40 grain Berger stabilization

[crazyyote]

Does anyone here have any firsthand experience using the 40 grain Berger BTHP #20304 in a 1-11 twist barrel? Berger's charts show this to be marginally stable, with about 94-96% stability depending on the velocity, etc. I have a 22" 1-11 twist AR barrel that I plan to install by this fall for hunting. I know a 1-10 twist would have been better but I didn't look that for before placing the order. Thanks.

[Bill K]

I shoot very few of the 40 grain. Mostly use the 32 & 39 grain bullets in my 20's. but the 40's I have shot in the 1/11 twist barrels I have shot okay. Some, mostly in the 1/12 twist don't have such good results, where as the 39 grain one's will stabilize. You should be fine in your 1/11 twist, but only your rifle will tell you if it is so. Bill K

[Rick in Oregon]

I'm running an 11T Pac-Nor in my 204 Ruger Match chamber, and the 40's all stabilize well, no matter what brand of bullet. The 39gr SBK shoots lights out in this one!

Virtually all my shooting is 'rat shooting', so I do not use Bergers....needlessly expensive for blowing up grass rats.

[crazyyote]

Thanks!!!. I'll rest easier knowing I didn't screw it up. I got the same reassurance over at Saubier.com

[Gube]

I use 24.5 gr RL-10X and 25.5 gr of H-4895 for 40 gr Berger’s. Not quite as accurate as the 35 gr Berger’s though. These are with 3, 12 twist tubes so you should have no problem with a 11 twist.

[DoubleUp]

When I was shooting the 204 a lot, I had very good results on paper with the 40 Bergers over 27.6 grs. of 8208 in two different 204's. Also very good results with AR-Comp at 27.2 grs. Both ran about 3,750 fps. Although I shot quite a few coyotes with the 35 Berger with excellent results, I never used the 40's on coyotes but thought they should work well. I was able to stabilize the 40's in 2 different rifles with 12 twist barrels at sea level. These loads were safe in my rifles but I make no claims as to how safe they are for anyone else.

[varmit_master]

I have a tc venture 204 predator model. Its a 1@10 it shoots the h4895 and 40gr very well.