Mixing different lots of Varget
- Thread starter Tony1320
- Start date
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
Mix it all together real good then start from scratch and work up from there.
Shooters have been doing it for years.
The only thing to consider is the fact that you will NEVER be able to match that batch again. Get lots and mix it well.
Shooters have been doing it for years.
The only thing to consider is the fact that you will NEVER be able to match that batch again. Get lots and mix it well.
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I use quite a bit of it shooting Palma. I have not noticed any difference from jug to jug. if it makes you more certain, chronograph a load with a new lot versus the former.
Tom Alves
If by mixing you mean pouring new powder from a different lot into an existing container? I'd suggest you finish out the old lot and introduce the new as necessary into your loads. Pouring bottles of one thing into another can possibly introduce unintended mixing. Not to insinuate you don't know what you are doing its just good habit to keep things separated and labeled.
Tom Alves
If by mixing you mean pouring new powder from a different lot into an existing container? I'd suggest you finish out the old lot and introduce the new as necessary into your loads. Pouring bottles of one thing into another can possibly introduce unintended mixing. Not to insinuate you don't know what you are doing its just good habit to keep things separated and labeled.
When I get down to less than 1/2 lb of Varget of one lot, I mix the last of it into the new lot's 8 lb jug and keep trucking. I generally load a few rounds from the new batch and confirm with a chronograph, just to make sure everything is still OK.
n.b. It takes about 1/2 lb to load enough .308 for one F-TR match.
n.b. It takes about 1/2 lb to load enough .308 for one F-TR match.
If you mix 2 lots of 8 lbs jugs of Varget you will likely be finished buying & mixing powder.
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Yes I am interested in one large lot I am about finished my current lot and I can't find a large supply of the same lot number
What do you mean?
If for some reason I found a real bargain on 12 one-pound cans of Varget with all different lot numbers, I might be thinking the same thing.
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
skiutah02
Silver $$ Contributor
The short answer is yes, you can blend two lots of varget together.
The longer answer is that they must be blended uniformly/consistently/homogeneously/perfectly to have reliable results. This is very hard to do perfectly, and a PITA to do well. I don't like to do it, but I did have 3 odd 8lb lots that I blended into one large 24 pound lot two years ago. To give you an idea of how I did it and why it's a PITA here's what I did to have the best chance of achieving a well blended lot. Disclaimer, I am a chemist.
Starting with Lots A, B and C (8 lbs each).
I weighed out (exactly) 0.5 lbs each of A/B/C and placed in an empty 8lb Varget jug. I shook it vigorously for 1 minute. I transferred this ABC mixture (1.5lbs) to a 1lb varget container (it fits). I did this 15 more times until I had 16 "1lb" bottles each 1.5 lbs. I labeled them 1-16. I took 0.75 lbs of each of 1-4 and combined into one 8lb jug and shook vigorously for 2 minutes. I took the remaining 0.75 lbs from each of of 1-4 and put into a different 8 lb jug and shook for 2 minutes. I combined these two 8lb jugs together to give me 6lbs of 1-4 labelled "14". I repeated this with 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 to give me four 6-lb lots 14, 58, 912, 1316.
I took 0.5 lbs from each of the four 6-lb lots, placed into another empty 8-lb jug, shook vigorously for 30 seconds. I repeated this in another 8-lb jug. I then combined the two into a 4-lb lot and shook for 1 minute. Repeat to give six 4-lb lots. I then took 0.5-lb from each of the six lots and put into a 8-lb jug and shook vigorously for 1 min. I added another 0.5 lb from each of the six lots and shook. Did this to give four six lb lots.
I loaded 3 308 rounds from each jug in a rifle I knew had very good es/sd and chrono'd them and they were basically the same. Yes, I do have lot of jugs/bottles and this was a long day affair and was messy and required attention to detail.
I now only order a minimum of 16lbs at a time.
Drew
The longer answer is that they must be blended uniformly/consistently/homogeneously/perfectly to have reliable results. This is very hard to do perfectly, and a PITA to do well. I don't like to do it, but I did have 3 odd 8lb lots that I blended into one large 24 pound lot two years ago. To give you an idea of how I did it and why it's a PITA here's what I did to have the best chance of achieving a well blended lot. Disclaimer, I am a chemist.
Starting with Lots A, B and C (8 lbs each).
I weighed out (exactly) 0.5 lbs each of A/B/C and placed in an empty 8lb Varget jug. I shook it vigorously for 1 minute. I transferred this ABC mixture (1.5lbs) to a 1lb varget container (it fits). I did this 15 more times until I had 16 "1lb" bottles each 1.5 lbs. I labeled them 1-16. I took 0.75 lbs of each of 1-4 and combined into one 8lb jug and shook vigorously for 2 minutes. I took the remaining 0.75 lbs from each of of 1-4 and put into a different 8 lb jug and shook for 2 minutes. I combined these two 8lb jugs together to give me 6lbs of 1-4 labelled "14". I repeated this with 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 to give me four 6-lb lots 14, 58, 912, 1316.
I took 0.5 lbs from each of the four 6-lb lots, placed into another empty 8-lb jug, shook vigorously for 30 seconds. I repeated this in another 8-lb jug. I then combined the two into a 4-lb lot and shook for 1 minute. Repeat to give six 4-lb lots. I then took 0.5-lb from each of the six lots and put into a 8-lb jug and shook vigorously for 1 min. I added another 0.5 lb from each of the six lots and shook. Did this to give four six lb lots.
I loaded 3 308 rounds from each jug in a rifle I knew had very good es/sd and chrono'd them and they were basically the same. Yes, I do have lot of jugs/bottles and this was a long day affair and was messy and required attention to detail.
I now only order a minimum of 16lbs at a time.
Drew
I will have enough Varget to last my shift
The biggest risk is if one of the lots that was mixed is recalled. You’d be faced with the prospect of having to throw it all out
I doubt my 16+ lbs of Varget can be recalled as it has already been mixed into a new lot. The original lot # no longer exist.
Mixing lots is not new,
Ben
Mixing lots is not new,
Ben
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I just switched lots of Varget last weekend. I buy 48# at a time, so it only happens every two years or so. I just save a few rounds from the old lot, then load 5 or 6 groups of 5 at surrounding charges, then shoot over the chrono as others have mentioned to match velocity. It's never very major, but there is always a little variation. This time around, the load with the old lot was 46.9, new lot requires 47.3 to get same velocity. This method has always worked well enough for the type of shooting that I do.
Buy 5 lbs of red plastic bb's & 5 lbs of white plastic bb's. Pour them in a bucket & mix them as you would the powder. Now, pour out a sample and see how homogeneous they appear. Take that sample and count how many white & how many red are in it. This will give you an idea of how difficult it is to make a homogeneous mixture.
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
"If you mix 2 lots of 8 lbs jugs of Varget you will likely be I finished buying & mixing powder"
What do you mean?
He means "That's a lot of Varget".
Not too many folks shoot up that much powder. 
I went thru about 40 pounds of AA 2230C when it was still available.
Took me, my M1A and my Mini 14 a couple of years + to burn it all up and I enjoyed ever shot fired.
What do you mean?
He means "That's a lot of Varget".
Not too many folks shoot up that much powder. I went thru about 40 pounds of AA 2230C when it was still available.
Took me, my M1A and my Mini 14 a couple of years + to burn it all up and I enjoyed ever shot fired.
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