69gr. OTM from RMR with Varget powder

[Control for Smilers]

Well heck, I have been reading Varget was the powder. I think I have some 4895 as well. I guess I will work up 20 of each and just see what one works the best in my barrel. Either way I heard it works for 308 as well. 8208 is like finding hens teeth right now. My 6.8 absolutely loves 8208 XBR but be darned if I can find any. If you guys get a line on some please let me know. PLEASE!

Looks like Hodgdon themselves are listing 8208 XBR as "Unavailable", so I guess you'll have to raid a reloader or find an alternative.

I did come across what might be a useful site: https://www.shootingbot.com/

I did score one pound a month or so ago but I am already down to half a bottle so I am on the hunt. I have been trying but to no avail. One member offered to sell me one but he wanted 85 bucks. I almost paid it until a friend came off a pound for me. If I knew a couple years ago was going to be all this I would have bought two 8 lb jugs.

i have like 10lb from the same batch I am working through. but if i see any ill post it up.

 

[greg vess]

Interestingly, I had good luck with that bullet and 21.1gr of Benchmark. Grouped really well out of my bolt gun with 22" barrel.

I have some of that as well and that little shop had a ton of it so maybe I'll work up 20 rounds of that and give it a shot as well. I really lucked out on my 6.8 and hit the 8208 powder really soon in the reloading process. So I struck pay dirt and that was about the second powder I tried and just got lucky. So there's a number of powders with similar burn rate that I've yet to try in the 6.8 but the 223 I really haven't had a lot of range time with what loads I have worked up. So I've got a little bit of work to do at the range testing and whatnot but I do have some benchmark loads worked up and I'll get the testing those next time I hit the range. We went last Thursday but it was so hot that I'm just going to wait to fall Hits. Up here in Virginia it starts early and we get a good month and a half of fall and Autumn or maybe more just depending on how mother nature " God actually " deals out the weather conditions. When it's hot I just don't have the patience to sit down and really do the testing the proper way. I usually just take some that I know that works good and usually shoot it but that's costing me valuable accurate ammo and I need to start building back my supply of accurate ammo. But thanks I'll make sure to try that next time I go.

 

[greg vess]

i have like 10lb from the same batch I am working through. but if i see any ill post it up.

Yeah if you're walking by the shelf and you see a pound pick me up one and notify me and I'll send the money down with shipping immediately with a little something extra just for your trouble.

 

[greg vess]

Looks like Hodgdon themselves are listing 8208 XBR as "Unavailable", so I guess you'll have to raid a reloader or find an alternative.

I did come across what might be a useful site: https://www.shootingbot.com/

I got perturbed and sent Hodgen a email asking what's the deal on the 8208 powder. IMR says it's a military powder so that might explain some of it. Hogdon owns IMR so maybe they can give me a acceptable answer or take pitty on me and scrap up a pound or two. Like they are really going to do that, NOT! Hey it doesn't hurt trying and I can send a really good bitch and moan email back to them explaining my disappointment with their lack of product availability. I won't really be upset but hey my son called me a internet troll for my antics. LOL might as well put it to good use somewhere besides here. He he he

 

[1006]

I have had good luck with Varget in the 223, but I have not shot the bullet you are using. I have used it in the 55, 62,73, and 75 grain bullets. The loads always delivered around 1 moa, sometimes better, sometimes not.

The issue for me is Varget does not meter very well in my Dillon 650 and just a small variance in weight seems to make a more noticeable difference in group size than variances in 8208, and I do not like to hand weigh. 8208 meters only a little better, but the results are better on the range with 8208.

Sierra says 25.3 Varget with their 69HPBT bullet.

 

[greg vess]

I have had good luck with Varget in the 223, but I have not shot the bullet you are using. I have used it in the 55, 62,73, and 75 grain bullets. The loads always delivered around 1 moa, sometimes better, sometimes not.

The issue for me is Varget does not meter very well in my Dillon 650 and just a small variance in weight seems to make a more noticeable difference in group size than variances in 8208, and I do not like to hand weigh. 8208 meters a only a little better, but the results are better on the range with 8208.

Sierra says 25.3 Varget with their 69HPBT bullet.

I use a Frankfort Arsenal trickler and always make the weights the same. It takes a little longer but I know after I shoot a group it's not powder variation and just the powder and projectile combination accounting for the shot deviation and not the weight. So I will give it a shot and just see how it performs in my BA Handson barrel. It's a sub MOA barrel with a lot of different ammo. I will start with 25 and work my way up to 25.5 which was noted on the Defiance long Range forum and just see what pans out. It might just be 25.3 does the trick.

 

[greg vess]

These Hanson barrels were a great buy a 235 bucks but they have recently shot up to 300 plus tax and shipping. Heck that's DD and WC pricing but they are extraordinary barrels to say the least. Boringly consistent as well also very smooth shooting barrels.

 

[jglenn]

RL15 rules the high power shooters using heavier bullets such as the 77 and 80 gr. Sierras.. imr 4895 works well too.

 

[greg vess]

RL15 rules the high power shooters using heavier bullets such as the 77 and 80 gr. Sierras.. imr 4895 works well too.

Thank you! I will pick some of that up. Every little bit of knowledge helps me tremendously.