Im curious where we're at with vhit powders.

Where are you at with vhit powders.


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Then we weigh by… something other than grains… ugh! No thanks 🥸
In the Vihtavuori app you can set the default units to grains.

Edit - yeah I use grains, mm, and fps. Millimeters is easier but I can’t wrap my head around m/s. And using grams for powder is just wrong. 😂
 

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I've only tried N320 in 45acp, and I like it. I don't see enough difference in accuracy to make a difference, but it really does burn clean. I'm looking forward to trying it in some rifle loads now.

chris
 
Still looking for a can of N140...

I don't really have a reason to try them in pistol cartridges... I am already stocked for years as far as that goes... but I wouldn't mind trying one or two in some rifle cartridges. The only powder I'm currently low on is IMR4064, for the .308... which points to N140. I just had 8# of Shooters World Precision fall into me lap, so, unless that just falls apart in load testing, I really don't have a slot for a VV powder at the moment.
Scheels in The Colony has it:

 
I’ve used N320, N330, N340 and 3N37, all very favorable results. N310 is on my list to try when I place an order, and, I’ll probably try some of their rifle powders at some point in time.
 
Like several others here I did not buy any because there were always less expensive alternatives available. Back then I bought stuff cheap and stacked it deep. Then there was the mentioned bad run(s) that went bad so I waited some more. Today they might be competitive but I am still using up my Clinton era supplies and those most likely will last me the rest of my life unless I get something new that will drain my stock fast.
Pretty much the only thing I have had to buy in the last 10 years has been primers.
 
I'll note that there is some bias in the posted poll :D

While the first 3 answers, for folks who haven't tried the VV powder, lump pistol and rifle powder together, the choices for folk who have tried the powders are broken down into Pistol vs. Rifle users...and you can only vote for one or the other.

If it were to combine those two answers together, it would almost make up of 50% of the votes ;)
 
I'll note that there is some bias in the posted poll :D

While the first 3 answers, for folks who haven't tried the VV powder, lump pistol and rifle powder together, the choices for folk who have tried the powders are broken down into Pistol vs. Rifle users...and you can only vote for one or the other.

If it were to combine those two answers together, it would almost make up of 50% of the votes ;)
I tried to account for those that shoot mostly only one platform... if the answer was no a more diverse no did not seem gainful. If yes then opening up to this or that seemed reasonable.... I probably could or should have built in.multiple votes....
I can and did change it to 2 votes
 
N105 was the best powder I've ever used for maximum velocity 357 Magnum loads -- higher velocity than max loads of H110/W296 and it fit in the case better. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued. I believe this happened as a result of large consumers of the powder (ammo factories or governments) discontinuing their contract with VV to produce it. As little as VV sold to handloaders, it did not justify continuing to produce it.

N110 had high velocity also, but I could not fit enough in the case to get the best performance.

Both these powders impressed me with their quality and consistency. They were clean, but not as clean as faster powders like TiteGroup. They are nearly rifle powders, and I would not hesitate to use slightly slower burning VV powders for 223 -- like N135. It's a single-based extruded powder, so it has some virtues, but lacks others. Double base powders can deliver higher performance. Ball powders meter better volumetrically (which is what I do for pistol and intermediate rifle). The VV powders are moderately temperature stable, but they don't have temperature stabilizing additives. N135 does have a decoppering additive, but it does not have a flash suppressant. As a single-base powder it probably needs that less, but a ball powder with a suppressant should flash less. The 223 powder market is crowded. VV doesn't stand out, but it's certainly viable.

For magnum rifle, I just don't use enough of anything to be knowledgeable. I bought Staball HD, but I don't know if I did well or not. My magnum cartridge is known to do well with Retumbo, and H1000. I'm sure VV makes a powder in that burn range, maybe both a 100-series single base and a 500-series double-base. I doubt I will ever shoot enough magnum to know what's best for my rifle and cartridge, but VV would not be the most trusted powder for it simply due to a lack of history or tradition.
 
I tried to account for those that shoot mostly only one platform... if the answer was no a more diverse no did not seem gainful. If yes then opening up to this or that seemed reasonable.... I probably could or should have built in.multiple votes....
I can and did change it to 2 votes

I updated. I mostly load pistol, but I like N140 in .223 and .308. I’ve used more N320 than anything.

I don’t load many different cartridges. I could live with just N340 for pistol and N140 for rifle if I had to.
 
Vihtavuori powders are the second largest group I have on hand, surpassed only by Alliant.

I mostly load N320 in handgun cartridges, but I also have N310, N330, N340, 3N37, N350, 3N38, N105, N110, N120, N133, N135, N530, N540, N550, N555, N560, and N568.

Only 3lbs of N105 left ... sadly.

Top shelf ... a few in an adjacent cabinet ...

Alliant&Vihtavuori.jpg
 
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When BL-C (2) was unavailable, I got some SW Match and N140 for use in 308 Win and 30/30. Have not used either yet.
 
I got into the VV stuff when I ran out of Norma R123 after Norma discontinued it. I thought Lil'gun was the best replacement but I tried some of the VV N350, 3N38, N105, and N110 in my quest. The correct answer was N105. So naturally, they discontinued N105 as well.

Then I decided to try N550, N555, and N560 in the 270 Winchester with Speer Grand Slams. I settled on N555.

Then I was looking for a replacement for Green Dot ... which turned out to be N320. I also tried N330 and N340 in place of Unique, etc.

There is probably a really close match for Unique from VV, but they just don't import it. For example, they have N324, N325, N326, N328, N331, N338, N342, N344, N347, etc. They just don't sell them into the retail market.

I was always a Hercules and IMR person as those were what were on my grandfather's reloading bench when I was little. So I have a lot of the Alliant and IMR powders. In fact, in my spreadsheet of inventory, I have notes to remind me which IMR or Alliant powder any particular VV powder is close to. N120 says "4198 speed" and N133 says "3031 speed", etc. Not that they are grain-for-grain replacements, just that they are in that zone.

Whenever I'd order something from the Alliant or IMR list from an online merchant, I'd always ride along a pound or two of another powder I'd like to try out just to make use of the pricey Hazmat fees. Thus, I have kind of filled out my VV stash. That habit over the years means I have a pound of just about everything lying around.

And don't forget, if you use N530, you need to load up now. They have stopped importing it but it's still around at a few retailers.
 
At least in the cartridges I load for (41 and 44 magnums and 45 Colt) N330 is very, very close to grain for grain with Unique, usually no more than a couple of tenths difference.
 
I am trying VV powder in a couple of calibers, 444M and 356W. I had loads for both using H4198 and H322. Since both these tow powders are non existent and many of my other powders have proven less than hoped for, I have been looking at VV powders. I stayed away from VV mostly because of the price. Now that Hodgdon, IMR, Alliant, Winchester have caught up and even surpassed the VV powders I have been testing N135, N120 and N135. So far N133 has passed all others in the 444N and 356W. If things keep working out I will continue to test VV powders, unless they decide to increase the price again.
tj
 
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