Vihtavuori N-135 for 223 Rem

[6Creed73]

Looking for your experience with N-135 for 223. Varget is my typical powder for this caliber, but getting it has been a pita lately and a local shop has a ton of N-135.

This would be for a bolt gun with bullets in the 52 to 77gr range. I've read that it's bulky, so I'm a little worried about magazine fitment with the longer bullets, but I don't mind a compressed load.

 

[Calgary Bill]

I've used 133 for 222 and 223 with great success. But, sorry, never 135. I've run out of 133 and can't find any. May have to try some CFE 223 that I do have in my inventory. I use 50 to 55 grain bullets.
Sorry, I can't be more helpful.

 

[7x57]

N 135 is a fine powder for every thing 223 with exceptional accuracy and velocity will be great for the lighter bullets. Its in the 4895 burn rate. For the 77 and 80s, I lose about 100 fps to the slower powders like RL 15/varget but it shoots so well...

 

[6Creed73]

N 135 is a fine powder for every thing 223 with exceptional accuracy and velocity will be great for the lighter bullets. Its in the 4895 burn rate. For the 77 and 80s, I lose about 100 fps to the slower powders like RL 15/varget but it shoots so well...

Thanks, this helps.

 

[HardwoodPro]

Works very good with the heavier bullets, never tried with lighter.

 

[ruthless11]

I've used 133 for 222 and 223 with great success. But, sorry, never 135. I've run out of 133 and can't find any. May have to try some CFE 223 that I do have in my inventory. I use 50 to 55 grain bullets.
Sorry, I can't be more helpful.

powder valley has n133

 

[Dgd6mm]

Widden's has both N135, N133.

 

[gdbleb]

Compass Lake specifically recommends N135 for .223 on their website. If you've been cleaning Varget out of your AR, you're going to buy yourself some free time with N135.

 

[JackWagon]

N133 for 52-55 grain is like pixie dust in both of my bolt .223 with 1-12 twist. I'm in the process of building a new one with a 1-8 and was going to try N140, N135, RE15 and Varget for the 69-77gr. I'm trying to get away from the hodgdon greed but nothing else works as well in my 6BR's

 

[Dgd6mm]

I have N135 for 75, 80 grain in .223 and 75, 87 grain in 6br.
I have N133 for 53 vmax in .223.

 

[Dgd6mm]

N133 works great for my .222 but I guess I need to try it for my .223 with light bullets and N135 for the 77s since I have quite a bit of both. Been using AR Comp for both Berger 55s and 77 OTMs with decent results.

AR Comp and Berger 55 FB:
View attachment 1450757
Berger 77 OTM and AR Comp
View attachment 1450758

You should try it.

 

[6Creed73]

Just went back and picked up 3lbs of N-135. Let the load development games begin.

 

[Laurie]

See:

http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=3934

It works, but as you say

I've read that it's bulky, so I'm a little worried about magazine fitment with the longer bullets, but I don't mind a compressed load.

........ and that was with the 77SMK at 2.400-inch COAL in a long-throat chamber.

I've been using Viht powders in the 223 since well before exports to the US began. For lighter bullets, I'd choose N133 any day. I used to load N135 under 68/69s at mag length for an AR at one time - shot well, but compression levels were HIGH - you need a lot of neck tension.

The late Glen Zediker wrote in his original book, The Competitive AR 15, that back in the early days of Viht being available in the US, N135 was popular as a general purpose 223 propellant for XTC including with 80s, but that too many people had pressure problems and switched to N140 for the heavies. That would be my experience too.


http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=3856

for N140 as a VarGet alternative in the 223.

 

[markm87]

We bought 32 lbs on N135 for 223 bolt gun and AR-15 ammo. In this insanity, it was cheaper than the Hodgdon powders, so why not?

I've run it with 69 gr RMRs, and 77gr Noslers. Velocities vary with the primer I run. I think the max 22.8 with a Wolf SRM primer is in the high 2600s out of a 20" bolt gun. I've not tried pushing them faster.

 

[6Creed73]

We bought 32 lbs on N135 for 223 bolt gun and AR-15 ammo. In this insanity, it was cheaper than the Hodgdon powders, so why not?

I've run it with 69 gr RMRs, and 77gr Noslers. Velocities vary with the primer I run. I think the max 22.8 with a Wolf SRM primer is in the high 2600s out of a 20" bolt gun. I've not tried pushing them faster.

I'm going to load some up with standard SRP and magnum SRP to see if it makes a difference with the heavier bullets. Hoping I can squeeze a bit more velocity with magnum primers.

 

[Laurie]

I'm going to load some up with standard SRP and magnum SRP to see if it makes a difference with the heavier bullets. Hoping I can squeeze a bit more velocity with magnum primers.

You'll find very little MV difference. Unlike LR primers, the main difference between SR vs SRM and SRBR is that the standards have thin cups and are more likely to 'blank' if the firing pin tip isn't a fine fit in the bolt-face aperture. CCI-400, Rem 6 1/2 have 20 thou' thick cups; WSR is 21 thou'; Fed 205 and 205M are 22.5. The rest are 25 thou' and much more resistant to pressure / bolt problems. Some Russians are thin cup too, especially the very early KVB-223 standard SR with a bright copper colour - very soft indeed.

That said, you will likely see better results (ES/SD and precision) with some SR primers vs others with any given bullet / powder combination. The 223 like most small cartridges is pretty primer-sensitive.

 

[6Creed73]

For SRP on hand, I have CCI 450, CCI 41, and CCI BR4. I usually keep the 41's for my gas guns...so I'll probably do some tests with the 450's and BR4's. I have a ton of BR4 so hoping they perform well with the N-135.

 

[markm87]

I'm going to load some up with standard SRP and magnum SRP to see if it makes a difference with the heavier bullets. Hoping I can squeeze a bit more velocity with magnum primers.

I've had dramatic velocity swings with primer swaps.