Help with 20VT

[SLAYIN'SWEDE]

N120 or H4198 and Rem 7 1/2's have been fantastic in mine with 32 V-Max or 32 Tipped Armageddon's

 

[TheCZKid]

I've had best results with N120, and RL-7 is excellent too. A2200 also possible and CFE BLK., Below are the best groups from each, but N120 with either Rem 7 1/2 or CCI 400 primers, 32 Vmax


RL-7


A2200


CFE BLK

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I've had best results with N120, and RL-7 is excellent too. A2200 also possible and CFE BLK., Below are the best groups from each, but N120 with either Rem 7 1/2 or CCI 400 primers, 32 Vmax

Doug, those squirrels don't stand a chance with your VT shooting like that!
If VV powders weren't so dang expensive, I'd opt for N120 too, but it's just too spendy to launch rats for me when RL-7 and A2200 do the job almost as well. Don't think Skippy can tell the difference anyway.

 

[TheCZKid]

I have found that the 8 pound jugs or N120 can actually be less expensive than comparable domestic powders, which is surprising.

$289 on Midway, in stock too!

Vihtavuori N120 Smokeless Gun Powder 8 lb

Vihtavuori Smokeless Powder is used by the some of the best shooters and manufacturers in the competitive shooting industry, they have gained an...

www.midwayusa.com

$205 here, don't know if it's legit?

VihtaVuori N120 Smokeless Rifle Powder

N120 Powder has clean burning and repeatable shooting properties in all weathers and conditions. Used by the best shooters and manufacturers in the...

midwestreloads.com

$285 Graf & Son, in stock right now.

Vihtavuori N120 Smokeless Powder 8 Pound - Graf & Sons

The N120 rifle powder by Vihtavuori works great in small calibers with light bullets and in short barrel rifles, especially in .222 Remington and 7,62×39. Formerly known as N 21, the powder is well-known and used also by the Finnish Army. The burning speed of N120 is fast in the scale of our...

www.grafs.com

 

[Bigguy1951]

I have found that the 8 pound jugs or N120 can actually be less expensive than comparable domestic powders, which is surprising.

$289 on Midway, in stock too!

Vihtavuori N120 Smokeless Gun Powder 8 lb

Vihtavuori Smokeless Powder is used by the some of the best shooters and manufacturers in the competitive shooting industry, they have gained an...

www.midwayusa.com

$205 here, don't know if it's legit?

VihtaVuori N120 Smokeless Rifle Powder

N120 Powder has clean burning and repeatable shooting properties in all weathers and conditions. Used by the best shooters and manufacturers in the...

midwestreloads.com

$285 Graf & Son, in stock right now.

Vihtavuori N120 Smokeless Powder 8 Pound - Graf & Sons

The N120 rifle powder by Vihtavuori works great in small calibers with light bullets and in short barrel rifles, especially in .222 Remington and 7,62×39. Formerly known as N 21, the powder is well-known and used also by the Finnish Army. The burning speed of N120 is fast in the scale of our...

www.grafs.com

Good prices but I need a pound to try. I did buy one and it should be here next week, hopefully.

 

[L.Sherm]

Rick these days the Viht powders are no more expensive than Hodgen and Alliant powders and seem to be more available. If I didn't have so much AA2200 I would try Viht 120

 

[kojaone]

Benchmark, temp stable

 

[1raggedhole]

I’ve got a cooper 38 that was a bit challenging to find a good load. I am just a simple minded p-dog shooter and usually don’t waste my time after getting consistent 5 shot groups at or under 1/2”. This particular rifle has shot every load better with Rem 7-1/2s, and H335 was the ticket for this one.

 

[Bigguy1951]

If you are going to try Viht powder go with 120

I was able to get some 120 and tested it. The results weren't very satisfying. The ES was very slightly less but not small enough to satisfy. Groups tended to open up more quickly but still there were some very good groups. I have some more loaded up with cases that had been resized with a larger neck bushing just to check. The better ES's were running around 23.

I have received the firing springs and some N130 and a bag of new 5.56 Starline brass. Several more tests are upcoming but Christmas is taking a big bite out of my free time. Hope you guys have a very merry Christmas.

 

[ricco1949]

20 VT, LC mixed years, turned necks, CFE BLK, CCI 400, 40 VMax, 17.8-18.6g....18.0g = 3400 FPS

 

[L.Sherm]

I was able to get some 120 and tested it. The results weren't very satisfying. The ES was very slightly less but not small enough to satisfy.

Did you test different primers with the 120.
What primer did you use.

 

[Bigguy1951]

Did you test different primers with the 120.
What primer did you use.

I did not have time to test multiple primers. I used Fed 205's.

 

[L.Sherm]

7.5's have been money on all my small 17 and 20 stuff, stepping up to bigger cases 405's have been better.
I know some who shoot 205's and are happy but I've tried them and 7.5's have been better across the board for me anyway.

 

[LitLBoy]

Rem. 7-1/2's and CFE Blk

 

[Longtrain]

I’ve got the 20VT on my todo list. You have many good suggestions to build an accurate load and rifle. As mentioned, take them one at a time and see if your results improve.
IMO 1/2 MOA at 300 yards is pretty much 300 yard F Class “X” ring accuracy. You’re also shooting a tiny bullet lacking a high BC. It doesn’t take much wind to move them around. 300 yd 1/2 MOA is testament to some good shooting.

 

[tjtjwdad]

Regarding your cases, are they all from the same LOT? I realize they're all from the same year headstamp but that may-not mean they're all the same LOT.

 

[Bigguy1951]

Regarding your cases, are they all from the same LOT? I realize they're all from the same year headstamp but that may-not mean they're all the same LOT.

Yes if you consider LC 04 as one lot. They aren't of course. I'm going out this morning to do so more testing with some cases that have been weighed and sorted. I have 2 small sets of cases that are within 0.06 of a grain in weight.

 

[Gabe22BR]

I had trouble with my LC brass not grouping-so
I Scrapped the LC brass, some primer pockets had been over swaged, necks was inconsistent when they was turned, length was trimmed by the OAL of case not indexed off shoulder, some of the flash holes was bigger…

I got some new Starline 400pc-brass this yr-
Each piece was shot over chronograph & marked with velocity-
Then I sorted them all to 100fps groups-
I ended up with 12 pc that I use for different bullet/ powder load work up-
After I found my velocity nodes, I worked on seating depth.

I use a guiard trimmer, amp Annealer, Wilson & Whiddengunworks dies off fired brass sent in, Arcko machine press

No turn 20-221AI 1-11”& 1-8” twist barrels
No turn 20VT 1-11”

Bullets-
Sierra 39gr BK
Nosler 32gr BT
Powder-
N120
Primers
205M
Maybe you can find your culprit on your set up..
Sorry this wasn’t a knowledgeable post..

 

[glide]

I had trouble with my LC brass not grouping-so
I Scrapped the LC brass, some primer pockets had been over swaged, necks was inconsistent when they was turned, length was trimmed by the OAL of case not indexed off shoulder, some of the flash holes was bigger…

I got some new Starline 400pc-brass this yr-
Each piece was shot over chronograph & marked with velocity-
Then I sorted them all to 100fps groups-
I ended up with 12 pc that I use for different bullet/ powder load work up-
After I found my velocity nodes, I worked on seating depth.

I use a guiard trimmer, amp Annealer, Wilson & Whiddengunworks dies off fired brass sent in, Arcko machine press

No turn 20-221AI 1-11”& 1-8” twist barrels
No turn 20VT 1-11”

Bullets-
Sierra 39gr BK
Nosler 32gr BT
Powder-
N120
Primers
205M
Maybe you can find your culprit on your set up..
Sorry this wasn’t a knowledgeable post..

It was for me!!

 

[Bigguy1951]

7.5's have been money on all my small 17 and 20 stuff, stepping up to bigger cases 405's have been better.
I know some who shoot 205's and are happy but I've tried them and 7.5's have been better across the board for me anyway.

Have not been able to get any 7 1/2's. I can get my hands on some 6 1/2's though. I live exactly in the middle of no where. The closest town with shopping is 85 miles one way from the house. The next two towns with shopping are 115 and 130 miles. Takes me a while to gather supplies.

I had trouble with my LC brass not grouping-so
I Scrapped the LC brass, some primer pockets had been over swaged, necks was inconsistent when they was turned, length was trimmed by the OAL of case not indexed off shoulder, some of the flash holes was bigger…

I got some new Starline 400pc-brass this yr-

I have just finished making my Starline 20VT's. I hope to start testing them very soon. The LC brass has grouped very well for me though.

The N-120 may be the one powder that my gun has not liked so far. I shot yesterday using the same loads as last time but with less neck tension. It didn't work and produced the worst groups this gun has shot. The ES's were also all high. I don't want to give the impression that the gun is not performing, it is. I noticied a trend in my last testing towards the heaviest loads so I went a tenth more powder on three of the seating depths. The best 3 shot group measured 0.017. I also had two sets of brass that I had weighed and sorted. Each set was within 0.06 grains in weight. One set was slightly below the mean weight of all the brass and the other slightly above the mean weight of all the brass. It made no difference, the ES was 55 and 81 respectively with loads that had shown some progress previously.

More testing to go. I am changing out the firing pin spring this morning and I have N-130 to test. I am watching for 7 1/2's, Benchmark, H335 and H4198. Plus I am going to try and even smaller neck bushing. Plenty to do.