Powder

N110 is the fastest-burning powder on our rifle-powder scale, making it a versatile product suitable for both pistol and rifle loads. It ignites best with small rifle primers and is especially well suited to small rifle cases such as the .22 Hornet and .30 Carbine, as well as Magnum-class pistol and revolver cartridges – the .357 S&W Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull and .500 S&W. It works exceptionally well for similar high-performance revolver cartridges. This powder is one of the favourites for hunting and varminting loads.

Vihtavuori N120 powder is ideally suited to small-calibre cartridges with light bullets and to short-barrelled rifles, especially the .222 Remington and 7.62×39. Previously known as N 21, this powder is widely recognised and used even by the Finnish Army.

N120’s burn rate on our powder scale is fast – slightly slower than N110. Vihtavuori N120 requires higher pressure than N110 for optimal burning. The grain size is the smallest in our entire powder family: just 0.8 mm long and 0.6 mm in diameter. As with our other fine-grained powders, this ensures very easy charging and use in powder measures.

Vihtavuori N120 powder is chosen by many sport shooters, short-range target shooters and small-game hunters.

Vihtavuori N130 powder, previously known as N303, is a versatile powder suitable for various rifle calibres, especially for small-game hunting and target shooting.

N130 is used in many factory-loaded .22-calibre and 6 mm PPC cartridges. It is also perfectly suited to handloading with lighter bullets in the .222 and .223 Remington calibres, as well as straight-walled rifle cases such as the .45-70 Government and .458 Winchester Magnum.

N130 is a single-base, tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.0 mm long and 0.6 mm in diameter. On our powder scale its burn rate is relatively fast. Interesting fact: the grain size of N130 is exactly the same as N133 and N135, but due to different surface coatings the burning properties of these powders differ.

The legendary N133 powder is the primary choice of most leading benchrest competitors and conventional rifle shooters – an incredible number of currently standing benchrest records have been set with it. N133 is ideally suited to the 6 mm PPC calibre, yet versatile enough to serve a wide range of other cartridges perfectly. It is an excellent choice for those calibres that require a relatively fast-burning powder – from the .222 Rem. to the .45-70 Govt.

Originally developed for the 5.56 NATO cartridge, Vihtavuori N133 is a versatile powder for centerfire .22-calibre and PPC-calibre cartridges.

N133 is a tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.1 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter. Its burn rate on our powder scale is medium – it performs flawlessly with .223 Remington cartridges, and practical-shooting competitors and other AR-15 users know the top quality of N133 very well. It is also an exceptional choice for those handloading 6 PPC standard rifle cartridges, and benchrest shooters worldwide trust the combination of the Lapua .220 Russian case and Vihtavuori N133 powder. It is perhaps the most popular powder in 100- and 200-metre benchrest competitions – countless competitions have been won with this load powder!

Vihtavuori N135 is a relatively fast powder distinguished by exceptional accuracy, velocity and stable properties. This powder is an excellent choice for .308 Winchester loads with bullets lighter than 155 grains. N135 is also perfectly suited to cartridges such as the 6 mm BR Norma, .222 and .223 Rem, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5×47 Lapua, as well as large straight-walled cases such as the .458 Win. Mag.

Originally developed for the 7.62×51 NATO M80 Ball cartridge, Vihtavuori N135 is today a versatile powder used by handloaders for a wide range of calibres – from the .222 Remington to the .458 Winchester Magnum.

N135 is a tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter. Its burn rate on our powder scale is medium. Interesting fact: N135, N133 and N130 have exactly the same grain dimensions, but due to different surface coatings the burning properties of these powders differ.

N135 is especially favoured by medium-game hunters and long-range target shooters.

Vihtavuori N140 is an incredibly versatile powder, perfectly suited to a wide range of calibres and bullet weights. From the .223 Remington with heavy bullets to full-size giants such as the .375 H&H Magnum, Vihtavuori N140 is an ideal load-powder choice. Delivering good velocity, clean burning and exceptional stability, this powder is a standard choice for a wide assortment of cartridges.

N140 powder was originally developed for the 7.62×53R cartridge for the Finnish Army in the early years of Vihtavuori’s history. To this day it has remained one of the best-selling powders of all time.

N140 is a tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.0 mm long and 0.9 mm in diameter. Its structure, grain geometry and graphite coating ensure excellent performance in all loading machines, and metering is extremely easy. N140 powder burns at a medium rate on our powder scale, making it a versatile load powder for both small-game hunting and sport shooting.

N140 is not the choice if you are after the highest possible muzzle velocity, but it certainly is the choice if you are after the best possible accuracy. This powder is a true multi-purpose powder that can be used for a wide range of calibres – from the .223 Remington to the .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and .375 H&H Magnum, to name just a few.

Vihtavuori N150 is a slow-burning powder, perfectly suited to most common medium-sized cartridges when used with heavier bullets in accuracy and hunting loads. N150 is an excellent choice for 185–220 grain bullets in the .30-06, 140–160 grain bullets in the 6.5×55 and 175–200 grain bullets in the .308 Win. Combining Vihtavuori’s latest copper-fouling-reducing technology and improved temperature stability, N150 is an extremely versatile powder offering plenty of possibilities for even the most demanding handloader.

The Vihtavuori N150 multi-purpose powder is one of our most popular loading products. It is often used with heavier bullets in accuracy and hunting loads for medium-capacity cases such as the .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester and 6.5×55 SE. N150 is one of the best, if not the best, multi-purpose powders for European hunting calibres.

N160 is a slow-burning powder, perfectly suited to a wide range of Magnum calibres and large-capacity, small-bore cartridges such as the 6.5-284 Norma. It is an ideal powder for use with the 270 Win, .25-06 Rem and various belted Magnum cartridges. Vihtavuori N160 is an excellent choice for light and medium-weight bullets in these cartridges, offering temperature stability and exceptionally clean burning.

Vihtavuori N160 powder is especially suited to large and Magnum calibres (particularly belted Magnums) – starting with the 30-06 with heavier bullets, the .243 Winchester, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×55 SE, 7 mm Weatherby Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum and all Winchester Short Magnum cartridges. It is also suitable for large-capacity, small-bore cartridges such as the 6.5-284 Norma.

Vihtavuori N165 is a very slow-burning powder, making it an excellent choice for the same cartridges as Vihtavuori N160 when heavier bullets are used. N165 with these bullets delivers slightly higher velocity, making it a smart choice for the handloader aiming for long-range performance. With heavy bullets, N165 powder ensures excellent accuracy across a range of calibres – from the 6.5×55 SE to the .416 Rigby, and it is one of the best choices for the .338 Lapua Magnum calibre.

Vihtavuori N165 is a versatile powder for Magnum-class rifle calibres with heavy bullets. It works especially well in the .338 Lapua Magnum with 250-grain bullets, but can be used to load a wide range of calibres – from the 6.5×55 SE to the .416 Rigby.

N165 powder grains are exactly the same size (1.3 mm long x 1.0 mm in diameter) as those of its “big brother” N160, but the surface coating accounts for the differences in burning properties.

N170 is the slowest-burning powder in the Vihtavuori N100 series, recommended for very large-capacity cases such as the .300 Weatherby Mag. and .300 Rem Ultra Mag. This powder offers good properties in most belted Magnum cartridges. Vihtavuori N170 is one of the slowest-burning canister-grade powders offered by any manufacturer.

Vihtavuori N170 is the slowest-burning powder in the N100 series (apart from the 20N29 and 24N41) and, in fact, one of the slowest-burning canister-grade powders offered on the market by any manufacturer. Like all our powders, the N170 grains are cylindrical, single-channel perforated extruded shapes. At 1.7 mm long and 1.1 mm in diameter, the grains are relatively large.

Vihtavuori offers two powders specifically intended for the .50 BMG case: the 24N41 and the 20N29. These are single-base, surface-treated powders featuring very large grains and an extremely slow burn rate, ideally suited to the .50 BMG cartridge.

Vihtavuori 24N41 is a single-base, surface-treated powder very similar to the 20N29. Its grains are very large (2.3 mm long and 1.3 mm in diameter) and the burn rate is extremely slow, ideally suited to the .50 BMG cartridge. It can also be used for some large-capacity cases such as the .300 Lapua Magnum, .300 Rem. Ultra Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum.

Of these two powders, the 24N41 is slightly faster than the 20N29 – the updated relative burn rate is 39 (24N41) compared with 36 (20N29), where N110 is assigned an index of 100.

This Vihtavuori powder was originally developed for the .50 BMG cartridge and for military use, and even the name 20N29 derives from Finnish Army standards.

Vihtavuori offers two powders specifically intended for the .50 BMG case: the 24N41 and the 20N29. These are single-base, surface-treated powders featuring very large grains and an extremely slow burn rate, ideally suited to the .50 BMG cartridge. They are also suitable for some other very large-capacity cartridges such as the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. Of these two powders, the 24N41 is slightly faster than the 20N29 – the updated relative burn rates are 39 (24N41) and 36 (20N29), where N110 is assigned an index of 100.

The 20N29 is a single-base, surface-treated powder with grain dimensions of 2.3 mm long and 1.3 mm in diameter. Its burn rate is slower and its grains larger than those of the N100 series powders. The 20N29 is used mainly in large-calibre and Magnum-class cartridges with heavy bullets and in long-range target shooting. It is ideally suited to the .50 BMG cartridge, but has also earned a good reputation in, for example, the .300 Lapua Magnum and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum calibres.

Widely known for its accuracy and exceptionally clean burning, N310 is used by pistol shooters loading a range of calibres – from the .32 S&W Long Wadcutter to the .45 ACP and many others requiring precise pistol loads. N310 is the fastest-burning of our pistol powders and the best choice for the professional Bullseye pistol shooter. Vihtavuori N310, known in the old days as N14, is a single-base, tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 0.7 mm long and 0.6 mm in diameter. Thanks to its small size and almost symmetrical grain shape, the powder flows smoothly and meters well in loading measures. Like our other N300 series powders, N310 is porous – in fact, one of the most porous of our powders. Porosity is an essential factor determining a powder’s burning properties: the more porous the powder, the faster the burn rate achieved. Vihtavuori N310 is often used for light target loads with light bullets, but it also performs excellently with heavier bullets. As an extremely versatile powder, it is also suitable for loading shotshells – in fact, shotshell manufacturers use it in their top-class cartridges with light 24-gram target loads. N310 is also used by many blank-cartridge manufacturers.

N320, previously known as 3N22, is a fast-burning pistol load powder intended for light and medium-range target loads – cartridges from the 9 mm and .38 Special to the .44 Special and 45 ACP. It can reach a higher velocity at acceptable pressure than N310 and gives the handloader a little more versatility at the loading bench.

N320 is one of our most popular pistol powders and can be used for a wide range of pistol calibres – from the .32 to the .45. It is most often chosen by sport and amateur shooters, such as Cowboy Action shooting participants, but as an extremely reliable powder it is also suitable for service use. It is a tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.1 mm x 0.8 mm (length x diameter) and, like all our load powders, it has an added copper-fouling-reducing additive.

N330 pistol powder gives the pistol shooter broad possibilities, perfectly suited to everything from light target loads to heavier high-velocity loads. It is a versatile powder suitable for an exceptionally wide range of applications – specifically developed for the 9 mm Luger calibre, but also suitable for the .38 Special, .40 S&W, .44 S&W Special and .45 Colt cartridges.

This powder gives the pistol handloader broad possibilities and serves excellently across all shooting disciplines – from light target loads to heavier high-velocity loads. Grain length – 1.0 mm, diameter – 0.8 mm. It is suitable for an exceptionally wide range of sport-shooting applications.

Vihtavuori N340 is a flexible powder, perfectly suited to medium- and high-intensity high-velocity pistol loads. N340 works excellently in high-intensity cartridges such as the .357 and .44 Magnum, 40 S&W and .357 SIG. The wide application range of N340 powder includes, for example, the following pistol cartridges: 9 mm Luger, 9×21 mm, .38 Super Auto, .38 Special, 10 mm AUTO, .44 S&W Special, .45 ACP and .45 Colt.

Previously known as 3N18, N340 is a true multi-purpose powder, originally developed for 9 mm and shotshell loads. This pistol powder is one of the most popular in the Vihtavuori N300 series and can be used for a wide range of calibres and bullet weights, making it an excellent partner for all loading tasks. N340 is especially often used for medium- and large-calibre pistols and shotshells with medium- and heavy-weight loads.

N340 is a tubular-type powder with grain dimensions of 1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter. This is exactly the same grain size as the N320, N330 and N350 powders – only the powder’s porosity differs. N340’s burn rate is medium on the Vihtavuori pistol-powder scale, and, as with N320, N340 ensures extremely clean burning with no residue.

We reckon that even Dirty Harry himself might have used Vihtavuori N350 in his famous .44 Rem Mag – after all, his aim simply never misses!

Vihtavuori N350 is the slowest-burning powder in the N300 series group of pistol powders. It is ideally suited to very heavy loads and to the highest velocity and energy across a wide range of pistol and revolver cartridges. The grain size (1.0 mm long and 0.8 mm in diameter) is exactly the same as the N320, N330 and N340 powders – it is precisely the powder’s porosity that accounts for all the differences in burning properties. N350 is perfectly suited to powerful loads, for example in the 9 mm Luger, 10 mm AUTO and .45 ACP calibres. Thanks to its slow burn rate, it is ideally suited to very heavy loads and the highest velocity and energy across a wide assortment of pistol and revolver cartridges. N350 is widely used in pistol shooting, especially practical shooting.

Vihtavuori 3N37 pistol powder was originally developed for .22 rimfire cartridges, but later proved to be extremely versatile and in demand across all pistol-shooting competition disciplines.

Vihtavuori 3N37’s burn rate is very similar to N350, so it can be used in many of the same applications. When pistol shooters began experimenting with 3N37 in loading, they noticed that this fine-grained powder meters evenly in measures and delivers excellent results for a variety of competition cartridges used in the USPSA and IPSC practical-shooting disciplines.

3N37 is a tubular-type, porous powder with grain dimensions of 0.6 mm long and 0.6 mm in diameter. Its symmetrical grain shape ensures smooth metering in powder measures. 3N37’s burn rate is close to N350 and falls in the medium part of our pistol-powder scale.

It is an excellent powder for 9 mm major loads in IPSC open competition, widely used in the USPSA and IPSC practical pistol-shooting disciplines. Beyond practical shooting, 3N37 is also widely used as a submachine-gun powder. Like all our powders, 3N37 ensures stability, exceptional accuracy and clean burning – which is exactly why the world’s best shooters choose it.

Interesting fact: as far back as the 1940s, 3N37 was used by the Sako manufacturers for loading 9 mm submachine-gun cartridges.

Vihtavuori 3N38 powder is specially developed for competitive pistol shooting with high-velocity loads in 9 mm and .40 S&W cartridges. It is a single-base, tubular-type powder belonging to our group of fine-grained powders (0.6 mm long x 0.6 mm in diameter).

3N38 is a popular powder for practical shooting, especially among IPSC and USPSA shooters. As a relatively slow-burning powder, 3N38 is an excellent choice for producing Major loads – it ensures the good accuracy and clean burning for which Vihtavuori is widely known.

Vihtavuori N540 is a versatile powder for a wide range of medium-sized calibres, suitable for both hunting and target shooting. It is an excellent choice for cartridges from the .223/5.56 mm, .308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield to the 6.5×47 Lapua with heavier-weight bullets.

Vihtavuori N540 ensures exceptional accuracy and especially clean burning. Thanks to the additional energy content characteristic of all our N500 series powders, you can achieve up to 30–40 m/s higher velocity at the same pressure level compared with the corresponding Vihtavuori N100 series powder. Well worth trying with heavier bullets and when greater load density and muzzle velocity are required!

Thanks to its symmetrical grain shape (1.0 mm long and 1.0 mm in diameter), N540 meters excellently in loading equipment and ensures extremely easy charging.

Vihtavuori N550 powder was originally developed for the .30-06 Springfield and .308 Win. calibres in the late 1990s. Vihtavuori N550 is a high-energy, slower-burning powder, perfectly suited to loading a variety of medium- and large-sized cartridges, especially with heavier-weight bullets.

N550 is ideally suited to many .30-calibre Magnum cartridges with lighter bullets, but is also useful across a wide range of barrel sizes in various shooting disciplines. It is an excellent powder for .30-06 Springfield hunting loads with heavier bullets, as well as for other more powerful loads in the 6.5×55 SE, .308 Winchester and many other cartridges.

N550 is a tubular-type powder with symmetrical grain dimensions – 1.0 mm long and 1.0 mm in diameter. As in all our N500 series powders, nitroglycerin has been added to the traditional single-base powder to achieve a higher energy content. N550’s burn rate is similar to that of N150 and falls in the medium part of our high-energy powder scale. Higher velocity is achieved at the same pressure compared with the N100 series – without increased rifle wear!

N555 powder was developed specifically for the 6.5 Creedmoor calibre, intended for competitive shooting and hunting where accuracy and temperature stability are paramount.

The new Vihtavuori N555 smokeless powder is intended for precision-shooting rifle platforms loaded with cartridges such as the 6 mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .284 Winchester, .260 Remington and .30-06 Springfield, as well as for rifle-calibre cartridges with a large case capacity and a relatively small bullet diameter.

Competitive shooters and hunters will appreciate this powder’s resilience in extreme weather conditions. As the most temperature-stable load powder in its class, N555 delivers unprecedented performance in the 6.5 Creedmoor calibre. Like all our load powders, N555 has an added additive that reduces fouling and thus extends your competitive shooting stages. The unprecedented lot-to-lot consistency of N555 also eliminates the costly range time spent re-tuning your favourite loads. N555 has an energy content of 3700 J/g and a bulk density of 900 g/l. N555’s burn rate is between N550 and N160.

Vihtavuori N560 is a very slow-burning powder, intended for large, Magnum-type cartridges, especially when heavy bullets and high velocity are required. It is perfectly suited to handloaders who choose calibres such as the .270 Win, 7 mm Remington or 7 mm Weatherby Magnum, .300 Winchester, RUM or Weatherby Magnum. This powder is also a very good choice for the .338 Lapua Magnum calibre when bullets lighter than 250 grains are used.

N560 powder is a tubular type with rather large grains, with dimensions of 1.4 mm long and 1.2 mm in diameter. Its burn rate on our powder scale is slow – between N160 and N165. N560 is similar to the N100 series powders, but nitroglycerin has been added to achieve a higher energy content. The 500 series high-energy powders are used mainly in rifle cartridges that require additional energy content to achieve greater load density and higher muzzle velocity without exceeding maximum pressure limits. Thus, at the same pressure a higher velocity is achieved than with, for example, N165 powder. N560 is often used for big-game hunting and sniper ammunition, especially for large-calibre rifles. Especially in long-range hunting situations, with appropriate calibres and bullets, the N560 Magnum powder delivers incredible performance.

Developed to fill the gap between the Vihtavuori N560 and N570 high-energy powders, N565 was specially tailored for the .338 Lapua Magnum calibre with 250-grain bullets. In addition to a precisely tailored burn rate, this powder is extremely temperature-resistant – it ensures consistent results across a wide range of environmental conditions. We have also improved its moisture resistance and added a copper-fouling-reducing additive to keep the barrel cleaner when shooting. N565 complies with REACH requirements and contains no DNT or phthalates.

Physically, the N565 grains are the same size as the grains of N560 powder. Like all Vihtavuori powders, it flows smoothly in powder measures and ensures good charging and consistency. The powder’s burn rate is slightly closer to N570 – about halfway between the two. Vihtavuori N565 is a single-channel perforated extruded powder with a bulk density of 960 g/l and an energy content of 4000 J/g.

Although N565 was developed specifically for military sniper use, it also has a wide range of sport applications, especially in long-range and ELR (extreme long range) shooting. N565 has proven to be an ideal choice for calibres such as the 7 mm Rem. Magnum, .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .300 Norma Mag and .338 Norma Mag.

The newest heavyweight addition to our N500 series powder range is the N568. The slow burn rate and short-cut grains of Vihtavuori N568 high-energy powder ensure extremely consistent metering for long-range competition shooters, accuracy enthusiasts and hunters. N568 performs excellently with bullets heavy for the calibre and ensures exceptional temperature stability. Like all our load powders, it is also insensitive to changes in moisture.

Vihtavuori N568 is an excellent choice for today’s most popular large-capacity cartridges, including the 6.5 PRC, .300 PRC and .338 Lapua Magnum, as well as various classic belted Magnum cartridges such as the 7 mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum.

Vihtavuori N570 is one of the newer products in our high-energy powder family. It was developed in response to requests from shooters loading Magnum-class cartridges. We realised that such a powder was lacking on the market, so we decided to create the N570 to meet our customers’ needs.

This high-energy powder’s properties – large grains and a high bulk density – are tailored to achieve maximum velocity in cartridges with very large-capacity cases, such as the 6.5-.284 Norma, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum.

Vihtavuori N570 is perfectly suited to long-range target shooting and military use with large-capacity cartridges.