Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Varget vs Vihtavuori N140

I have a good opportunity buy a few kgs (unopened) at a very good price and would like to hear from those who have used it.

I had the idea that 140 was noticeably faster than Varget but I have checked a couple of reloading manuals and they seem to be comparable in performance. I would be using it with 120gr bullets in my 7x57R, 100 grainers in 6,5x57R and 110s in .270WCF.

Currently I am using Varget in this bullet/carteidge combinations, but being so difficult to obtain where I live, overseas, I was considering 140 as a good substitute.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

The latest version of N140 is supposed to be very temperature-resistant. The U.S. distributor just sent me some, but I haven't had a chance to test it, mostly because temperatures haven't been very warm since it arrived!

But so far I haven't tested any powder claimed to be temp-resistant that isn't, probably because so many handloaders have chronographs these days. If the powder didn't live up to the claim, it would soon become apparent.

Looking forward to your impressions, John, thank you!

Until quite recently it had been a while since I had a ready supply of N-140, but when I was using it I found it to be excellent in applications suited to 4895/Varget/RL15 mid speed powders. Now I have a new 8 pound jug but I haven't broken it open yet.

If you have applications where Varget is suitable then I say buy the N-140 at that attractive price. I know I would.

Already got them, mathman!

In which cartriidges and bullets weights did you use them?

223 Rem with 69 gr.
250 Savage with 87, 90, 100 gr.
300 Savage with 150 gr.
308 Win. with 150, 165, 168 gr.

I switched from Varget to N-140 several years ago in my 30-06 loads I use in my M1's. I find it to be much cleaner after an eighty shot cross course match. The gas cylinder has no where near as much smoke residue inside or out. The Load I use is 48.1 grains of N-140 and a Sierra # 2155 155 grain Palma bullet.

Thank you, Mathman!
The cartridges I will be using it in have higher expansion ratios than those, but I guess that keeping them down to light-for-the-caliber bullets I will not be sacrificing too much speed.
On the other hand, I am more concerned about precision that I am about speed.

Thank you, Dustylongshot!
I have not found Varget to be a "dirty" powder... Maybe I am loading it at higher pressures and that helps, but if N140 burn even cleaner then more of the better!


It will take two-three weeks to start developing loads with it, but I will be back and post the results. In the meantime, if anyone would like to share any particularly accurate load with N140 I would appreciate if they would like to share it.

chamois

I shot Varget in 5.56 for a long time then I got hold of a jug of N140. Honest to goodness, I don't think I could tell the difference between the 2 just by shooting. Both are great powders withing a couple FPS of each other. Loads are within a tenth grain or 2. I think the N140 dumped out of my Lee Perfect a little better. Buy whichever one you can get your paws on. About 24gr in a LC 5.56 case with a 69, 77 or 80gr bullet shoots lights out.

thanks, Tyrone.

I also found VV-140 to be clean burning and an excellent substitute for RL-15, usually grain for grain.
Extreme spreads and accuracy usually matched or beat the RL-15 loads. The only downside for me is that the VV powders are usually more expensive.
I think you will be very happy with VV-140.

Another nice thing about N140 (although I doubt nice enough to make up the price difference) is that it is a cooling burning powder than Varget, so you'll probably get a little better barrel life.

It seems like a very good option in the fast-to-medium burning rangr powders, then.

It does not seem to be very popular, though.

Where I shop it is considerably more expensive than a lot of other suitable powders.

I had to buy mine during the Zero administration. The 8lb jug was $210. Couldn't get Varget.

Only because of the higher cost.

mathman, Tyrone, nifty-two-fifty:

It makes sense that being so exoensive it is not a popular powder.

Here in Europe al powders are outrageously expensive!

My first experience with N140 was in a 22-250 AI. Seems all the normal powders I used, while giving good accuracy, my barrel would get really hot ( summertime workup). I read somewhere that the VVN powders gave high velocity with lower pressure, or something to that effect, so gave it a whirl. It was true! ha My barrel stayed much cooler for more shots and accuracy was stelller, from the 55NBT to the 68 Hornady OTM I was playing with at the time. Its a good one for sure.