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Old August 31, 2009, 08:37 AM   #1
RAZ
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Varget

I'm looking for load data for Varget powder for the following:

308 with 180 Gr. Nosler Ballistic tip spitzer
and
30-30 with 160 Gr. Hornady FTX
Any suggestions?
raz
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Old August 31, 2009, 09:29 AM   #2
Unclenick
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Welcome to the forum.

.308 cases have a good deal of variability in their capacity. Seating depth also varies. The Nosler manual uses Nosler cases and a Federal 210M primer. They don't list Varget, but their start load for IMR4895, which is similar in burn rate, with their 180 grian bullets seated to 2.810" COL is 37.5 grains and their maximum is 41.5 grains. Rounding to the nearest tenth, QuickLOAD translates those load pressures to 37.9 grains of Varget to start and 42 grains of Varget maximum.

Again that's in a Nosler case. Knock it down half a grain for military brass. Winchester brass will let you increase it a grain to match the pressures. These are still not maximum loads in QuickLOAD or in Hodgdon's data (which is for the capacious Winchester case only). You have another grain or so of headroom, but, safety first. Don't push it if you've achieved good accuracy.

In the .30-30, Hodgdon shows Varget running 29.5 grains to start and 33 grains maximum in a Winchester case with a 170 grain flat tip bullet. I don't know how the length of your bullet will compare to the compact flat tip shape? I don't have any of the FPX bullets. Assuming it is a bit longer, and assuming you don't have Winchester brass, but something with less room in it, I would use a starting load of 27 grains and work up in 0.3 grains steps, watching for an accuracy peak and for pressure signs.
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Last edited by Unclenick; August 31, 2009 at 11:01 AM.
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Old August 31, 2009, 09:52 AM   #3
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Did you look here?
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp
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Old August 31, 2009, 09:56 AM   #4
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Quote:
Hodgdon shows Varget running 29.5 grains to start and 33 grains maximum in a Winchester case with a 170 grain flat tip bullet.
Not sure where you got your information from, but it's not on Hodgdon's site, and seems an extraordinarily mild load. The lowest starting load for .308 with Varget on Hodgdon's site shows a starting load of 39 grains, and this with a 200 grain bullet. A load for a 175 grain bullet is shown at a starting load of 42.0 grains of Varget, so I would seriously question the source of your information.
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Old August 31, 2009, 10:03 AM   #5
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Quote:
Not sure where you got your information from, but it's not on Hodgdon's site, and seems an extraordinarily mild load.
He is talking about the 30-30.
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Old August 31, 2009, 10:26 AM   #6
RAZ
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Thanks....

I'm using Lake City brass on the 308, so will keep it on the low side.
30-30 is mostly off brand "Frontier and PRU"

Will the bullet type have a significant impact on the load as long as I stay with the bullet weight guidelines?

Also, what other powders are the closest to Varget in performance, weight etc?
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Old August 31, 2009, 10:35 AM   #7
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Quote:
He is talking about the 30-30.
Gotcha.

Sorry, Uncle Nick, but you never made it clear that your load data was for .30-30, not .308.
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Old August 31, 2009, 10:36 AM   #8
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Quote:
Also, what other powders are the closest to Varget in performance, weight etc?
Hodgdon 4895 and BL-C(2), Vihtavuori N-150 and N-550, Reloder 15 are pretty decent substitutes.
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Old August 31, 2009, 11:03 AM   #9
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Yep, I screwed that up by editing out my mention of the chambering when I removed another part of a sentence. Curse of computer editing. I went back and put it back in. Thanks.

It should be emphasized that those other powders are not necessarily grain-for-grain replacements, but just in the same ballpark. Loads need to be looked up for them individually.
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Old August 31, 2009, 12:11 PM   #10
RAZ
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Thanks so much

This is great info....appreciate the help for a newbie to reloading.
I'm really just a white tail hunter that wants to cut my ammo costs while making sure the animal stays where I put the bullet.
Thanks,
raz
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Old September 1, 2009, 08:05 AM   #11
W. C. Quantrill
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Go to Hodgdons site and check out the reloading you can bring up any load your heart desires with Hodgdons, IMR, Winchester, and who knows what else they have purchased this week?
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