Varget an all around miracle?

Originally Posted By: MGYSGTVarget is a very versitile powder. Velocity is overated. Accuracy is what counts.


Exactly! Plus it is low pressure and your brass will last you a long time.

I used to be a velocity freak but that went away somewhat during my search for accuracy. Varget give me good speeds and great accuracy. Makes me plenty happy but cannot say the same for ground squirrels and prairie dogs!
 
The talk of Varget and .223 got me wondering so I went back to dig up my old data on my Varget .223 loads... had to go back two 3-ring binders ago to 2003 but I found a good many targets that did indeed have some tiny little groups. Then I found notes wondering why my load of 26gr(1gr under Hodgdon max) with the 52gr Berger from a 24 inch barrel was dropping so much at 200yds. Did not seem right that a bullet supposed to be going 3200+ should drop that much.
Then I got a new chronograph and there was the answer it was only traveling 2989fps after a little research I found about 12 other powders that shot just as good some even better at up to 500fps faster so now the Varget gets used in the 22-250's and .243 unless I load some heavy's in the .223. It works great with the 69gr/77gr Comp bullets.
I want my cake... and to eat it too.
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Velocity can be overrated, but in the case of the 17 Rem. and fur friendly rounds that isn't quite so. It seems that with 25gr. bullets, higher muzzle velocity, from 3800 - 4000fps, works the best for fur friendly loads. Loads below that are not generally as consistent with the "no exit"/"DRT's".
With varmint critters it doesn't matter.

A one powder to fit all is great in theory, just as one could get by with one size of paint brush, but eventually reality gets in the way.
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Originally Posted By: ninehorsesIMO, H4895 or IMR-4895 is much more flexible than Varget, just check any reloading manual.

But that reloading manual is not going to tell me what shoots best in my gun now is it? All I know is that in three different .223 rifles of mine I have not found a powder that shoots as well as Varget does. If I give up 100 FPS or so then whoopdeedo. No critters that I ever shoot will be able to tell the difference.

There are lots of excellent powders for cases like the .223 and I have tried most of them by now. But when day in day out you find a powder that works as well as Varget does in as many applications then for me anyway, I have found my load.
 
Love Varget for the .223 and .308
Have not tried iy in the 30-06 yet.
However I am really liking 8208XBR better for the .223
 
Originally Posted By: ninehorsesIMO, H4895 or IMR-4895 is much more flexible than Varget, just check any reloading manual.

I am glad you said this. My thoughts as well.
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Not everybody has gone for the "eye catcher" or the "hook" that is Varget.
 
Kinda interesting to see the poularity of 25+ years of some powders, be interesting to know what's gonna be sellers in 25 more, if the public can even buy reloading paraphernalia.
 
Originally Posted By: travjcKinda interesting to see the poularity of 25+ years of some powders, be interesting to know what's gonna be sellers in 25 more, if the public can even buy reloading paraphernalia.


Varget is a good powder, an Extreme powder. It has it's place in the scheme of things.

In terms of things that have worked, and still do. The wheel, a '55 T-Bird. There have been re-makes and imitations of both, but the originals are still what everybody wants. Cuz they were first, and are original, and they work. No replacing originality. Some things are timeless.

Lets improve pie r2, or the square root system. You won't gain much, if anything.
 
Won't argue about Varget, the wheel, or 55' T-bird. Just thinking about all the things that we use unchanged after all these years. Quite remarkable what has been produced out of necessity.
 
I could probably load every caliber with either H4895 or IMR-4831 and lack nothing. I keep a bunch of different powders for testing, and that is part of the fun of reloading. To limit yourself to one powder is selling yourself short on performance. Some would load a 30-06 to .308 performance, because it shoots good, but if you could find a maximum load that shoots just as well, why not. I just bought a new to me powder Saturday to try in the Swift. I have several fast good loads for it already, but this might be just "The One".

The people that make reloading manuals do a lot of testing. Then they list what has worked best for them. Nosler and others list which powder was the most accurate in their testing. If you choose to ignore their help, and do your own thing, have fun.

I've tried Varget in several calibers, and the only thing I use it in is a 6MM with a 58 grain V-Max.

My .222 loads are running the same speed as your Varget .223 loads, with less powder!
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I also run a lot of different powders. I'm not looking for one to be THE powder I'm wondering if it could be A powder that if need for any given reason you could load anything you needed with. I use H4895 in 223 and 308 but it's not as accurate as varget in some loads.
 
Try 25.5 grains of H4895 with a Federal 205 behind a Nosler 55 grain BT or 55 grain V-Max, seated to AR mag length. This load is max. so work up. This load shoots well in every .223 I've tried it in(like 10). Be shure to use the Federal primer, as WW and others don't work as well for some reason. Tweak this load and it will outshoot you.
 
Varget is an excellent all around performer, no doubt. No more versatile than 4064, R15, or 4895 though, IMO. You could probably throw AA2520 in the mix also.

Performing, and performing best, are 2 different things, however........

 
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