Big variation in Varget burning rate!

W

Why not?

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Just got a new one-pound bottle of Varget.

Using the same load, in the same rifle as from a previous bottle, the rifle had noticeably more recoil, and it really flattened primers in my 308. One of them was heavily smoked around the perimeter.

Stopped shooting and went back to the bench. Ended up reducing the load four grains to get same velocity! :eek:

I had read there were some issues in this regard with Varget, but had no idea it was approaching 10% difference!

Bullet was 150 gr CT Nosler partition.

Ted
 
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There was a bad batch of Varget a few years ago that was slower than it should have been. I had some and Hogden replaced it for free. You might have had some of that slower stuff before.
 
Varget has always had problems with different lot numbers, if you get a good load with Varget try and buy a quantity of the same lot number.
 
Varget still has quite a bit of variation, but not that much. Something sounds drastically wrong. You should get a hold of Hodgdon on this one.

Can you provide your load specifics and the two charge weights?
 
I noticed this variation early on with Varget, and only use it sparingly since there are other, more consistent powders that cover that burning rate area.
Eagleye.
 
Eagleye said:
I noticed this variation early on with Varget, and only use it sparingly since there are other, more consistent powders that cover that burning rate area.
Eagleye.
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Such as? I am stocking up powder for my M14's and I am not hearing much good about Varget. Too bad I already have a bunch.
 
Were you using the same brass (and seating depth)? Possibly less case capacity as covariance?

2x on powder recommendation Eagleye. Have Benchmark, 4895, and Varget lined up for experimentation comments appreciated (PM if hijack).
 
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All powders will vary in relative burn rate from lot to lot.
If your on the cusp of a top end load, suprise suprise...

All the more reason to buy in bulk.
 
B said:
Such as? I am stocking up powder for my M14's and I am not hearing much good about Varget. Too bad I already have a bunch.
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Your best bet for the M-14 is a powder similar to 4895, 4064, 748 etc. IMHO, Varget is on the slow side, could cause op-rod damage, and should be reserved for your bolt guns, or perhaps traded for an equal amount of faster powder.

An option you might consider is to acquire a batch of surplus 7.62X51 military ammo, pull the FMJ's and dump the powder, then work up a suitable load with your choice of quality bullet using the original components except the bullet.

I used this Mexican Match from time to time in both 7.62 and in .30/06 and have observed good over all results . If you get a batch of ammo that has a sealant in the case neck, it can be cleaned up in a satisfactory manner with a .30 caliber bore brush. I tried using solvents to get rid of it, but found that primers failed, even though I was being careful not to allow any into the base of the cartridge. The last batch of surplus ammo I got several years ago was mixed with both ball and extruded powder.

Weighing the powder charges and the bullet weights gave me an idea of the powder burn rate and which data to use, and I worked up some surprisingly accurate ammo. With 200 gr MK's from my bolt gun, I shot MOA at well over 1000 yards, actually a little less than MOA as all the rounds hit a target printed out on a 8.5"X11" piece of paper.
 
I don't quite track why individuals are slagging Varget. V is a great powder (one of my favorites from Hodgon) and very consistent. It is expected that you will have variations lot to lot - hence why every reloading manual tells you to reduce loads by 10% when changing ANY component. It also is why you should be buying a lot of any one component to reduce the pain if you come across a different lot (as mentioned by some of the earlier posters).
 
Boomer said:
Your best bet for the M-14 is a powder similar to 4895, 4064, 748 etc. IMHO, Varget is on the slow side, could cause op-rod damage, and should be reserved for your bolt guns, or perhaps traded for an equal amount of faster powder.
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I am not sure about that. Varget falls right in the middle of 4895 and 4064 on the burn rate charts I have.
 
All powders from all brands CAN vary from lot to lot. Always start low and work up with ANY component change. Bullets, primers and cases change too.

B, do not use Varget for your M14's. WAY too much gas volume and port pressure.

My testing found Benchmark to be the best overall for accuracy and functioning.

Lots of other 308 bolt rifle shooters will happily take your Varget as it is in short supply.

Jerry
 
I use Reloder 15, Ramshot TAC, Vihtavuori N135, 540 & 140, H4895 & Benchmark, W748 instead of Varget. In all fairness, I am not feeding any semi-autos, so I have more leeway in my choices. Last time I bought Varget, I bought 4 lbs, and if someone is suffering, I would pass it on or trade it for something else. Regards, Eagleye.
 
I've been looking at various loads for my 7mm-08 with a 140gr Accubond.
Read lots of good stuff about Varget and was planning on using it to start developing loads.
 
Mad_Mikee said:
I've been looking at various loads for my 7mm-08 with a 140gr Accubond.
Read lots of good stuff about Varget and was planning on using it to start developing loads.
Click to expand...

I have been using Varget in my .308 and .223 target rifles since it hit the market in Canada. I usually buy it by the 8 lbs jug and have never see any huge differences in pressure or accuracy. Elevation setting have never been out by more that 1/2 moa out to 1000 yards.
 
maynard said:
I have been using Varget in my .308 and .223 target rifles since it hit the market in Canada. I usually buy it by the 8 lbs jug and have never see any huge differences in pressure or accuracy. Elevation setting have never been out by more that 1/2 moa out to 1000 yards.
Click to expand...

My experience with Varget has been nothing but positive.
 
kombayotch said:
Varget still has quite a bit of variation, but not that much. Something sounds drastically wrong. You should get a hold of Hodgdon on this one.

Can you provide your load specifics and the two charge weights?
Click to expand...

150 gr CT partition
WLR primers
DA 66 brass

first bottle: 45 gr = 2800 fps

second bottle: 41 gr = 2800 fps
 
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