Varget vs Benchmark

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pyscodog

Active member
I was on Hodgdons website looking at 223 loads. A max load of Varget and a 55 grain pill velocity was around 3250ish and a max load of Benchmark was 3550ish. Have you all noticed that much difference in velocity with those two powders?
 
I think it would have a lot to do with the barrel used. Varget is one of the slower 223 powders and Benchmark is one of the faster burning powders. If it's a long barrel I would try varget, but I think there's better choices for a 55gr, if it's got a shorter barrel I would think Benchmark would have much better velocity.
 
.223 27 gr Varget 20" bbl. ar-15 53gr Sierra 3152fps
.223 28 gr Varget 20" bbl. ar-15 40 gr.v-max 3232fps

These are chrony speeds not guesses Varget is extremely slow.

Switched to 2200 40gr. v-max 3750fps
tac 55gr sierra 3450fps

Chrony speeds as well. Same ar-15
 
Originally Posted By: RustydustHave you got a link for that, Bill? The one I just looked at showed Varget to be about 100 fps faster.

Russ, my bad, it came out of my Nosler book. Had a brain fart I guess.

26 grains of Varget-3220
26.5 of BM-3540
 
3500 seems kind of fast for a 223 with a 55g bullet. When I was still shooting a 22-250 the 55s were going anywhere from 3400-3600 depending on load.
 
26 grains of Varget-3220
26.5 of BM-3540
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Varget while accurate is slow with a 55g bullet. Vargets comes alive with 65g+ bullet weights

As we have discussed before, Benchmark with a 55g bullet is awesome, especially with a cci 450 primer.
 
Originally Posted By: zr6003500 seems kind of fast for a 223 with a 55g bullet. When I was still shooting a 22-250 the 55s were going anywhere from 3400-3600 depending on load.

I thought so to. My book is the no. 7 issue. Thats why I'm asking.
 
I know that when I started shooting an 18" AR I had to change powders to get velocity back. I was using 8208 with 50 vmax @ 3400 in a 24" bolt gun but lost speed in the AR. Ended up going to benchmark a got most of the velocity back even with the shorter barrel.
 
Benchmark, CCI 450 or BR4 primers with 50-55gr pills is just high speed magic!
I shoot BM with either primer and 53gr. Vmax and its very impressive!
 
ackleyman said:
Lefty, tell them the gun and load you shoot [/quote


Its actually not fra off from the Nosler book data that was posted. Im assuming this is a slightly older Nosler book?
Click to expand...
 
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I use Benchmark, 53gr V-max, and either BR4 or CCI450 primers in the three 223 rifles of mine. Two of the rifles are factory Remington SPS Varmint barreled actions, 26” 1:12 twist
The third 223 is a CZ 527 American, 22” 1:12 twist barrel
In the Remingtons I drop 26.9gr of BM resulting in 3560fps-3580fps depending on the rifle.
The CZ I drop 27.3gr of BM and its running around the 3450fps neighborhood.
I really enjoy my 223s!
 
I remember back in the early 90's going to get powder for the .223 and local store said Varget was the go to powder... quickly learned that it shot great if you wanted to go sloowww with light bullets.
Switched to Benchmark then later to N133 and saw great speed and accuracy. So many better powders for .223 than Varget until as Ackleyman said you get to the heavy bullets.
 
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