Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Instead of Varget

I have been using Varget for .308 and .223, but supplies are running low and no one has it in stock.
Any recommendations for a more available substitute that'd be easy to work up loads for 150 grain bullets in .308 and 50/55 grain bullets in .223? Accuracy matters more than top speed. Deer, varmints, and range plinking.

Thanks.

Ramshot TAC for one.

RL15, N140 are very close to Varget.

I've looked at some burn rate charts but just haven't done much experimenting with alternatives.
I see TAC and RL15 in stock. Have limited experience with RL15 in .308. Any experience with light bullet accuracy in .223 (slow twist mini mauser)?

Light bullet 223 duty wouldn't have me using Varget in the first place. I have found TAC to be excellent with 50 grain bullets.

Exactly, love RL15 and VVN140, in some cases better than Varget

I'd use RL 15 ANY day of the week over Varget....

If for no other reason... It's usually a lot more available anyhow, if nothing else.

Big Game for the .308

Benchmark for the .223




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My 308 Win loads for 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips are 46.5grs of Varget and 45.5grs of TAC.Both those were around 2900fps.

Reloder 15 is a fantastic powder, but lately it's been hard to find alot of Alliant Powders.

Imr 4064, AA 2015, AA2520, and either H or IMR 4895 would be good choices as well.

Good to know, seems like Vit powders have been more readily available lately but I have never tried them.

CFE 223 works well and seems to be quite easily acquired around these parts.
But, then again Varget has been plentiful lately too.😁

Leftybolt

Ramshot TAC and easy to get

Thanks everybody. I'll see if there's some R15 or TAC around locally.

I like to hunt and shoot more than I enjoy reloading and found a while back that I could get by on three powders--Unique/Universal, 2400/Blue Dot, and Varget. Guess I need to explore a little again.

TAC

Well hell, if ya got Blue Dot....

in the 223, it works great... plenty of velocity for bullet weights 55 grains and under...and you'd be surprised how much penetration you can get from a 55 grain SP, with 13 grains of Blue Dot.. with an MV of 2650 fps, it will penetrate a 3/8 inch steel plate... yet with the same bullet with an MV of 3150 fps, when it hit the steel plate at 100 yds, the bullet will just splatter... but with the Blue Dot MV of 2650 it will penetrate thru the same steel plate.

a 150 grainer out of a 308, is plenty good for deer at 200 to 250 yds...max load of 22.5 grains.... close to a 300 Savage MV...
with a flat nose 30/30 bullet that is plenty of good deer medicine.

just surviving these trying times...

MR 2000 is a great powder for the 308

"Well hell, if ya got Blue Dot....

in the 223, it works great... plenty of velocity for bullet weights 55 grains and under...and you'd be surprised how much penetration you can get from a 55 grain SP, with 13 grains of Blue Dot.. with an MV of 2650 fps, it will penetrate a 3/8 inch steel plate... yet with the same bullet with an MV of 3150 fps, when it hit the steel plate at 100 yds, the bullet will just splatter... but with the Blue Dot MV of 2650 it will penetrate thru the same steel plate.

a 150 grainer out of a 308, is plenty good for deer at 200 to 250 yds...max load of 22.5 grains.... close to a 300 Savage MV...
with a flat nose 30/30 bullet that is plenty of good deer medicine."



Seafire, I've got some of your blue dot reduced rifle loads saved in my recipe folder. I use them regularly for range plinking but prefer full power loads for hunting in case I happen across some of the bigger hogs. 2400 does well for cast bullet plinker loads in .30-30 too.

This or R15 or IMR 4064 or ..

Numerous options for the 308.

IMR 3031 might be a good option.