mauser M03 barrel. I'd forgotten that I already had a few boxes, so when the importer announced that new stock had arrived I ordered a few more. Bewdy!
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| A group fired at 500m with a Mauser M03 in 6.5x55 using Berger 130gn VLD Hunting bullets. |
Nice post!
ReplyDeleteBerger have just released some new bullets, including a 135 grain 6.5mm in their Classic range, which I hope to try fairly soon. They've also been taken over by Nammo (a Nordic conglomerate), who also own Lapua and Vihtavuouri, so they may be easier for us in Europe to get hold of.
best
Simon
Hi Simon. This is interesting news. That 135 grainer sounds good. I'll have to look it up. As slippery as the VLD Hunting bullets are through the air, the Classic bullets are much easier to live with. They function better in magazines and are easier to tweak for the best seating depth. I sure hope the takeover doesn't muck up supply here in Australia, which hasn't always been as good as we'd like. Clearly, Berger were not making as many bullets as they could sell around the world. Shipments landing here with the importer were sometimes gobbled up by hungry shooters within minutes of their website being updated. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteRegards, Rick.
Nosler also now making a 142 grain Accubond Long Range. Looks like there is good competition in the market for 6.5x55 shooters in the USA, and I hope good supply to us outlier nations too.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of Nosler's Ballistic Tip bullets since they were introduced a couple of decades ago. Great accuracy and dynamite performance on game. Hence my eagerness to try the Accubonds for first use in my 6.5x55 barrel. Sure enough, they worked well. But, they're scary expensive here in Oz and only 50 to a box. The Bergers are every bit if not more accurate, half the cost and don't get blunt tips from recoil in the magazine.
ReplyDeleteA story I tell about Ballistic Tips goes like this - some years back a farmer suggested I look down along one of his perimeter fences where he'd been seeing consistent fresh pig digging. I marched along that fence line in the pre-dawn light and eventually found a very large sow leading a group of almost fully grown offspring. They'd picked up my movement or scent and were trotting towards cover. By the time I'd slipped my earmuffs on I had the chance for one shot at the sow, scoring a hit with a 180gn Remington Core Lokt projectile. They all ran into the scrub. I followed through and saw them down a steep hill, crossing a creek. The sow was falling behind. I hit two of the others then scrambled down to catch up with the sow. I hit her twice more with the Remingtons, which zipped straight through, with no effect. Too hard I think. Magazine empty, I chambered a hand load with a 180gn Nosler Ballistic Tip. That blew the sow right off her feet. Game over. Very impressive performance. I can't think of a time where a Nosler Ballistic Tip hasn't worked well. I've heard good reports from friends about the Accubonds but only shot paper and rabbits with the one box I tried.
Good story!
ReplyDelete