I'm starting to play with reloading the .223 and trying out Varget powder w/50gr Blitz Kings. I'm not new to reloading but new to the .223. I know that people will caution start low and work loads up which I do. But my normal reloading habits when working with a new powder is to pick a starting middle load and load 20 rounds, then increase the charges by .5gr loading 20 more. I repeat the process until I'm .5gr over max published load. Then take all the loads to the range and shoot them in ascending order. My questions or concerns are that many reloading manuals and forums show some heavy loads with this powder. Most show 27grs as a max load some are showing 27.5 as max. When I throw 26.5 in new Winchester cases it looks to me like this is a compressed charge. The powder is just into the bottom of the neck. Taping the cases does little to settle the charge. I end up thinking why go any higher cause I'm just going to have to pull and dump the bigger loads. Yet 26.5gr published velocity is not as fast as I think a 50gr .223 bullet should be traveling (I think less then 3200fps). My cases seem just a tad short in measurement 1.754. Based on my measurements the neck looks like where it is short my other case dimensions either meet or exceed spec. Anyone got any advise? Can/will the .223 stretch that much? What are the measurements of your fired cases? Any help would be great.

I just picked up Hodgdon's latest reloading manual (the magazine one). For a 223 and a 50 GR. Speer SP, they list: 26.5 grs. starting @ 3242 fps. and 27.5 grs. max @ 3383 fps. The 27.5 grs. load is listed as a compressed load.
Hope that helps in some way.

You might want to try a little faster powder for the 50 and 52 grain bulets. If you want to stick with Hodgdon, Benchmark is very good. Another good one is VV N133. Where Varget really shines, is with the fast twist barrels and heavy bullets in .223. ...ol blue

Never been able to get enough Varget in the 223 case with bullets lighter than 53 grains. AA2015, 2230-C and H322 work really well.

I wouldn't worry about the case neck being too short. They'll stretch eventually.

R-WEST

Well I'm here to tell you that in my cases 26.5 is a compressed load. I think I will bag the Varget as it makes me uncomfortable and I already have loads with W748 made up and that powder meters like a dream in my Harrel powder measurer. I may try the VV-133 as well. I have used the VV-N540 and that meters great as well. The varget was really as an alternative to N540 for my 6mm BR.

I load all my .223 with 25g Varget, 40gr S-BK,LC breass, WSR primers and I am here to tell you it is accurate and never a penetration on fur. I use it for coyotes, fox, etc. With most Varget loads even compressed it usually never gets nere dangerous pressures. I used it in 45-70 as well with great results. Good luck!

ol blue is right. I use varget with 60 and 69 grain bullets in a barell with a 1-9 twist. With moly bullets it is a compressed load because of the extra grain of powder required. The compressed loads still shoot great. I'm using a Max load of 26.5gr in the 69gr bullets and 27 in the 60gr. Moly bullets - compressed loads.

I wouldn't worry about it. I shoot 27grs with a 52. The case is filled to the top. I put my finger over it and tap the case so it doesn't fall out. The only reason I don't use 27.5 grs is that it is heaped up over the top of the case and spills out the way I handle the cases. I'm going to get a drop tube and fix that. With a drop tube I'm confident that 27.5 gr will fit nicely. You can go all the way up to 55gr bullets with that charge, perhaps even heavier bullets if they are moly coated.

Varget From 24.0 grains to 27.5 grains
Remington 7-1/2 Primer

but I found:

N-133 From 19.8 grains to 26.2 grains
Remington 7-1/2 Primer

to be better...

H-335 is the one to beat,as Varget is too slow...........

I think that W748 is most likely the best powder for the 223 expecially for the 50 grain bullets.

Varget seems to work better with the heavier bullets as evidenced by its popularity with highpower shooters.

For me, IMR 3031 and 4895 are damn tough to beat with lighter pills.

Redial

OOPS. I forgot to mention that I use mag primers with the varget compressed loads. They give the equivilent of mabe 1/2 grain more powder from my experience.

I've had very good results with 27.5gr under a 55 gr Sierra Blitz (not BlitzKing)in my
CZ527. The case won't hold it if you just dump it in but I use a long drop tube on a Forster Benchrest measure and raise the handle slowly so it pours in rather than dumping. With this method it just fills the case to the shoulder/neck junction.

Varget is the most accurate powder I've tried in .223. However, it is a bit slow and/or bulky. With 55 grain (and lighter) bullets, I don't think it's possible to overcharge the case with Varget. Varget really shines with bullets weights of 60 and above, though the loads are still compressed.

If you can't squeeze the same amount of powder into your cases that others do, there are a couple of reasons I can think of. First, you might be using heavy (e.g. military) cases. Second, a FL sized case will have less capacity than a neck sized case, and the capacity of neck sized cases will vary depending on the chamber they were fired in.

As someone else mentioned, a long drop tube can help settle the powder more compactly. Also, when operating your powder measure, you can position the lever so the cavity is only partially open, allowing the powder to dribble out slowly. That really helps. Finally, you can hold an electric shaver against the side of the case for a few seconds while it is still in contact with the powder measure. I think this produces the maximum settling, but I decided it's not worth the effort.

Some of you guys must be using those "expensive" cases! I've shot 4 lbs. of Varget in the .223 the last two years, and it's very accurate. Until this past fall, all my shooting was with 40 through 55 gr. bullets. I use almost exclusively that trash military brass, necks turned, flash holes cleaned, sorted by weight. Also some Sellier & Bellot's and a few PMC's. For 50, 52, 53 gr. bullets, I use 27.5 gr. of Varget -- which fills the case almost to the top. I use 28 gr. of Varget with 40-gr. V-Max's (nearly all into a single hole at 100). I have quite a batch loaded up with 68, 69, 75 gr. bullets, but have not had the time nor the weather to shoot 'em.

The secret to getting all the Varget into the case is this: I use a Redding BR3 measure, which after a couple of "warm-ups" doesn't require weighing each load. But I dump the powder from the measure into an old .30-30 case I cleaned up and keep just for the purpose (!) and then through a funnel into the .223 case. The "swirl" effect of the funnel settles the powder very well.

W748 is an excellent powder, too. Also, H322 and BL-C(2). Best of shooting ...