I have about an hour to burn after work before other commitments and take a stroll through Cabelas a few times a week just to see how prices are and what they have. I was quite shocked to see some LeverEvolution powder, Titegroup, lots of 777 and Pyrodex in loose and pellet form and there it was! Sitting all by itself I thought there is no way that's what I think it is. VARGET! I had been standing at the gun counter for about 8-10 min while 5 employees chatted and ignored me another customer walked up next to me and said Holy S. He then took a picture. At that point I walked over and said hey, someone going to help me? How much is that Varget? The sticker on the shelf said $89.99 The guy checked the price 3x before it actually told him $40. I kind of balked at the price and finally said go ahead. I figure since @Varminterror always recommends it for 223rem I will give it a try seeing how I cant find Benchmark. I'll be working up a load for 50gr V/Z Max, 55gr Nosler BT, 53gr Nosler BT and 69gr SMK.
Found a Unicorn
- Thread starter Axis II
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While pulling together my components last summer, was in the area so stopped by Sierra bullet factory to visit the factory outlet store, where you buy bullets by the pound. Found nothing I wanted, but while I was there another customer walked in.....we started talking.....he told me about the Graf's store in St. Charles, MO.......now goes by the name of Full Circle Reloading. By chance, was in that area a few weeks later, so found the place.......and was asking about powder. Guy behind the counter goes in the back.....and comes back with a pound of Varget......says here......use this. Three pound limit and only one of each......so I left with one of those plus a pound of H4350. Didn't need anything else. Went back a few weeks later and did it again. Called earlier this week.......they haven't seen any Varget since.
Sometimes you get lucky.
Sometimes you get lucky.
AJC1
Member
Varget for me is used in 75 and heavier. 69 and 75s also get tac. Benchmark is a great powder but better suited to the lighter bullets your shooting.
Benchmark works amazing for my 55gr and 50gr ballistic tip bullets and I'm down to a pound. Varminterror suggests Varget for 50gr z max all the time so I figure give it a shot.
Charlie98
Member
I feel like I'm walking into a casino every time I go into an LGS or retailer. Do I win big, or walk out with scraps?
I was surprised a few months ago... and walked out with a pound of H4350, which I couldn't find even before the kooky pandemic.
I was surprised a few months ago... and walked out with a pound of H4350, which I couldn't find even before the kooky pandemic.
Same here. I always check the ammo counter at Walmart and hit Cabelas 2-3x a week and when I find something I get all excited. My girlfriend calls me a weirdo.
Airborne Falcon
Member
Definitely a major score, congrats! Now I am headed to my local Cabela's this weekend.
As far as the new normal prices are concerned ... fwiw here's how I look at it. Yesterday I ordered four pounds of 3031 from Powder Valley. They are always 10-15% cheaper than Midway or Midsouth, more from the smaller stores.
So I think my four pounds were $144.00 total or thereabouts. Then add shipping and hazmat it came out to $173.00 total. I had to have it. I use 3031 for several of my Pet Loads, especially 45-70, and I have been out for over 18 months. I had to have it.
173 ÷ 4 = $43.25 per pound ... and that was from Powder Valley.
So you got a deal. Doesn't feel like a deal, I know. Wasn't that long ago I remember buying Varget all day long at $19.95 a pound. I used to use a lot of it. Probably still have ... well, I do have about 3 pounds up here but I've been making it last.
As far as the new normal prices are concerned ... fwiw here's how I look at it. Yesterday I ordered four pounds of 3031 from Powder Valley. They are always 10-15% cheaper than Midway or Midsouth, more from the smaller stores.
So I think my four pounds were $144.00 total or thereabouts. Then add shipping and hazmat it came out to $173.00 total. I had to have it. I use 3031 for several of my Pet Loads, especially 45-70, and I have been out for over 18 months. I had to have it.
173 ÷ 4 = $43.25 per pound ... and that was from Powder Valley.
So you got a deal. Doesn't feel like a deal, I know. Wasn't that long ago I remember buying Varget all day long at $19.95 a pound. I used to use a lot of it. Probably still have ... well, I do have about 3 pounds up here but I've been making it last.
Nature Boy
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Varget and 69g SMKs is like peanut butter and jelly
packetloss
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- 450
I'm just glad I bought enough powder, primers and projectiles to cover me for about 3 or 4 years. Not sure what I will do if things don't return to some sense of normalcy by then. I just can't stomach paying 3x as much for things and probably won't.
Varminterror
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A reloader might find a powder which shoots faster or a bit more accurate than Varget, but Varget sets the bar pretty high when well tuned. I’ve shot thousands upon thousands of 50Vmax’s (and ZMax’s) over Varget for new build testing, competition, blasting, and coyote hunting for over 20 years. If I’m doing something with 223/5.56 which Varget doesn’t do well, I tend to accept it means I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing.
$40 plus sales tax ain’t great, but it ain’t bad. I’ve bought several single pounds of powder over the years online, swallowing $20 HAZMAT upcharge on $26-28/lb powder, plus standard shipping costs… I try to order enough at once to dilute the hazmat and shipping, but haven’t always been able to do so.
$40 plus sales tax ain’t great, but it ain’t bad. I’ve bought several single pounds of powder over the years online, swallowing $20 HAZMAT upcharge on $26-28/lb powder, plus standard shipping costs… I try to order enough at once to dilute the hazmat and shipping, but haven’t always been able to do so.
redcon1
member
I like it quite a bit for 7.62/.308. 40.8 gr behind a 168 gr AMAX seems to do the trick for my two AR10s. For 5.56, I find myself needing to use a drop tube to get decent velocities and my AR15 is a gas piston gun that I have been unable to find an accuracy node for so far. But I haven't tried real hard as I spend most of my time with the .308s and they really like Varget. I guess I do too.
Skeptic13
Member
Varget is also one of my favorite powders. The last two pounds I've found were the only ones on the shelf. Count you blessings and do the happy dance.
Airborne Falcon
Member
I thought I had enough. I'm down to maybe 150 pounds of powder and under 40k primers ... and I've been restocking like a mad man ever chance I get. I can't keep up. Most of our matches have been canceled over the past 22 months and I've cut my practice range time in half or more.
Empty space above waiting on 3031 delivery next week. 4 pounds.
.... and I'm out here, up early at 3:40 AM, about to run 5k rounds of 5.56 through the presses today ... it'll take me 18 hours start to finish.
JEBruns
Member
A blip of Varget seems to be making its way through the system. A LGS had 5 pounds on the shelf last week. I cleaned them out. Was surprised to see it.
Airborne Falcon
Member
Brother from a different Mother. God Bless you.
redcon1
member
How's that CFE BLK working for you? for 300 Blackout I assume? I have 8 lbs coming for my blackout build and I'm reading that maybe I should have just used my W296. That W296 was hard to come by though so I hate to use it for a semi auto rifle.
Airborne Falcon
Member
That's a good question because, when I got it (CFE BLK) I had been told it was going-to-be the end-all be-all powder for everything 300 BLK ... especially heavy subsonic. Instead, it's really been my go-to powder for my PSA 16" build in 300 BLK, my supersonic loads for that rifle with anything from 140-180 grain projectiles and I'm sure there are recipes to get 2000+ fps out of lighter stuff, say down around 110. I like it a lot for those loads. But ...
For my 8.5 inch SIG MCX Virtus sporting a Thunder Chicken eating anything heavier than 180 and up-to 240 grains (pardon the chicken/grain pew pew pun) I quit trying to make CFE BLK work. It's just a little too slow. For the subsonic heavy pills I really like that N120 up there. It's clean and consistent and not the least bit temperature sensitive.
Although I competed for a couple of decades, until very recently, and I've reloaded since the 70s and still do for everything from 5.56 to 460 S&W ... my favorites are 300 BLK and 45-70. Those two are a lot of fun because I can cast, or buy cast, readily for those two and still get great performance. That's why I have so many of those mid-fast to very fast propellants in the two far right cabinets. The result of a quest to find the perfect recipes. CFE BLK is good but it is definitely not the end-all be-all for subsonic they promised it would be. Same goes for the 12 pounds of Leverevolution all the way to the upper left. I've got a ton of leverguns and they promised Leverevolution, when paired with the FTX and one other projectile, would take care of all our levergun needs .... but it hasn't. Not by a long shot.
I love 296, as you can see, and I've gone through a lot of it. It's good stuff. Powder Valley gets it more than anyone around lately and the prices are not bad there.
For my 8.5 inch SIG MCX Virtus sporting a Thunder Chicken eating anything heavier than 180 and up-to 240 grains (pardon the chicken/grain pew pew pun) I quit trying to make CFE BLK work. It's just a little too slow. For the subsonic heavy pills I really like that N120 up there. It's clean and consistent and not the least bit temperature sensitive.
Although I competed for a couple of decades, until very recently, and I've reloaded since the 70s and still do for everything from 5.56 to 460 S&W ... my favorites are 300 BLK and 45-70. Those two are a lot of fun because I can cast, or buy cast, readily for those two and still get great performance. That's why I have so many of those mid-fast to very fast propellants in the two far right cabinets. The result of a quest to find the perfect recipes. CFE BLK is good but it is definitely not the end-all be-all for subsonic they promised it would be. Same goes for the 12 pounds of Leverevolution all the way to the upper left. I've got a ton of leverguns and they promised Leverevolution, when paired with the FTX and one other projectile, would take care of all our levergun needs .... but it hasn't. Not by a long shot.
I love 296, as you can see, and I've gone through a lot of it. It's good stuff. Powder Valley gets it more than anyone around lately and the prices are not bad there.
redcon1
member
Well, we'll have to see then. I have a 10.5" barreled upper coming from Aero and I'm real curious to start developing some loads for it. I was hoping it would be good for subs obviously but I have quite a few 147 gr FMJs that I'm looking to play with too so maybe this CFE Black will be optimal for those. I rarely see Vihtavuori around here but I don't often go looking for it so maybe I'll have to and I can always justify more 296/110. Clearly I have some load development ahead of me. I guess this is how we end up with more gunpowder than the LGS, trying to develop the perfect load.
Nature Boy
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VV N140 is your friend. It’s come available quite a bit during this period of shortages.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Sometimes too much is not enough. I hate getting to the last 3gr. of a powder that requires 4gr. to make even my lightest load work. I'm not dumping old lots of powder into a new, freshly opened can - bad ju-ju - no metter how little or much it is, and I really cringe at the idea of throwing good powder out - I know, I hear ya', "Dude, it's only 3gr! Toss it, burn it, put it in a case with 1gr of new powder, fertilize an office plant with it...!" - and I do but... it just hurts.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I only have 3.5lb Varget left but I do have plenty of H4895 because I shoot a lot of 30-06 in my M1 Garand. I have a bunch of H335 for my .223 ammo.
Mark_Mark
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I hate when I spill powder on the tray. Or a few times I didn’t put in a primer and powder goes all over the tray…. uuuggghhhh. that’s when I clean up a call it a nightSometimes too much is not enough. I hate getting to the last 3gr. of a powder that requires 4gr. to make even my lightest load work. I'm not dumping old lots of powder into a new, freshly opened can - bad ju-ju - no metter how little or much it is, and I really cringe at the idea of throwing good powder out - I know, I hear ya', "Dude, it's only 3gr! Toss it, burn it, put it in a case with 1gr of new powder, fertilize an office plant with it...!" - and I do but... it just hurts.
here another powder problem. I load .380 bullets in 9mm. And I didn’t crimp hard enough. After 10 chamber / un-chamber cycles, the bullet pop out and got powder all in gun Works… Lesson, powder in you gun will disable it
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