Hodgdon Varget Loads???

23 April 2001, 14:16

<PowderBurns>

I've been loading H-335 in my .223. Bought some Varget and started with the max load of 26.0 for a Sierra 69 gr. BTHP.

Trimming the cases to 2.400" which is 0.02" off the lands according to the Sinclair OAL guage.

The powder fills up the case right into the neck. No pressure signs, no problem with a "compressed" load.

Anybody have comments about Varget? I find reload data on the Hodgdon site and on M.D. Smith's site. Not much else.

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23 April 2001, 14:43

denton

I use 25.4 grains of Varget and a 2.268" COL with the 55 grain FMJBT. This is not an especially zippy load, about 2760 fps in a 20" barrel, but it is extremely consistent. This is my standard plinking load.

In a few weeks, when we get a Saturday in the 80s, I'll have reliable data on Varget's temperature sensitivity in this load. In every other Hodgdon load I've checked, the temperature stability claim is a crock.

23 April 2001, 14:45

<Don G>

PB,

You'd better watch starting out at max loads!

Be Careful out there.

Lot's of 308 and 223 shooters like Varget.

Do you mean you're setting the COL to 2.4??

Can't trim the case there, it's too short.

Don

23 April 2001, 16:28

<PowderBurns>

quote:
Originally posted by Don G:
PB,
You'd better watch starting out at max loads!
Be Careful out there.
Lot's of 308 and 223 shooters like Varget.
Do you mean you're setting the COL to 2.4??
Can't trim the case there, it's too short.
Don

Case is trimmed to 1.758" -- 0.002" short of max. The Rem. 700 Police has a long throat and 1:9" rifling for the 69 gr. bullet. Didn't mean to imply I was "trimming cases" to that length. I gotta stop posting at 5:00 AM Sunday morning.

"Started" with the max load as in . . . work up the load from a 10% reduction and check for pressure. (I don't even much look at a target for this.) THEN, I "start off" with a max load, working up a combination for accuracy. I've never had any pressure problems in nearly two decades of loading. New guns in excellent condition with standard components and procedures . . .

I make mention of this because there's a sentiment out there (somewhere) that a "max load" is pushing the envelope right out to the edge of what's safe to shoot. Actually the "max load" in most published data is substantially below "max" SAAMI spec. And max SAAMI spec. is reasonably below the failure margin.

I've had a structural engineer do failure tests on factory spec loads -- buying cheap used guns and loading them until they fail. Published data provide a safety margin by a factor of about 5 X psi before the gun even starts to show signs of pressure failure.

Typically what fails in a pressure over-load is the case/web area in a semi-auto. Work-hardened brass leads to this a lot. Resizing brass fired in oversized breech semi-autos is a big hazard here.

Mechanical failure is often caused by pinching the case-mouth in the lands so that the bullet can't release.

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[This message has been edited by PowderBurns (edited 04-23-2001).]