Varget vs Reloader 15 in 308 ??

Hodgdon Extreme powders mfg by ADI use and ethyl centralite coating instead of DNT or dinitrotolulene used by IMR and others. The burn rate of the powders using DNT to coat nitrolcellulose is given by the extruded kernel or grains size. With centralite, burn rate is also a function of the coating allowing smaller kernels for better metering. The centralite coating is more temp stable given a change in weather conditions. Even so the powders do have variances due to temps:

eg
Hodgdon
H4895 is tempurature pressure inverse as temp increases pressure decreases.
Good multi-use powder best in Desert Southern NM TX AZ etc.

Varget is supposed to be stable in all temps but I never could get groups worth a __ with it and its dirty and has more felt recoil than alternatives.

RL 15 Is mfg by Bofors of Sweden For Alliant powder co owned by ATK industries. US military armory uses it to reload ammunition.
my reasoning is 70 deg is maximum pressure with this powder. Colder such as Alaska or Hotter such as Saudi Arabia or Iraq pressure decreases. It meters
well and in my loads more accurate than Varget.
 
Talon1959 said:
Pardon my ignorance here but what exactly to y'all mean by temp sensitive? I am thinking room/storage temp. Then I thought about ambient temp outside at the range where it can get to be 95-100 degrees down here in Houston. Thanks in advance and don't laugh too hard.:confused:
Click to expand...

First off, no one will laugh.:eek:

Temperature sensitive means that the higher ammbient temperature wherever you're shooting could cause the pressures to increase.

If you loaded some ammo and the temp was 80 degrees on range day and the load was great (no pressure signs - sticky bolt, primers pushing out etc), then you go out the next time, with the same load, but the temp is 95 degrees, you get pressure signs.

They are saying Varget is less supseptable the these extremes.

My .308 Rem 700 doen't like Varget, but my PGWDTI Coyote (.308) like Varget.
 
I switched to H4895 from RL-15 and Varget. With the 175 SMK's 43.3 of Varget shot OK but 42.5 H4895 shot much better, velocity for the .308 and H4895 was 2,620fps. Ladders were run on both powders. I also switched from F210M's to CCI BR2's in the .308. I've found RL-15 to be very temp. Sensitive in my .308's and 6BR's. Varget and H4895 were less sensitive, Varget being best in my 6BR with CCI450's and H4895 being best in my .308's with CCIBR2's.

Good luck,

William
 
I've found that in one of my 6BR's and also in my .308 in temperatures below about 65 degress N540 will out shoot Varget everytime. However past 70 degrees and then Varget becomes the better choice in those two rifles.
I just basicly stick with Varget to keep things simple.

Danny
 
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