Viht N160?

[wildfowler.250]

What’s everyone’s opinion on this powder? I’ve used it for years and still have a fairly large tub. Use it in the .270 and 6.5x55 but even with fairly punchy loads, I’ve always had sooty cases.

I use rcbs full length dies which I believe puts some crimp on the cases.

As I say, I’ve never had any terminal effect issues. It just seems a bit, unsatisfactory for want of a better word.

Reloader powerder better? At the cost of powder these days I can’t see me changing over just because but wanted to know what folk thought.


Thanks!

 

[Stevie/P]

have you annealed your brass
Barrel length especially 6.5x55 needs 24"
I use Norma in .270 never any sooty cases in .270. but yes in 6.5x55 changed to N550 solved the issue try a magnum primer rather than different powder

 

[wildfowler.250]

have you annealed your brass
Barrel length especially 6.5x55 needs 24"
I use Norma in .270 never any sooty cases in .270. but yes in 6.5x55 changed to N550 solved the issue try a magnum primer rather than different powder

I can’t say I have annealed. I thought that was to get more life out of your cases further down the road? I’ve got some new brass but the oldest has maybe been fired 3 times.

Will have a measure of the barrel length for interest. Cheers!

 

[Hornet]

I use it to good effect in my .25-06 never had a sooty case, but then I do crimp all my loads, irrespective of calibre, reloader 22 also produces excellent results, but sadly it's not available any more.

 

[ashray]

I use n160 20" barrel MAGNUM PRIMERS i use 46gr with 120 eld-m and 45gr with lapua scenar 139gr no shooty cases but if i use fed 210 instead of fed 215 i get slight sooting around a third of the lapua cases. try to avoid american made 6.5x55 case as they cause a few problem to my friends 6.5x55 !

 

[Border]

Seating the bullets deeper (shorter c.o.a.l), crimping and/ or increasing powder charge may help.

 

[Eric the Red]

You don't state barrel length or bullet weight used. N160 is right on the edge depending on these factors. My recommendation would be to move to a quicker powder as the sootiness may well be unburnt powder.
@ashray - 45gr is well down on capacity - my loads were 10gr more....

Reloder - almost unobtanium in this neck of the woods. I'd try Viht 150, 550, or even 555. Reload Swiss - RS60 or 62 should also deliver better performance - depending on bullet and barrel length.

 

[wildfowler.250]

I use it to good effect in my .25-06 never had a sooty case, but then I do crimp all my loads, irrespective of calibre, reloader 22 also produces excellent results, but sadly it's not available any more.

I use n160 20" barrel MAGNUM PRIMERS i use 46gr with 120 eld-m and 45gr with lapua scenar 139gr no shooty cases but if i use fed 210 instead of fed 215 i get slight sooting around a third of the lapua cases. try to avoid american made 6.5x55 case as they cause a few problem to my friends 6.5x55 !

Seating the bullets deeper (shorter c.o.a.l), crimping and/ or increasing powder charge may help.

You don't state barrel length or bullet weight used. N160 is right on the edge depending on these factors. My recommendation would be to move to a quicker powder as the sootiness may well be unburnt powder.
@ashray - 45gr is well down on capacity - my loads were 10gr more....

Reloder - almost unobtanium in this neck of the woods. I'd try Viht 150, 550, or even 555. Reload Swiss - RS60 or 62 should also deliver better performance - depending on bullet and barrel length.

Cheers folks. I’ll need to check the barrel, it’s a screw cut 75 but I don’t think there’s much off it.

I’m shooting 143 grain bullet at coal of 3.025” and 42.7 grains of N160. CCI br2s but running low on them now and eventually having to change to RWS.

Why a magnum primer? I was always under the impression that they weee for magnum calibers only? Although I do have one friend who uses them in his .270.

How much can you adjust the seating depth by? Find the lands and then between that and book c.o.a.l?

As I say, it’s been shooting deer very effectively in both for years but the soot is a bit unappealing. I should really get a chrono but again that’s more £££.


Cheers!

 

[wildfowler.250]

have you annealed your brass
Barrel length especially 6.5x55 needs 24"
I use Norma in .270 never any sooty cases in .270. but yes in 6.5x55 changed to N550 solved the issue try a magnum primer rather than different powder

I use n160 20" barrel MAGNUM PRIMERS i use 46gr with 120 eld-m and 45gr with lapua scenar 139gr no shooty cases but if i use fed 210 instead of fed 215 i get slight sooting around a third of the lapua cases. try to avoid american made 6.5x55 case as they cause a few problem to my friends 6.5x55 !

You don't state barrel length or bullet weight used. N160 is right on the edge depending on these factors. My recommendation would be to move to a quicker powder as the sootiness may well be unburnt powder.
@ashray - 45gr is well down on capacity - my loads were 10gr more....

Reloder - almost unobtanium in this neck of the woods. I'd try Viht 150, 550, or even 555. Reload Swiss - RS60 or 62 should also deliver better performance - depending on bullet and barrel length.

Folks I’ve measured the barrel and if I’ve done it correctly, looks like 22”,(very roughly from where the bolt closes/rifling starts).

N160 42.7 grains, 143 ELDX and cci br2.

Possibly need a chrono? I’m full length sizing. Terminal effect has always been fine on the deer but then, eldx should expand even at fairly slow velocities. Any thoughts behind the soot would be appreciated but essentially it must be sunburnt powder?

I used to see it in the .270 as well with the same powder & primers. Going by the price of powder would be expensive to change

 

[Dickie]

You could speak with Ed he rents chrono out.

 

[GCodeCritter]

I had some issues, with sooty necks being among them, in my 6.5x55 with n160.

I was just using large rifle primers though not magnum so need to give that a go...

I was getting massive ES over the chrono, like 150fps, but they did group ok. Far better than I thought they would for such a variance in speed.

However, I switched to n550 that my mate gave me a ¼ bottle of to try and saw a big improvement, both in overall speed and outright speeds. And also a lack of sooty necks.
So now I need to buy more 550 and wonder what im going to use the 160 for.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Sooty necks and ES is most likely a case issue unless you are running very very low starting pressures
You may have solved it by driving the pressure up with a faster powder

 

[Tarquin]

Soot is residue from burnt powder - not unburnt powder.
Its not unusual to see some soot a few mm down the neck.
If its down the case walls its because there is minimal or lack of obturation.
Lack of pressure, worn out cases, wrong weight bullet for twist rate etc

 

[Scipio]

Soot is residue from burnt powder - not unburnt powder.
Its not unusual to see some soot a few mm down the neck.
If its down the case walls its because there is minimal or lack of obturation.
Lack of pressure, worn out cases, wrong weight bullet for twist rate etc

interesting, could the lack of obturation also be down to overly strong resizing (back to saami specs) combined with a large chamber in the users rifle? And if so, could doing only partial FL resizing on once or more fired brass, for example bumping back the shoulder 2 thousands only, be a possible solution?

But is this a reoccuring theme with viht powders in particular, because i do seem to remember reading other posts about sooting problems, and i think that was also from shooters using viht.