N135 Temp Sensitivity

[Jon D]

Do the newest lots of N135 have any temperature stabilizing properties added to them? I thought I read somewhere they did, but I can't seem to find where I read it.

 

[PatMiles]

Contact these folks, I bet they would know.

Capstone Precision Group
sales@capstonepg.com
(660) 460 2800

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[Ned Ludd]

From Vihtavuori's website:

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N135 – THE UNIVERSAL RIFLE POWDER​

Developed originally for 7.62×51 NATO M80 Ball, Vihtavuori’s N135 is today a universal gun powder which is used by reloaders for a large range of calibers from .222 Remington to .458 Winchester Magnum.

The N135 is a tubular powder type with grain dimensions of 1,0 mm length and 0,8 mm diameter. The burn rate is medium on the scale of our rifle powders. Interesting fact: N135, N133 and N130 all have exactly the same grain dimensions, but due to the different surface coating the burning behavior of the powders varies.

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

[https://www.vihtavuori.com/powder/n135-rifle-powder/]

Clearly, at least some of the N130 series powders have different surface coatings. They are all single-base powders, which often means lower thermal sensitivity as compared to typical double-base powders, but not always.


If you look up SDSs for N135, the formulation doesn't seem to have changed dramatically in the last decade or so. However, those documents don't always contain specific details about coatings that may represent very minor components, or be proprietary. As Pat noted, a call to VihtaVuori or Capstone may be the best way to get any info at all. However, it's likely proprietary information, so the level of detail you get may be slim.

from 2009:

https://www.sinclairintl.com/userdocs/MSDS/749-004-522_VIHTA%20VUORI%20N120%20RIFLE%20POWDER,%201%20LB%20(N120-1)%20-%20407_default.pdf

from 2017

https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/MSDS/749-004-521_VIHTA%20VUORI%20N110%20RIFLE%20POWDER,%201LB%20-%20407_default.pdf

 

[Jon D]

Thanks for passing on the contact info. I will give them a call next week.

 

[Wild Willy]

Thanks for passing on the contact info. I will give them a call next week.

Please report back what you find out

 

[Jon D]

I called Capstone today. The tech on the phone said that he wasn't aware of any temperature stability additives or processes for N135. An anti copper fouling additive is being included now. He also said that being a faster burning powder it would be more temperature stable by nature. I personally have no idea if burn speed is correlated to temp stability or not. Overall he was very helpful, no wait time at all. You really can't ask for anything more than that. If I ever find a pound on a shelf somewhere, I will be probably give it a try. Might have to do some experimenting.

 

[Doom]

I think you will find that its not a Varget but its also not an H335 either. I have seen some testing on the Internet on 133 and 140 which are similar, especially 133.

I have tested N135 in 223 this summer with charges up to 26 Gr in Lapua brass in a Rem 700 with 52 gr Bergers with no pressure signs with temps in the mid 80's. Since I'm in the Southeast I've backed that load off a little (.6gr). We do shoot in the high 90's at times. I tend to load down from max because of an experience with H335 years ago. Don't wan't to go there again.

Thanks for the update.