Last week I was shooting some rounds I reloaded. Cal .223, Savage bolt, 69g Nosler HPBT and 25.5g of Varget. I had shot these in the past and they were exceptionally accurate. 100 yards, 5 shots all within a half inch (a real half inch, not a THR half inch!
).
After a few shots, all grouping extremly well, I had a case split - totally split in half. Took the rifle home and worked out the top half very easily with a little oil and a jag. I looked at the primers on the previous rounds, and they were all cratered. Previous lots of Varget didn't show this condition.
I put the unfired rounds aside (I'll unload them later), checked my scale - a beam scale - dead on, and proceeded to load 10 rounds with 24.5 of Varget under a 69g Nosler HPBT. Took em' to the range and they still group amazingly well, and the primers looked normal.
I read somewhere that the latest lots of Varget were running slightly hotter than previous lots. My experience would certinly confirm this, although I find it hard to believe there's that much variation at the factory. I know my loads were ok because I did pull several bullets and the powder was right at 25.5, so I have to believe the scale and my technique were both ok.
Any ideas? I'm not going to fire any more "hot" ones so a chrony is out of the question. I'm satisfied with 24.5 and the one ragged hole experience I'm having, but I'm just curious as to what could have happened.
What say yee?
). After a few shots, all grouping extremly well, I had a case split - totally split in half. Took the rifle home and worked out the top half very easily with a little oil and a jag. I looked at the primers on the previous rounds, and they were all cratered. Previous lots of Varget didn't show this condition.
I put the unfired rounds aside (I'll unload them later), checked my scale - a beam scale - dead on, and proceeded to load 10 rounds with 24.5 of Varget under a 69g Nosler HPBT. Took em' to the range and they still group amazingly well, and the primers looked normal.
I read somewhere that the latest lots of Varget were running slightly hotter than previous lots. My experience would certinly confirm this, although I find it hard to believe there's that much variation at the factory. I know my loads were ok because I did pull several bullets and the powder was right at 25.5, so I have to believe the scale and my technique were both ok.
Any ideas? I'm not going to fire any more "hot" ones so a chrony is out of the question. I'm satisfied with 24.5 and the one ragged hole experience I'm having, but I'm just curious as to what could have happened.
What say yee?
