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OP
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Curious on the experieces with this brand of power is. Going to be reloading for 6.5 grendel, 6.5x55, 7.62x39, 22-250 and 6mm remington.
On the 6.5x55, I'm going to be using 130 gr. Norma Golden Dot target bullets and a possible 120 gr. nosler BT and 160 gr. roundnose bullet.
7.62x39, either a SST or another bullet, havent decided yet.
6.5 grendel a 120 gr. Nosler BT.
What would be good powers to look at buying?
Proud Left hander!
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In the 6,5 I would choose N165 if chasing an accurate load and N560 if chasing a more speedy hunting load.
In the 22-250 my go-to with lighter bullets would be N150.
Have no experience with the other cartridges.
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Campfire Tracker
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Only one I have any experience with is N130, which is fairly fast, somewhere to the tune of 4198 burn rate. I've gotten very good accuracy with it in 303 Savage, 30-30, and 375 Win, and decent groups in the 300 Savage.
VV lists loads for it in the Grendel, 39 and 22-250. May be a bit too fast for the 6mm and Swede except for light loads.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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In the 6,5x55 I would choose N165 if chasing an accurate load and N560 if chasing a more speedy hunting load.
In the 22-250 my go-to with lighter bullets would be N150.
Have no experience with the other cartridges.
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Joined: Jun 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Vihtavuori powder is some of the best. Perhaps because it's made in Finland, its very temperature resistant--and as of 2-3 years ago, it all includes a decoppering agent.
The 100-series powders are single-based, and result in longer barrel life. The 500-series a double-based and result in somewhat higher velocities. So much of the choice depends on how often you shoot a particular rifle.
In the Grendel I found N540 worked very well with heavier bullets. In the 6.5x55 you might try their relatively new N555, which was partially introduced for use in the 6.5 Creedmoor, which has a similar case capacity.
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In the 6,5x55 I would choose N165 if chasing an accurate load and N560 if chasing a more speedy hunting load.
In the 22-250 my go-to with lighter bullets would be N150.
Have no experience with the other cartridges. Don't know that I would have added that modification. The N165 is a very solid performer in the 6.5-284, 6.5-06, and 6.5 PRC as well. Don't do double based powders, so no experience there...
Too close for irons, switching to scope...
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If you look at flame temp data, the 100 series has some very cool flame temps vs. other single base powders which should only help with barrel life
Too close for irons, switching to scope...
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I just started messing with it this year, and I'm definitely already a fan. I got the 130 cheap(ish) to test as a sub for the longtime near unobtanium H4198, and it has worked very well in that application.
If A2495 doesn't end up working out well as my H4895 sub in a gaggle of test loads I've cooked up but haven't shot yet, I may pick up some N135 to try in the spring.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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In the 6,5x55 I would choose N165 if chasing an accurate load and N560 if chasing a more speedy hunting load.
In the 22-250 my go-to with lighter bullets would be N150.
Have no experience with the other cartridges. Don't know that I would have added that modification. The N165 is a very solid performer in the 6.5-284, 6.5-06, and 6.5 PRC as well. Don't do double based powders, so no experience there... The OP also mentioned the little 6.5 Grendel, which wouldn't be very good with that class of powders. My modification was with respect to the cartridges originally asked about.
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Too close for irons, switching to scope...
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I use N160 by the 8 pounders and have for a good many years. 6.5 Swede to .30-06. In my reload logbook it is listed as 'most accurate' more than any other powder. That said, I never felt the need to chase the limits of velocity, so if that is your goal, the 165 may be a better choice (I have no history with it). If you find some, order the free VV reloading hand book. An excellent resource, because I think N160 is a little mis placed on American burn rate charts.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
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Vihtavuori powder is some of the best. Perhaps because it's made in Finland, its very temperature resistant--and as of 2-3 years ago, it all includes a decoppering agent.
The 100-series powders are single-based, and result in longer barrel life. The 500-series a double-based and result in somewhat higher velocities. So much of the choice depends on how often you shoot a particular rifle.
In the Grendel I found N540 worked very well with heavier bullets. In the 6.5x55 you might try their relatively new N555, which was partially introduced for use in the 6.5 Creedmoor, which has a similar case capacity. I have been wanting to try the N555 for awhile now for my 6.5x55, just haven't seen any in various MT locations and online. Have you seen any in MT?
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N140 + .223 65 thru 77 gr = great success.
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Some of it's tragic,
But I had a good life all the way."
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Yep. Good source of information. One problem is that they use a lot of Lapua bullets, Really good advice on what guys where using for powder and different bullets!
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In the 6,5x55 I would choose N165 if chasing an accurate load and N560 if chasing a more speedy hunting load.
In the 22-250 my go-to with lighter bullets would be N150.
Have no experience with the other cartridges. You are right, Math Man, thank you for the correction. I would make identical choice for the less common (there) 6,5x57R, which is essentially the same thing, and the 6,5x65R, virtually identical to the 6,5-06 as mentioned by Mike S.
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I shoot N165 in my 280 AI & N550 in my 300 WSM, both are very accurate. The VV powder took the work out of load development. So, i laid in a supply of both & can hunt the rest of my health duration with it.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day that a U.S. president would raise an army to invade his own country."
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Vihtavuori powder is some of the best. Perhaps because it's made in Finland, its very temperature resistant--and as of 2-3 years ago, it all includes a decoppering agent.
The 100-series powders are single-based, and result in longer barrel life. The 500-series a double-based and result in somewhat higher velocities. So much of the choice depends on how often you shoot a particular rifle.
In the Grendel I found N540 worked very well with heavier bullets. In the 6.5x55 you might try their relatively new N555, which was partially introduced for use in the 6.5 Creedmoor, which has a similar case capacity. I have been wanting to try the N555 for awhile now for my 6.5x55, just haven't seen any in various MT locations and online. Have you seen any in MT? Don't know, mostly because I have enough N555, so haven't been looking for it! But have generally found Sportsman's Warehouses here in Montana tend to stock VV powders more often than other stores.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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use N540 in one of my 6BR to turn out some very impressive groups at 600 yards
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Campfire Tracker
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Vihtavuori powder is some of the best. Perhaps because it's made in Finland, its very temperature resistant--and as of 2-3 years ago, it all includes a decoppering agent.
The 100-series powders are single-based, and result in longer barrel life. The 500-series a double-based and result in somewhat higher velocities. So much of the choice depends on how often you shoot a particular rifle.
In the Grendel I found N540 worked very well with heavier bullets. In the 6.5x55 you might try their relatively new N555, which was partially introduced for use in the 6.5 Creedmoor, which has a similar case capacity. I have been wanting to try the N555 for awhile now for my 6.5x55, just haven't seen any in various MT locations and online. Have you seen any in MT? Don't know, mostly because I have enough N555, so haven't been looking for it! But have generally found Sportsman's Warehouses here in Montana tend to stock VV powders more often than other stores. Yeah, I was in the Helena store a week ago. None there, but I'll keep looking. Thanks for the help.
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