I may just need to change my member name from Pecos45 to "The Old Skeptic," but for all you guys who have used some of the Vihtavuori powders...what do you think of the stuff.

They didn't have this new fangled stuff when I was a boy and old Shep was still just a glint in his daddy's eye. Most of the loading data for this stuff makes it sound too good to be true.

Anything I need to know about some of these new powders. I'm trying real hard to move myself into the 21st century and need all the help and guidance I can get.

If it helps, the rifles I'm playing with right now are .22/250, .243, 270, and .308.

Thanks for the wisdom.

[ 06-28-2002, 00:58: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

Pecos,

I have no personal experiences of the Vihtavuori powder, but many loaders here in Scandinavia use it. I have only heared good comments about it, and also seen some interesting data.

They have a site: www.vihtavuori.fi

Fritz

Thanks guys, I need all the info I can get about these powders cause I don't know squat about them...cept what I read in the books and I don't trust everything I read.

I'm trying N133 and N140 in my .17 Remington (Remington 700 Classic) and N140 in my .243 (Remington 700VLS). Not bad, but so far I have to give the accuracy awards to Varget in both calibers. It's always fun to try another powder, though. A valid reason to shoot more!
Regards, George.

Their U.S. distributor is Kaltrone-Pettibone and they have a small reloading manual that they mail out on request for free. Very nice folks there, too. We've been working with them for over a year on load calculating and ballistic analysis software.

So far, it's the most consistant and the most accurate powder in my 223. Clean burning, meters pretty well, about 20% more expensive than other powders around here. FWIW, Dutch.

I bought some Vihtavuori becasuse at the time the promise of higher velocity was the thought. This did not work out and I shot it all up with regular loads. The Vihtavuori manual now props up the monitor on this computer so I can see it with my bifocals.

I'm using N150 and N550 in a 22-250 and a 220 swift. Try either one in your 250 at about 36 to 37g., that's with 52g bullets. I think you'll be pleased. BA

I use a bunch of it from 3N37 for 9mm on up to the N100 and N500 series. I use N133 in 223 where it's one of the really accurate powders for me. N140 works well in 7-08 and 308. I have the N540 but because the N140 works so well I've not done much with it. I bought the N500 series because it was touted to provide higher velocity. I didn't experience this but because they have a slightly different burn rate than the comparable N100 series, they fill a spot for different load combinations. The N500 series is very comparable to the Alliant powders like RL19, RL15 and RL22 both being double based. I like them. They are clean burning and easy to work with.

[ 06-28-2002, 20:22: Message edited by: Bob338 ]

Pecos45.

Around my parts of tellus Vihtavouri and Norma powder is pretty much the powders you easily can get your hand on.
VV powder cost about half the price of Norma powder.
I have rifles in 308W, 9,3x64 and 416 Rigby, and I use VV powder for all.
In 308W I use N135 behind the 110 grs Sierra Varminter, N140 for my 150 grs Sierra MK and N150 for 168 grs Sierra MK.

I'll have to tell you that I have not experienced with othe powders that the two I have mentioned, but as far as I can see the VV powder is very good and clean.
It smells like candy! ---> Yes, I too take a sniff at my powder boxes.

As Fritz Kraut mentioned in his post I would suggest you take a swing to their website.

IMO, you can't go wrong with this powder.

Magnar

[ 06-28-2002, 21:41: Message edited by: Magnar ]

PECOS45,
For the .22-250,.243 and the .308 I've had very good results with H-Varget. For the .270W, it seems to make a difference if the r5ifle has a 22" or 24" barrel. With a 22" barrel, H-4350 gave me good results. With a 24" barrel, H-4831SC was better. I hope that this is of some help. Good luck.

YES, everyone has been a big help about these powders. I went to the range today and stopped by the gunsmith to see if I could purchase some of these powders...but he had none!

I did snag a couple of pounds of Varget which is another powder I've never used but hear good things about.

Being an old dog, I've pretty much lived in the world of Dupont powders. But after reading your comments it appears there are indeed some other good possibilities to try whether they produce any significant velocity bonus or not.

Thank you one and all.

Pecos, Higher velocity isn`t the only thing to look for in the newer powders. The real bonus I`ve found is in better metering through my measure, cleaner burning, more consistant velocities (less temp sensitivity)than with some of the old favorites. I`m not saying the new powders are better than the old but some of them do show improvment in some areas. Varget is a good choice in my 223 and 708 I think you`ll like it for your 22-250 and 308.

I just bougt a large amount of reloading gear and components at an estate sale of an avid bench rest shooter and in with the powder was a two pound canister of N133. How will this work in my .220 Swift? I assume he was loading .223, as there was a lot of brass.

Bubba, I think you'll find n133 a bit fast for the Swift, but with the lighter bullets, it might give acceptable performance. VV does not list it among their powders for the Swift, so perhaps leave well enough alone. Someone would swap that bottle for a bottle of 140. FWIW, Dutch.

I'm currently using N135 in a .22-250 with 50 grain bullets (good results) and N160 in a .30-06, also with good results.

While these powders do meter nicely, I don't find any particular velocity or accuracy advantages to them. I own a quantity of both powders only because I came across them at an attractive price.

Unless they can be had for less than their comparable competitors, I wouldn't go to great lengths to try them out.

My feeling about this powder is that it is probably great stuff, and we will like it, develop some great loads with it, amd then it will disappear from the market, just like N205 and other Norma powders did...just after I decided some of them would do things no other then-available powders would do!! Thus far, I have maintained my resolve not to try them, for this reason......

I have been burning N-550 and N-560 in 30.06,they seem to work best at or near max.I tried the N-550 with 165gr and the N-560 with 180gr.The 165 went 2700 just,and the N-560 180 went 2740 with low pressure in two different rifle at under MOA in one ,just over in the other.I robbed the piggy and bought four # of N-560