Recommendations on Vihtavuori Powder

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Shane Tuttle

Staff
My favorite powders to use for plinking are HP38 and Win231. 5.0-5.2gr for my 230gr .45ACP bullets and 124gr 9mm. Burns clean. Soft, yet reliable recoil.

Due to obvious shortage, I'm on the hunt for another powder. I have a vendor that has some leverage to source Vihtavuori powder. Thing is, I have a good handle on most brands except Vihtavuori.

Looks like the 300 series are what I should consider. Anyone have experience on these that can tell me which one behaves similar to the HP38/Win231? I'm thinking either the N310 or N320.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I have experience with N310 in both 38 Spl and 45 ACP.

First of all, it's a clean burner. Of course, one would expect such a fast burning propellant to also run clean. But for comparison, Nitro 100's burn rate is in this same "super fast" range, and it's not as clean.

In 38 Special, I've used it for 148 DEWC's, both lead and plated. Works great. Very consistent with low Standard Deviations.

In 45 ACP, I've only used it for loading 200 LSWC's (the H&G 68, or whatever that mold shape is called). It's awesome stuff. I load it really light at only 3.2 grains; yielding 678 f/s (full size 1911). I'm running only a 13Lb recoil spring with this load. The plan is to incrementally move up in recoil springs to find the sweet spot; but that's on hold. All my load equip, ammo, and even guns are packed up for my move out of California.

For 9mm, if it was me, I'd first play with 115 grainers and see how it behaves. N310 is really fast stuff. In a small case like 9mm, there's some potential for it to be unforgiving. Heavier bullets will only increase this potential.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
VV's manual doesn't list N310 for anything heavier than a 100-grain bullet in 9 mm Luger. I expect it is too easy for it to produce excessive pressure with heavier bullets. The light bullet gets out of the way faster. I would download their manual or use their online load data to find something with the bullet weight and velocity you are looking for. N320 is the fastest powder they list for bullet weights of 115 grains and up, so that would be your plinking/target load powder. For higher performance, you will need something slower.
 
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74A95

New member
Unclenick said:
VV's manual doesn't list N310 for anything heavier than a 100-grain bullet in 9 mm Luger. I expect it is too easy for it to produce excessive pressure with heavier bullets. The light bullet gets out of the way faster.
Click to expand...

Vihtavuori has N310 data for 125, 140, 145 and 147 grain bullets.

I guess your speculations about why it won't work with heavier bullets is wrong.
 
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BillM

New member
For an all around powder in 9,40 and 45 acp go with the N320. I use it for everything
I used to use Titegroup for. Clean, meters well, doesn't heat up the gun.
 
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reddog81

New member
I just looked at a few powder burn rate charts and W231 and HP-38 fall between N320 and N330, with N310 being about at the very top of the chart. Looking at VV's reloading app shows 6 9mm loads with N310 and almost 30 loads with N320.

I've had real good luck with N320 and N340. N340 is similar to Unique but cleaner. Those are the 2 I'd recommend.
 
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MarkCO

New member
N320 is a great powder. Meters well, clean, not spikey. I use it for most of my .45 ACP loads.

A tad expensive, but in the 1911s, I feel it is worth it.
 
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Shane Tuttle

Staff
Thanks, all.

I get pretty cross-eyed looking at all the powder charts. I appreciate you taking a gander at those, reddog81.

Since powder prices are going up, I'm resigning the fact I might as well buy premium powder for just a few dollars more per pound. I like to experiment with different loads. So, this gives me an excuse to try VV's powder line.

I'll put an order in for N320.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
74A95 said:
Vihtavuori has N310 data for 125, 140, 145 and 147 grain bullets.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the catch. From 1995 to 2011, the manuals have no N310 for over-90-grain bullets in any style, and when I looked at the first few tables in the online data, it appeared, other than the addition of the 100-grain bullet, to be doing the same thing. I should have looked all the way to the bottom. Close to that, you find exceptions for round nose bullets that are able to seat out further than some other common shapes. There is also an exception for the Hornady 125-grain HAP, but that fits no pattern I see except that the charge is kept smaller than at least one of the heavier RN loads (the H&N, which is probably their coated lead bullet).
 
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FoghornLeghorn

New member
Shane Tuttle said:
I have a good handle on most brands except Vihtavuori.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. (Dunno why we can get powder from Finland but my fav, Unique, is unobtainable.)

I now have a supply of powders I've never tried, included VihtaVuori.

I vacillated between N320 and N330, but went with the latter because it's closer to Unique on my burn rate chart.

I bought two pounds of the N330 and am currently loading 45 Colt rounds for a Miroku 1873 Winchester.

Just for grins, I also bought 2 pounds N340. And a pound of 3N37. If it's reputation for clean burning is accurate, I'll like it.

Also, I emailed VV customer service about psi pressures and they got back to me the same day. I emailed Dillon about an order two months ago and still waiting to hear from them.

That kind of CS is very impressive and they might have made a customer for life.
 
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roc1

New member
I love N320 as well tried it in 10mm light and 9mm 45acp. Haven’t used it in .357 yet haven’t loaded any in good while.
Roc1
 
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Unclenick

Staff
The VV powders are high quality, as is reflected by their price. They are, I believe, the only powder company in the world that makes all the chemicals for their powders in-house, including deterrents and stabilizers. Their nitrocellulose is made from cotton, where other makers have been known to use cellulose from wood pulp and other various sources, some containing resins and other things that contribute to fouling.

VV says all their powders are temperature-stable. They now have an anti-coppering agent in all their powders. Board members have commented previously that the CFE powders from Hodgdon seem to add sooty fouling, but I can't say I've ever noticed that with VV powder. (On the other hand, I only have one container of VV powder that is new enough to be sure to include their anti-copper fouling agent, and I haven't started using it yet). Their webpage about it is not available today.
 
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Shane Tuttle

Staff
If their anti-fouling properties are as good as claimed, the few extra dollars per pound is worth it for me.

roc1, glad to hear that about 10mm. I just bought a Springfield Operator in 10mm a few months ago. Will be generating a load recipe for it in the near future.
 
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stagpanther

New member
Lucky you, I would buy V powders without hesitation (assuming it's the appropriate one for the load) they generally are excellent and I think worth the premium price.
 
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