Author Topic: Vihtavouri powders (Read 658 times)

onesonek · « **on:** January 07, 2004, 02:14:41 AM »

Anybody using Viht. powders. If so, how they doing?

Donna · « **Reply #1 on:** January 07, 2004, 05:21:20 AM »

Yes, a very close friend of mine is using N140 and N540 in her AR-15, 223 AI with very good results. For a 69-grains at 3700 fps and a 90-grains at about 2700 fps with just the slightest hint of pressure signs. I would recommend this type of powder to be looked at first for your reloading needs.

Donna

Mikey · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2004, 05:37:39 AM »

I've used the VV powders for a while and like them. They perform jsut as well if not better than most in my pistol and rifle calibers, and I willcontinue to use them. Easy to meter and consistent buring rates with little or no unburnt residue. HTH. Mikey.

BTW, thanks for the correct spelling - it's a bear.

Duffy · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2004, 08:00:38 AM »

I use the N550 in my 708 with very good results. It gives me exellent accuracy with higher vel than some of the others I have tried.

Ryan

redial · « **Reply #4 on:** January 07, 2004, 04:00:50 PM »

The Viht 135, 140 and 540 are popular among .223 highpower shooters with heavy bullets.

A bit too spendy for my tastes if you're loading 5000 rds each season!

Redial

Whopper Stopper · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2004, 01:19:57 AM »

The only darw back I can see and it turned out well for me, is that 2 pound canisters is the smalles amount you can get. For the money you best hope you like it.

onesonek · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2004, 01:50:01 AM »

The reason I asked, I was using Varget in one rifle. I was without a chrono for sometime, but received one for Christmas. The varget was accurate enough, but when chronographed the loads, speed had a variation of 70+fps. I was thinking this was due to, less than a full case. So, I'm going to a slower powder, originally thinking H4350. But then I got to thinking about the VV, and I nobody whom uses the VV line. Anyhow, I was thinking a slower powder and full case, might tighten the groups up a couple tenths. I'd like velocity variation down to 20 or less reguardless.

Graybeard · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2004, 04:26:19 AM »

As long as the long is accurate why do you care about the variation? It really only matters IF it affects accuracy. While in theory the load with the lowest variation SHOULD be the most accurate in the real world it just don't always work out like that.

GB

onesonek · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2004, 01:11:11 PM »

Ya I know GB, It's that darned perfectionist character defect again :roll: . Untill I exhaust options on powders, with this bullet case combination, will I settle for good enough.

Ron T. · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2004, 08:32:46 PM »

G.B. is correct... "hang" minimum shot-to-shot fps variation if you're getting good accuracy. That "variation" MIGHT BE in the readings of your chronograph, NOT the actual "difference" in the muzzle velocity of your rifle's bullets.

As concerns VihtaVuori powders, the above comments in this thread about V.V. powder are all correct... V.V. is "pricey" and you'd better choose the "right" powder the first time 'cause they DO only come in relatively expensive 2 lb. containers.

That said, I've never achieve finer accuracy or mininum velocity variation from any rifle powder as I got from V.V. N-130 in my heavy-barrel Sako in .222 Remington. Using 21.8 grain of V.V. N-130 in "modified" Winchester cases, Remington 7½ primers and Sierra "Blitz" bullets, I got an average chronographed muzzle velocity of 3197 fps out of the Sako's 23" barrel and a variation of just 16 fps (+7 fps and -9 fps) from the average M.V. of 3197 fps.

This load gave me a 5-shot group (I got nervous on the last shot & pulled it "up" some) of .316 inches, edge-to-edge yielding a "center-to-center" 5 shot group of just .092 inches and a 4-shot group (on the way to the 5 shot group) of 0.0 inches indicating all four bullets went through EXACTLY the same .224 inch hole @ 50 yards using a 24X scope off of a bench rest.

Some people don't believe this information, but I've got the targets and records to prove them. The above group was shot on May 27, 1995 with the temperature at 70ºF.

Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

onesonek · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2004, 04:50:09 AM »

? Ron,
Does the 21.8 grs. of N130 fill your modified case to the bullet base? I thought about the chrono read, but I had just checked a loading in a different barrel/chambering using Varget with the bullet seated on the charge. The results of that had a variation of +4 -3 fps, 5 shots grouped .55" ctc.
The other load in ? was only slightly larger at .65" ctc. I'm still thinking a slower powder/ better load density, May tighten up the groups, if I can find a combination that will fill the case and hopefully get the variation into the +10 -10 or less range. I don't much care if the max velocity listed in the manuals is achieved. I just think the rifle is capable of better, even though .65" groups, ain't anything to whine about.
I may just try some of the slower H powders first. As I agree, the 2# VV could be costly indeed. And I know of nobody using it, that I could try or dump if I don't like it.