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Slowest lot of Varget I Ever Had

tclaunch

Silver $$ Contributor
I am just getting back from some load testing, so I opened the jug on a brand new 8# of Varget. I took my Chargemaster and arbor press with sized and primed cases to shoot at 100 yds. I dropped 32.5 grains Varget and saw I was barely over 2800 fps with 105 Hybrid +011" in the lands so naturally I upped the charge. 33 grains got me into the low 2900 fps, and was shooting for 2980ish or till vertical went away. The vertical was there so I went to 33.2, 33.3, 33.4 and lo and behold 33.5 got me 2985 and no vertical. Tiny 3 shot bughole. I have 16 pounds of that lot of powder, sure something new, and thought I`d share. The case is a slightly shortened Dasher, with a .040" longer neck. Its a tweener of the BRDX and Dasher.
 
tclaunch said:
I am just getting back from some load testing, so I opened the jug on a brand new 8# of Varget. I took my Chargemaster and arbor press with sized and primed cases to shoot at 100 yds. I dropped 32.5 grains Varget and saw I was barely over 2800 fps with 105 Hybrid +011" in the lands so naturally I upped the charge. 33 grains got me into the low 2900 fps, and was shooting for 2980ish or till vertical went away. The vertical was there so I went to 33.2, 33.3, 33.4 and lo and behold 33.5 got me 2985 and no vertical. Tiny 3 shot bughole. I have 16 pounds of that lot of powder, sure something new, and thought I`d share. The case is a slightly shortened Dasher, with a .040" longer neck. Its a tweener of the BRDX and Dasher.

IMR and Hodgdon seem to have the "problem" of keeping lot to lot consistency. Why or how the Reloader powders and VV powders almost never have that "problem" is something to be sought after by Hodgdon. I had a BIG swing like that one time with H4831SC.. Only instead of it being "slower" it was considerably faster and threw me into a "scatter node" with the same charge. I had to lower it OVER a full grain! I dislike that a lot!
 
I have both ends of the spectrum on Varget. I opened the new jug because of how quick I had pressure on another jug I have. I should mix all 3 and have a normal lot for a loooong time....
 
tclaunch said:
I have both ends of the spectrum on Varget. I opened the new jug because of how quick I had pressure on another jug I have. I should mix all 3 and have a normal lot for a loooong time....

Actually Tim, I DO mix various lots of powder. Example: when I get to about 1/4 to 1/3rd of a jug of a certain powder, I will mix another jug in, whether or not it is from the same lot. That appears to have solved the "problem". Whether or not it would actually solve one if you have 2 lots on either side of a W-I-D-E spectrum, who knows. Evidently, I have mixed the lots very close to each other's burn rate, as I have not experienced any problems whatsoever.
 
wooger said:
Ben, what lot number of 4831 and when did you purchase it?

My goodnes, I have no idea. I never keep track of lot numbers. It was in one of my 6.5 X 284's. I was running, if memory serves me correctly, 51.3grs of H4831SC. I had to go back down to 49.8grs. I was shooting 140 Hybrids. Now that I think about it, it was 49.7grs. I had to go down to..
 
Was just wondering, when you guys get a new lot of powder and it varies so much from the lot before, do you have to totally rework your loads (bullet seating depth,ladder test, etc...) or do you simply adjust the powder charge to get back to the same velocity you had before and the accuracy and node stays the same? Hope this isn't a dumb question but just started reloading and sounds like lot to lot variation can be a common problem with some brands of powders so sure I will run into it eventually.
 
Kayle said:
Was just wondering, when you guys get a new lot of powder and it varies so much from the lot before, do you have to totally rework your loads (bullet seating depth,ladder test, etc...) or do you simply adjust the powder charge to get back to the same velocity you had before and the accuracy and node stays the same? Hope this isn't a dumb question but just started reloading and sounds like lot to lot variation can be a common problem with some brands of powders so sure I will run into it eventually.

My bout with H4831SC was my first and only time I had such a variation. I ran the loads over the chrono and saw they were quite a bit faster. I started to adjust downward til I hit the same velocity that shot well. It brought the accuracy back. I had no "sticky bolt" or any other signs of pressure>>>just poor accuracy and I needed to find out why. Everything else stayed the same.. That was quite troubling to me.. Fortunately that was the ONLY time I had an issue like that! So, now I mix the jugs together and so far, so good.. I mix ALL powders not just the H4831. I even mix RL and VV powders, although they are well known to be VERY consistent from lot to lot..
 
When you mix your powders (SAME BRAND NUMBER just DIFFERENT BATCH NUMBERS) how do you mix it?

I am thinking by hand in a big tub of some sort , but I don't know because I have never did it !
 
Changeling said:
When you mix your powders (SAME BRAND NUMBER just DIFFERENT BATCH NUMBERS) how do you mix it?

I am thinking by hand in a big tub of some sort , but I don't know because I have never did it !

When I get down to about 1/4 to 1/3 of the "jug", I start pouring in some from the 'old" jug, then back again, then MORE in and back again, till after a few times of that, it's all mixed in one jug. Works GREAT!
 
acloco said:
Mixing powder is one of the top ten DO NOT'S in reloading!!!

Yeah.. I guess I will never win another F-Open match or shoot another 4-5 inch group at 1000 yards because I violate one of those top ten rules in reloading.. Oh well, I guess it is what it is..
 
I have 3 -8# containers and 2 # of another lot. I had 42 FPS difference between lots. I put them in a clean 5 Gal bucket with a lid and shook and turned them. Now I have 26# that shoots the same speed.
I guess it is what it is ALSO. Larry
 
I have mixed a lot of powder and will continue to do so…Get a hug plastic tote/bucket with a lid and mix it up. I won't do it if I have various production years but if the powder is all recent and unopened then I will. Kind of hard to get huge quantities of the same lot number now days so just create your own….problem solved.
 
I think the big NO goes to ,say, mixing some 4198 with 4895 to " speed it up a little" or mixing some 30 year old can of 4064 I found at the back of a drawer with a new can to freshen it up. Mixing 48 lbs. of Varget? Wow. Hope the No Smoking sign was lit!😳
 
I'm guilty as well! I have mixed same powder/different lots for years and have not seen different points of impact or enough of velocity differences/pressure sign differences to concern me. I also don't wait until I have only a few granules of powder left in the jug until I mix. It is my responsibility to take care of me and I don't suggest that anyone else do this, but it does not look like I'm the Lone Stranger in mixing lot#'s.

That's interesting about the new lot of Varget. I have some coming so I'll watch for it.
 

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