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Old July 30, 2009, 06:29 PM   #1
TPD211
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New user, Load Data for Varget, Nosler 155 gr., 30-06 loads

Hi all,

New user here looking for load data for Varget powder pushing a Nosler 155 gr. competition bullet in 30-06 caliber.

I'm using a Lee Loader, the hand held one with the powder dips for my powder. I know, I need to get a scale for better accuracy / consistency.

The Lee chart for the powder dippers shows 46.5 grains for the Varget Powder. The Hogden website shows a Min. of 48 gr. and Max of 50.7 gr.
The next dipper put the load at Max and I did not want to start there.

Is the 46.5 gr. a good place to start? From what I gather of the net this is ok for this bullet weight and caliber.

Thanks for your responses.

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Old July 30, 2009, 07:07 PM   #2
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The problem with using the dippers by themselves is that you don't really know the weight of powder actually being loaded. The dippers are calibrated by volume (cubic centimeters or "cc"), and the weight of powder each dipper throws depends on the density of the powder. And each powder's density can vary up to 10%.

Lee emphasizes that the weights they publish are approximate, meaning you need a scale to know for sure. I'm certain you can load good, safe loads with the dippers (use Lee's recommended technique), but I sure wouldn't load anywhere close to the maximum without a scale.
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Old July 30, 2009, 08:10 PM   #3
Unclenick
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Welcome to the forum.

The Hodgdon sight lists the 155 and 165 grain bullet top loads only 0.2 grains apart. The reality is most guns will let you go higher with the lighter of the two bullets, but I think Ridgeway is right that you should not be exploring the high end with dippers and no scale. The Lee scale is only $22. I think it would be worth your time to come up with that.
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Old July 30, 2009, 09:43 PM   #4
W. C. Quantrill
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I just reloaded 250 .308's with a Lee dipper and their little hand press. I took a dog food bucket with the hinged lid and put everything I need for reloading the .308 and .30-06 in it. Its my bug out bucket.

When I go out the door with a rifle in my hand, that bucket goes along. I dont get caught where I dont have ammo. Those .308's shoot just as slick as those done on the expensive tools. Soooo, it can be done, I'd recommend that you work up your loads to see if you want to go max with the Varget, then if you are comfortable with that, go ahead and use the dipper.

Pour your powder into one of those plastic food saver dishes that have the blue screw on lids.....they are made by Ziploc. you get them in the grocery store, several in a bag for a couple dollars. They are great in the shop. Anyway, pour a half a can of powder in that dish, and then scoop your powder from that dish and use a little straight edge to scrape off the top of the dipper. That way you get a level dipper every time and your compression in the dipper is the same from dipping in the dish of powder. Your loads wont vary but a tenth or so of a grain that way and if you arent trying to poke one hole at 1000 yard, it wont make any difference anyway.

But work up your loads with a scale, and if that is all happy, then use the dipper. ??But?? like someone said, you need to sorta calibrate your dipper with a scale on each container of powder, because each lot of powder can change a little in density. Dipping is much faster, but dip a dipper and then dump it in the scale and weigh it, dip ten dips and weigh it and get an average. Then you know what that dipper is going to weigh. I found that Lees scale is somewhat of a guess. It doesnt always weigh what the little sliderule says. It gives you a ball park, but it seldom is exact. Varget is very forgiving, and top loads are going at 50.7 gr on Hodgdons site for the 155 gr, they say 2858 fps at 48,800 CUP. If you go with the 165, 50.5 gr for 2873 @ 49,700 CUP.
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Last edited by W. C. Quantrill; July 30, 2009 at 09:48 PM.
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Old August 3, 2009, 06:46 PM   #5
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I did get a Ohaus 1610 scale today. It is grams only so I have to multiply or divide by 15.432 depending on what I'm doing.
I zeroed the scale and checked it against a nickel and penny weights. FYI a nickel is 5 grams and a penny is 2.5 grams. The scale was smack on.
I checked the dipper loads for the 46.5 grains. I ran several loads of powder through the scale using a plastic medicine bottle cap as my tray. It weighs 3.2 grams. The dippers were consistent for 3.01 grams (46.5 รท 15.432 = 3.01 grams) I filled the dippers by scooping and then scraping the top with a plastic straight edge. 3.01 + 3.2 grams = 6.21, I set the dial of the scale at 6.2 and it was consistent. I then weighed the 30-06 rounds I reloaded with the 155 grain Nosler's and 46.5 grams of Varget. They were consisent with a variable of .05 grams (.003 grains). So the scoops are consistent if done carefully and even better if checked against a scale like suggested.

Last edited by TPD211; August 3, 2009 at 06:54 PM.
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Old August 3, 2009, 08:47 PM   #6
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I just checked on the 1610, and I hate to tell you, but its resolution is advertised at only 0.1 grams. You need a scale with 0.01 gram sensitivity for powder weighing. Your scale can only resolve 1.5432 grains. Too coarse for reloading. I think that's why it seems so exactly right. It can't resolve the errors you are looking for. A 1.5 grain error is pretty far off in reloading and is enough to be unsafe in some load and powder combinations up near maximum pressure.

I weighed 30 quarters one time when someone suggested these coins would be a good standard weight reference. At powder weighing resolution they were all over the map. Aspirin tablets did better, but I wouldn't bank on anything being accurate except a proper check weight. Those should be traceable to NIST by the manufacturers.


(Added later; just for reference.)

Weight results for 35 randomly selected quarters weighed on a scale with 0.001 grams (0.015432 grains) resolution:

Mean (average) weight:
87.62 grains

Highest:
89.02 grains

Lowest:
85.70 grains

Extreme Spread:
3.32 grains

Standard Deviation:
0.78 grains from mean.
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Last edited by Unclenick; August 6, 2009 at 09:54 AM. Reason: Added weighing info
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Old August 4, 2009, 06:24 PM   #7
TPD211
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Thanks for the info Unclenick, I also checked the Ohaus web site and you are 100% correct. Awesome info and thanks for catching the error on my part. Now to get a correct reloading scale.
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