Nosler silvertip and n160

foxyrich

Well-Known Member
Hi,

just picked up some nosler 95gr silvertip's but can't find much info on load data for n160. Has anyone a load worked up?

regards,

rich
 
Just after some reassurance from other reloaders as neither my lee, hornady or nosler list load data for the 95/100gr with viht n160.

Viht website quotes min charge 34.4 and max being 39.8 for a Speer grand slam 100g bullet, I presume is a hollow point, yet from a few random forum searches there seems to be a fallowing of using anywhere around 42-44gr.

viht list a 96gr tog brenneke start 40.1gr and max 45.2. I suppose this might a good starting point?
 
I use N160 with Nosler 90 & 95gr BT, also 85 gr Sierra HPBT, load for the 85 gr is 43.8 and for the 95 is 44 gr, both are toward the top end of load data from Nosler and Viht but these give me 1/2" groups and show no signs of pressure when seated 20 thou from lands using Lapua brass and Fed GM 210 primers in my Remmy 700. Of course you must work up your loads, start at around 40 gr.

RL19 gave great accuracy with the 95gr with a charge of 42.5gr but i changed to N160 as RL19 was more difficult to get hold of.
 
Foxy
When faced with this type of question I always draw a few graphs to help me "see" the trends of the variables.
I just did this with the start & max figures from the Vihtavuori N160 data & graphed them for all the bullets they list from 80 through 105 grains. Velocity on the vertical axis & powder charge on the horizontal.
I ended up with a lot of lines that are roughly parallel narrowing as the loads increase. - This is normal & indicates that Viht probably don't include any "bad data" in the chart.
The one line that stands out is the one you picked - it starts & ends lower than all the others. Soooo that bullet data is the odd man out. Or Viht had a brain fade during testing.
Most bullet graph lines start around the 37.5 figure so that is where I would start.
I'd load a couple at increments up to the a max of 42 grains (to start with) & fire them (starting at the low charge of course) over a chrono to see what velocity you get & look out for pressure signs.
Use the COAL indicated by Vihtavuori for these tests. If you get no pressure signs at the 42 grains , you could go further if you really want more velocity - Obviously proceed with care!
Stop firing any that exhibit pressure signs.
Then choose a load that gives you the velocity you want to work & load some more around that value to then see what load gives the best accuracy.
It is interesting to draw a further graph line using the loads & velocities that you actually achieve. If the line is clearly straight & doesn't start to bend, the odds are that you are going to get predictable & repeatable performance.
Unfortunately Vihtavuori don't publish pressure data. I like to graph that against charge & velocity too.

Ian
 
I also load Geco brass, 43 grains of Vit N160 behind 95g Nosler BST, CCI large primers, 20 thou off the lands. It gives me 2950 fps from my Sauer 22" barrel and fantastic accuracy. Super round for Fallow.
 
I don't get the correlation between what VV says, what other people use and what you want to achieve.
whichever way you slice it you are going to have to start at a low charge and work up for your rifle
its a guide

shoot smaller numbers of lower charges to prove pressure rather than accuracy
no point wasting 5 rounds at 34 if you are not looking for a reduced load, you are only shooting that level to prove there is no pressure issue with YOUR combination of brass, primer, powder lot, seating depth and chamber size.

once you get into the mid range of where you are likely to approach your target velocity shoot larger numbers of rounds at each charge level
 
Thanks for the replies and reassuring as I have also found three other sources for 95g nosler and n160.

Two are random posts saying 44gr and 44.5gr and then a post on nosler forum which also says 45gr. This sounds pretty much in the same region as nellyt and drew 3 above.

i have just fitted a new scope to the 243 so will start at 39gr/40gr and work, may aswell use the lower rounds to sight scope up at the same time!
 
44grns N160 under a 95grn Nosler Ballistic Tip gives me 3093fps (average), an 11fps extreme spread and very good accuracy.
 
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