Bergers vs. SBK for yotes?

[Kale_M]

For strictly yotes, which would you reload and use if they both gave you great groups.

35gr Bergers
or

39gr Blitz Kings?

[K22]

The Berger 35's. I gotten great results using them. Great meaning of course, dead Coyote, no exit.

[RAMOS]

The 39 SBK's are great as well. If you can find a friend that will sell you 10 or 12 of each, you can see wich one groups better for you. Either bullet will perform if the the rifle is happy with the load.

[ryutzy]

I use the 39 SBK because of the higher BC of the bullet. Everyone seems to love one or the other for coyotes, so pick your poison and try one.

[Silverfox]

The 35 gr. FBHP Bergers worked fantastic for me on coyotes. Very accurate and usually no exits on coyotes. The 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKings do have the Bergers beat on the BC number, but if you are a coyote caller, you should be able to get those coyotes close enough so you won't have to worry about the BC. I have also used the 39 gr. Sierras on coyotes and they work good too.

[tt35]

The 35 gr. FBHP Bergers worked fantastic for me on coyotes. Very accurate and usually no exits on coyotes. The 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKings do have the Bergers beat on the BC number, but if you are a coyote caller, you should be able to get those coyotes close enough so you won't have to worry about the BC.

+1. I switch to SBK's for varmiints. Both shoot great.

[crowkiller]

Bergers all the way for the larger Varmints.
Personally like the 40 gr Berger for Coyotes.
The plastic tips (Vmax,Sierra,Nosler,etc) work better on smaller Varmints, you get the SPLAT factor.

[Glen]

2 Sundays ago I had a coyote come out into the hayfield behind us. All I had were my groundhog loads of 39gr BK's. The shot was 60-70yds broadside. I put the crosshairs on it's shoulder & lit one off. The coyote hit the ground & within milliseconds jumped back up. Looked at me for another 1/2 second & hit the woods full bore. We never found one hair or drop of blood in an hour long search. I have no idea if it's dead or wounded 2 weeks later. Definitely not any thing to make a decision on but I wish I would have had my 40gr Berger loads in.

[Bill K]

Personally I have hit them, right behind the shoulders into the lung area, with both bullets and if they can tell the difference I would like to know. In each instance the yote hit the ground and never moved more than a foot or so, in death throlls. Bill K

[ryutzy]

With the 204 I always aim at the back edge or right behind the shoulder on coyotes. I've never needed a second shot with this shot placement. I believe that you are more likely to hit more vitals at the back edge of the shoulder which is more important IMO than disableing the shoulder when you are shooting a light gun like the 204. If I'm shooting heavier calibers like any of the 6MMs I like the shoulder shots because it's a lot of gun for yotes and is less likely to open up the bowels of the yote compared to an abdominal shot. Just my experiences

[Kale_M]

I picked up some 35gr bergers, loading them up with benchmark tomorrow. Hopefully shoot some groups on thursday.

I used the 40gr vmax at the start of last year right when I got the rifle. 2 big splashes and spewed entrails of 2 different coyotes prompted a switch to the factory federal 39gr BK loads. They worked great!! All the yotes I shot where DRT with no splashes and no exits! When I picked the yotes up they sounded like water balloons, great terminal ballistics!

Have a bunch of brass now and was looking to see how the 35 gr bergers shoot as I have heard alot of good things about them.

My main thing is I do not want to get exit wounds or runners. I want bang flops. I know shot placement is a big thing but the bullet has something to do with it.

We hunt some wide open bald a$$ prarie around here but with calling most of my shots are under 200 yards. I think my farthest kill last year on a yote was 150 yards. Shot a pocupine at 267 yards and another at 330 yards with the SBK., again, DRT.

Try these bergers out. if they dont make the grade, back to the SBK!

I shoot a Rem 700 VTR. The gun is a 22" barrel but 2" of it is a muzzle break. I think this is why i dont get many splashes is because of the reduced velocity due to the barrel length.

[Kale_M]

did some loads today.

hopefully it works out. My buddy had a manual lee scale and I dont know how accurate i was with it. Made 5 different loads with benchmark and the 35 gr bergers.

loads are 25.0, 25.3, 25.6, 25.9, 26.3, 26.3, 26.6

I have federal brass and hornady brass. Seems like the hornady brass is a different size. When I tired to seat a bullet into the case it would not hold tight it would pretty much fall into the case. Anyone ever have this problem? The federal cases worked fine.

hopefully find a load that shoots well tomorrow and then use a digital scale to make up a final consistent load.

hope i come back with all my fingers tomorrow

[Silverfox]

Kale_M--Looking at the Hodgdon load data tells me your loads aren't hot, with the 26.6 gr. load being the max listed by Hodgdon. I like to jump my loads up by .2 of a grain, but that's just me. By jumping .3 of a grain between most loads, you may be missing an accuracy node, but then again you might hit good accuracy going .3 of a grain at a time too. I like to sneak up on the max load kind of slow like and constantly check for any sign of excessive pressure. Give us a report on how these loads work for you.

[Kale_M]

alright got out to shoot my reloads today. Last night was my first time loading. I loaded up 5 of each but when i got to the range I had a couple where the nect was damaged when i seated the bullet so i did not shoot those ones. I see promise in the 25.6 gr load.

Benchmark Powder, 35 gr bergers

here are some pics of the groups. (forgot my 25 gr load on the bench so it didnt get shot)











Do you clean after each load? I cleaned the gun last night and then fired 2 factory loas as foulers before I started.

I fired a 5 shot group with factory 32gr vmax at the end and it grouped alright so i dont think a dirty gun was the problem.

[Valar]

I recently did test loads with 40 grain bergers. I tried there 40s as 40 g Hornady shoots very good in my ar as well. I have to tell you the 40 g Berger in my 1:10 Shilen Barreled ar I have Keyholing. I need to take pics of load workup test targets. I am sold on Bergers I ordered 8 boxes from Cablas last month while on sale. The Bench rest guys shoot allot ofBerger Bullets for a reason.