7mm 195gr Extreme Outer Limits Elite Hunter

This bullet was inspired by Bob Beck, host of EOL, and designed by Bryan Litz. Bob and EOL are building rifles that are capable of shooting extremely aggressive bullets, so Bryan and Berger Bullets have risen to the challenge of producing such a bullet. The 195gr EOL bullet has the highest ballistic performance of any 7mm bullet currently in existence, and is truly the first of its kind for a number of reasons.

The first thing to note about this bullet is that it breaks with the common trend-line for heavy bullets in a given caliber. Typically, 180 grains is the heaviest weight available in 7mm. This bullet adds 15 grains to that.

The additional weight is split between the bearing surface and longer nose. Compared to the 7mm 180 grain Target Hybrid, the bearing surface is 0.096” longer, and the nose is 0.022” longer. The 7 degree BT’s are about the same.

With a sectional density of 0.345 lb/in², the ability of this bullet to slip through the air and impact game animals with more energy is off the charts. By comparison, the Berger .30 caliber 210 grain Hunting VLD has a sectional density of 0.316 lb/in².

The hybrid ogive ensures length tolerance and minimal drag by design, while the 7 degree boat tail minimizes base drag and provides favorable stability characteristics at transonic speed.

[?]Part Number The associated part number and store link for this product. Part Number: 28550	[?]Applications We would recommend the use of this bullet in these types of activities. The first application listed is what the bullet is primarily intended for and all other listed applications are secondary. Applications: Hunting Our hunting line of bullets are made with slightly thinner jackets that allow them to penetrate 2″-5″ then rapidly expand, creating massive devastation and releasing all of its energy where it counts most, inside the animal.
[?]G1 BC The G1 BC is used if the bullet has a flat base and/or your ballistic program only accepts a G1 BC. The G1 BC is less accurate than the G7 BC if your bullet has a boat tail. G1 BC: 0.754	[?]G7 BC The G7 BC is recommended if the bullet has a boat tail and your ballistic program accepts it. This will give you a more accurate drop chart. G7 BC: 0.387
[?]Optimal Twist Rate The twist rate that would ensure the highest ballistic peformance of the bullet. Optimal Twist Rate: 1:8.3″ or faster

Bullet Design

[?]Ogive Design The design of the “nose” of the bullet. Ogive Design:	[?]Hybrid A Hybrid Ogive is a blend between a Secant and Tangent ogive. It is optimized to allow for an extremely low drag while still being able to be tuned and loaded easily when compared to a Berger VLD bullet. Hybrid
[?]Ogive Radius The curvature of the ogive. Hybrid Ogives combined multiple radius points and therefore are unlisted. Ogive Radius:	Hybrid
[?]Sectional Density A numerical value that is found when you divide the bullet’s weight (lbs) by its diameter (inches) squared. This number is often a good comparitor for determining bullet penetration on a target. Sectional Density:	0.345 lb/in²
[?]Rt/R Rt/R is the ratio of a tangent ogive to the actual bullets ogive. For a truly tangent ogive, this ratio is 1.00. For a highly aggressive VLD style ogive, the Rt/R ratio is 0.50. Basically, the Rt/R ratio is an indicator of how aggressive the ogive shape is on the spectrum between VLD and Tangent. Rt/R:	Hybrid

Measurements are for reference only and may vary slightly between lots.

Ballistic Performance

[?]Variance in BC This table shows you how the BC of your bullet changes with velocity as your bullet flies downrange. The G1 BC typically changes a great deal more than the G7 BC over the same range, which is why the G7 BC is recommended for more accurate trajectory predictions over long range. The chart below lists the long range average BC’s for this bullet.	Above 3000 fps	3000-2500 fps	2500-2000 fps	2000-1500 fps	Below 1500 fps
G1 BC:	0.814	0.777	0.759	0.731	0.706
G7 BC:	0.385	0.385	0.382	0.389	0.398

Averages from 3000 to 1500 fps
	Average	[?]Variation This is how much the BC of the bullet changes from 3000 to 1500 fps. The G7 referenced BC typically has much less variation, which means it’s a better measure of performance than the G1 BC.
G1 BC:	0.754	0.084
G7 BC:	0.387	0.018
[?]G7 Form Factor The G7 form factor is a number that relates the drag of the bullet to the G7 standard projectile. Lower form factors indicate lower drag. Average bullets have form factors around 1.0. A bullet that has a form factor higher than 1.0 will have a relatively low BC for its caliber and weight. Bullets with form factors less than 1.0 will have a high BC for their caliber and weight. A form factor of 0.95 is considered very good for long range bullets, and form factors close to 0.90 are the best. G7 form factor:		0.893

The actual form factor of the 7mm 195 grain Elite Hunter is among the lowest offered by any Berger Bullet, beating the G7 drag standard by 11%. Combined with the high sectional density, this bullet has a G7 BC of 0.387, which is 5% higher than the Berger .30 caliber 230 grain Target Hybrid!

Due to the extremely low drag profile of this bullet, the G1 BC varies a considerable amount across the velocity spectrum. Above 3000 fps, the bullet is flying with a G1 BC of 0.814. As it slows to 1500 fps, the G1 BC falls to 0.706, for an average of 0.754 from 3000 to 1500 fps.

Rifling Twist Rate and Stability

Stability requirements for this bullet are not as radical as you might think. In nearly all conditions, a 1:8.3” twist is adequate for full stability. If you’re concerned about achieving full stability in a worst case scenario, a 1:8” twist would have you covered in any circumstance. Remember, slightly marginal stability can result in a couple percent reduction in BC, but the precision of the bullets will be unaffected until the stability factor (SG) drops below 1.1. You can use the Stability calculator below to calculate the stability of this bullet in your conditions based on barrel twist and muzzle velocity. You can learn more about general rifle bullet stability HERE.

Compare Twist Rates

	[?]A stability factor below 1.0 indicates instability, bullet will tumble. Between 1.0 and 1.5 is marginal stability. In this condition the bullet will fly point forward and groups can be good, but the BC will be depressed below its full potential. Marginal stability may be OK if you’re only shooting short range. For full stability, maximum BC, and optimal performance at long range, the stability factor needs to be 1.5 or higher. Stability Factor
Barrel Twist	Best Case	Nominal	Worst Case
1:7″	2.39	2.09	1.81
1:8″	1.83	1.60	1.38
1:9″	1.45	1.26	1.09
1:10″	1.17	1.02	0.89

Calculate twist rate and stability for your conditions

Gun and Atmospheric Parameters
Muzzle Vel. [?]Muzzle Velocity How fast the bullet leaves the rifle as measured by a chronograph. For very accurate results, remember to account for the velocity lost in the 10-15 feet between the muzzle and the chronograph. As a rule of thumb, a bullet looses 5-15 fps in this short distance.
Barrel Twist [?]Barrel Twist How many “inches per turn” is your rate of rifling twist. This number is used along with other inputs to determine the stability and related trajectory metrics. Typical value for this input is between 1:7″ and 1:13″.		inches
Temperature [?]Air Temperature The atmospheric temperature. Because there is a great sensitivity to atmospheric temperature, it is recommended that this data be provided by using a local weather station or handheld weather meter.
Altitude [?]Altitude The altitude at which the shooter is at. The ICAO standard is used to find the standard atmospheric pressure at the given altitude and temperature.

Your Custom Stability Analysis

Torture Testing and Survivability

This is a hunting bullet with a thin jacket which provides reliable expansion on impact down to 1800 fps. With the long bearing surface and high pressure magnums that we anticipate this bullet being fired from, questions about the bullets survivability were a concern.

Some of the better known heavy hitters in the 7mm family. Left to Right: 7mm Remington Magnum, 7mm S.T.W., 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum, 7mm Allen Magnum and 338 Lapua Magnum case which is used as the parent case for the 7mm Allen Magnum. Originally designed to drive the 200 gr. ULD RBBT Wildcat Bullet to 3300 fps, the 7mm A.M. far exceeds the performance of all other 7mm magnums on the market today.

To address concerns about survivability, we sent some samples to Kirby Allen; a well-known wildcatter who specializes in high volume, high velocity magnums.

Kirby was kind enough to run this bullet through its paces in some of his rifles. Long story short, the 7mm 195 grain Elite Hunter survived being fired at over 3300 fps! The bullets were accurate and impacted targets at long range with dope predicted by the measured BC.

Though these tests were comprised of relatively short strings of fire (2-5 shots), we’re confident they will survive longer strings from more normal cartridges on longer strings of fire.

Terminal Performance: Results on game

Bob Beck (Extreme Outer Limits) has also been testing these bullets on game animals in the field. Bob reports:

“We have made 3 kills with the bullets, and they perform extremely well. The animals were llamas, which are normally hard to kill. We took three shots from 10 ft, 500 yards and 1046 yards. All of the bullets expanded and killed immediately. One of the shots was a frontal which flipped the animal over completely!”

Final Thoughts

We are excited about these bullets and confident that they will be successful. However, there are a couple of very important things to keep in mind. This bullet is currently being made ONLY in our Elite Hunter configuration. It is made using our thinner jacket to produce the best possible terminal performance. If these bullets are successful, then our plan is to also produce a Target version with a thicker jacket. We know that many shooters are excited to try these bullets in target competitions. Our hunting bullets are held to the same tolerances as our target bullets, but do have a thinner jacket (read HERE for more information). They are not target bullets, which are built to withstand the speeds and pressures that our target shooters demand. So if you plan to use these in your target rifles, please test them thoroughly BEFORE you go to a major competition.