Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles best Varget Alternative?

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Alliant Power Pro Varmint is a ball powder.

YES !!!!!

For me, Varget seems happiest pushing 60 grainers and up in 223. 55 it's in the "crunchenticken" zone and depends on how it gets packed in the case and how deep the bullet needs to be seated.

Further, the kernels are pretty big for Varget and it's smart to trickle/tamp your charges, which is a pain I reserve only for special loads. Right now, my mass-charge load is 50 grain Hdy tips (zombie or red) over H4895. But I've done some other loads for friends with TAC and was impressed with how easy it was to work up, such nice flow, such consistent charges and really nice on paper, easy to get clover holes.

TAC to me is what H335 should be.

It's been stated over and over, but Ball Powder wise its TAC, 2520, 748 and similar.

Extruded its spot on RL-15 and the 4064's rates, and those powders will get the closest to Varget.

I really like AR Comp, but it more akin to the 3031's like 8208 and pretty much exchanges with velocities, pressures and powder charges with Benchmark in about everywhere you can find data with both listed for the cartridges.

I find a preference for Benchmark, H322, 3031, AR Comp IMr 4895and 4064 for heavier bullets, along with not often used in 223, but H 380...
BLC2, won't touch H335, W 748, RL 15 and RL 7... 4320 was the closest alternative for varget, But Hodgdon in their stupidity, I mean wisdom decided to eliminate it from the product list...

4320 is/was one of my favorites, it just plain works. I now use Shooters World match and it works great at a great price. But 4320 is up there with me.
Why the hell they would discontinue it is why i hate big companies. Ya we know it didn't sell, but for those of us that liked it FU big H.

In every bolt 223 I have loaded for with a 69 SMK, VV 133 was the most accurate. Loaded towards the max side with 450's.

I have kilt a train car load with good ole win748

Never have understood everybody's love for Varget. Never has been a top performer in any rifle I've tried. Always found something else that gives better accuracy.

I’ve never found it to be exceptional in anything. But the number of cartridges it’s good in can’t be refuted.

Just reading and Article on Reloader 15.5....

its new, but on testing by accurate shooter web site, it looks like everything you'd want in Varget, while being better at doing it...

8208XBR is probably the best .223 powder for anything in the 68 gr range and up. It isn't the best at metering like a ball powder, but it meters VERY good compared to Varget and RL15. I get around .1 gr variance on my Hornady LNL AP thrower. The node I worked to is about .3-.4 gr wide so it works quite well. In my AR, I'm getting more speed with 8208XBR than Varget, and I also get better temperature stability than BL(C)-2, TAC, or H335.

I have to disagree, IMR8208XBR is really quite a bit faster burning than Varget, I use them both but don't find 8208 as an alternative. the closest I have found is VihtaVuori N140. In most cases it might even work better than Varget, and right now is much easier to find and the price is not that outrageous.

I will agree with you on BL(C)2 and H335 and add H380 to be the biggest dog turds in the temp stability department

It probably is. For me, RL15 worked better than Varget. As did AR Comp. I'm wondering how similar the new RL15.5 is to AR Comp? Since that powder is unobtanium..... I also agree with AU338MAG in that I don't understand the love for Varget. It's highly overrated as far as I'm concerned.

I missed the news on this new Re15.5 stuff. I musta been busy talking when I shoulda been listening. Might work really well in the Whelen and 6mm AR. And *who knows* what else.

Varget overrated for the 55 grain range? Guess I missed that memo.

I would not necessarily consider PP Varmint a Varget alternative, but it does pretty well with 50 and 55 grain.

I have had very good luck with Ramshot X-terminator.

Yup, overrated for sure. When Vargay first came out in 96 it was pretty good stuff, changed over the years had only mediocre results since about 04. Definitely not the cats meow in 223 for 45-55 grain range, LT32 beats it hands down in velocity and accuracy. About the only good thing about Vargay is that it works, not the best by any means in just about anything. When your low on the best and want to shoot grab the Vargay.

24 grains LT32, GMM primer, Norma brass, 52 Sierra, 10 consecutive shots velocity 3450, ES 28 SD 10

Actually Varget came out in 1995 and I bought in big time, nobody had 8# jugs so I bought several cases of one pounders all from the same lot. I ran out a few years ago and found out the new Varget is not the same powder at all. Varget's downfall is when they changed the formula to "EXTREME". It might have worked well with some of Hodgdon's powder's but not with Varget.

I have never tried LT32 in my 223's since it is quite a bit faster burn rate, but have a bunch of it so I will give it a try