Varget: Whats all the hype about? :-(

klink1983

klink1983

CGN Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
Location
Ontario Soviet Socialist Republic
So today I shot my second batch of varget loads with the dream to find the right recipe. (308, 168gr Hornady Match, F-C brass, 2.834-2.839OAL - Remington 700 AACSD) For the second outing in a row, I get slightly inconclusive results. My best luck was with 44gr and 44.1gr of powder. I was hoping to find something with a bit less powder for less wear and tear on the rifle.

Since I've been shooting reloads (about 150 rounds) and since I have been reloading my own I have been most impressed with H4895. I always had the impression that Varget was pretty well the best there is outside of the stuff that Lapua markets and Norma powder.

Anyone else have less than satisfactory results with Varget? :(
 
klink1983 said:
So today I shot my second batch of varget loads with the dream to find the right recipe. (308, 168gr Hornady Match, F-C brass, 2.834-2.839OAL - Remington 700 AACSD) For the second outing in a row, I get slightly inconclusive results. My best luck was with 44gr and 44.1gr of powder. I was hoping to find something with a bit less powder for less wear and tear on the rifle.

Since I've been shooting reloads (about 150 rounds) and since I have been reloading my own I have been most impressed with H4895. I always had the impression that Varget was pretty well the best there is outside of the stuff that Lapua markets and Norma powder.

Anyone else have less than satisfactory results with Varget? :(
Click to expand...

My M1A and one Enfield don't like it partiularily much, but my other enfield and .223 love it.

Don't forget, every gun likes a powder, and dislikes others.

H4895 is one of my favorites as well.

H322 produces OUTSTANDING results in all my rifles.

I think a lot of the Varget hype is its versatility. There is SOOOO much data out there for a very wide range of cartridges that if you have it, chances are you can load for pretty much anything. I stockpile it because if I will always have powder for all my rifles.

Alec
 
Varget works for a lot of people in a variety of rifles including varmint rifles and the 308.
Each rifle will have its own "sweet spot" or velocity where the harmonics of the barrel are perfectly tuned to the velocity of the bullet. You might find it with Varget or perhaps another powder will do it for you.
I generally shoot many hundreds of rounds in ladder tests with different seating depths before I wash out a powder.
 
In my Hornady reloading manual 9th edition, under 308 WIN, Varget is listed as "Providing the best results throughout the range of bullets", alongside IMR 4064. I opted for Varget because of this and other articles I read on the Web for this specific caliber which suggested Varget.
 
I like varget because in 223, 308 or 30-30 its idiot proof. You'd need to compress the powder many many times before overcharging. I know it probably sounds dumb but my girlfriend helps me load
 
I spent many hundreds of rounds in ladder testing Varget over two seasons with 6BR and 6.5x47 as it was supposedly one of the main 'go to' powders for these rounds. I found it to be OK with respect to ES and sD. Gave up and went with VV N140 and VV N150 while searching for max accuracy. Never looked back.
 
While not optimum for all cartridges and all rifles it is very versatile and good for temperature stability. Thats what does it for me! Mind you I am of the group that if you need to hot rod your current chambering you should have bought a more powerful chambering!
 
If you've observed better results with H-4895 than with Varget, the math would seem simple enough. As for Varget attributes, it meters nicely for an extruded powder, and some folks have had good luck with it in their rifles. I used to load it in my .243, but have since moved on. A pal of mine swears by it in his .308 under 175 gr Bergers
 
I haven't had the best of luck with Varget either, it usually does well, but it seems there is always a powder that does better in any rifle I have tried it with. It is quite versatile, but I am not the type that needs or wants a one powder fits all.

I tried to trade some off, even tried to give some away, no one local wanted it!! Lol
 
Cleftwynd said:
I haven't had the best of luck with Varget either, it usually does well, but it seems there is always a powder that does better in any rifle I have tried it with. It is quite versatile, but I am not the type that needs or wants a one powder fits all.

I tried to trade some off, even tried to give some away, no one local wanted it!! Lol
Click to expand...

I'll buy it :D.

Alec
 
OKTREE, I saw your note that ES and SD were better with other powders. In most firearms applications, either velocity or the predictability and proximity of the bullet impact one to the other is what is important, not some theoretical statistical analysis of measurements of either.

While it might seem reasonable to infer that ES would predict consistency of POI, targets do not bear this out. And, SD, when listed beside group size, demonstrably has no predictive quality.

Repeatable groups in comparable conditions. The ONLY measure of a particular rifle or load.
 
Had great results with varget in my 308. The recent scarcity of it has me experimenting with other powders though.

Edit: I've had recent success with Accurate 2520, so if better perfoming powders come along, I'm all for it. ;) ( so where's that 140 hiding at??)
 
Last edited:
skip1600 said:
I like varget because in 223, 308 or 30-30 its idiot proof. You'd need to compress the powder many many times before overcharging. I know it probably sounds dumb but my girlfriend helps me load
Click to expand...

Best. Reason. Ever. Period. Exclamation Point. Har!

Lately I've been having great success in my 6.5 Creedmoor with Big Game (loves it with Berger 140grn), and TAC and Exterminator works great in my 6.8,.223 and .308. Mostly because I walked into NorthPro Sports and they were just putting out from a shipment and so I bought it all, 6 pds of each..... But I'm very impressed with the easy metering, good performance and versatility. Currently you work with what you can find, if I found a big lot or 8lb Varget, I'd be using that....
 
I tried vhirtouvi N-135 and that is similar to the granulars of varget but its a faster burn. In my 700 sps tac 20in 308, 37gr under a 168 smk all seated at 2.800 OAL or if I remember right 2.234 from the ogive (Id have to recheck my data), will put 5 on a dime. I tried several combos with varget and they did give me moa or just under with different seat depths but nothing close to what the N-135 produced. I used anywhere from 40-45 gr varget in most of my loads only goin up to 46 to find it I spiking my pressures.
 
ykkid said:
OKTREE, I saw your note that ES and SD were better with other powders. In most firearms applications, either velocity or the predictability and proximity of the bullet impact one to the other is what is important, not some theoretical statistical analysis of measurements of either.

While it might seem reasonable to infer that ES would predict consistency of POI, targets do not bear this out. And, SD, when listed beside group size, demonstrably has no predictive quality.

Repeatable groups in comparable conditions. The ONLY measure of a particular rifle or load.
Click to expand...

What you write is true in many (in fact probably most) circumstances of rifle shooting - including some extremely demanding super-accurate competition cases too (for example, 100 yard and 200 yard benchrest).

For long range rifle shooting (e.g. a .223 or .308 at 1000 yards), a load with poor velocity consistency (i.e. a large-ish SD or ES) WILL NOT be able to deliver good accuracy. This is because the slower bullets take longer to get to the target (and therefore hit a bit lower than average) and the faster bullets get there a bit sooner (and therefore hit a bit higher than average).

For short and mid range shooter (in this context, 300 yards/metres and 500/600 yards/metres), you can get very, very good accuracy on the target with ammo whose SD and ES is middling at best ('very good accuracy' as in, 'good enough to win a national championship'!). But not at long range - a middling SD/ES is going to give you middling (at best) accuracy on the target at 1000 yards.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom