R15 vs Varget

[Splat]

I have several pounds of Varget that I have been loading for my AR308 and I have found good loads with it. The other day one of my LGS had ONE pound of R15 so I jumped on it.. I will be loading precision loads when my AIAT 308 arrives and I was wondering which would be a better powder to start with. I know every gun will differ, but I live in Louisiana and the temperature can vary by 30-40 degrees day by day in the winter months. I have read that the R15 is a very accurate 308 load but is not as temperature stable as Varget. Has anyone had issues with accuracy with temperature differences using R15?

Thanks

 

[KUSA]

If you have good results with varget then I'd stick with it. My rifles prefer RE15. I doubt you will ever notice any temp variations in it especially in a gas gun.

 

[Pat M]

I use R15 (42.5gr) in my DPMS, had to go with Varget (what i could get local) and it is a lot slower ( will have to bump Varget up to match velocities ) ?? 44.5 to match

 

[Splat]

K USA. I will be using the R15 for a bolt gun. I guess my question is which powder would be the preference for LR precision shooting?

 

[pinsandpitons]

Whichever you can get.

 

[SavageSlayer]

They are both great powders for the 308. The Reloader 15 won't be as temp stable as the Varget, but probably not enough to make a sizeable difference. The Reloader 15 will not burn nearly as clean as the Varget, at least that was my experience. The Reloader 15 was really dirty, however, I got great groups with it.

I say just work up an OCW test for each powder and see which one performs better.

 

[shoot4fun]

It is likely I could load your gun with rounds loaded with Varget and RL15 and, if I didn't tell you which, you wouldn't be able to tell. As for me, I have a RL15 load worked up but will stay with Varget as long as I can.

 

[BCP]

K USA. I will be using the R15 for a bolt gun. I guess my question is which powder would be the preference for LR precision shooting?

Varget. Reloader 15 is good though. 4064, H4895 should be on your list of 308 powders to look out for as well.

 

[BCP]

They are both great powders for the 308. The Reloader 15 won't be as temp stable as the Varget, but probably not enough to make a sizeable difference.

Between winter and summer I saw an extreme spread of about 1fps per degree with RL15. That doesn't mean it is bad powder, I had great luck with it accuracy wise, it is just not as stable as varget.

 

[Splat]

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[rdinak]

Been running with RL15 for years. My .308s like it.

 

[luke100]

I have used a lot of R15 in .308, .223, 9.3's and others with great results. R15 is slightly faster than Varget.

 

[Sniper260]

I use RE15 for a 22 250 and 6.5 grendel. My velocity changes about a max of 80 fps between 30 degrees and 110 degrees ambient air temp... ive had more luck with re15 than varget... i actually dont have a single rifle that will shoot varget yet....

 

[pinsandpitons]

My velocity changes about a max of 80 fps between 30 degrees and 110 degrees ambient air temp...

Remarkably consistent with the results in post #9 above.

 

[Sniper260]

Remarkably consistent with the results in post #9 above.

Lol i actually didnt read post #9 before i posted... but its true... i verified it with recording data each time i shot over the last 2 years with my grendel... just makes for a click here and click there for elevation... imo no powder is perfectly temp stable even if it says it... there are too many other factors that go into it all from the time a primer is struck.... so i just go with the powder thats more accurate and learn to adjust...

 

[pinsandpitons]

You mean you don't take the marketing materials at face value?!? I pity your lack of faith. You really shouldn't shoot anything that isn't "extreme".

 

[T44]

I guess my question is which powder would be the preference for LR precision shooting?

How is any powder is better than another for "LR precision shooting"?

The obvious answer would be whichever one produces the more accurate rounds out of your rifle.

 

[USMC-FURY]

Amonette, Ben
Oct 2, 2013

----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2013 10:42 PM
To: Alliant Reloading
Subject: Alliant Powder - Ask the Expert Form


USMC FURY
to [email protected]

Formulas reformulated to be temperature insensitive (BE-86 flash retardant)


AR-COMP (slightly faster than RL 15)
1200-R (similar to RL 10x)
Varmint (similar to our discontinued RL 12)
BE-86 (in-between Unique and Power Pistol)

Me ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "Amonette, Ben" To: "[email protected]" Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 1:53 PM Subject: RE: Alliant Powder - Ask the

 

[USMC-FURY]

If you are worried about temperature sensitivity then use AR-COMP, per Alliant it is RL-15 that has been reformulated to be temperature insensitive and burn closer to Vargets burn rate, you also need a lot less:

308 Winchester
•Sierra 175 gr HPBT

Federal 2.8 24 Fed 210 2000-MR 47.7gr 2,720 fps
Federal 2.8 24 Fed 210 AR-Comp 41.4gr 2,719 fps

 

[Sterling Shooter]

I have had the best results with RE-15 in both my 308 bolt gun and my 223 AR. I once used Varget for both but when I tried out RE-15 I sensed that results were better and SD and ES was lower too. That was important since holding elevation at LR is paramount to producing good scores when wind is not exactly countered.

 

[Darkside-Six]

Varget does fine in my .223 loads for my AR's but I get much better concisitancy and better loads with RL15 or IMR4064 in my .308's

 

[oldfudd]

As a slight aside from the Re15 vs. Varget question above, has anybody tried IMR 8208 XBR? My understanding is that in Australia (where it's made) it was originally called Varget. So far I've had good results with it (it meters better due to shorter grains, and supposedly is more temperature stable than what is sold here as Varget). Accuracy in my off the shelf Savage 308 seems to be slightly better than both Re15 and Varget. I'd be interested in other user's opinions. Thanks.

 

[Smithcollector]

I've gotten most of my rifles settled on R-15, from heavy 223s to 308s, I think I get slightly better accuracy with more of mine than with Varget. The two powders are very close to each other in actual performance.

R15 seems to run better through the Chargemaster as well

The real answer these days is "whichever you can find"