Replacement for VARGET in 6mmBR loads

[Bluto65]

I am running out of VARGET, probably enough for 2 60 shot matches + sighters. Can anyone advise me of a replacement powder? My rifles shoot
30 gr VARGET and 29.3 VARGET with 105 Berger VLDs, WOLF primers,
LAPUA brass. Any help is welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tim Singleton]

We are all in the same boat. Down load a burn rate chart and pick up what ever your local store may have close to Varget and give it a try

The first alternative H4895
After that there are several others close in burn rate

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Burn%20Rates_121211.pdf

 

[sdneil]

RL 15 is excellent in my 6br

 

[Bugs]

N540 also. . . . .

 

[Shynloco]

RL 15 is excellent in my 6br

Ditto - Very good substitute for Varget - might even be better depending on what your rifle likes best.

 

[Cody Richardson]

RL15 is the best powder for my 6br with 105-108 bullets. Also had luck with N150

 

[savagedasher]

Winchester 760 32.5 grains Ramshot big game 31.5 both are a little dirty but shoots very good
and faster the varget

 

[ShootDots]

Try (and you probably won't move from this load) 30.0grs of RL-15 and CCI-BR4's with your 105-108's. Another powder that is FANTASTIC as far as accuracy / velocity goes is VV N540... Try 30.6grs. of that and you will be surprised at both how accurate it is and how much ZIP you will get! One sour thing about N540 (or for that matter ANY of the double based Nitro laced powders) is it has a tendency to eat throats up rather quickly. Now RL-15 has that same characteristic, however, maybe not quite as much nitro as the VV powders so it erodes a tad slower>>but it will erode faster than Varget will on any barrel. I have a decent supply of both Varget and RL-15, in hopes it lasts LONGER than this shortage does. Having said that, if push comes to shove, I will not hesitate to intiate using VV N540 once again!

 

[dfry]

All the above mentioned, but RL15 can be hard to find also, so you can also consider IMR4320, it is temp sensitive, but I know a HM here who shoots it year round here in Phoenix and does well with it, just adjusting for the summer, of course, I have to adjust for Varget here as well. CFE223 will work if you can find any, and believe it or not, Leverevolution is in the same general burn rate and can usually be found. Times like these, you have to get a little creative! I have also gotten great results as listed above with N150 in about everything I ever tried it in, and you can always try Norma 203-B, some like it, others swear at it! AR-Comp should work also, Dave

 

[Gman]

Just be carefull while working up a load of RL 15. I won't give my data, but I got a node while shooting in March (50-54 degree ambient temperature) that was fantastic. When May came around and the ambient temperature rose above 70 degrees, that excellent load was too hot. (I had to use excessive hand force to open the bolt) I did gain extra fps, but I didn't want to use a powder that was temp sensitive, on account of changing weather conditions from match to match. Went back to Varget, and haven't looked back.

 

[DennisH]

XBR8208 will get you through a pinch.

 

[stacy]

N-540 105VLD =BUGHOLES IN MY 6BR

 

[Rtheurer]

28 to 30gr N140 works well also.

RT

 

[bward]

8208 XBR has worked extremely well for me with the 105 Hybrids. Even better than Varget.

 

[DennisH]

8208 XBR . . . doesn't the XBR stand for "Extreme Bench Rest"?

 

[mshelton]

XBR to me seems to be a weird powder, from what I understand it was developed for short range BR but seems more and more people are starting to use it for the heavier pills.

 

[Bluto65]

Thanks guys! I will get whatever powder from your suggestions that is available.
All I need is a couple pounds for a few matches until VARGET becomes available.
Kinda like to stick to VARGET, it shoots pretty clean and not too temp sensitive. I will do load dev for both my BR and BRX, that is always fun stuff. BTW I apply HBN to my barrels every couple of
matches. It seems to really help clean and keep the barrel clean.

 

[GSPV]

8208XBR started out as a short range benchrest powder. Fortunately or unforunately, the production runs ended up being a lot slower then the test batch. It *seems* to be just a skosh faster than 4895. Certainly slower than N133 which it was attempting to displace.

In our winter 300 yard varmint league, I shoot the Berger 87 VLD Hunting with 30.5 grains of 8208XBR with Federal 205M primer in a 10 twist straight 6BR with a no-turn neck using Lapua gold box brass. It's GREAT.

I've dabbled with the 90 grain Berger BT, but I'm not happy enough to date to share details. The obvious ploy is for an easier to tune bullet that doesn't give up much in drift at 300.

I don't shoot anything heavier, so I can't say how it would work out with the heavy bullets. If it was me, I'd be trying to find a powder with closer to 100% case fill. That's just off the cuff, though. IMR4320? CFE223?

Take it FWIW.

 

[Flouncer]

Two posts regarding Vhita N540. It is adjacent to N140 on the burn charts. N140 is also shown in the Vhita load data, as is N540. What differences are there ? Thanks.

 

[GSPV]

Burn rate charts lie.