Having used the last of my old H4895 I am looking at powders that can load both .223 and 30.06 loads for reasonable accuracy/cost per round.

Besides Varget what would  be some suggestions?

Platforms  are 20" AR and Remington 700 30.06 stock barrel  made in the 1980s.

.223 projectile 55-75grain
30.06 100-168 grain

IMR 4064

I have had good success with H4895 in 223 and 30-06.

That being said, I have found that for the best accuracy, when playing with different powders, you will usually find a powder that works best with a particular bullet.  8208XBR seems to work well in a lot of different cartridges for me.

Get out your loading manual and look!

Varget
IMR 4895
IMR 4064 come to mind!

Varget would be my first pick.

H4895 a close second.

RE-15 us another great choice.

VihtaVuori N140 will work well too.

AA-2520 if you like ball powders, I don't.

The problem you run into is case capacities are extreme from one to another. Slow bulky powders that work great in .30-06 with heavier bullets in bolt action rifles are useless in .223. IMR-4350 and H4350 are probably the standard all others are compared to for .30-06 bolt action rifles. Good luck getting those to work in .223.

IMR-4064 has good bulk and works fine in .30-06, even in Garands, but is too bulky (IMO) for .223.

H4895 works great in Garands with 150 to 175 grain bullets and isn't as bulky as the IMR-4895 alternative. That makes it a top pick for both calibers.

I gave up trying to restrict myself to one or two powders a long time ago. I like to experiment and have come to the conclusion that any powder selected, within reason, can be adjusted by powder weight to give excellent results.

Varget is an amazing powder. It is accurate across a large range of calibers and works great, maybe the best there is, in .223 and .308. It is perfectly suitable for .30-06 up to 175+ bullets. Refusing to considering it, I think is a mistake.

H4895 is God's powder.

Varget is close.

IMR4064 is great for .30 cal, and can function in .223 but is definitely straying from ideal in that capacity.

😎

I'm quoting panzer, I think.

ramshot tac is good for .223 and .308, I "assume" it could work on 30-06 as well.

ETA a little google says its ok for lighter bullets at non extreme velocities.

I use H4895 for 223 and 308.

Depends on bullet weight. For the most part if it works in .30-06 in mid-weight bullets, it'll work just fine in .223rem. Light bullets in either you want to go to the faster side, heavy bullets go to the slower side. IMR 4895, BL-C(2), Varget, Benchmark, IMR 4064, IMR 3031, W760, H3xx all have some application in those. Personally I like BL-C(2) but it's important to note that I typically use it with magnum primers and I like it because it's a ball powder so it meters exceptionally well. Temp sensitive, so don't build a load that's pressured to the max in cold weather and then shoot them in hot weather.

I use XBR for those two in an AR 77s and  Garand 150s.

Meow you've done it.

Now what load book has all the personal real world experiences from you folk in it?


Looking at the numbers is important... but consumer feedback is sometimes as important to thwart advertising claims.

those books aren't advertising. they're tested recipes.

Buy another jug of H4895 and be done.

Not bad advice.   It’s a very good powder.   Bonus, you have data.