I know the 7mm RUM can be finicky so has anyone tried the Bergers and what worked or didn't. The barrel will probably be a 10 twist for 168 VLD's. Haven't ordered the barrel blank yet. Thanks and God Bless, Louis

I'm not sure about the 7mm RUM, but they say that the VLD's may be finiky in any calibre. This was taken directly from Berger's website:

VLD bullets can shoot well at any OAL. If you do not achieve the accuracy level you are looking for by jumping a VLD bullet then you may find that your rifle will shoot VLDs more accurately if the bullet touches the rifling when the round is chambered. VLD bullets may need a little more tweaking than non VLDs but when they are working well they are tough to beat.


I bought some 140gr VLD's in .277 this year for my .270 WSM and found that they work quite well seated .030 off the lands, but that may all depend on your rifle, especially the throat length. I would suggest starting off by jumping a short distance and if that's not accurate enough for you, try seating them just into the lands...say 0.010 into the lands (being sure to back off your load a bit as the result of seating into the lands is increased pressure, which you probably already know). That may be the trick to fixing the finikyness (if thats a word) of the Berger VLD's.

The Berger VLDs are great bullets once you find the sweet spot.

One caution. VLDs are not made for ultra hi velocities and the RUM case may have a lot of empty powder space when you reach their max velocity.

For the RUM, the 180 VLD may be a better choice but you may need a 9 twist for them.

Call berger, ask for Eric Stecker, and see what he says. Eric is a great guy, and a good shooter. He won't steer you wrong.

Ray

Thanks guys, I'll call Eric and check with him. I didn't know that the VLD's were not meant for ultra high velocites. What would be a ultra high velocity? I shoot 185 VLD's in my 300 RUM at 3382 FPS and have excellent accuracy at longer ranges. It has a 12 twist. Merry Christmas and God Bless, Louis