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Posted By: j2dogs Anyone using Varget in .223 ? - 05/21/11
Was thinking about shooting it out of my preadator. Have heard some others have used it with success.
What are your favorite loads with this powder and 55 grain blitz's?
Thanks
It is typically used with 80gr bullets. Will be sloooow with 55's, even with a full case.
It's really good with 69 grain bullets too, but it's compressed more than I like.
23.5 gr under a 60 gr v max. Bugholes out of my RRA varmint that I shoot coyotes with.
Varget is one of the more popular powders in the 223. My latest load is 26.8 under a 60gr vmax going 2870 out of a RRA coyote carbine. Groups near the 1/2" mark. My only complaint is that it burns a bit dirty in the AR.
Might be a little slow, but it shoots great! I use 27gr with a 55. Shoots very clean for me.
Max load of Varget and 63 Sierra's gets me 2950 in my 18" .223...
25gr of V under 60vmax

25gr under 68gr bthp hdy

24.2gr under 75 bthp hdy

all shoot sub MOA@100 and out to 300

out of a RRA 16"
I use 24.5 grains under most any bullet in my 223's.
26 to 27.5 with a 50 grain bullet
I've been playing with it a bit in my Ruger #1. I can't get enough of it in the Remington cases without drop-tubing it 30 inches to seat a bullet. I don't mind drop tubing for some calibers but when I'm loading 300+ rounds, it's not going to work for me.

27.0 grains fills Remington cases all the way to the top. If I drop tube, it fills to the bottom of the neck and I can seat a 50 grain V-max which my Ruger prefers. It shoots really well but velocity is only 3300 fps while 28 grains of Win 748 gives me 3500 without drop tubing. I have a 26 inch barrel so the velocities aren't as crazy as they seem. Niether load has any pressure signs at all and both pop right out of the #1.

Just my experience, I like it, just wish I could get more in the case and not drop tube. I think it would do better with heavier bullets by my Ruger has too slow a twist.
Another that has found 26.4 gr. of Varget under a 50 Nosler BT to be a great accurate load.
Varget is my pals favorite .223 powder or it was ...very accurate with 50 grain bullets...
Varget and RL-15 are great powders in a .223 for bullets in the 75 / 77 range with approx 24.0 gr. For the lighter stuff, H-335 will give better results in all of my .223 and .223 AI rifles.
24.0gr Varget with a 75gr Hornady HPBT shoots sub-0.5" @ 100 in my 26" Savage 12FV.

Load is a little compressed, but absolutely no pressure signs that go with the "crunch" you hear seating the bullet.
I tried it and the heavier bullets had to compress it too much for my tastes. I switched to BLC-2 for the heavier bullets, MUCH BETTER. I usually reach for Varget first with most calibers. Not so for the .223.
I also find it a bit too slow for bullets of 55 grains and under. When compressed loads deliver less velocity than other powders, that powder is too slow.
I'm getting 3150 out of a 24" tube with 26grs behind a 50gr VMax. Ultra accurate, but admittedly a little slow. I'm a HUGE Varget fan. Maybe I should look for something a little faster with lighter 223 bullets. Varget just shoots so well in everything else I load.
Like several others that have posted, I've found Varget great for heavier bullets (60+ grains) in the .223, but slow for "standard" bullets in the 40-55 grain range. For those I switch to TAC or Benchmark. Both produce about as much velocity as anything with lighter bullets in the .223, with Benchmark having a slight edge in most rifles.
Posted By: LBP Re: Anyone using Varget in .223 ? - 05/27/11
A little too bulky for me. I prefer H-4895, you might give it a try...
I dearly love Varget but I think H335 is a lot better for when I want to load 1,000 rds.at a time for a prairie dog shoot. Benchmark gives good results without having to compress the powder charge.
I used Varget a lot with 77 gr. Sierra MatchKings in Highpower competition.
I'll second the comments about Varget being slow for 40-55 but peachy for heavier bullets, but with a caveat.
If you have a longer throat, and can seat your 55s out a ways, Varget will work well. However, when I went to a shorter-throated new barrel, I had "packing" issues and the only way I got good groups was by using Mic McPherson's "swirl charge" technique, which is not an option when you are pooping out a couple hundred rounds at a crack. I just prefer pumping and dumping.
So...I use H 4895 instead for 50s and 55s, and Varget for 60 and up in a bolter 223.
I'm running a max charge of Varget behind Barnes 62gr Barnes Tsx's . Its ridiculously accurate out of my Bushmaster predator.
I loaded 500 BHA Match brass for my partner to shoot in his bolt gun. 55gr v-max over 26.5 gr of varget shot so well out of his colt H-Bar, he uses them for match ammo. I would like to find some more of that Black Hills brass.
Allan
Posted By: Cag Re: Anyone using Varget in .223 ? - 06/15/11
I load 26 gr of Varget with a 63 gr Sierra smp. This gave me more accuracy and velocity than Win 748 which is my second choice.
26.5gr Varget and a 52gr A-Max with Fed match primers has done in a lot of prairie dogs for me.
Another with good results under the 60-grain v-max @25.5, also, the 75 A-max @ 24.
Posted By: OSB Re: Anyone using Varget in .223 ? - 06/17/11
Not until I get up to 69 Gr bullets or heavier.
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