50g Varmint Grenade Loads for .223

U

uless

New member
Just got some 50gr VGs and they aren't even in the manual Cabelas had (v4, the current one)... Online they only have data for two powders. Unfortunately none are what i've been using (TAC, Varget, and Benchmark). Has anybody seen any load data?
 
Using my Quickload software assuming you're going mag length of 2.260 it calculating the max charge of TAC at 25.9.....*******this data is just reference, refer to a book for a sanity check, start low and work your way up.
 
I live and hunt in a area where I have to shoot lead free bullets. If I didn't have to shoot lead free bullets I wouldn't.

50 gr Varmint Grenades do not reliably expand as good as most lead varmint bullets do at 223 Rem speeds. The lead free bullets have a much lower ballistic coefficient than the same weight lead bullets do.

I shot hundreds of ground squirrels with my Tikka T-3 223AI while I was fire forming brass with the Barnes 50 gr Varmint Grenades. Way too many of the squirrels would run down their holes to die instead of blowing apart.

In my 243s on coyotes I had less exit holes with 75 gr Hornady V-max bullets when I could use them than I get with the 62 gr Varmint Grenades.

In my opinion the only good thing about Varmint Grenades is the name they gave the bullet.
 
I have the same opinion as derbyacresbob. Was not at all impressed with their performance or accuracy. I tried them with several different powders in my bolt gun and AR, and could never get a decent group no matter what I tried. I have about 60 left in the box if anyone needs some fishing sinkers.
 
Seems like you CA guys need a copper HP varmint bullet; perhaps a market niche there to be exploited....

OR go to depleted uranium and call it the Pelosi Earth Point Bullet...see how thw EPA likes that stuff lying around!

Really, the whole CA lead-free thing is ridiculous, unproven/lack of scientific need, etc.

I feel for ya' all; this is just a politically [in]correct fraud on hunters and tax payers.
 
Originally Posted By: ulessRBoom

What twist were you shooting them?

Barnes recommends 1-10" twist or faster for the 50 gr Varmint Grenades.
 
I haven't shot any of the 224 VG but have worked with the 62gr VG and the 55gr NBT Lead Free and both have proved to be outstanding bullets. I'm a pelt hunter and the VG left too large of exits but the 55gr NBTLF is my go to for my 6mm/204, small entrance, breaks bone and rarely exits. I'm going to start working with the 40gr NBTLF in my 22.250 next month.

24362grVG001.jpg
the upper right group is a reg. lead BT.

AWS
 
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AWS, the Nosler BT Lead Free 40 gr bullet has worked great out of our 223s on squirrels.

My son shot some squirrels with the Hornady Superformance 35 gr NTX Lead Free in 223 Rem. What that 35 gr NTX bullet did to the squirrels was very impressive.

For coyotes I like heavier bullets. Out of my 1-8" twist 22-250 the Barnes 55 gr MPG bullet has been working great on coyotes so far. "NO EXIT HOLES"

After I use up all of my Barnes 62 gr Varmint Grenades in my 243 Win and 243 WSSM I plan on trying the Nosler 55 gr BT Lead Free bullets on Coyotes.
 
Originally Posted By: ulessRBoom

What twist were you shooting them?

1:9 in the Savage and 1:10 in the AR. Both guns shoot 50 gr. Sierras and Hornadys really well. Hopefully you will have better success with the VGs than I did.
 
So I finally got a chance to try out the 50g VGs and after some tinkering got a pretty good group out my 16" BCM 410.

I ended up with a .738 with 23.3g of TAC seated just off the lands. A change in .07 seating depth cut the group almost in half.

Now I need to do up 20 rounds and see if its consistent.
 


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