Varget = ?

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Kram

New member
Hello to all, I hope everyone is off to a good new year...

I've really gotten the reloading bug. I think it's time to step up to. 223 and follow up with .308. I'm hoping to use the same powder for both and Varget seems to be one of the better ones to start with.

I can't find Varget, I read that it was made in Australia, if so then I would be shocked to see something flammable come out of there anytime soon.

I'm here asking what would be my (or you) next choice. I read some where that 4064 was a good choice. What say you?

TIA

fish
 
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hounddawg

New member
do a bit of Googling, Varget is coming back in stock. But there are a half dozen other powders that can be used, 4064, 4895, N140, N135, 8208, AR comp....the list is long
 
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C

Colorado Redneck

New member
IMR4064 is a fine propellant. The grains are a bit long and running it through a powder thrower is an exercise in crunch. I've shot a few pounds through 22-250 and it worked well. Take a look at H4895. It's a temperature stable product and I like it.
 
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Bfglowkey

New member
AR Comp has performed in both calibers very well for me and identical to my VARGET loads. Reloader 15 is also a very good powder. Now what size pulls you use will / change those reccomendations but both work well in the mid range sizes ( for 308 the listed above all rock 150-180 bullets)
 
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jmr40

New member
I don't load for 223, but if not Varget I find Reloder 15 is just as good in 308. I could be equally happy with either powder. IMR4064 is also a very accurate powder that gives good speeds. But given the choice I'd always pick Varget or RL15 over 4064 simply because of temperature sensitivity. Varget and RL15 are less effected by temperature changes.
 
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NoSecondBest

New member
You'll find out over time that many powders will work in different cartridges, but......maybe not with the results you're looking for. Each gun will have a preference as to what powder works best with the barrel, bullet, and powder. Trying to reload with one powder can be done, but usually not with optimum results. If you're reloading with the goal of finding the most accurate load in your gun you're going to have to try a few other powders to see what each gun is truly capable of.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
Kram,

Varget is rebranded ADI AR2208. According to Hodgdon, it was originally designed to compete with IMR4064. ADI's own effective burn rate equivalence chart shows the three names on the same line along with Accurate 2520. 2520 is a spherical powder and I used it in .308 one year, but found it needed ignition help in the form of a deburred flash hole or a magnum primer to to perform up to the stick powders in the service rifle. So I don't think of it as exactly in the same class.

4064 meters well out of the JDS Quick Measure and almost as well out of the inexpensive Lee Perfect measure, but you have to have that measure anchored well. The metal Deluxe version is much more solid, and would be preferable. Other measures experience the jarring grain cutting with it that settles the powder, making the dispensed weights spread out.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
Agree with Unclenick. I tried hard to like AA2520 which meters about as close as my PACT dispenser weighs. But it was not quite as accurate in my two guns/three barrels as the extruded powders. I traded the rest of my keg to a guy whose rifle "liked" it.

At my level of skill and equipment, I could not tell a difference on target between Varget, Reloder 15, or 4064 when loaded to the same velocity. I didn't have much IMR 4895 on hand but it seemed comparable. So I settled on Varget which was readily available at the time.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
One difference you can identify (and this varies with the bullet weight) is sensitivity to charge weight error. If you go to Hodgdon's data, for each powder, subtract the starting load velocity from the maximum load velocity, then divide it by the number of grains of difference between the staring load and the maximum load. The result will be the number of feet per second of velocity change per grain of powder. Selecting the powder that has the lowest value gives you a bit of additional load error immunity. In some instances there is little difference, while in others the difference is significant.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
There was a lot of discussion several months ago about Varget being scarce. Forget what the reason was.
IMR4064 is your friend with the .308 and 165 or 168 grain bullets. It's more consistent accurate that IMR4895 in .30-06 too.
 
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hounddawg

New member
Hodgdon had supply problems from Australia. It's not a production problem. Australia passed some new regulations concerning how much powder can be shipped on one cargo ship, how much powder can be in a container terminal at one time.

By April or May new shipments should be rolling in. I did a Google and some smaller suppliers have various amounts in stock. I was at a Mom and Pop store a couple of weeks ago and they had 4 one pounders on the shelf. I have about 15 pounds on hand so I left them there. I keep two 8 pounders of my go to powders on hand and when I open a fresh 8 pounder I start looking for a sale/free hazmat etc to replace it
 
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gwpercle

New member
Varget is very popular and sells out quickly .
A close friend owns a gun and reloading supply shop ...he's looking for it also .
H4895 has been my next in line go to powder .
Gary
 
H

hounddawg

New member
I found some online at Bass Pro Shop. They will ship it to my local store.
Click to expand...

good deal, says ships Mar 11-18. Shipments will be back to normal soon. Guess the great Varget drought of 2020 is about over
 
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hounddawg

New member
Next time I am up the interstate I am going to look for some of that Staball. I am about ready to pull the 6CM barrel and put that Shilen .260 Rem barrel back on one of my rifles. Low round count, could never get it to shoot quite the way I wanted. Staball might just be what it needs.
 
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