Powder

Dorsettaff

Well-Known Member
Is it me? or has a giant container ship just docked and unloaded tons/tonnes of various powders?

Varget.........Tick
IMR 4350.....Tick
H380...........Tick
H4350.........Tick
H414...........Tick
H4831sc.......Tick

Did I say Varget? :-|

Has Santa arrived early?
 
Rang my local gunshop yesterday as he said he was expecting a delivery last time I was in.
"Yes, we've had a delivery"
"Yes, we've got Varget"
"No, you don't need to come over now, we've got plenty. Leave it 'til the weekend"

I went over anyway since I had nothing better to do as it was my day off. Then came the next surprise, £40 a tub. Cheaper than the last batch I bought from there.
Result!
 
With regard to the price drop John perhaps they have realised that shooters have looked at the often cheaper alternatives and found that Varget isn't the be all and end all that some have thought.
Varget is good but it isn't great. There are many powders that will do exactly the same or even better.
 
Well there is clearly a lot of rumor and/or misinformation flying about as I popped into Chris Potter Country Sports the other day and asked for some Varget albeit with tongue firmly in-cheek. The response was they expected to get a couple of tubs at best from the next consignment and these were already set aside for their finest customers.

And there was I convinced the nice Crimble card I always send the CPCS Team and that in 2014 clearly detailed a request for a tub of Varget would have seen me in the running!


K
 
With regard to the price drop John perhaps they have realised that shooters have looked at the often cheaper alternatives and found that Varget isn't the be all and end all that some have thought.
Varget is good but it isn't great. There are many powders that will do exactly the same or even better.

Very true. I was planning to change product this time round to one of the European manufacturers because of the inexplicable problems we are experiencing with the U.S. Supply. In fact this was part of the conversation I was having with the owner of my local gunshop when he suggested that I waited to see what this latest delivery included.
Since Varget gives me the performance I need for both .223. And .308 I was loathe to work up new loads at this time as I am pretty restricted as to range access for load testing. I also wanted to investigate the pros and cons of crimping so did not want another variable eating into valuable range time. That doesn't stop me from parallel testing with a different product in the future whilst still being able to produce proven loads.
but that is the beauty of reloading, there is always something else to try.
 
Yes it's probably continuity of supply that is the main concern of many of us.
It's always been the same though but to a lesser extent than in recent times, always waiting for a container to come in and it never arrives.
 
Its true.
We greedy, paranoid shooters here in the US finally topped out our personal hoarding levels and allowed a few pounds to go across the water. Don't thanks us. It was the least we could do...~Muir
 
Its true.
We greedy, paranoid shooters here in the US finally topped out our personal hoarding levels and allowed a few pounds to go across the water. Don't thanks us. It was the least we could do...~Muir
I knew it, a confession at last!
 
Well there is clearly a lot of rumor and/or misinformation flying about as I popped into Chris Potter Country Sports the other day and asked for some Varget albeit with tongue firmly in-cheek. The response was they expected to get a couple of tubs at best from the next consignment and these were already set aside for their finest customers.

And there was I convinced the nice Crimble card I always send the CPCS Team and that in 2014 clearly detailed a request for a tub of Varget would have seen me in the running!


K

The importer has around 6,000 lb of Varget on order from Hodgdon powder and actually received just over 1,000 in the shipment of a few weeks ago which is now mostly with those retailers lucky enough to be allocated any. That 80% shortfall makes it pretty plain that there will be a lot of disappointed retailers and customers.

The same applies to H4350 and H4831sc although not quite as disastrously. The others mentioned (H380, H414) aren't in short supply as they're manufactured in the USA (General Dynamics' St. Marks Powder Co. in Florida) - the shortages are in the Australian (Thales / ADI) manufactured grades due to shipping health and safety regulations betweenh Sidney and the USA which have reduced explosives consignments to a single container per shipping move compared to two which used to be allowed.

There are alternatives to Varget, the main one being Reload Swiss RS52 which does an identical job using similar charge weights and gives superb results. RS62 is an excellent substitute for H4350. IMR-4895 and 4350 are plentiful and are unaffected by the shipping problems being manufactured in Canada at another General Dynamics plant. The first supplies of the new IMR Enduron powders have arrived here - IMR-4166 which has a burning rate and loads data close to IMR-8208 XBR and H4895 with the same applications such as .308 Win. The slower burning (similar to 4350) IMR-4451 should arrive in a future shipment. Data are available on Hodgdon's online ineractive Reloading Centre website

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

and show 4166 velocities similar to those for VarGet in some combinations, (eg 308 Win with the 150gn Nosler BT) but usually a bit down. American shooters' responses to IMR-4166 have been on the whole very positive.
 
The importer has around 6,000 lb of Varget on order from Hodgdon powder and actually received just over 1,000 in the shipment of a few weeks ago which is now mostly with those retailers lucky enough to be allocated any. That 80% shortfall makes it pretty plain that there will be a lot of disappointed retailers and customers.

The same applies to H4350 and H4831sc although not quite as disastrously. The others mentioned (H380, H414) aren't in short supply as they're manufactured in the USA (General Dynamics' St. Marks Powder Co. in Florida) - the shortages are in the Australian (Thales / ADI) manufactured grades due to shipping health and safety regulations betweenh Sidney and the USA which have reduced explosives consignments to a single container per shipping move compared to two which used to be allowed.

There are alternatives to Varget, the main one being Reload Swiss RS52 which does an identical job using similar charge weights and gives superb results. RS62 is an excellent substitute for H4350. IMR-4895 and 4350 are plentiful and are unaffected by the shipping problems being manufactured in Canada at another General Dynamics plant. The first supplies of the new IMR Enduron powders have arrived here - IMR-4166 which has a burning rate and loads data close to IMR-8208 XBR and H4895 with the same applications such as .308 Win. The slower burning (similar to 4350) IMR-4451 should arrive in a future shipment. Data are available on Hodgdon's online ineractive Reloading Centre website

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

and show 4166 velocities similar to those for VarGet in some combinations, (eg 308 Win with the 150gn Nosler BT) but usually a bit down. American shooters' responses to IMR-4166 have been on the whole very positive.

Thanks again Laurie for your helpful posts and pm's on this.

Looks like I've just found a couple of tubs of Varget but until I have them in my hand I'm not saying where!

K
 
Thanks again Laurie for your helpful posts and pm's on this.

Looks like I've just found a couple of tubs of Varget but until I have them in my hand I'm not saying where!

K

Very wise - if you must have VarGet, it makes sense to grab it quick as there could be a long wait to the next consignment arriving. There doesn't seem to be any solution in prospect for this problem.
 
Thanks again Laurie for your helpful posts and pm's on this.

Looks like I've just found a couple of tubs of Varget but until I have them in my hand I'm not saying where!

K

Klench......PM me if you need to know where I sourced mine! They have plenty more apparently!

DT
 
Its true.
We greedy, paranoid shooters here in the US finally topped out our personal hoarding levels and allowed a few pounds to go across the water. Don't thanks us. It was the least we could do...~Muir

Muir ENGLAND Reply's :finger: :lol:
 
it makes no difference to me what powders are available from the USA any more im using vit in all my loads . ( its a better powder and its cheaper and its always available )what more can you ask for.
 
it makes no difference to me what powders are available from the USA any more im using vit in all my loads . ( its a better powder and its cheaper and its always available )what more can you ask for.
+1!!
Not to mention the RS Powders
I have seen Varget advertised on a UK website at £55 a tub
 
Thanks again Laurie for your helpful posts and pm's on this.

Looks like I've just found a couple of tubs of Varget but until I have them in my hand I'm not saying where!

K

For what it's worth, I have substituted IMR 4064 for Varget in my 308 loads. During the shortage it was always available and inexpensive. (still is) The loads run about grain for grain with Varget with slightly higher pressures (1K psi) at the top end. Accuracy is top notch. I'm going to try it in my 7-08 next. If it works with the 120's like Varget, Varget will disappear from my hoard locker.~Muir
 
:D

9553c3ea-fbfd-40a7-8d53-a5f2c0a59516_zps6wc8vbi4.jpg

Thanks for the heads-up Nik

K
 
Its true.
We greedy, paranoid shooters here in the US finally topped out our personal hoarding levels and allowed a few pounds to go across the water. Don't thanks us. It was the least we could do...~Muir
You're too kind Muir. Jolly decent of you! :tiphat:
 
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