Yesterday's Weapons Forums

I have the Hodgdon Powder magazine with their data in it. This is about three years old, and it's a magazine that is put out every year. The publication has data for using Varget in various calibers, and it has data for 7.5x55 Swiss, but not data for using Varget in 7.5x55 Swiss.

There is Varget data for .308 Winchester, and looking at the numbers it looks like a nice, efficient powder for that application. That makes me think that Varget would be good for 7.5x55 Swiss since they are so similar. That made me wonder why no Varget recommendation for 7.5x55. I finally decided that this must be simply because Hodgdon hasn't yet developed this data yet due to Varget still being fairly new.

Anybody else using Varget to load the Swiss?

I don't have any data but if you email Hodgdon they are more than happy to help.

Following up on the OP, I called Hodgdon Powder today and asked this question. The tech that I spoke to said that they didn't have any specific recommendations for Varget in 7.5x55 and it was his guess that they would not be coming out with them. The reason he gave was that they did not have a pressure barrel to test it in this caliber. He pointed out that their other published data did not show pressures either; apparently, they will no longer add data that they cannot provide pressure information on.

He suggested that I could start with the low recommendations for 4895 powder and it would probably be OK. I decided to check the relationship between Varget and 4895 on the .308 Winchester loads, then come up with a charge of Varget for 7.5x55 Swiss using the same ratio formula observed with .308. The result is a minimum charge recommendation of 41.0 grains of Varget for the 7.5x55 Swiss, which I think is a very conservative starting point.

My main interest was to see if Hodgdon had some specific recommendation against using Varget in 7.5x55 and he said that was not a factor in data not being available.

I was able to get out to the range this afternoon and check out my 7.5x55 Swiss loads using Varget propellant.

I used two different rifles, and started out with some GP-11 Swiss military factory loads. In the two different rifles, they clocked thusly:

1st rifle: Avg. muzzle velocity 2504 fps
2nd rifle: Avg. muzzle velocity 2489 fps

Here are the results of my experimental 7.5x55 loads using Varget:

Common components: Graf brass cases and WW regular large rifle primers.

150 grain US military surplus .308 bullet
42.0 gr. Varget
2498 fps. avg. muzzle velocity
18.87 fps. standard deviation
Cartridge OAL: 2.920
Reasonable accuracy

168 grain Sierra HPBT match bullet .308
44.0 gr. Varget
2513 fps. avg. muzzle velocity
Cartridge OAL: 2.905
Very accurate

180 grain Sierra HPBT match bullet .308
42.0 gr. Varget
2400 fps. avg. muzzle velocity
Cartridge OAL 2.915
Very accurate

All fired at 100 yard range.

Here is another good load that I fired today but did not get on the chrono (Same common components as above).

168 grain Sierra HPBT match bullet .308
42.0 gr. H380
Very accurate
The Hodgdon book gives a muzzle velocity of 2661 fps using 44.0 grains of H380, so I estimate that the 42.0 grain charge is probably going around 100-125 fps slower than that.

The accuracy of my GP-11 factory ammo was less than the handloads. My first group using the factory ammo in one rifle was downright lousy, but the second group using a different rifle was a great improvement. Accuracy of the handloads in both rifles bettered the GP-11.