Varget failing to ignite at -7C?

Bishopus

Bishopus

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So I'm out today with my model seven in .243, and first I shoot 25 rounds loaded with IMR4831. No problem, this is a load I've used before, rifle likes it, everything's happy.

I'm outside for two hours, it's around -7, some wind, and when I switch to the next load, a lighter bullet on top of a load of Varget, I get one good bang, and then the second round goes 'Foop!'

That didn't sound right...

Check the scope--yep a bullet came out, and hit the target. Check the bore, and there's tons of unburned powder, a whole line of it running the length of the barrel. I blow the powder out, check functioning, check the bore again, and then fire again.

Bang!No problem, then...
Foop!

Same drill. I end up in my truck running the heater to thaw out the remaining rounds, and then tucking them into my shirt pockets so they'll stay toasty. Using this crazy method, and loading them into the rifle singly, I'm able to fire off the rest of the batch.

So... WTF? This was Varget ###treme, the most temperature insensitive powder in the land, right?. I was using WinLR primers for both loads, and as I mentioned the IMR4831 rounds went off without a hitch.

Anybody else have this experience with Varget and cold weather? With any powders? Am I under a gypsy curse of some kind?
 
Did you runn afoul of some old hag??!!:confused:
I have NEVER seen that bbefore, except with an underloaded round, and I load a zillion pounds of the stuff every year!
Cat
 
I've also used Varget in the last week - about 60 shots in 22 250, 243 and 270 - I had two misfires, but it was not a powder problem - I checked the primers and they had failed to pop. Yours worked, so maybe it was a matter of damp powder - maybe reloading cases fresh in out of the cold? Keep us posted on what you find please.
 
I've shot Varget exclusively for my .308 match loads in all conditions, hot summer days to cold winter days. Never had any problems at all. To top it off, I experience almost zero change in velocity over the chrony from +35 to -40. The best powder out there I think.
 
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Me too zero problems with Varget in either my 22-250, or the 25'06(75gr.) hot, cold, wet, dry, they all went bang and all the bullets went where they were supposed to.
 
Varget is a temperate none sensitive powder.
You should not have a problem with that powder or any powder in good condition. Maybe, it was a bad primer????
 
I would check your primers. Case lube from the case, or your fingers when handling the primers could be the cause.
Varget was the flagship of the new Extreme powders from Hogdon. It was the first one that was supposedly not affected by temp change to a significant degree. Thats why I switched to it from IMR 3031 in my 7MM08 Rem. Shooting coyotes at -40 and Prairie dog at +40 with the same load now. No pressure problems...
 
What load were you using. If it was a minimum charge it is possible that the round did not produce enough pressure to ignite all the powder in the case. (Smokeless powder need a fair bit of pressure to burn cleanly)

And contrary to Hodgdon's advertising hype all powders - even the Extreme line - will show some temperature variation. The Extreme powders as a rule are pretty good but there is some noticeable difference when working near the top or bottom of any given load.
 
Thanks guys, as luck would have it the weather shifted, and it's now 4 above 0... have to wait to test again...

To hit some of the points/questions:

Case lube: nope, these rounds were neck sized, no case lube within a yard of the loading area

Varget: yes, I know it's teh heroic temperature-insensitive powder. I know! But I've got this barrel full of unburned chunks of it...

Pressure: not a max load, but not unusually light either--and remember I've shot this exact load before in warmer conditions, with no problems. I load 39.7 of Varget with a 65 grain V-max, COL 2.73. Velocity is in the 3575 range according to the manual, I haven't chrony'd it yet.

Primers: it just has to be the primers, BUT I had just finished shooting 50 rounds through the rifle, all loaded with the exact same primers, same make and batch (Win LR), different powder, zero failures. It's possible that there's a small part of this one batch of primers that went wrong, but... really? I'm thinking gypsy curse is still more likely.

I liked the condensation theory too, would water condensing on the inside of the case (say, if the round got cold then hot then cold again...) have an effect like this?
 
I've had problems with WLR primers in the past, ended up tossing about 800 of them becuase I COULDN'T TRUST THEM TO IGNITE!:runaway:
I no longer use them unless I find some and fool with them at the range , I won't load them for annybody else, especially if they are going to hunt with them.
Cat
 
Coooolddd....

I'm not very sure about Varget being the culprit.
I would have a serious look at the firing pin and search for some stiff grease being displaced inside the firing pin housing and somehow, dampening the firing pin blow on the second shot.
I would treat the bolt with brake cleaner and some hot air from a paint stripper blower. Followed by a good blowing with compressed air.
PP.:)
 
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