N120 opinions?

[TrxR]

Whats everyones opinions on n120? How stable is it with temperature changes?

Debating on two different calibers for a Short range for score rifle and one seems to like n120.

The two im looking at is 30BR and 30 major.

It must be something i can load ahead of time as we cant load at the range.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I just love n120 powder in my 30 Major barrels. Obviously, it's too fast for most applications or I'd shoot it in everything if I could. It's a wonderful powder in all aspects, IMHO.

I've been aiming to try it in a 30BR for a long time and just haven't done it yet. It should be very good in it too. It's faster than 4198 though, so be careful. It builds pressure smoothly and predictably but you can get too much into a 30 Major case, albeit, the case will be very full at that point. I would bet that you could find pressure in a 30BR at somewhere near the neck/shoulder junction. If in a 30BR with typical light br bullets, I'd start at 30.0 and work up. I think you'd wind up in the 32.5-33.0 range but it's a fast powder so definitely work up from a lower point in your gun.

N120 has been the most consistent powder, lot to lot, I've ever seen. It meters well, burns clean, builds pressure predictably and maintains tune very well in the 30 Major. But no powder is completely impervious to temp changes and tune. That's why there are tuners, really.

 

[TrxR]

Is there any dies out there for the 30 major ? If so who makes them?

 

[lpreddick]

I just love n120 powder in my 30 Major barrels. Obviously, it's too fast for most applications or I'd shoot it in everything if I could. It's a wonderful powder in all aspects, IMHO.

I've been aiming to try it in a 30BR for a long time and just haven't done it yet. It should be very good in it too. It's faster than 4198 though, so be careful. It builds pressure smoothly and predictably but you can get too much into a 30 Major case, albeit, the case will be very full at that point. I would bet that you could find pressure in a 30BR at somewhere near the neck/shoulder junction. If in a 30BR with typical light br bullets, I'd start at 30.0 and work up. I think you'd wind up in the 32.5-33.0 range but it's a fast powder so definitely work up from a lower point in your gun.

N120 has been the most consistent powder, lot to lot, I've ever seen. It meters well, burns clean, builds pressure predictably and maintains tune very well in the 30 Major. But no powder is completely impervious to temp changes and tune. That's why there are tuners, really.

How does it compare with LT 30?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Is there any dies out there for the 30 major ? If so who makes them?

I spec'd my reamer to be perfect with an off the shelf redding type s full bushing die. Works great but I do have to open the neck/bushing shelf up a bit. My match reamers are a .330 neck so I open the shelf to .332ish with a simple carbide chucking reamer. I do go in both sides and lightly debur after opening it up. You can use a wilson seater, cut by you or your smith for seating. I prefer a redding comp style seater and made a sleeve with the reamer....so both ways will work. The whole process is easy and just makes sense to my feeble mind.

You do have to be careful if you go with custom dies. Even from well reputed custom die makers, there is still a bit of confusion as to just what a Grendel is. I've seen it from more than one custom die maker...Order a 30 Major/Grendel and get a 30 PPC. The worst part of that is that they were both sent fired cases with which to make the dies for. Not knocking the custom die makers per se...They are just accustomed to doing ppc stuff and there have been many people to call this case a 30 PPC, which it of course, is not. It is, as you likely know, a .070 long 30 PPC that there is great Lapua 6.5 Grendel brass available for. All you do is neck it up and turn.

If you go the custom route or your reamer requires you to go custom, just be very sure your die maker is on the right page with you on what you need.

 

[TrxR]

I like your idea on the reamer designed to fit the die. Who does your specific reamer? Or do you have a print of it? Im assuming any good machinist or gun smith could modify the sizing die and ream out a seating blank.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

How does it compare with LT 30?

n120 is quite a bit faster than the lt30 we can get now. I think some early lots may have been more comparable.

Out of all of them I've ever done, I've had a total of two people that feel like either 4198 or lt30 shot better for them. One person liked a very compressed load of lt32 in one rifle. All the rest have agreed, afaik, that n120 is the magic pixie dust. It'll work with several powders well, but I'm as picky as anyone and n120 is what has done it for me. Excellent powder!

FWIW, the world record .0077 was shot with h4198 in Texas, so it ain't bad either. That case was made using Grendel brass shortened a tad bit, between a ppc and Grendel but I can't imagine there being any benefit either way by such a small amount.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I like your idea on the reamer designed to fit the die. Who does your specific reamer? Or do you have a print of it? Im assuming any good machinist or gun smith could modify the sizing die and ream out a seating blank.

It just makes sense to me! That's why I'm not big on custom dies when what I feel we need is a custom reamer that works with a given die. This method has it's limitations. You can't have a terribly sloppy chamber on virgin brass but it's only a virgin once and in this case, the fit is quite good on new brass. I've loaded all over the charts and shoot it pretty hot. I've had brass go 50 firings like this. Some may feel like there are better solutions or that custom dies are better but this way "ain't broken." I've been spec'ing reamers this way for several years now and I'll say it again...it just makes sense.

I had Kiff make the first reamer in 2007. Say what you will about him but he is a wealth of knowledge and they make most of the die reamers that most of the die companies use, so he knows what the die will do. From that, you can spec a finish reamer that works great with it. I'll post the print in a minute. It was the 2nd and final design. Yes, anyone with a lathe and a .332 carbide chucking reamer can open the die up. It's hard as he77 so this is the best method IMO, but you may do it with a small boring bar too. It's just mucho easier with a reamer and it's clearance, so is not very critical.

 

[Iowa Fox]

I like N120 in my 17AH and have had very good results with it. I've never taken it out of the state of Iowa but at least here I haven't noticed any temp sensitivity.

 

[Billy 30-06]

I've used N-120 for quite a while in my .19H calhoon. I have used this rifle in the Wyoming prairies @ 90*F. to West Virginia hills @ 38*F. with no problems.
Billy

 

[Lannister]

N120 was the fastest powder in my 17 AH, but changed from day to day. ON the other hand, N110 shot the smallest groups, about 10.4g, tiny, tiny groups, better than 1680 or 4227 by far.