Vihtavuori Load Data

Vihtavuoris N150 multipurpose rifle powder is one of Vihtavuoris most popular reloading products. It is commonly used with heavier bullets in accuracy loads and hunting loads in cartridges with middle case volumes, like the .30-06 Springfield, the .308 Winchester and the 6,5x55 SE. The N150 is one of, if not the best, all-rounder powder for European hunting calibers.  N150 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,3 mm length and 1,1 mm diameter and the nearly symmetrical shape makes it a good companion for all kinds of reloading equipment. The burn rate of the N150 is on the medium scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders. It is also one of Vihtavuoris most temperature insensitive powders, and thanks to the added decoppering agent, the coppering of the rifle barrel is minor even when using copper bullets.

Vihtavuoris N160 rifle powder is especially suitable for large and magnum calibers (especially belted Magnums) starting from 30-06 with heavier bullets, .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55 SE, 7 mm Weatherby Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum and all the Winchester Short Magnums. It also fits large capacity/small bore cartridges like the 6.5-284 Norma. N160 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,3 mm length and 1,1 mm diameter. The burn rate of is medium to slow on the scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders. The N160 is commonly used for big game hunting ammunition especially with heavier bullets.

Vihtavuoris N550 rifle powder was originally developed for .30-06 Springfield and .308 Win. calibers in the late 90s. The N550 is an ideal fit for many of the 30 caliber magnums with lighter bullets, but also useful across a wide range of bore sizes in various shooting disciplines. It is an excellent powder for .30-06 Springfield hunting rounds with heavier bullets, and also for other more powerful loads of 6,5x55 SE, .308 Winchester plus many others.  The N550 is tubular powder type with symmetrical grain dimensions of 1,0 mm length and 1,0 mm diameter. As with all of Vihtavuoris N500 series powders, nitroglycerine has been added to the traditional single base powder to get better energy content. The burning rate of N550 is similar to that of the N150 rifle powder and its on the medium scale of Vihtavuoris high energy powders. Higher velocity is acquired with equal pressure compared to the N100 series - without increased wear on the rifle!

Vihtavuoris new N555 smokeless rifle powder is designed for precision rifle platforms chambered in cartridges such as 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .284 Winchester, .260 Remington and .30-06 Springfield and for rifle calibers with large case volume and comparatively small bullet diameters, among others. Competitive shooters and hunters will benefit from the powders insensitivity in extreme weather conditions. The most temperature stable reloading powder in its class, N555 features unprecedented performance in the 6.5 Creedmoor. Like all Vihtavuoris reloading powders, N555 includes an anti-fouling agent that minimizes barrel fouling to extend the length of yVihtavuoris competitive shooting stages. The unmatched lot-to-lot consistency of the N555 also eliminates costly range time re-developing yVihtavuoris favorite loads. The energy content of N555 is 3700 J/g, bulk density is 900 g/l.The burn rate of N555 is between N550 and N160.

When youre aiming for exceptional long-range performance, N165 is yVihtavuoris choice of rifle powder! Vihtavuori N165 is a universal powder for magnum rifle calibers with heavy bullets. It works especially well in .338 Lapua Magnum with 250 gr bullets, but can be used for handloading a wide variety of calibers ranging from 6,5x55 SE all the way to .416 Rigby. The N165 powder grains are exactly the same size (1,3 mm length x 1,0 mm diameter) as those of its big brother N160, but the surface coating creates the difference in burning characteristics. N165 is a very slow burning rifle powder, making it a superior choice for the same range of cartridges as N160 when using heavier bullets. As slightly higher velocities can be achieved with N165, it is an excellent choice for long-range shooting and big game hunting.

Vihtavuoris N560 rifle powder is especially suitable to bring power to large and magnum calibers, for example .270 Winchester, 6,5-284, 7 mm Remington Magnum, 7 mm Weatherby Magnum and even the .416 Rigby. This rifle powder is also very good choice for handloading the .338 Lapua Magnum when using lighter bullets of 250 grains or less. The N560 powder is a tubular type with a fairly large grain with dimensions of 1,4 mm length and 1,2 mm diameter. The burn rate of is slow on the scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders, between the N160 and N165. The N560 is similar to N100 series, but nitroglycerine has been added to it to get better energy content. The 500 series High Energy powders are mainly used in rifle cartridges where some extra energy content is needed to achieve bigger loading densities and higher muzzle velocities within the limits of maximum pressure. So, you get better velocity with the same pressure than with for instance the N165. The N560 is commonly used for big game hunting and sniper ammunition especially for larger caliber rifles. Especially in long distance hunting situations with reasonable calibers and bullets, the N560 magnum powder shows unbelievable performance.

Designed to fill the gap between Vihtavuori N560 and N570 high energy rifle powders, the N565 was created specifically for the .338 Lapua Magnum with 250 gr bullets. In addition to a precisely tailored burn rate, this powder is extremely temperature stable, giving uniform results across a wide range of environments. Weve also incorporated improved hygroscopic stability and Vihtavuoris new decoppering agent to ensure a cleaner barrel when shooting. N565 is also REACH compliant without DNT or phthalates. Physically, N565 grains have the same size as those of the N560 powder. As all Vihtavuori powders, it flows smoothly through powder measures and ensures good loadability and uniformity. The burn rate of the powder is a bit closer to N570, roughly splitting the difference between the two. Vihtavuori N565 is a single perforated extruded powder, having a bulk density of 960 g/l and an energy content of 4000 J/g. While N565 was developed specifically for military sniping applications, it also has a wide range of sporting uses, particularly within long range shooting and ELR. The N565 will prove to be an ideal choice for calibers such as the 7mm Rem. Magnum, the .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .300 Norma Mag as well as the .338 Norma Mag.

Vihtavuori N170 is the slowest burning rifle powder in the N100 series (not taking 20N29 and 24N41 into account) and in fact one of the slowest canister-grade powders readily available from any manufacturer on the market. As with all of Vihtavuoris rifle powders, N170 grains are of the cylindrical, single-perforated extruded type. With a length of 1,7 mm and a diameter of 1,1 mm, the grain size is relatively large. As a very slow burning reloading powder, N170 is a top choice for very large capacity cases such as the .300 Weatherby Mag. and .300 Remington Ultra Mag. and also offers good performance in most of the belted Magnum cartridges. The N170 powder is used by reloaders in shooting disciplines such as long-range big-game hunting and target shooting.

Vihtavuoris N570 rifle powder is one of the more recent products in Vihtavuoris high-energy powder family. It was developed at the request of magnum cartridge reloaders. Vihtavuori realized that this kind of powder was desired yet lacking on the market, so Vihtavuori decided to develop N570 to meet Vihtavuoris customers needs. The characteristics of this high energy powder with its large grain size and high bulk density are developed to bring out the maximum velocities of cartridges with very large volume cases like the 6,5-.284 Norma, the .300 Winchester Magnum, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum. Vihtavuori N570 is very well suited for long-range target shooting and in military applications with big volume cartridges.  N570 is the slowest of Vihtavuoris high-energy powders and is an extruded, tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 2,3 mm length and 1,3 mm diameter. Due to the large kernel size (similar to 24N41 and 20N29), Vihtavouri recommend you to always weigh Vihtavuoris N570 charges rather than relying on throws from powder measures, as they do not always deliver consistent charges. This way you can avoid under or over-charging cases. Like all of Vihtavuoris N500 series rifle powders, the N570 is manufactured from Vihtavuoris own high-quality nitro-cellulose with grains impregnated with nitroglycerine and non-energetic additives. The result: increased muzzle velocity without increased chamber pressure and without increased wear on the gun!

Vihtavuori 24N41 is a single-based treated rifle powder very similar to the 20N29. It has a very large grain size (length 2,3 mm by diameter 1,3 mm) and an extremely slow burning rate ideally suited to the .50 BMG. It can also be used for some large capacity cases, such as the .300 Lapua Magnum, .300 Rem. Ultra Mag, and the .338 Lapua Magnum. Of the two, 24N41 is slightly faster than 20N29, with a renewed relative burning rate of 39 for the 24N41 compared to 36 for the 20N29, when N110 is given the index 100.

Vihtavuori rifle powder was originally developed for .50 BMG and for military use, and even the name 20N29 originates from the Finnish Army standards. 20N29 is a single-based, surface treated powder with grain dimensions of 2,3 mm length and 1,3 mm diameter. The burning rate is slower and grain size larger than those of the N100 series powders. 20N29 is primarily used in large caliber and magnum applications with heavy bullets and in long-range target shooting. It is ideally suited for the .50 BMG, but has also gained a good reputation when used eg. in .300 Lapua Magnum and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum.

Vihtavuori are proud to introduce a new heavy weight champion in Vihtavuori's N500 rifle powder series: N568. The slow burning characteristics and short-cut grains of the new Vihtavuori N568 high energy gun powder provide extremely consistent metering for long range competitive shooters, accuracy enthusiasts, and hunters alike.N568 excels with heavy-for-caliber projectiles and provides exceptional temperature stability. As with all Vihtavuori's reloading powders, it's also insensitive to humidity changes. Vihtavuori N568 is the perfect choice for today's most popular large capacity cartridges, including 6.5 PRC, .300 PRC, .338 Lapua Magnum, and an assortment of classic belted magnums such as 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum.

Well-known for its accuracy and extremely clean burning, the N310 is used by pistol shooters reloading calibers from .32 S&W Long Wadcutter up to .45 ACP and many others requiring accurate handgun loads. The N310 is Vihtavuoris fastest burning handgun powder and the top choice for the competitive Bullseye pistol shooter. Vihtavuori N310, known as N14 back in the old days, is a single-base, tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 0,7 mm length and 0,6 mm diameter. Thanks to its small size and almost symmetrical grain size, the powder flows smoothly and meters well in reloading measures. As with Vihtavuoris other N300 series powders, N310 is a porous powder, in fact one of Vihtavuoris most porous powder types. Porosity is a key factor influencing burning characteristics of powders, the more porous the powder, the faster the achieved burning rate. Vihtavuori N310 is often used for light target loads, paired with light bullets, but it also works with heavier bullets. As a very versatile powder, it is suitable also for loading shotshells and is in fact used by shotgun ammunition manufacturers in their premium cartridges with light 24 gram target loads. The N310 is also used by many blank ammunition manufacturers.

The N320, formerly known as 3N22, is a fast burning, porous handgun powder. N320 is one of Vihtavuoris most popular handgun powders and can be used for a wide range of pistol calibers from .32 to .45. It is most commonly used by sport and hobby shooters such as Cowboy Action shooters, but as a very reliable gun powder it is also suitable for authority applications. The powder type is tubular, with grain dimensions 1,1 mm x 0,8 mm (length x diameter), and as all Vihtavuoris reloading powders it includes the added decoppering agent.

The N32C (TIN STAR) is a specialized powder intended to provide low bulk density for cartridges that were originally designed for Cowboy Action Shooters shooting lead bullets with single-action revolvers and lever-action rifles. The use of more conventional gun powder results in poor load density, and fails to adequately fill the case. Vihtavuoris N32C corrects this problem, and is ideally suited to many of the older cartridges used in Cowboy Action shooting, such as the .38 Special, .44 Special and .45 Colt. The biggest benefit of N32C is its high loading volume. This porous powder fills the case much better than most conventional smokeless propellants, providing the loading density needed for those classic black powder cartridges. Compared to N320, the case filling ratio can be up to 50% higher. This also makes the powder safer to use - a reloader wont be able to make double or triple loads in big volume cases by accident. Tin Star gives reliable ignition in all conditions, burns clean and leaves very little fouling or residue. It meters easily, making the task of producing high quality and uniform loads that you can depend on just that much easier. Handloads that you can depend on, shot, after shot, after shot. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star delivers! Other than being ideally suited to many of the older cartridges used in Cowboy Action Shooting, N32C is also very suitable for several other pistol calibers. It is also used for subsonic and blank loads.

N330 handgun powder provides a wide range of latitude for the handgun shooter, serving well for everything from light target to heavier high-velocity loadings. This is a versatile, medium burning N300-series powder suitable for an exceptionally broad range of applications, especially designed for 9 mm Luger but also suitable for .38 Special, .40 S&W, .44 S&W Special and .45 Colt. This powder provides a wide range of latitude for the handgun reloader, serving well for all kinds of shooting disciplines from light target to heavier high-velocity loadings. The grain length is 1,0 mm and the diameter is 0,8 mm. Its suitable for an exceptionally broad range of sport shooting applications.

Formerly known as 3N18, the N340 is a true multipurpose powder, developed originally for 9 mm and shotshell loads. This pistol powder is one of the most popular powders in the Vihtavuori N300 series, and it can be used for a wide variety of calibers and bullet weights, making it the perfect partner for all kinds of reloading purposes. The N340 is used especially for medium and large caliber pistols and shotshells with medium and heavy loads. N340 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,0mm length and 0,8 mm diameter. Exactly the same grain size as with powder N320, N330 and N350 - only the porosity of the powder changes.The burning rate of the N340 is at the medium scale of Vihtavuori handgun powders - and as with powder N320, with N340 extremely clean burning and no residuals is guaranteed.

As the burning speed of N350 is at the slow end of Vihtavuoris handgun powders, it is ideal for very heavy and top end velocities and energies for a broad range of pistol and revolver cartridges. N350 is widely used in pistol shooting and especially in practical shooting. N350 works excellent also in shotgun shooting with heavy hunting loads, especially with 36 gr loads or more. Saty tuned for shotgun reloading data in the future!

Vihtavuoris 3N37 handgun powder was originally developed for .22 rimfire cartridges, but has since proven to be very versatile and desirable within all competitive handgun shooting disciplines. The 3N37 is tubular, porous powder type with grain dimensions of 0,6 mm length and 0,6 mm diameter. The symmetrical grain size makes metering a breeze in powder measures. The burning rate of the 3N37 is close to N350 and on the medium scale of Vihtavuoris handgun powders. This is an excellent powder for 9 mm major loads for IPSC open competitions and its very popular in USPSA and IPSC practical pistol shooting disciplines. In addition to practical shooting, 3N37 is also widely used as a submachine gun powder. As all of Vihtavuoris powders, 3N37 offers consistent, extreme precision, with clean burning - and that is why it is used by the best shooters in the world. Interesting fact: 3N37 was used back in the 1940s by Sako for loading 9mm submachine gun cartridges.

Vihtavuoris 3N38 powder is designed especially for competitive handgun shooting with high-velocity loads in 9 mm and .40 S&W cartridges. Its a single-based, tubular powder type, and one of Vihtavuoris small granule powders (0,6 mm length x 0,6 mm diameter). The 3N38 is a popular powder for practical shooting especially among IPSC and USPSA shooters. A relatively slow-burning powder, 3N38 is a perfect choice for making Major loads with good accuracy and clean-burning characteristics, for which Vihtavuori is renowned.

N105 Super Magnum is Vihtavuoris slowest burning pistol powder, intended for the most powerful handgun cartridges in use today, particularly with heavy bullets and/or large case volume. Many of these specialized rounds operate at rifle pressures. Delivering this type of shooting performance is precisely what prompted the development of N105. For such powerhouse calibers as the .454 Casull or .500 S&W, N105 is an excellent reloading powder choice.

The N110 powder, formerly known as 4N19 and N3SS, is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,1 mm length and 0,8 mm diameter. The N110 is Vihtavuoris fastest burning powder on Vihtavuoris scale of rifle powders, making it a versatile product that can be used for pistol and rifleloadings. The ignition is best with small rifle primers, and its suitable especially for small rifle cases like .22 Hornet, .30 Carbine, but also Magnum pistol and revolver cartridges like .357 S&W Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull and .500 S&W. This powder is one of the favorites for hunting and varminting loads.

The N120 rifle powder by Vihtavuori works great in small calibers with light bullets and in short barrel rifles, especially in .222 Remington and 7,62x39. Formerly known as N 21, the powder is well-known and used also by the Finnish Army. The burning speed of N120 is fast in the scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders, slightly slower than that of the N110. Vihtavuori N120 needs higher pressure than N110 in order to optimize the burning. The grain size is actually the smallest in Vihtavuoris rifle powder family: only 0,8 mm length and 0,6 mm diameter. As with Vihtavuoris other small sized powders, this makes the loadability and use in powder measures super easy. Vihtavuori N120 gunpowder is used by many sport shooters, short-range target shooters and small game hunters.

Vihtavuori rifle powder N130, formerly known as N303, is a multipurpose powder for various rifle calibers, and suitable especially for small game hunting and target shooting. The N130 is used in many factory loaded caliber .22 and 6 mm PPC cartridges. It is also an excellent handloading match for lighter bullets in caliber .223 Remington and for straight-wall rifle cases like the .45-70 Government and the .458 Winchester Magnum. The N130 is a single-base, tubular rifle powder type with grain dimensions of 1,0 mm length and 0,6 mm in diameter. On Vihtavuoris scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders, the burning rate is relatively fast. Fun fact: The grain size of N130 is exactly the same as with N133 and N135, but due to differences in surface coatings, the burning behaviVihtavuoris of these powders is different.

Originally developed for 5.56 Nato cartridge, Vihtavuoris N133 is a multipurpose rifle powder for centerfire .22 cartridges and PPC caliber cartridges. N133 is a tubular powder with grain dimensions of 1,1 mm length and 0,8 mm diameter. The burn rate is medium in the scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders, and it works like a charm with .223 Remington, and practical shooters and other using the AR-15 will know the utmost quality of the N133. It is also a supreme choice for handloaders shooting 6 PPC standard rifle, and benchrest shooters all over the world rely on the combination of the Lapua .220 Russian brass and Vihtavuori N133 powder. This is probably the most popular powder in 100 meters and 200 meters bench rest shooting competitions: a countless number of competitions have been won using this reloading powder!

The N530 is the fastest burning of all Vihtavuori high-energy rifle powders. Its a great choice for the reloading hunter when flat trajectory and reasonable velocity is needed, like in fox hunting. N530 is also an ideal rifle powder for many of the smaller bottle-necked cases like the .223 Rem or some other 5,56 mm solution, or for large straight-walled cases such as the .45-70 Springfield. It is also a good powder for medium capacity cases like the .308 Win. when using lighter weight bullets of 155 grains or less. The N530 was originally developed and qualified for 5.56 mm x 45 (Cal .223 Rem.) in military use (NATO), but these days its used in a versatile range of loads in cartridges like the .308 Win., 9,3 x 62, .45-70 Government and .458 Win. Mag.

Developed originally for 7.62x51 NATO M80 Ball, Vihtavuoris N135 is today a universal gun powder which is used by reloaders for a large range of calibers from .222 Remington to .458 Winchester Magnum. The N135 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,0 mm length and 0,8 mm diameter. The burn rate is medium on the scale of Vihtavuoris rifle powders. Interesting fact: N135, N133 and N130 all have exactly the same grain dimensions, but due to the different surface coating the burning behavior of the powders varies. N135 is used especially by medium game hunters and long-range target shooters.

The N140 powder was originally developed for the 7,62x53R cartridge for the Finnish Army in the early years of Vihtavuoris history. Up to this day, it has remained as one of Vihtavuoris best-selling powder types of all times. N140 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,0 mm length and 0,9 mm diameter. The structure, grain geometry and graphite coating makes it work excellent in all reloading machines and dosing is super easy. The N140 powder burns at a medium speed on Vihtavuoris scale of rifle powders, making it a versatile handloading powder for both small game hunting and sport shooting applications. N140 is not the choice if you try to reach highest muzzle velocity possible, but it is certainly the choice if you try to get best possible accuracy. This powder is a true multipurpose powder, which can be used for a large range of calibers from .223 Remington to .308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield and .375 H&H Magnum, just to name few.

Vihtavuori N540 is a universal rifle powder for wide variety of medium-sized calibers suitable for both hunting and target shooting. It is an excellent choice for cartridges running from .223/5.56 mm to .308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield with heavier bullet weights. Vihtavuori N540 delivers outstanding accuracy with exceptionally clean burning. Due to the extra energy content that all of Vihtavuoris N500 series powders include, a velocity up to 30-40 m/s higher can be achieved with the same pressure level compared to the equal in the N100 Vihtavuori series. It is certainly worth trying when using heavier bullets and when higher loading densities and muzzle velocities are needed! Thanks to its symmetrical size (1,0 mm length and 1,0 mm diameter), N540 meters well in reloading equipment and makes loading super easy.