Varget & .243 win.

My Lyman book shows Varget being used as the preferred choice of propellants on some bullet loads. I've talked with guys at the range & it seems the general consensus is about 50 - 50.
50% love it, 50% would go with something else.

Anything I need to know about it before I buy any?

I'm having good results with RL-19, IMR4064, IMR4350 & H-4381-sc. As most of y'all already know, good results are OK.... Great results are better & OCD means I'll never be satisfied with the results.

Last week on the 200yd line, 4 rounds of 55gr Nosler's with 41.7gr of 4064 made the neatest looking cloverleaf. But, I believe in my heart.... Deep in my soul.... I feel implicitly, my .243 can do better.

SO........ Tell me about Varget. Can I live without it or do I need to run out & get a couple cans?

Frank in FLa

Varget is always worth a try and so is Ramshot Hunter.

I've had good luck with it my 243's and 308.Mostly with lighter bullets.I think the burn rate is about the same as 4064,maybe a little faster. As with any other variable in handloading,you never know until you try.

My go to in 243 with 55gr bullets is 45gr of Varget, and when it is not available 45gr of RL15 has the same burn rate, both send those 55 Nosler's down stream at over 4000FPS and are excellent powders,

Tanks Dean

My dad shoots Varget in just about every caliber he has, and loves it

You can definitly live without it.
As to getting the 55 Snozlers to 4,000, it is not a trick; Win 760 can do that for heaven's sake!!

Problem I have with Varget, is it's flame temps. Similar to alot of the Vhit powders, THEY BURN HOT! For the same velocities, Varget heats barrels MUCH quicker.
I used it in my 308: Ran into pressures, and heating issues much faster than with Win 748.
In my 243: Barrel heat with Varget is attrocious! Win 760/H414(same powder) is a better choice. I'm early-on in testing, but for light bullets I'm impressed with CFE 223.

Varget is a GREAT powder, and works very well in a 6BR. The powder is close in burn rate to 4895. The only problem with varget is it will very from lot to lot, so pay attention when buying more. Varget works well in 22/250, 223 rem, 204 Ruger, 22 Br 6 Br, and many other cases. Varget doesn't seam to be as temprature sensitive as other powders. It burns fairly clean. IMO everyone should have 4895, and varget in there powder cabinets.

For a 243, I would recamend Benchmark for lighter bullets, and 4350 for heavier bullets. Those 2 powders I have found work the best in a 243.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jamie

Varget is always worth a try and so is Ramshot Hunter.

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Ditto on Hunter. I use 43.5 gr of it behind an 85 gr TSX (deer/hog hunting load) for my son's 110 in .243 and he gets about .8" groups @ 100 yds.

Varget shoots the best in my 22-250, 243, 308, 30BR, and certain light loads in 30-06. RL15 is a decent substitute but seemed to devolpe preassure signs earlier so lighter charges were required.

In my 243AI, Varget launches 58gr V-Max's over 4k FPS and shoots under 1/2MOA, even after 2,800 rounds (so far).

I love Varget for hunting, I can develope loads in August/September and they are still shooting the same in December and January.

Ya know.... As I read all the info y'all have put up, It suddenly kick another memory section online & I'm reminded of all the different reasons for not wanting to use Varget. Among the most important (to me) was the inconsistancy of different batches.
The 2nd was the hi temp.

OK.... That settles it. No Varget for Frank. I'm concerned too much already that I'm melting the inside of my .243 & 25.06 from the amount of shooting I do.

I guess it always best to go with what ya know.

I've been doing OK with the powders I mentioned & I believe I'll continue to do well with them. I suppose I should start weighing in 100ths of a grain. That'll keep the 'ol OCD working hard.

Thanks to everyone that was good enough to share your input with me. Gotta go. Still, another lightning storm. I gotta beat the cat to a good spot under the bed.

Thanks!
Frank in Fla

Varget is one of Hodgdons' "extreme" powders,meaning they're not effected by ambient temperature as other powders.I think that unless you're firing one round after another of max loads,flame temp. shouldn't be an issue.As long as you let things cool between strings or space out your shots,I don't believe we'll be melting down our barrels.

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Originally Posted by 243LPR

I think that unless you're firing one round after another of max loads,flame temp. shouldn't be an issue.As long as you let things cool between strings or space out your shots,I don't believe we'll be melting down our barrels.

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I have got to agree with 243LRP here. I have run a few different powders, and I can't say that I have ever noticed my barrel getting hotter faster with one than the other. Personally I think caliber choice dictates more on "expected" barrel life than the powder choice, but even then how fast you shoot has a major impact as well.

Can't say that I have ever noticed major differences in lots either. Up until 6 months ago I was buying Varget by the pound (rarely of the same lot), and now by the 8lb. jug, mostly to cut costs. I can not say that I ever noticed any difference in lots, but I ussually run the lower velocity accuracy node, to help brass life and barrel life, so by not running on the edge of maximum any differences may be hidden to me, or maybe I am just lucky so far.

The best powder Ive use with the 55-58g bullets in my .243 is W760 & BLC2.
Ive loaded Varget, but the above shoot smaller groups in my Savage sporter.
I load at 3700-3800 fps in my gun.

"As to getting the 55 Snozlers to 4,000, it is not a trick; Win 760 can do that for heaven's sake!!"

Darkker I get PMs all the time that my loads are to hot and to try to be more sensitive to peoples reloading feelings,
"If the primmer ain't flat you don't have enough power in the case"

Frank, being a "suthurn" boy too, I like the Varget and shoot it exclusively currently. It works with the temperature swings from the Great White North @ 30 below to the Deep South @ 100 Deg.
It gives me very little variation between POI and pressure in the two environments. That is the selling point for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 243LPR

Varget is one of Hodgdons' "extreme" powders,meaning they're not effected by ambient temperature as other powders.I think that unless you're firing one round after another of max loads,flame temp. shouldn't be an issue.As long as you let things cool between strings or space out your shots,I don't believe we'll be melting down our barrels.

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That "Extreme" property is ONLY valid for the cartridge(perhaps family) that it was built for. Varget works well in the 308, but NOT in the 223. Is it a BAD choice for the 223? No, but the praise of insensitivity does not exist in that application.

Yes, if you go slow nothing will ever be an issue.
Using my IR temp gun, Between Varget and 748(in my 308) the 748 heats things up noticeably slower(shooting same MV).
When I get settled on a Rock chuck hive, it is completely normal to shoot round after round. Obviously that doesn't mean that you HAVE to do it. But Personally, If I can get 5 more rounds down range before a required rest, I'm all for it.

darkker i dont under stand why you said varget is not good in 223 it is one of the best powders for the 223 and i have had really good luck out of it with mine

I'd be interested also as I shoot it from 30 below zero and up in both .223 and .243. The .223 and .243 are practically the max published load and has been great in 90F+ this summer and exposed to sun.
Let us know.

Never said it was "not good" in the 223. What I said is the claim of "temperature insensitivity" does not hold water, In the 223 case.

The specific reason that I say it(the temp insensitivity claim) doesn't work in the 223, is due to Dr. Denton Bramwell in a series of testing. He found that indeed it was statistically better than others(don't recall the number of other powders) when used in the 308. He found that it was actually worse than many(again don't recall the number of others tested) in the 223.

Remember that the whole notion of "insensitivity" is relative. In Hodgdon's testing of the "extreme" powders, in the 22-250 test the Extreme powder only beat it's closest competitor by 6 fps!!! The second closest was only 16fps different. That isn't a valid statistical difference. They also fail to give you ANY details about the testing, number of repetitions, etc.

Their claim, while TECHNICALLY correct given what they show; is akin to this claim:
Last year I won the local marathon in record breaking time, Therefore: I Am The Fastest Marathon Runner.

What I said is technically correct. However what is implied in that statement, which contains NO specifics, is that I am the fastest of ALL marathon runners anywhere.

oh ok i gotcha now