So....in the final analysis...the question is why was the accuracy this good using a 125 year old bullet design using an out-dated propellent, moving at this below supersonic speed??? Another question is.....is all the talk about 'going into the transonic stage causing inaccuracy' just so much BS??
I don't have an answer to your question, but I have more questions for you;
We know about the 308, 168 Sierra 1000 yard trans sonic situation because of the M14 being used in Long Range Rifle competition. There was a convergence of different factors that made the transition observable. A) a rifle/cartridge/bullet combination that had a bullet going subsonic over B) pits with human observers to capture the phenomenon. How would us mere mortals
know when a bullet was going subsonic without target pullers beneath the subsonic bullet or the resources of BRL Aberdeen to track these bullets going downrange? Could it be that other bullets are having similar instability issues, but it is going unnoticed because it is so far downrange beyond the benefit of a target with pits? Could dodgefan's 6.5mm anecdote be one such example?
With that said, I have heard that the 30 cal 173 M1 design bullets and it's offspring 175 Match King make the transition with stability as well as Berger's juggies. I've also heard that BPCR rounds do it without problem (those projectiles probably have a tremendous Stability Factor by virtue of their lack of zoot form factors). BTW, I've been in the pits with 405gr 45-70 bullets being fired at the 600 yard line. The steep downhill trajectory had us hugging the pit wall as they rained down on the pit roof. I don't care to do that again.
