.223: Varget 27.2 gr, CCI #41, 55 gr LC projectile

[30_cal_slut]

Thought I’d share this session.

I was tinkering with TAC and I had a little Varget on hand to compare with it. I remember somewhere MarkM suggesting Varget, so I gave it a whirl.

Here is a .223 load with Varget:

Lake City 55 gr projectile (from Wideners)
CCI #41 Primer
Brass: various, including LC
Varget, 27.2 grains … this is listed by Sierra as a max load. Please work up to this.

Case prep: standard Redding resizing die, trimmed to 1.75 inches (Giraud).

Seating: COAL = 2.25 inches.

Crimp: None.

Range: 100 yards.
Temperature: Approximately 60 degrees F (Kestrel battery died).
Humid? Yes, > 50%.
Velocity: Chrony battery died, but approximately 3,000 fps out of a 20 inch bbl per Sierra book data.

Upper: BCM 16 inch M4 carbine upper
Optic: Aimpoint T-1 w/ LaRue Po Boy 2.5x magnifier.

Position: prone with magazine touching ground.

Here is my reference with M193: (5 shots)

(Don’t laugh too hard)

Here is the Varget load - really, for a training round, not bad. Worth additional exploration.

I could use your eyeballs on this - just to double check for pressure signs. No splits on necks or case head separation, so here are the primers:

I’m liking this load a lot - Varget is cheap and readily available, will get me minute of bad guy performance at 100 yards.

[30_cal_slut]

Was shooting at a VTAC target, each square is one inch.

[GunnutAF]

30 cal slut
I assume this is a 5.56mm chamber? If so why are you not trimming to 1.760" instead of 1.750" . How much are your cases growing once on sized? If your getttig more then .006’s growth in your cases it’s cause your trim length is to short! The closer your cases are to the chamber demensions the least they will grow! Both of my AR’s are 5.56mm chambers I always trim to 1.760" an the most they grow is .002-4".

Other then this it looks like your getting close to finding a great load for your weapon! I suggest maybe just tweaking them loads a tenth of a grain or so up or down to find that sweet spot! Change nothing but your powder charge!

[30_cal_slut]

i’d like to load with longer brass but most of my range pickup brass isn’t all that long, maybe 1/4 of what i pick up can be trimmed down to 1.76. and whatever i trim down to 1.75 doesn’t really stretch that much after one load. :suicide2:

i will just have to scrounge harder. lol.

[Mark_MO]

I shoot nearly the same load in my AR’s and have been very happy with it. Varget and H4895 are currently my two favorite powders for the AR.

[GunnutAF]

30 cal slut
Well if they are not growing then your doing good- some loads just don’t grow much! You might get away with a 1.755" trim length then! Also sort your brass by head stamps -you’ll never get real good groups with mixed brass! Once you get to 1-1.5" groups then you will see what little changes do to your groups! I’ve been loading pulled 55gr LC bullet and can shrink the group from factory XM193 to about a 1-1.5" at 100yards were as XM193 is around 2-2.5"

[mizer67]

I used to use 27 gr Varget under a 55 Hornady FMJ at 2.22" OAL. Shoots good. Pretty hot though.

[30_cal_slut]

@GunnutAF

30 cal slut
Well if they are not growing then your doing good- some loads just don’t grow much! You might get away with a 1.755" trim length then! Also sort your brass by head stamps -you’ll never get real good groups with mixed brass! Once you get to 1-1.5" groups then you will see what little changes do to your groups! I’ve been loading pulled 55gr LC bullet and can shrink the group from factory XM193 to about a 1-1.5" at 100yards were as XM193 is around 2-2.5"

i was thinking of trimming to 1.755 myself on the next batch so i could crimp the rounds.

i have scrounged up enough brass today (1,500 lol) to segregate by head stamps and get a meaningful sample.

[GSPKurt]

How full is the case with 27+ grains of Varget? Full to the top?

[JStor]

Trimming the cases to 1.750 inch is not the cause of case stretching. Normal resizing can make the brass longer, and it can also occur when pushing the shoulder back too far during the resizing process and firing the cartridge later. The brass has to go somewhere when squeezed down in the die, so it will show up in the length. I always check length and trim after resizing. Neck sizing and firing the cartridge in the same rifle chamber, such as in a bolt gun, will negate most trimming needs.

I personally found the Varget sweet spot for 55 grain bullets to be 26.5 grs., and that charge weight fills the case quite full. Have you noticed any powder compression during bullet seating?

[mizer67]

@GSPKurt

How full is the case with 27+ grains of Varget? Full to the top?

On Lake City brass, 27 grains of varget comes up typically to the start of the case neck. It’s a compressed load.

[30_cal_slut]

@JStor

Trimming the cases to 1.750 inch is not the cause of case stretching. Normal resizing can make the brass longer, and it can also occur when pushing the shoulder back too far during the resizing process and firing the cartridge later. The brass has to go somewhere when squeezed down in the die, so it will show up in the length. I always check length and trim after resizing. Neck sizing and firing the cartridge in the same rifle chamber, such as in a bolt gun, will negate most trimming needs.

I personally found the Varget sweet spot for 55 grain bullets to be 26.5 grs., and that charge weight fills the case quite full. Have you noticed any powder compression during bullet seating?

i trim and check after sizing as well.

iirc, the case is quite full with 27.2 grs. borderline copressed imo.