Spinning a bullet faster than necessary can amplify any inconsistency in the bullet. Since we use J4 jackets, you can shoot Berger Bullets in faster twist than what is listed. We list the slowest twist rate needed because we want to squeeze every bit of accuracy out of a rifle.
Twist rate refers to the rate of spin in the rifle barrel, and is represented in inches per turn. It’s important that your barrel has an adequate twist rate to stabilize the bullets you’re shooting. A barrel that is a 1:10” twist means that the rifling will spin the bullet one revolution in 10 inches. The lower the number of the twist, the faster the twist rate or the faster the bullet will spin. For example, a 1:8 twist will spin the bullet one revolution in 8 inches, whereas a 1:10” twist will spin a bullet one revolution in 10 inches. If you were shooting a [...]
The best place to start is with the barrel or rifle maker. Sometimes this information is not available. One method of finding the twist rate of your barrel is by using a cleaning rod. Put a dry, loose fitting patch (so it doesn't get stuck in your barrel) on a jag and put your rod into your barrel from either the muzzle end or the chamber end. (Note: When putting a rod into the muzzle end, be careful not to damage the crown/muzzle). Move the rod back and forth to verify that the rod spins freely as the rifling turns the rod. With the rod [...]
BC stands for “Ballistic Coefficient”. In words, BC is a measure of how well a bullet retains velocity; the higher the BC, the more velocity is retained, and vise-versa. Heavy bullets with streamlined profiles will have higher BC’s than shorter bullets with blunter profiles. BC is the fundamental measure of external ballistic efficiency and performance. The higher the BC, the better the bullet retains velocity/energy and resists wind deflection and drop. BC is more important for long range shooting than short range. The BC’s of Berger bullets are based on carefully controlled test firing and are accurate to within +/- 1%*. All BC’s reported for [...]
The Ballistic Coefficient (BC) is used to do external ballistic analysis. The most common use is to input the BC into a ballistic computer program along with other data about the shooting conditions (muzzle velocity, zero range, atmospheric conditions, etc) in order to calculate a trajectory for the bullet. The trajectory information is used to make sight corrections for drop and wind deflection. BC’s of various bullets are often compared when selecting a bullet for a particular application where external ballistic performance is important. One example is long range target shooting where the shooter wants a high BC in order to minimize wind deflection. A [...]
Our flat based bullets only have a G1 coefficient while our boat tails will have both G1 and G7 coefficients. G1 and G7 are two different methods of calculating Ballistics. G1 is the old system for measuring BC and is suitable for flat based bullets, but many bullet manufacturers use this coefficient for boat tail bullets as well, so we include the G1 information so that you can directly compare our bullets to their bullets. G7 is an updated equation and the better system of measuring a ballistic coefficient. It provides more accurate and reliable results when calculating trajectory using a ballistics program that allows for a G7 to [...]
The new version of our ballistics calculator can be found here: https://bergerbullets.com/ballistics/
Due to trade regulations on firearms, we do not offer direct shipping to international customers for our bullets. We do ship internationally to authorized resellers. You can find a list of dealers closest to you by clicking here. We also have a list of dealers that sell online that you can find by clicking here. We do offer shipping directly to our customers on our reloading manual, t-shirts, and hats. You can order these by phone by calling 714-441-7200 M-F 8am to 4:30pm Pacific Standard Time. Even though we ship our manuals internationally, we usually recommend you try a reseller first, simply because shipping charges internationally can [...]
Depending on the bullet or ammunition offering, it can take some time before we are able to release a product from the initial R&D phase, which is why we try hard not to publicize a new product until it is ready to release. However, sometimes a bullet might get into our marketing team's hands before production is ready to produce it. Rest assured, as soon as we have information about release dates, we will post on social media, email those who sign up for our newsletter, post the product to our new products page, and post a blog about it. If you aren't certain if [...]
Our Target and Tactical bullets are designed with thicker jackets that withstand more stress before bullet degradation occurs. A target or tactical shooter generally fires multiple rounds in a row, causing the barrel to heat up and more stress on bullet. To keep performance high, we give these bullets thicker jackets. Our Varmint and Hunting bullets have slightly thinner jackets. This means that the bullet will expand more effectively, creating a large wound cavity that devastates the animal using hydrostatic shock. Hunters generally shoot 1-3 bullets at a time, so bullet degradation is not as much of a concern as expansion. Read more here: https://bergerbullets.com/information/line-and-designs/
