Varget for .243

[biblefreak]

I am looking to start my .243 reloading very soon, probably start with Hornady 87gr V-max and Hornady 105gr A-max as they both seem to have a reputation for accuracy. I have found Varget locally for $25 a pound. I have heard alot of good things about Varget, but searching through the many previous threads it seems that most folks reloading .243 are using everything else. Is it just not that good of a powder in .243 that it does not have the following of say H4350? Looking at my manuals it seems Varget should be good from 55gr bullets all the way up to 107gr bullets. Plus the many folks saying how good it is in other calibers from smaller .223 and 22-250 up to 30.06 has me thinking it should do well. What is the consensus of everybody here with actual experience?

 

[tango2echo]

I shoot alot of H 414 in the .243, and quite a bit of Varget as well. For me, the 95gr Hornaday SST shoots as well as some match bullets.

t2e

 

[counterclockwise]

I use it for the 87 V-Max. At 34 gn varget, 2.66 COAL, 2.04 trim, 22" bbl, I get 2810 FPS. This is a start load.

 

[Arnett]

I use it in .243 with bullets from 58-100 grains with excellent accuracy.

Danny

 

[biblefreak]

What kind of accuracy are you guys seeing, and what rifle/twist rate?

 

[Galil5.56]

My particular custom 1:10 varmint rifle seems to like H414 and H4350 the best using 75 grain Sierra bullets driven to max velocities. H414 gets CCI mag primers, and both propellants will produce sub .25" groups at 100 yards.

Rifle will also shoot 55/80/85 grain bullets very well too with the same propellants. Never did get as accurate of ammo with IMR 4064, which is similar in burning rate/pressure curve, or other "faster" propellants... Seems my rifle likes it slower, higher load densities, and max velocities for best accuracy.

 

[biblefreak]

Thanks for the replies. Looking at burn rate charts it looks like 4350 is a bit slower than Varget, so I would have to assume better bbl/throat life at max velocities. Is this correct? 4831 and Reloader22 are even slower which begs the question, does a slower powder usually equal a more accurate load in the .243?

 

[Ky Larry]

I've been loading IMR-4007SSC with a 55gr Sierra bullet in my .243 Savage. Can't seem to find a powder it likes as well as IMR-4350. I've tried Varget, Imr-4064, IMR-4320, and AA-2700 and I keep going back to IMR- and AA-4350.

 

[GW Staar]

With today's scarcity of primers, bullets, and powder, you may be limited in what powder you find. therefore I'll give you another possibility. Win 760.

In my experience with IMR 4350 and Win 760, it was the Winchester powder that gave me my most accurate .243 loads in my Remington 600. Neck sized brass, and straight-line hand seater gave me 1/2" benchrest 5-shot groups at 100 yards. In fact one group was one neat hole except for one just slightly off. (that still made it within a 1/2") I was bench loading and testing using an old Target Lee Loader.....and I'm sure I didn't miss.