Varget & the .223Rem

[TScottW99]

Was wondering what your experience was with Varget and the .223remington? Just got my reloading supplies and only bought one powder, Ramshot Tac and am planning on trying to use some Varget I already had.

Loaded up some 50 grain Nosler BT with the Tac and some 40 grain Nosler BT with Varget. Need a good day to try them out.

I'm shooting this in a 28" heavy barrel Encore with a 1-12" twist.

 

[Posit]

I get 3/8" to 1/2" MOA groups using 25.5 gr of Varget, 55 gr Vmax.

Rifle is 22" barrel 1-9 twist Tikka, so not a direct comparison, but there are Varget loads in every manual (I'm a Varget fan) so I would think you could find one that works.

 

[Hegland]

26.0 grains Varget
50 grain ballistic tip
Winchster brass & primer

About 1/2" at 100 yards and I think could do better with some more refining. Rifle is a 700 Classic with 12" twist.

 

[TScottW99]

How in the world are ya'll fitting that much varget and those bullets :lol:

With 25.5 grains of Varget, Win cases and 40 grain BTs that bugger is quite full :wink:

 

[FOTIS]

Cartridge : .223 Rem.
Bullet : .224, 50, Nosler BalTip 39522
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.260 inch or 57.40 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch or 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon VARGET

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 94 21.60 2645 777 29152 5700 77.8 1.179
-18.0 96 22.14 2714 817 31241 5910 79.4 1.147
-16.0 98 22.68 2783 860 33491 6117 80.9 1.115
-14.0 101 23.22 2852 903 35919 6322 82.4 1.084
-12.0 103 23.76 2922 948 38540 6522 83.9 1.051
-10.0 105 24.30 2993 995 41372 6718 85.3 1.018
-08.0 108 24.84 3065 1043 44437 6909 86.7 0.987
-06.0 110 25.38 3136 1092 47760 7093 88.0 0.956
-04.0 112 25.92 3209 1143 51367 7271 89.3 0.926
-02.0 115 26.46 3282 1196 55290 7440 90.5 0.897 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 117 27.00 3355 1250 59566 7601 91.7 0.870 ! Near Maximum !
+02.0 119 27.54 3429 1305 64233 7752 92.8 0.843 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 122 28.08 3503 1362 69343 7892 93.9 0.817 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0 124 28.62 3578 1421 74953 8021 94.8 0.791 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0 126 29.16 3653 1481 81125 8137 95.7 0.766 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0 129 29.70 3729 1543 87941 8240 96.6 0.742 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 117 27.00 3542 1393 71114 7839 97.2 0.807 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 117 27.00 3126 1085 49130 7059 83.3 0.949

 

[Ol` Joe]

55 gr Nosler BT
25.5 gr Varget
Fed 205m
Win brass

 

[old #7]

I use 23.5 grs of varget with a hornady 53gr fmj/bt in my Bushmaster AR-15.
Works great and the lower velocity load is nice to my reciever.

 

[JungleJim]

I have had very good results with Varget in 223 especially with bullet weights over 50 grains. But for 50 grain Nosler B/T I have found nothing that will beat Benchmark with WSR primers for combine speed and accuracy with 50 grain bullets in my bolt action 223s.

 

[Hegland]

TScott - 26 grains of Varget takes up a lot of the case, especially when the slug is seated to nominal cartridge length. Speer #13 lists 27.5 as the max, but I've only been up to 27.0 as I gained nothing in accuracy and didn't want to compress it any more than necessary.

I will second JungleJim's Benchmark post above. Slightly lighter charge achieves equal or greater accuracy and RPMs. I was really pleased with it on the prairie dog towns last summer.

 

[TScottW99]

I looked at Benchmark but was unsure how tempature sensitive it was. This barrel will be used for predator hunting in winter and whistle pigs in the summer.

 

[FOTIS]

I looked at Benchmark but was unsure how tempature sensitive it was. This barrel will be used for predator hunting in then winter and whistle pigs in the summer.

I will be trying it soon. It rocks for the 223. Phenomenal speed!

 

[Ol` Joe]

I looked at Benchmark but was unsure how tempature sensitive it was. This barrel will be used for predator hunting in then winter and whistle pigs in the summer.

I will be trying it soon. It rocks for the 223. Phenomenal speed!

It`s one of Hodgdons "Extreem" powders. Works great with the 50 gr BT in 223 and meters like water, a very fine grained extruded.

 

[Alaska]

AR-15
223 Rem

My experience Varget and RL 15 seem to work real well with the heavier bullets like 65 SBT and 68 HPBT and the 75 AMAX.....

With RL 10 and Benchmark noticed 50gr and lighter bullets work real well.

2015BR have real good groups with 55gr pills.

Noticed Varget really likes CCI Br4 primers.....also!

 

[Woodycreek]

What powder with a 60 gr BT out of a AR-15 with 22 inch bbl 1-9 twist?

 

[TScottW99]

The Varget worked really well with the 40 grain BTs in my barrel. Right at .5 MOA.