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Posted: 9/15/2012 2:21:03 PM EDT
| Just started to use my AR-15 on the line at our local 100yd matches. It's a BM lower with their DCM 20" upper with a 1:8 twist bore. Been using 52 and 55gr smk's with 24 and 25gr of N140 in FC brass. The N140 is difficult to get locally most of the time. So I bought a lb. of Varget. Anyone here use Varget? If so how light of a pill can be pushed down the bore with reasonable accuracy IYO? I was told not to use anything lighter than 69gr bullets for decent accuracy with this powder. Thank you. |
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Maybe I shouldn't reply because I don't use Varget but I have loaded it in .223 during my load work ups. I can't see why anyone would say not to use it with lighter than 69gr bullets. Maybe it has to do with case capacity. I have found it difficult if not impossible to get the max listed charge into a .223 case with a 50 or 55 grain bullet. Maybe with a drop tube it is possible. You wouldn't have this problem with the heavier bullet.
I have to ask. If you are shooting competitively with a 1 in 8 twist rifle why are you not using 69"s already? Not that 55 won't shoot well. I have had 1 in 7 match rifle owners tell me their rifles shoot the 55 class bullets very good. |
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Quoted:
Just started to use my AR-15 on the line at our local 100yd matches. It's a BM lower with their DCM 20" upper with a 1:8 twist bore. Been using 52 and 55gr smk's with 24 and 25gr of N140 in FC brass. The N140 is difficult to get locally most of the time. So I bought a lb. of Varget. Anyone here use Varget? If so how light of a pill can be pushed down the bore with reasonable accuracy IYO? I was told not to use anything lighter than 69gr bullets for decent accuracy with this powder. Thank you. I have used varget with 55 gr FMJBT to my satisfaction. It is not the optimum powder for that bullet but it worked well at 3156 FPS avg. 13 SD, 39 ES out of a 20" HBAR Bushy at 1:9 twist, 27 gr Varget. The bullets were bulk Hornady. I get about 3250 out of XM193 stuff in the same rifle. Chrony at 15 ft. YMMV. Work up your own loads. |
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The Sierra 52's are supremely accurate at shorter ranges, so you've picked an excellent bullet - more accurate than the heavier boat tail bullets at those shorter ranges.
I've used Varget with them. It works reasonable well. It may not be optimal but there's nothing wrong with it, either. |
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I shot some hand loads this weekend with three different bullet types/weights on top of cases of Varget.
I've settled on 75gr Hornady Match BTHP on top of 24.3gr of Varget as my deer load. I was shooting the diameter of a nickel at 100 yards off the bipods from a bench. I also had good results at 300 yards with 75gr A-Max's pushed by 24.5 grains of Varget. Federal Match primers in all rounds. |
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Quoted:
The Sierra 52's are supremely accurate at shorter ranges, so you've picked an excellent bullet - more accurate than the heavier boat tail bullets at those shorter ranges. I've used Varget with them. It works reasonable well. It may not be optimal but there's nothing wrong with it, either. +1 I have used 52 gr at 200 yds on a no-wind day and they work great. ZW123 is right also - the 60-gr Sierra HP is a great short line bullet. |
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