Varget Alternative for .223 target rifle

[DeplorabusUnum]

Shooter's World "Precision" also known as S062, has a very similar vivacity profile and can be used with nearly identical results compared to Varget.
What i do not know is if it is actually easier to get hands on than Varget. Prices of the single based Lovex Powders in Germany doubled recently.

Shooter's World Precision Powder: A Replacement For Varget? -The Firearm Blog

Good recommendation. I've thought about trying to get some, except Shooter's World Powder is not carried at the Sportsman's Warehouse where I live. I've also noticed that it's no longer a secret, and prices have gone up significantly.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

As I got more centerfire rifles I found that there are hundreds of 22 caliber weights and brands of bullets. With the exception of this Savage rifle (75 grain Berger VLD) and all my 22 Hornets, I use 50 grain Poly tipped bullets. There are 4 major brands: Hornady V-Max, Sierra Blitzking, Nosler Ballistic Tip, & Combined Technologies Ballistic tip. When I'm working a load from scratch, I start with the bullet I have the most of on the shelf, The powder that has a good reputation and I touch the lands with COAL then 25/1000ths off the lands. when I have wrung this to the tightest group I load 5 rounds of that powder charge and seating depth for each of the other three bullet brands. Of the 4 brands one will outshoot the other three. In my AR it is V-Max, in my Cooper 22 it is Sierra Blitzking In my 221 Fireball Contender it is Combined Technoligies, In my Weatherby 22-250 is was Nosler BT and my Custom 22 BR it is Combined Tech. You get the Idea! A friend was the same way but with 60 grain for higher Ballistic Co-Efficient. When you have narrowed it to one weight of one type of bullet, then you can stockpile when there is a sale (if that ever happens again!) Not being a true competitor I like small groups, at longer distance, but my goal really is ONE HOLE VARMINTS!

Ivan

 

[DWalt]

There is an accessory made that you can use to determine the depth of bullet seating for any nose shape or length bullet you are using so it will just touch the leade rifling. It is the Stony Point O.A.L. Gauge. I remember reading a study which concluded that the two most important factors for getting the best grouping are having uniform case length and finding the optimum bullet seating depth for your rifle. Minor differences in bullet and charge weights are not nearly as important. Most bench rest shooters neck size only. That gives very consistent headspace. It does not hurt to use the same case headstamp and to weight-match them.

Of course all these group shrinking tricks for rifles mean very little to most hunters and shooters unless they happen to be bench rest shooters, snipers, or are obsessive compulsive. Any rifle and load capable of achieving 2 MOA groups will be more than adequate.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

There is an accessory made that you can use to determine the depth of bullet seating for any nose shape or length bullet you are using so it will just touch the leade rifling. It is the Stony Point O.A.L. Gauge. I remember reading a study which concluded that the two most important factors for getting the best grouping are having uniform case length and finding the optimum bullet seating depth for your rifle. Minor differences in bullet and charge weights are not nearly as important. Most bench rest shooters neck size only. That gives very consistent headspace. It does not hurt to use the same case headstamp and to weight-match them.

Of course all these group shrinking tricks for rifles mean very little to most hunters and shooters unless they happen to be bench rest shooters, snipers, or are obsessive compulsive. Any rifle and load capable of achieving 2 MOA groups will be more than adequate.

Why climb Mt. Everest?...

Because it's there! Right?

Also, Ive seen many of the best bench rest shooters interviewed about sizing, and for nearly 100% their answer is full length size. Maybe they lie to throw off the competition. Who knows? I full size

Also, instead of cartridge overall length I measure cartridge base to ogive distance. Then you know exactly (to maybe 1/1000) how far your bullet is from engaging the lands. No question that has helped with accuracy. Different bullets of the same brand and lot have different nose lengths.

 

[rockquarry]

Why climb Mt. Everest?...

Because it's there! Right?

Also, Ive seen many of the best bench rest shooters interviewed about sizing, and for nearly 100% their answer is full length size. Maybe they lie to throw off the competition. Who knows? I full size

About the only disadvantage to full-length sizing that I can think of is that the brass won't last as long as if it's partially sized. Maybe an incredibly tight minimum chamber might negate that.

I haven't read anything on this in a long time, but lots of informal testing was done and written up in years past comparing neck sizing with full-length sizing. Accuracy was generally better with full-length sizing, even if it goes against "conventional wisdom".

 

[DWalt]

In my bench rest shooting days, over 40 years ago, every shooter neck sized only. Not only that, most kept using the same batch of cases repeatedly until they nearly wore out. They kept track of cases so each was used about the same number of times. I was personally not attached to doing that, and in fact I used mixed headstamp brass which I kept trimmed and neck sized only. I did not segregate cases by weight either, even though some others did.

At that time our BR range was just 100 and 200 yards, the usual course of fire being 5x5 aggregate at each distance. I have understood that many BR shooters today shoot at considerably longer distances.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Post 46;
big 10-4.

Neck size and finally push the shoulder back when the bolt gets a little stiff to close.

Been there, done that.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

About the only disadvantage to full-length sizing that I can think of is that the brass won't last as long as if it's partially sized. Maybe an incredibly tight minimum chamber might negate that.

I haven't read anything on this in a long time, but lots of informal testing was done and written up in years past comparing neck sizing with full-length sizing. Accuracy was generally better with full-length sizing, even if it goes against "conventional wisdom".

Another advantage of FL sizing is, all your loads fit any gun with that chambering!

I just bought another bolt action 223. With the exception of the 75-grain load (seated way long!), all my loads will fit in that gun. If one of them is truly accurate in that rifle, I won't test any further. Why reinvent the wheel?

Ivan

 

[Mike0251]

Then I found that the most accurate powder charge with that bullet had a velocity of 2525 ft/s on my chrono.

2560 fps here, .002 neck tension, 140g Hornady ELD match. We obviously went down the same rabbit hole!

 

[DWalt]

Another advantage of FL sizing is, all your loads fit any gun with that chambering!

I just bought another bolt action 223. With the exception of the 75-grain load (seated way long!), all my loads will fit in that gun. If one of them is truly accurate in that rifle, I won't test any further. Why reinvent the wheel?

Ivan

True, but most shooters who are seeking extremely consistent minimum grouping performance are normally not shifting around ammunition of the same caliber among different rifles. That is something a hunter would be more likely to do. The principal advantage of case neck sizing is that the casing always matches the chamber dimensions exactly, and there can be no headspace inconsistencies. Some BR shooters take the idea a step further by marking the case so it is always oriented in approximately the same direction in the chamber. Bench rest shooting is the perfect shooting sport for those with obsessive compulsive personalities.

If a bench rest shooter is going to participate in different classes of shooting (light varmint, sporter, etc.) with different rifles in the same caliber, he will develop the best performing load for each individual rifle. When I was shooting, I fired only heavy varmint class with one rifle, a custom FN Mauser action with a Douglas barrel chambered in 6.5 x55, made by Melvin Forbes.