Is anyone using this powder? Looking for a little info. Just picked up a pound yesterday. I have looked at the Alliant website, but it offers very little info, only one load for 223. Hoping someone else has done some testing so I don't have to start from ground zero.
Alliant Varmit Pro Powder
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Lj1941
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Alliant
Go to the Alliant website and you will find a link to ask them questions about a product.I have used this several times and once for a cartridge for which they had no data and they were very responsive.Give them a try. They are selling the product so someone must have loading data.
http://www.alliantpowder.com/questions/default.aspx
Go to the Alliant website and you will find a link to ask them questions about a product.I have used this several times and once for a cartridge for which they had no data and they were very responsive.Give them a try. They are selling the product so someone must have loading data.
http://www.alliantpowder.com/questions/default.aspx
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beatledog7
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I've loaded a few .223 with this. I hand weighed each load so can't comment on how it meters, and haven't been to the rifle range in a while so can't comment on how it shoots.
I used this data:
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/powderlist.aspx?type=1&powderid=30&cartridge=46
The link notes the following max for a 52-gr HPBT:
.223 Remington: Sierra 52 gr HPBT, OAL 2.25", Fed 205M primers, 25.8 grains of Power Pro Varmint, for a velocity of 3,358 FPS from a 24" barrel.
The Alliant site doesn't list starting charges, so I loaded these for Hornady #2249 BTHP 52 gr, OAL 2.233":
PP Varmint 23.2 gr, 23.7 gr, 24.2 gr, 24.7 gr.
The lower end may prove a little underpowered, but at 90% of max they won't have any chance of squibbing. Best accuracy in my Savage 25 usually winds up being about 5-7% under max. If that holds, one of the upper two charges will win the day, and I'll fine tune from there.
I used this data:
http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/powderlist.aspx?type=1&powderid=30&cartridge=46
The link notes the following max for a 52-gr HPBT:
.223 Remington: Sierra 52 gr HPBT, OAL 2.25", Fed 205M primers, 25.8 grains of Power Pro Varmint, for a velocity of 3,358 FPS from a 24" barrel.
The Alliant site doesn't list starting charges, so I loaded these for Hornady #2249 BTHP 52 gr, OAL 2.233":
PP Varmint 23.2 gr, 23.7 gr, 24.2 gr, 24.7 gr.
The lower end may prove a little underpowered, but at 90% of max they won't have any chance of squibbing. Best accuracy in my Savage 25 usually winds up being about 5-7% under max. If that holds, one of the upper two charges will win the day, and I'll fine tune from there.
On the website go to Pro Varmint powder under "Products" and pick "all recipes". there it will give you the max loads for the bullets listed. I like it and can put em in a dime at 100 off of sand bags. Gonna have to take the rests out and see how good it really shoots. I am shooting the 55 grain Z/V max in an old Savage. 24.4 grains at 2.3" OAL worked best for me. It is a ball powder that metered very well for me out of an old Hollywood and RCBS powder measure.
The new Hornady manual has lots of data. I just finished chronographing some 223 in 55 grain full metal and 62 grain full metal through a Colt Car 16" barrel. I got some confusing results.
I dropped 23.5 grains of Varmit Pro (VP) under the 62 grain fmj's using Lake City brass. One shot recorded 2925 FPS with no signs of high pressure. I was happy. I went to the 55 grain Hornady fmj's using GFL brass dropping 25 grains of VP and recorded 2724 and 2756 with signs of excessive pressure at the primer. Dropped the charge to 23.8 and recorded 2555 fps still showing high pressure signs. Hornady's max load with the VP and 55 grainer using 223 data is 26.8. There is about a grains worth of difference between the GFL brass and the LC brass after sizing and trimming to 1.750.
First thing some will do is question my loading experience. That would be 40 years with the majority of that using Dillion 1050 and 650 presses along with a variety of other presses.
So this powder has me a little confused.
I dropped 23.5 grains of Varmit Pro (VP) under the 62 grain fmj's using Lake City brass. One shot recorded 2925 FPS with no signs of high pressure. I was happy. I went to the 55 grain Hornady fmj's using GFL brass dropping 25 grains of VP and recorded 2724 and 2756 with signs of excessive pressure at the primer. Dropped the charge to 23.8 and recorded 2555 fps still showing high pressure signs. Hornady's max load with the VP and 55 grainer using 223 data is 26.8. There is about a grains worth of difference between the GFL brass and the LC brass after sizing and trimming to 1.750.
First thing some will do is question my loading experience. That would be 40 years with the majority of that using Dillion 1050 and 650 presses along with a variety of other presses.
So this powder has me a little confused.
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