Grousekeeper84 Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 Hi I was wondering if anyone had heard whether Varget was going to any easier to get hold of soon or if anyone knows of anywhere with any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6mmBR Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 I was speaking with some suppliers and they reckoned we would not see any Varget until 2015 at the earliest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCetrizine Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 I'm on a list with my local Hodgdon supplier and have been told March 2015. I'm using N140 and Ramshot TAC until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted April 4, 2014 Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 Hunting Lodge east peckahm kent still had a few in stock last week. Expensive but he has them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotch_egg Posted April 4, 2014 Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 If only hodgden would sort this out. Those 8lb tubs were brill from Norman clarkes a couple of years ago. If only they would supply them again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbo Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Hi I was wondering if anyone had heard whether Varget was going to any easier to get hold of soon or if anyone knows of anywhere with any? Hi, I have seen it advertised at MACAVOYS, Worth a try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris-NZ Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Some of you guys need to club together, charter a small ship, steam out to Aussie or NZ and load up. We're plagued with the stuff here. 52 quid per kg NRA price including local 15% GST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzar15 Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 I thought the component/ammo/everything else shortages were to do with American panic buying........? If that is the case how come the colonies are awash with the stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzar15 Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 I thought the component/ammo/everything else shortages were to do with American panic buying........? If that is the case how come the colonies are awash with the stuff? Hi, I have seen it advertised at MACAVOYS, Worth a try? Macavoys have lots of stuff for reloading.listed... stock levels are a different thing entirely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradders Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 I was told the other day that there'll be no more Varget until mid 2016. When I was in America a couple of weeks ago my shooting pals there were saying there's no Varget or Reloder 15 available there either Have a look here at Bruno's stock list of Hodgdon and Alliant powders........nothing http://www.brunoshooters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BSS&Category_Code=28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 I believe there was a serious shipping health & safety issue that affected the most recent despatch of a large consignment of ADI/Thales powders from the Antipodes, so that it never got as far as the US. Unless this issue is sorted in some way in the near future, the supply position for Hodgdon extruded powders won't just become more acute, there simply won't be ANY such on the market outside of Oz / New Zealand. (And .... the Mulwala factory won't be around much longer either as the Australian market on its own won't support a large explosives manufacturing facility.) I'd say welcome to the future, now. As explosives, handloading powders are becoming increasingly 'iffy' products so far as the authorities are concerned and we've had an easy ride to date to date - in relative terms anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I'd say welcome to the future, now. As explosives, handloading powders are becoming increasingly 'iffy' products so far as the authorities are concerned and we've had an easy ride to date to date - in relative terms anyway! I agree. The shipments of powder are so sporatic here that many of us are buying larger quantities than normal. (Before you blame the shortages in the UK on this, consider that powder sitting on my Trading Post's shelf was never destined for the UK) The good news is that some Hodgdon powder supplies are loosening up. One of the shops in the city just got in 600 pounds of Hodgdon powders and when I inquired about H4350, the salesman just said, "How many do you want??" instead of the, "Limit two pounds per customer" we've been hearing for so long. The long abscent 4-pound cannisters made a return as well. They did get 3 cases of Varget in but it sold out within a day. Maybe things are getting better with regards to powder. Fair warning though: Large Rifle Primers of any kind have been scarce for a while....~Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 SO65 it is then.... need to find a primer now to replace CCI BR2... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 SO65 it is then.... need to find a primer now to replace CCI BR2... What cartridge do you need a VarGet substitute for? SO65 is shown as the same burning rate as VarGet, but won't make a great replacement in smaller case cartridges like .308 win and 6.5X47L - not enough energy and too bulky. Despite what Explosia's burning rate chart shows, I'd also say it's a bit slower burning than VarGet. For .308 Win, the faster burning SO62 (the old Accurate-4064) is a much better choice from the Lovex range, or if you don't mind a ball powder Ramshot Tac and maybe even better 'Wild Boar'. Re primers, I bought 7 1/2 K Italian Fiocchi LR examples from Henry Krank a few weeks back. I've still to do a side by side evaluation against the Fed 210M, but my first tries in .308 win with these primers has been very satisfactory - very small extreme spreads. They're sold in 150-ct trays and 1,500-ct boxes. (That's why I ended up with 7,500 - thought I was buying 5 x 1,000 outers!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 ADI say they are shipping more than ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Thanks for that Laurie , I've been using Varget for my 6mmBR (31.8gn, Fed205M, 87gn VMax) only. I use SO65 from my .308Win (43.4gn, CCI BR2, 180gn SGK), and I'm getting sub 0.2inch groups with both...thankfully I have 2 tubs of Varget that will go a long way with my BR,and, no, I will not sell any of it My observations tell me that if I change the primer to a Fed210M for example, my groups open to an inch...might be my shooting, but somehow,I seem to think it is the primer... Best wishes Finman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I think the F210M is a fair way 'hotter' than the BR2, so needs loads retuned and may not even work as well in a particular combination as you've found. Conversely, I had some very mixed performance with BR2s in 308 with the 185gn Berger Juggernaut and Viht N150. I got poor long-range elevations at 1,000 on the first match of the day in a so-called summer weekend that started really cold first thing but became quite warm by late morning. Matches 2 & 3 on each of two days were fine, but the starter for three really abysmal. Of course, that might have just been me needing to wake up properly and overcome the lingering effects of the previous evening's beer. Anyway, I changed to the F210M and didn't have a recurrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 What about Accurate 2520 or IMR 4064 ? Kranks Do IMR and Westlander Accurate powders - both should be pretty available.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannywayoflife Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Isn't accurate 2520 virtually the same as ramshot wildbore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Accurate-2520 as we know it, is Lovex DO73.6 and not the same as the US 2520 which is now made by PB Clermont in Belgium (which manufactures the Ramshot ball powders). It's a fine grain ball, gives very high MVs in appropriate cartridges, but burns dirty. IMR-4064 is an excellent 308 Win number and other cartridges that use the 308's powder grades, but is long-grained extruded, so not too well suited to mechanical powder measures. It's noticeably faster burning than VarGet (noticeably faster than H4895 even) and while excellent for mid velocity and light to mid weight bullets in the 308 won't provide the same MVs and/or handle as heavy bullets for those who want the reach for 1,000 yard F/TR or similar. Performance wise, Lovex SO62 (Accurate-4064 as was) is nearly identical to the IMR version, but a few pounds cheaper per lb if you can find it, and it comes in 500g bottles bringing the per pound price down a bit more compared to the American supplied products. The two nearest equivalents to VarGet that will likely be available this year are Re15 and IMR-4895. 4895 is fairly short-cut, has a very high specific energy (4,080 Joules / gram compared to VarGet's 4,050 and Viht N140 down at 3,750) and will give higher MVs than the Aussie number with 155s. It's also slow-burning enough and flexible enough to handle heavy bullets in 308 at pretty high MVs. IMR powders come to us from Canada via Kansas (Hodgdon Powder Co.) via Edgar Brothers and so we're still affected by the US supply and demand situation and moreover relies heavily on how much risk Edgar Brothers is willing to take in placing orders for what is a substitute powder for most British shooters. I hope they ordered a lot as I'm pretty sure it'll sell well. Explosia a.s. in Semtin, Czech Republic which makes Lovex powders is running at 100% capacity I'm told and still cannot meet all orders such is the supply position across Europe and worries about the future. Chris and Mike Pearson (Westlander) are getting as much as they can and so there is a steady stream coming in, but they have a limited number of dealers taking the powders from them. Now that Henry Krank has become the exclusive UK importer / distributor for the similar Ramshot ball powder range (but getting it direct from the Belgium factory and missing the round trip to Montana out by agreement with Western Powders), I wonder if they'll still supply Lovex / Accurate ball numbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 Isn't accurate 2520 virtually the same as ramshot wildbore? Similar. 'Proper' Accurate-2520 is a Belgian manufactured powder imported into the USA By Western Powders in Montana, and isn't available here. What we know as Accurate-2520 is the similar Czech manufactured Lovex DO73.6. I suspect that if 'Wild Boar' isn't the same as 'US 2520', it's pretty damn close. In any event, it's a Belgian powder and burns much more cleanly than the Lovex version. I've had some pretty impressive velocities out of it in a 22-inch barrel .308 Win Howa with 155s - like just breaking 2,900 fps, but probably best not repeated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannywayoflife Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I'm going to try it in my dta 16" tube with the 190 smk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I think the F210M is a fair way 'hotter' than the BR2, so needs loads retuned and may not even work as well in a particular combination as you've found. Conversely, I had some very mixed performance with BR2s in 308 with the 185gn Berger Juggernaut and Viht N150. I got poor long-range elevations at 1,000 on the first match of the day in a so-called summer weekend that started really cold first thing but became quite warm by late morning. Matches 2 & 3 on each of two days were fine, but the starter for three really abysmal. Of course, that might have just been me needing to wake up properly and overcome the lingering effects of the previous evening's beer. Anyway, I changed to the F210M and didn't have a recurrence. Thanks for the helpful insight. It may come to that ie retuning the load to fit with the Fed210Ms, but I am trying to keep to as few combinations as possible with all my rifles ( and they all like CCI BR2s) as my main requirement is accurate shot placement for hunting applications up to 200-300yards max. The 4895s sound promising and may be the 'go to' powder should my current stocks diminish... Best wishes Finman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Some of you guys need to club together, charter a small ship, steam out to Aussie or NZ and load up. We're plagued with the stuff here. 52 quid per kg NRA price including local 15% GST What i dont understand is , hodgdon is made in made in Australia but packaged in USA ? WHY ? Its ludicrous . obvious question is can it be directly imported from Australia ? It must be the size of the US market why it all goes there ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 What i dont understand is , hodgdon is made in made in Australia but packaged in USA ? WHY ? Its ludicrous . obvious question is can it be directly imported from Australia ? It must be the size of the US market why it all goes there ! Most likely, Hodgdon engineered it, contracted it's production, and owns proprietary rights to it so it comes to the US first.~Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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