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Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:14 pm
by 45r
Thinking about 10 grains under 230 grain powder coated bullets should work.
Any pet loads for this hard to find powder would be appreciated.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:21 pm
by dellet
45r wrote:Thinking about 10 grains under 225 grain powder coated bullets should work.
Any pet loads for this hard to find powder would be appreciated.
Depends on you barrel length.

I would start at 10.5 and just very slightly compress the powder, maybe .010".

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:02 am
by 45r
Shot 17 rounds at 10.5 grains before it got dark and got groups around an inch to 1.5 inch at 60 yards.
I like this powder and think playing with seating depth it will be as good or better than the IMR-4227 I've been using.
It burns very clean like N-110 and N-105 and cycles better even with my gas block turned down a lot.
It should work real well with the DS264 PC bullet.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:57 am
by dellet
Were you able to get any velocity readings?

How was cold bore shot compared to the rest?

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:24 am
by 45r
Shot 10 more shots today after cleaning the barrel.
First round goes right about an inch and a half but next 4 went into 1/3 inch bug hole 2 inches high.
Next 5 had first shot do the same cold but next 4 went 3/4 inch 2 inches high.
Will chrono the load later (Been very hot out) and hopefully I can get the first round POI figured out.
Barrel is 10.5 inches.
Bullet is the NOE 311247 with the lube grooves removed and the bottom shaved 15 thou.
Col is 2.185 with CCI 400 primers.
Putting shots 2 thru 5 into a third inch shows the powder works.
If it didn't have the POI shift it would be GTG.
It's quiet also.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:09 pm
by Dr.Phil
I have had great success with 10.2 grains in a 10.5" Noveske barrel.
Very quiet, clean, and exceptionally low ES / SD numbers.

That same loads works with 200 grain cast all the way up to 220 SMKs.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:31 am
by 45r
Got the chrono out and worked up some N-120 loads for summertime shooting.
Seekins 10.5 inch barrel.Col=2.185
first group second group third group forth group
group #s are top to bottom
first 10 are at 10.5 grains
10.5 grains N-120 ****** 10.8 grains***** 10.8 grains seated further out to 2.23
1016 1001 1042 1028
1032 1046 1043 1031
1023 1033 1058 1042
1033 1030 1062 1029
1053 1040 1064 1034

Ballistic Advantage 8.3 barrel didn't like N-120 but likes W-296.
9.8 W-296 COL=2.22
1088
1081
1075
1080
1093 ES=18 fps

All loads were accurate.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:16 pm
by DoubleJ
10.0gr under a Palmetto Red 203 from my Leonidas gives almost exactly 1000 fps from LC brass.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:19 pm
by 45r
Shot some more today with the 10.8 grain load seated to 2.220.
First 5 shots went less than half inch at 60 yards but velocity went up tp 1080 average.
It was real humid after raining and maybe the high humidity bumped the average up 30fps.
I like the accuracy and during the summer going over 1050 fps won't sound to loud.
Shot some Noe 200 grain spire point bullets over 8.3 grains AA#9 in the 8.3 inch Ballistic Advantage barrel and it shot the same velocity but was very quiet with little recoil.
Probably going to switch to that since it had less noise and recoil than anything else I've tried in it.
First shot went 2.7 inches high and next 4 went 3/4 inch half inch high.
Have had first round POI issues with that barrel but can live with this load since horizonal was good.
Finally found a couple powders that will work well besides IMR4227 using PC cast bullets.

Re: Found some vihtavuori n-120!

Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:01 am
by Dr.Phil
45r wrote:Shot some more today with the 10.8 grain load seated to 2.220.
First 5 shots went less than half inch at 60 yards but velocity went up tp 1080 average.
It was real humid after raining and maybe the high humidity bumped the average up 30fps.
I like the accuracy and during the summer going over 1050 fps won't sound to loud.
Shot some Noe 200 grain spire point bullets over 8.3 grains AA#9 in the 8.3 inch Ballistic Advantage barrel and it shot the same velocity but was very quiet with little recoil.
Probably going to switch to that since it had less noise and recoil than anything else I've tried in it.
First shot went 2.7 inches high and next 4 went 3/4 inch half inch high.
Have had first round POI issues with that barrel but can live with this load since horizonal was good.
Finally found a couple powders that will work well besides IMR4227 using PC cast bullets.
AA#9 is good powder, but it has some disadvantages.
Your SD & ES will be much higher and consequentially, accuracy will suffer.
It also has major swings in velocity with minimal change in charge weight.

What you have come across, it the fact that faster burning powders produce much quieter subsonic loads.