Post by Bullshop on Dec 24, 2017 13:03:55 GMT -7
On one of my rare trips to town with the Missus last week we had some time to kill waiting for an appointment so my Missus suggested we go to the gun shop, (gotta love her!)
While there she noticed some VihtaVuori powder on sale at $10.00 per pound, (gotta love her). I though it had to be a mistake so we questioned the owner and he assured us that he was loosing money on it but he just wanted to get rid of it because he had never sold any. He said it was originally priced so high that no one ever started using it so no one ever looked at it to see it was on sale, accept my Missus, (gotta love her) ! The owner said he would like for us to take it all at the $10.00 per pound price and we agreed so purchased 10 pounds for $100.00. There were 8 pounds of #133, 1 pound of #140, and one pound of #160.
In burn rate # 133 is between IMR 3031 and H335 the #140 is between Alliant reloader 15 and H-Varget, and #160 between IMR-4831 and H-4831 so all in very usefull burn rate brackets.
I ever being on the lookout for powders suitable for use in the 22 hornet cartridge was anxious to try some of the #133 in a hornet rifle. Going by published load data the burn rate for 133 is about perfect for the 221 fireball and maybe a bit too fast for the 223 to be optimum with all bullet weights accept on the lighter end.
Now one thing I should point out about the loading component industry is that they always focus on highest velocity as optimum performance and in most cases the people buying their products are too. For me though since my application is almost always with cast bullets I am not always looking to achieve the highest potential velocity for the cartridge but maybe the highest velocity for the bullet and not always that but always the highest level of accuracy regardless of velocity.
For the 22 hornet case volume VV#133 is too slow to achieve the 2500 to 2700 fps the cartridge is capable of with 50 to 55 grain bullets. For me that is not a deal breaker because it is fast enough for respectable velocities with these bullet weights.
A general rule pertaining to accuracy in any cartridge is "" faster powders with lighter bullets and slower powders with heavier bullets"". Since VV133 is on the slow side for the hornet case that then dictates the use of heavier bullets. Since both my hornet rifles have the slower 1/16" twist rifling I am limited to how long/heavy a bullet will shoot well. To date the heaviest bullet I have gotten good accuracy has been a 52gn Loverin design from our friends down under at Cast Bullet Engineering. When Lee precision two years ago came out with their 55gn RFGC I was excited to try it I'm my hornets but even though it is only ever so slightly longer than the 52gn CBE bullet I never got it shooting quite as well from my hornet rifles as the CBE bullet, until today !
I found that a max charge of VV133 not because of pressure but because of volume is 10.3gn in RP hornet cases. This is all that will fit the case and tolerate the compression required to seat the bullet to the intended depth. This is very nearly a full case with just enough empty case mouth to not spill out in handling and placing in the shell holder in the press and easily get a bullet started.
It was a very cold +3*F this AM but I had to try some accuracy testing. There was also much fresh snow depth so I did not even attempt to chronograph. I wont even dare a guess at velocity at this point but judging from trajectory between 50 and 100 yards it is right up there with other loads that run from 1800 to 2200 fps.
Now the happy hornet part. As I mentioned I have been disappointed with the performance of the Lee 55gn RFGC bullet in my 1/16" twist hornets until now. I chose the Lee bullet to try first because it is a bore rider design so has much of its weight out side the case so allows filling the case with powder so is more compatible with a powder that may normally be too slow allowing the highest possible powder weight charge. The 52gn CBE design being a Loverin design requires deeper seating because it is full groove diameter for nearly its entire length.
I rushed the first couple 5 shot groups that all stayed under 2" at 100 yards but for the last group I mustered enough concentration to defy the cold and shot a 5 shot .75" group. That last group had three of five in one hole and one just out at 7:00 and one out a wee bit more also at 7:00 for a .75" center to center. I have no issue with admitting that these test results have little more meaning than to give hope but hay we are in the season of hope so hope I will.
While there she noticed some VihtaVuori powder on sale at $10.00 per pound, (gotta love her). I though it had to be a mistake so we questioned the owner and he assured us that he was loosing money on it but he just wanted to get rid of it because he had never sold any. He said it was originally priced so high that no one ever started using it so no one ever looked at it to see it was on sale, accept my Missus, (gotta love her) ! The owner said he would like for us to take it all at the $10.00 per pound price and we agreed so purchased 10 pounds for $100.00. There were 8 pounds of #133, 1 pound of #140, and one pound of #160.
In burn rate # 133 is between IMR 3031 and H335 the #140 is between Alliant reloader 15 and H-Varget, and #160 between IMR-4831 and H-4831 so all in very usefull burn rate brackets.
I ever being on the lookout for powders suitable for use in the 22 hornet cartridge was anxious to try some of the #133 in a hornet rifle. Going by published load data the burn rate for 133 is about perfect for the 221 fireball and maybe a bit too fast for the 223 to be optimum with all bullet weights accept on the lighter end.
Now one thing I should point out about the loading component industry is that they always focus on highest velocity as optimum performance and in most cases the people buying their products are too. For me though since my application is almost always with cast bullets I am not always looking to achieve the highest potential velocity for the cartridge but maybe the highest velocity for the bullet and not always that but always the highest level of accuracy regardless of velocity.
For the 22 hornet case volume VV#133 is too slow to achieve the 2500 to 2700 fps the cartridge is capable of with 50 to 55 grain bullets. For me that is not a deal breaker because it is fast enough for respectable velocities with these bullet weights.
A general rule pertaining to accuracy in any cartridge is "" faster powders with lighter bullets and slower powders with heavier bullets"". Since VV133 is on the slow side for the hornet case that then dictates the use of heavier bullets. Since both my hornet rifles have the slower 1/16" twist rifling I am limited to how long/heavy a bullet will shoot well. To date the heaviest bullet I have gotten good accuracy has been a 52gn Loverin design from our friends down under at Cast Bullet Engineering. When Lee precision two years ago came out with their 55gn RFGC I was excited to try it I'm my hornets but even though it is only ever so slightly longer than the 52gn CBE bullet I never got it shooting quite as well from my hornet rifles as the CBE bullet, until today !
I found that a max charge of VV133 not because of pressure but because of volume is 10.3gn in RP hornet cases. This is all that will fit the case and tolerate the compression required to seat the bullet to the intended depth. This is very nearly a full case with just enough empty case mouth to not spill out in handling and placing in the shell holder in the press and easily get a bullet started.
It was a very cold +3*F this AM but I had to try some accuracy testing. There was also much fresh snow depth so I did not even attempt to chronograph. I wont even dare a guess at velocity at this point but judging from trajectory between 50 and 100 yards it is right up there with other loads that run from 1800 to 2200 fps.
Now the happy hornet part. As I mentioned I have been disappointed with the performance of the Lee 55gn RFGC bullet in my 1/16" twist hornets until now. I chose the Lee bullet to try first because it is a bore rider design so has much of its weight out side the case so allows filling the case with powder so is more compatible with a powder that may normally be too slow allowing the highest possible powder weight charge. The 52gn CBE design being a Loverin design requires deeper seating because it is full groove diameter for nearly its entire length.
I rushed the first couple 5 shot groups that all stayed under 2" at 100 yards but for the last group I mustered enough concentration to defy the cold and shot a 5 shot .75" group. That last group had three of five in one hole and one just out at 7:00 and one out a wee bit more also at 7:00 for a .75" center to center. I have no issue with admitting that these test results have little more meaning than to give hope but hay we are in the season of hope so hope I will.
