Load Testing: VihtaVuouri N320 powder

[IDescribe]

Here's the target for the 115gr HAP with 4.5gr of N320.  Target at 15 yards.  That flyer was a flinch -- felt it and called it.

[painter]

I'd take a 99-8x.

[IDescribe]

I'd take a 99-8x.

Hah!  At 15 yards, two-handed, with a wrist rest, I can do that.  Off-hand at 25 yards, not yet.   


I stopped on the flinch to see where it went (possibly growled out a curse), and aside from where the flinch went, I saw only the group to the right.  I think the group to the right was the first few rounds, followed by the flinch, followed by the rest.

[IDescribe]

And regardless, that is pretty much the limit of my current ability.  My guess is that those rounds were absolute lasers, and every bit of spread on the paper is me.

[painter]

I'd take a 99-8x.

Hah!  At 15 yards, two-handed, with a wrist rest, I can do that.  Off-hand at 25 yards, not yet.   


I stopped on the flinch to see where it went (possibly growled out a curse), and aside from where the flinch went, I saw only the group to the right.  I think the group to the right was the first few rounds, followed by the flinch, followed by the rest.

Neither can I. I can't do it at 50 feet one handed either, but I'm getting better.

What's scary is I shoot with a guy that averaged 287 in our gallery league with .22 pistol.

[rtp]

If you ever dig up those MG 124gr JHPs, I've heard more than a few mentioning loading them similarly to the HAP or XTPs, so you may be on the light side.
I don't load with N320 (as of yet, anyways), but 3.7gr of TG with 124gr MG JHP@1.065" nets me a PF of 131 - may help in determining next batch of loads for you..

[IDescribe]

Thanks.  That will help.  I'm collecting 9mm load data for TG right now.

And I will find the 124gr MG.  It's not like I lifted something that heavy and threw it away without looking in the box.   

[Riptide439]

Joe's uncanny ability is an anomaly.  Us normal folk settle for much less! 

[painter]

Joe's uncanny ability is an anomaly.  Us normal folk settle for much less! 

While we may never reach Joe's level of prowess behind a trigger...

we'd do better if we put 10-20 K+ rounds downrange a year like he has.

His dedication is what has gotten him to that level as much as his natural talent.

It's fun...not easy...Right Joe?

[IDescribe]

While we may never reach Joe's level of prowess behind a trigger...

I've got at least 20 years before I concede that.

[Joe L]

So...on with the tests!  I am going to have to start reloading .45ACP or go back to the 9 this year, so I am very interested in how your ladders turn out.

Joe

[IDescribe]

I fired N320 with a new bullet today -- the XTReme 115gr HP, and I added two more charge weights to the 147gr ladder, and I shot 2 different loads through my VP9.  I'll color the HK VP9 data in blue so there's no confusion.

Bullet:      XTreme 115gr HP
Powder:      N320
Primers:      Federal SPP
Brass:         Starline -- virgin
OAL:           1.08

I knew from the data I'd already collected that this bullet would be fine at 4.0 grains, so I loaded 50 of them, thinking of maybe using this load for Steel Challenge.  I shot one string through the CZ75 and one string through the VP9, which is in blue. 

4.0gr     Avg fps - 1026  fps  | SD-16  | ES-42
4.0gr     Avg fps - 1016  fps  | SD-19  | ES-68 --- HK VP9

I'm blaming the weak standard deviations and extreme spreads on the light load.  The HK failed to eject one round, I suspect because it's so light, so this is probably not a fully functioning load in the HK.  I shot the other 30, as well, and accuracy was only so so.

___________________________________


Bullet:      XTreme 147 RN-HPCB
Powder:      N320
Primers:      Federal SPP
Brass:         Starline -- virgin
OAL:           1.16   

Normally, if I'm going to continue a ladder, I'll redo the highest one or two charges from the previous run so that I can see if the continuation lines up with the original, but I was lazy and started with the next charge weight.  Original ladder in italics.  VP9 load in blue.

3.1gr      Avg fps - 786  |  PF-115  | SD-8    | ES-27
3.2gr      Avg fps - 837  |  PF-123  | SD-27  | ES-78
3.3gr      Avg fps - 847  |  PF-125  | SD-20  | ES-60
3.4gr      Avg fps - 866  |  PF-127  | SD-15  | ES-40
3.5gr      Avg fps - 895  |  PF-132  | SD-7    | ES-22     
3.6gr      Avg fps - 910  |  PF-134  | SD-6    | ES-18
3.7gr      Avg fps - 924  |  PF-136  | SD-10  | ES-33
3.7gr      Avg fps - 919  |  PF-135  | SD-5    | ES-15  --- HK VP9


I was planning on reshooting the 124gr Xtreme HP ladder and continuing the 135gr Xtreme HP ladder.  However, the sun stopped that yet again.  I shot the 115gr XTReme HP strings over the chrono first thing this morning, and with the exception of one shot that registered over 3000 feet/sec (which obviously I dropped), it worked fine.  I moved on to the 135gr XTreme HPs, and the sun came out, and everything went to crap.  The RNs then chronoed fine.  It's only these XTreme HPs that are doing it, and I'm wondering if in addition to the bullets being super shiny that the shape of the hollowpoint cavity may be a problem.  The cavity isn't round.  It's hexagonal.  I know shiny bullets can sometimes cause problems with direct sunlight glinting off the nose into the chrono sensors, and I'm wondering if the six faces inside the cavity are reflecting light like a disco ball spinning spinning at 1200 revolutions per second.  I'm going to have to build a super screen for the chrono sometime soon.

That's it for now.  Still haven't loaded any TG.  Maybe today?  Maybe not.  I'll start a separate thread for that when I do.

[burlycz]

Thanks for your efforts and data IDescribe!

[1SOW]

Did you find your MGs?

[P01man]

Great info!! Thanks.

Since I have a good amount of N320, RMR 115 gr bullets (like Speer HP) and lots of mixed used brass,   I did a ladder starting at 3.8 grain up to 4.4 grain for steel specifically with my Czechmate set up in Limited config with a 11 lb recoil.  CCI 500 small pistol primers (also what I had).  OAL of 1.09 (I measured Czechmate barrel to take about 1.105 with this particular bullet).

While cases landed very close, 3.8 was very accurate - ragged edge at 15 yards.  Accurate held until about 4.2 grain and then fell rapidly.  Sorry - did not chrono since it was for steel - but my guess would be 4.1 - 4.2 for minor 125 pf based on how it felt.  I was wondering if I should go lower than 3.8 but given the cases were barely falling out, decided to skip it.