Getting ready to order in some new powder. I am loading for .223 rem. and .308 win. Besides Varget I am looking at IMR 8208 XBR and Benchmark or BL-C(2). Other than Varget, I have not used the others. Any sage advice or suggestions. I am limited ATM to Hodgdon/IMR and WIN powders. I am currently using 40-50-60 grain bullets in the .223 and 168 and 190 in the .308. ,223 is a bolt 1 in 9, 22" barrel. .308 is 1 in 12, 22" barrel.

I lean towards 8208 XBR and H4895 in my .204 Ruger. 8208 will give you slightly higher velocities. Both are temp stable.

No experience with the .308, though.

Gidday Mac...Best accuracy I ever got out of a .223 using 55gn bullets was with Varget. Start load was 25.5gn with max being 27.5gn (a compressed load)...I backed off half a grain to 27gn and got very good accuracy. This was out of a HOWA Mountaineer, so of course in your rifle you will have to start at the minimum load and work up, looking for pressure signs as you go.

Varget, H4895, Benchmark and 8208 are Aussie made powders and there is load data available (for the first three only) in the ADI Handloaders Guide below. In Australia, Varget is called AR2208, H4895 is AR2206H and Benchmark is BM2. 8208 XBR is not available out here so they don't list a load for this powder in their Guide. Hogdon should have something though.

www.adi-limited.com/ha.../rifle.asp

Cheers, Vince

I like 8208XBR in .223. It burns clean and gives high velocity with the 77-80 grain loads I shoot in my 1:7 twist competion AR rifle. I have not used it in .308 but it is great in my .243 so I would figure it should do well.

Reloader 15 is another winner if you can get it.

If you eventually get a chance you might want to give Accurate 2200 a try in your .223. I bought 32 pounds of it when it was listed as Data 2200 (at a close-out of $4 per pound!) and really like its combination of velocity (3,480 fps with 50-grain VMax from my 26" barrel) and fine accuracy. I was glad when Accurate re-offered it as a production powder but have enough of the Data version to last me a very long time.

Vince:

According to Hodgdon 8208 XBR is made by ADI but neither they nor ADI show an ADI equivalent. The burn rate in the Hodgdon list is between AA2460s and TAC. After reading all the reviews I am going to try a couple of pounds in both the .223 and .308. Data for a variety of loads is on the Hodgdon site. One pound of Benchmark/BM-2 and a pound of Varget will round out this order. I have my best Varget load for each bullet in .223 and .308 established except for the 190 grain pills. I will hit a moose in the vitals within 150 meters but my rifle just won't shoot this weight of bullet accurately with the loads I have tried to date. It does well with the 168 Barnes TSX with 43.5 grains of Varget with velocities of about 2550 fps.

Thanks all for the replies.

FWIW - I am using 27.1 of Varget with a 55 V-max for coyotes this year in a flat top 20" AR, 8208 XBR with 58 Vmax in ther .243 and 110 Vmax with IMR 4064 in the 30-06.

i use Tac for all my 308 and 223 loads. Gives good velocity and accuracy in both. i usually buy in 8lb canisters from wideners.

Haven't been able to get any TAC in my neck of the woods. Not many reload rifle. Lot of handgun reloaders but of course they are using different powders.

When I get a chance I'm going to test out the new Hodgdon CFE 223 in my 204 and 243....
on the Hodgdon web site they list several loads with it for the 308 and the 223 might be something to look into...

Here is a link about it and the info on the page:
www.hodgdon.com/rifle.html

Introduced in January 2012, this versatile spherical rifle propellant incorporates in its formula CFE, Copper Fouling Eraser. This ingredient, originally used in military propellant, greatly deters copper fouling. It contributes to longer periods of top accuracy with less barrel cleaning time. Being a spherical powder, metering is superbly accurate. CFE 223 yields top velocities in many cartridges such as the 204 Ruger, 223 Remington/5.56mm NATO, 22-250 Remington and the 308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO, plus many, many more. Match, Varmint and AR shooters will love this one!