When I was "working up" a hunting load for my Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage during a two year period, I tried Varget as well as IMR3031, IMR4895, IMR4064 and H4895.
The reloading manuals show Varget getting over 2700 fps (Max. load) with a 150 grain bullet, but I never got CLOSE to that kind of muzzle velocity out of a maximum load (42.0 grains) of Varget.
At max load, I got a chronographed 2607 fps out of my Model 99's 24-inch barrel using once-fired and "accurized" Winchester cartridge case, a 150 grain Nosler Balllistic Tip bullet and standard Winchester large rifle primers. I also test two kinds of Federal primers (standard & match), standard & match CCI primers, standard Remington primers and, of course, standard Winchester large rifle primers.
I originally went with a max. load (41.5 grains) of IMR4895 which gave both excellent accuracy (3-shot groups averaging .75inches (@ 100 yards) with Winchester primers with the smallest group yielding a 3-shot group .191 inches @ 50 yards) and the next to highest muzzle velocity ("MV" ='d 2685 fps @ 85ºF). That was in 2004.
In 2007, something "changed" with IMR4895 (Hodgon bought IMR a year or so earlier) and the same maximum load dropped over 150 fps. Part of the reason for the loss in MV was the temperature... from 2685 fps @ 85º to 2547 fps @ 35º. Fortunately, I took one of my old hunting reloads (put together in 2004) to the rifle range with me and measured it's MV at the same time I got the low reading out of a newly loaded round using a new Hodgdon BOTTLE of IMR4895 rather than the familar IMR
can. The old (put together in 2004) load went at 2630 fps... so the velocity loss was NOT all "temperature related".
This caused me to work up another hunting load using different powders in 2008... and H4895 "won" the accuracy contest and was VERY "consistent" in it's MV as well with a .75 inch, three-shot group yielding a MV of 2633 fps, 2636 fps and 2636 fps for an average MV of 2635 fps with a standard deviation of ± 3 (+1/-2) fps with the three rounds making a "cloverleaf" on the target measuring .75 inches @ 100 yards.
This is now my new "hunting load" due to it's accuracy and consistent MV. The load is:
1) Once-fired Winchester cartridge cases which have been "accurized" by being trimmed to minimum length (1.865 inches) using my Forster Case Trimmer.
2) Chamfered case-mouths both inside and outside.
3) The primer pockets "uniformed" with a tool designed to do so.
4) The sprue inside the case (resulting from the flash-hole being punched out) cut off & smoothed up with a tool designed to do so.
5) The bullet seated as far out to the maximum allowable overall length (2.60").
6) Each powder load (40.8 grains of H4895; (1/10th of a grain BELOW a "max" load) weighed out individually on a RCBS 1010 powder scale.
7) Each Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet weighed and only the bullets weighing
EXACTLY the same were loaded in the "hunting loads".
Only Winchester standard primers used because they proved to be THE most accurate primer with this particular load in my Savage Model 99 (EG) rifle.
I hope this helps...
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.
