Varget in .223

westerner

westerner

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i was wanting to use hodgdon varget powder in my .223 but when you put it in the case it doesn't look like enough room for the bullet.

i am wanting to load 60 gr bullets and up. any suggestions. can i use this powder. the load iam wanting to try is 75 GR. Hornady match bullets Hodgdon Varget 22.5- 25.0 gr and 60 GR. Hornady V-MAX Hodgdon Varget 25.0- 27.0 gr.
can i use varget powder can you pack the powder down when you put the bulet in iam putting them out as long as i can 2.260"
 
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How much powder are you using? 25 gr of Varget fits in no problem with 69g SMK's and squashed down short enough to fit an ar-15 magazine.
 
load

i am wanting to load 60 gr bullets and up. any suggestions. can i use this powder. the load iam wanting to try is 75 GR. Hornady match bullets Hodgdon Varget 22.5- 25.0 gr and 60 GR. Hornady V-MAX Hodgdon Varget 25.0- 27.0 gr.
 
I'm using 25 gr of Varget with 75 gr Hornady A-Max in my .223 its a compressed load and shoots amazing. I also use Varget in my .308 and it is also a compressed load. Like others have said with Varget a compressed load is the norm. But you should still start with a lower powder charge and work your way up every gun is different.
 
My nominal load is 26gr behind 69gr SMK's. Have had loads up to 27.x in my LRPV with no ill effects but I did work up to it slowly.

60's may allow slightly more.
 
+1 for Varget being known for compressed loads. 45gn in my .308 loadings with 165 Sierra GameKings took 3 nice deer this year and punch well-under MOA in my Savage 10FCP HS Precision.

I haven't tried it in .223 but there's already lots of good advice from those "in the know" above. All I know is I sure like Varget in my .308. 45gn was so nice I tried all the way up to 46gn but didn't notice any significant velocity or accuracy boost - and started getting a bit of extractor marking on the headstamp, so backed off to 45gn and it's a hummdinger of a load that doesn't misbehave. Definitely compressed though - as mentioned, the "crunch" tells you it's working... lol!

-M
 
westerner said:
i was wanting to use hodgdon varget powder in my .223 but when you put it in the case it doesn't look like enough room for the bullet.

i am wanting to load 60 gr bullets and up. any suggestions. can i use this powder. the load iam wanting to try is 75 GR. Hornady match bullets Hodgdon Varget 22.5- 25.0 gr and 60 GR. Hornady V-MAX Hodgdon Varget 25.0- 27.0 gr.
can i use varget powder can you pack the powder down when you put the bulet in iam putting them out as long as i can 2.260"
Click to expand...

Just curious what gun your using?
I'm loading 68gn Horns to 2.285", the rifle will take 2.3" OAL but they won't cycle thru the mag of my Tikka.
My load of 26gn of Varget is just (if any) slightly compressed.
 
powder

what would you guys say is better h335 or varget. i was using h335 but i thought i could stick with one powder if i went with varget.
 
I'm not sure about H335, but Varget is one of their 'extreme' powders that isn't very temperature sensitive.
 
westerner said:
my 223 is a tika t3 with 1-8" twist.
Click to expand...

What bullet weight do you wish to load for? Mostly 69 and 70gr, Varget sounds like a very good choice. Light weights in the 50, 55, 322 is popular , 335, 748, really a long list of good powders that might work very well in your rifle.

I'm working with a 55gr Ballistic tip load with 24gr of Win 748 in my CZ varmint Kevlar, a 1-9 twist rifle, getting some sweet groups at 100 yards. FS
 
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