• Charlie has had good luck with Varget in various calibers. I've used H4831 from .243/6mm through .30/7.62 with success. At one time I considered using IMR 3031 for all my rifle loads.
  
  Thing is, one rifle may love Varget and CCI primers and another may hate it. If it's hunting and MOA is enough, so what? But if you're looking for sub-MOA you may have several powders and primer brands, one for each rifle. Now, isn't that fun? Look at all the range time you could "justify" looking for the magic combination for each.

 

I don't know about the .303 since I don't load that one, but it is certainly true for the rest.

If you're picky you can probably find something that would shoot better in each one, but for general purposes it is hard to beat Varget. I use a lot of it.

 

Varget has been a very consistently good performer for me as well though I haven't loaded the .303 either.

 

If there was one that I'd have to live w/ to all eternity . . . -> H4895.

I'd bet if you'd survey 'em (Var. juxtaposed to H48) most would prefer the Varget.

Important -> 8 lb. size OR multiple 1 lbers with same lot #s. If you get 1 lb at a time, you'll be chasin' your tail ! . . . provided you log / account each shot.

Does somebody have it on sale ? :mrgreen:

 

My .223 experience:
Varget in USGI brass was halfway up the neck in my 55-gr loads, which made for very messy loading, occasional granules under the neck ("pimples"), and the occasional overlong round in those pesky pieces of brass with loose neck tension. Well, maybe that's better than having the bullets drop inside the case on top of an 85% loading density spherical powder load...

Bottom line, with 55-gr bullets, it slowed my progressive way down and madesome rounds lousy ammo from a production standpoint. The good rounds shot great, though!

In heavier bullets, the loads are (note present-tense) still compressed but deep enough in the case that I don't have to gently advance the shellholder like they're charged with nitroglycerine.

In .308, it works great, so I imagine Varget would work well in the rest of the calibers on your list.

 

I've had my best loads with IMR 4895. It's not that I haven't had good luck with Varget, but my best groups seem to favor the 4895. I'm playing with Benchmark in my .223's with good results, my powder dump absolutely loves it. I never need the trickler, it's perfect 98% of the time. I will load a few in .308, and 30.06 to see how it performs in my match sticks. That said, Benchmark is a winner in a Bushy A3 Standard.

 

Varget is excellent in .308 and .30-06 and I would expect excellent performance in .303 Brit. Varget is a bit fast for the .243 unless you're shooting those 58g AMAX or 55g Noslers. (I load a .244 Remington Ackley and have the same conundrum) I don't load .223 but have loaded some .222 Remington and Varget was a bit too slow. It might be a good choice for .223 69g match bullets if your barrel has the necessary twist.

 

Snakey -

Western Powders "TAC" is superb Belgian Mfgr. Medium Ball Powder which will cover all calibers you'd listed with the exception of perhaps the outer extremes of the .243 Win.

This powder is very clean burning

It's on sale 8) for $77 & change per 8# @ http://www.powdervalleyinc.com

 

You don't say what type of rifles you will be feeding

If gas autos' in 30/06 , .308. .223 you should stay within the medium fast to medium slow burn rates.

If the '06 is a bolt or pump I like IMR4350, especially with bullet weights from 150 grs. and up,,, should work in the .243 as well, perhaps the .303.

To limit yourself to one powder would be well,,, limiting. One cartridge or another will always be performing less than optimal.

Just my .o2

 

Thanks, all, for the helpful comments. Was at a gun show today and bought a pound of Varget. I'm getting a real itch to load up something for my two Enfields. Now all I need is brass, bullets, and dies! (I can get those all mail-order cheaper than locally).