Varget .223 - your experience needed!

[toecutter]

I've been loading varget for a while after being recommended it for my .308. I now buy it in the large 8lb'ers regularly. I often do 45gr of varget behind a sierra palma 155 bullet and have shot 5-hole clovers at 200 yards.

I also load it in .223 for my autoloaders. It works very well in my M4gery usually shooting 1-3" at 100yds off the bench. But I usually use this load for mucking about making a mess of steel plates. I think offhand rapid fire groups are 5-10" at 100yds.

The thing I like about varget is that at 25gr it does a good job of filling up the case, and I really don't fear an overcharge in it. I have also found it to be cleaner burning than H335. My normal load is 25gr behind a 62gr SS109 bullet.

 

[redneck2]

Why did you quit shooting so soon?
I am a target shooter and have to make 20 shots in a row count.

This is my hunting load. I don't typically get 20 shots at one groundhog or coyote Besides, I was using too little of the target. Continuing to poke bullets thru the same little hole wouldn't mean much to me.

I felt I was getting cheated and not getting my money's worth. Paid for the whole target, might as well use it all. Gotta get a different gun to do that.

AS a note, Varget sometimes tends to bridge. Watch your charges.

 

[MikeWSC]

MikeWSC

tikkat3,

Your 1 in 8 twist is probably going to shoot better with heaver bullets.
The club I belong to has comp. matches out to 600 yards, most of the
guys are using 75 g. Hornadys with the fast twist barrels.
9 twist barrels will shoot a 53 - 69 grain bullet and 12 twist barrels will go
down to 40 g.

My 1:12 AR-15 and Win Mod. 70 handle 50 and 52 grain bullets extremelly
well and my Rem 700 in .221 Fireball really holds tight groups with 40 g
V-Max.

 

[wanderinwalker]

The fast twist .223s will shoot OK with lighter bullets too. My own 1-7 twist AR shoots great at 100 yards with 52gr HPBTs. Another shooter's fast twist long range .223 likes the same bullet, out to 300 yards. (And he's ready to chuck the barrel into the scrap heap because it WON'T shoot well with heavy bullets.)

The simplest solution to getting the light bullets to work may be just switching powders if possible.

 

[bouis]

I like the way Varget shoots okay, but it's extremely messy to reload. It ends up everywhere and the sticks are big enough to interfere with the machine.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I can hardly get a full load of Varget in LC brass without compressing the hell out of it. Thats why I prefer H-335. Easier to use on my progressive for bulk .223 range ammo.

 

[tikkat3]

I can get 27.5gr Varget into Lapua match brass with just the lightest touch of compression. The standard previously-factory loaded Lapua brass need serious compression (powder full to overflowing) to get the same amount in. H335 is a better powder so far in the rifle. Judging by the trajectory, Varget shifts the bullet out at a far greater pace (I do not yet have a chronograph).

I have come to the conclusison that Varget in my setup is not the best. I am not able to try suitable heavier loads as the bullets are not easily available in my area of the UK (strict laws prevent easy internet/mail order purchasing). Also my T3 magazine will not allow loner.heavier bullets to be loaded without much of their length being shoved down the case!

I am going to have to stick to H335 (when the next batch comes in) :banghead: or try something like N133.

 

[slickshot]

VARGET

Have several rifles from 1-7 to 1-14 twist---varget only shoots well in the faster twist with the heavier bullets, 60 gr and up. In my experience when you have fliers it is a sign of the wrong powder and or seating depth. I would suggest, as indicated by the other posts, that in your case the powder is the issue. However it might be worth your time to experiment with seating depth, maybe not so close to the lands. Some rifles like the bullets seated a little deeper than others, you may have one. Make sure when you begin to change settings that you keep good records of the changes and do not make more than one change at a time.
Good luck
Merry Christmas!

 

[taliv]

doesn't sierra still list varget as their accuracy load?

i use it for high power 69-80g

 

[cherryriver]

Just have to throw this in-
I got some Varget to try for my .223 but noticed a listing for .303 British.
After a couple of hundred rounds with a 174gr. FMJBT, I'm prepared to say Varget is the most accurate of the four powders I've tried in the old Limey.
Oh, yeah, it's okay for .223 but Winchester 748 does seem to be the ticket, at least for the Winchester 55gr. pills I usually use.
Bill

 

[threefeathers]

25.5 grains of Varget driving the Hornady 75 grain bthp is a sub one inch load at 100 meters with the Arms Tech USR. I use it to demonstrate eyeball shots for police marksmen.

 

[jeepmor]

Just bought a pound of Varget

I saw this one listed across a lot of rifle loads, so thought it a good place to start. I started with pistol loads and have rolled about 5K of my own thus far. In my pistols, if I can hit the 10 ring at 21 feet, that's fine. In rifles, I foresaw the tuning process and figured I'd get accustomed to my reloading equipment with my pistols before I went for the accurate loads expected of rifles.

From my readings here, I will have to load it for the .270 to be more in tune with its optimal application from my rifle pickins. I have 223s in a 1 in 12 24" HB gun and a 1-9 semi auto and this is where I am starting. Experimentation is in order and it will behoove me to build an "at the range" reloading box to speed things along in regards to accuracy. Unfortunately, all the match grade in 68gr bullets and up (Hornady and Sierra) in 223 reloading was OUT at the Portland area Sportsman's Warehouse today.

Regardless of my purchase, I now know what to expect thanks to the THR community. With Varget, I think I should not get my hopes up in .223. Nice to know up front instead of trying to force it later. But still fun to send it downrange. I will go get the .223 recommened powders for uber accuracy before I run out of this Varget.

And now I know I should be using it for heavy bullets in 223 realm, and it works well in 308 and 270.