Vitavouri N555

[Alpha1]

Its time to blow the cobwebs off and crank up my reloading press.
I have acquired a tub of N555 for the 6.5 Creedmoor apparently it's the new go-to powder for this caliber. It's mouth-wateringly expensive. The sooner I get a Nagant up and running with cast boolits the better.
Anyway, they tell me the guys are using heavy bullets to get out to a 1000 yards.
I am new to this powder anybody used it if so what bullets did you use and how did you get on with it downrange. I will be using it out to 600 yards max. Maybe the odd 1000 yard outing.

I have a range on the 1st of next month I will get the opportunity to try my new bag rider from the Shooting Shed.

[Dellboy]

Is that in a RPR ?

[Alpha1]

The ammo is for the Ruger Precision rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.

[Laurie]

The first shipment of N555 only arrived in the UK two weeks ago, so reports from hands-on experience don't exist. It's not been in the US much longer either so I've yet to see a report on any forums from that country, not to mention that although many American shooters are back to their pre-Covid habits, many states are still badly affected.

Viht gives more than enough bullet options on its updated 6.5 Creedmoor section on its website to get started. (Interestingly though, it hasn't tested many of the long-established Lapua Scenar models but gives N555 and other additional powders' data for Berger Hybrid Target and OTM-Tactical models. Since Nammo Oy also owns Berger Bullets and the USA is the major market this makes sense even though I consider it disappointing.)

Note also that the brass used in these data-sets is the Lapua small-primer model. (The company now makes it in both small and large primer / flash-hole types.) Large primer / 2mm flash-hole cases (Hornady, Starline, Nosler, Norma etc) will generate higher pressures, all other things being equal, and this should be borne in mind.

The mid-size 6.5s - Creedmoor, 260 Rem, 6.5X55mm which offer the same ballistics give or take a little - all shoot happily out to 1,000 yards with any decent BC match bullet of 123gn and heavier. The cartridge copes happily with bullets up to 150gn, but whilst the recent breed of super-long match bullets heavier than 142gn offer some potential advantages to the keen competition shooter loading for custom-throated rifles, they're not necessarily so well suited to a factory magazine rifle like the RPR, may prove more finicky to 'tune', and they're certainly more expensive than older models.

The 136gn and 139gn Scenars, 142gn Sierra MK, any of the Berger Hybrids or Target BTs of 130-140gn, 140gn Hornady ELD-M will likely perform well. Even the elderly and lowish BC 140gn Nosler Custom Competition is fine outside of any serious competitive use - I shot some excellent benched 1,000 yards groups with it a few years back from a factory Savage 26-barrel LRP in the Creedmoor's early days. Don't discount the antediluvian 142gn Sierra MK, still a very serious long-range player and excellently made these days. (Its sister 140gn MK is quite different design - very easy to tune, but very much lower BC. Still an excellent choice for short to mid range use with only the occasional long-distance outing.)

I wouldn't write off the better 123s either - 123gn Scenar, the recently redesigned Sierra MK, Hornady ELD-M, and their nearest Berger equivalent its interesting and very capable 130gn AR-Hybrid OTM Tactical which was designed for long-range shooting from shortish-barrel magazine length constrained military spec rifles.

[Alpha1]

Thanks Laurie I have some 139g Scenars I will start with them and see how I get on.

[mag41uk]

TBH in a 6.5 out to 600 just about anything will work.
I use 108 scenars in my T3 260 rem and its almost boring!
I was shooting at 1100 yesterday with my 260 AE3 using 123 and 139 scenars loaed with N160 and N165.
Both as good as each other - even elevation settings were within a couple of clicks.
It was very windy and the 139`s - as may be predicted were less affected.
I also tried some 144 fmjbt lapuas which were meh!
I have tried the 140gn noslers and they were fine.
I have also tried 130gn norma golden target and sierra 130gn tmk.
I pretty much stick to lapua now as they are always available and cheap in bulk.
My mate was using 140gn hornady/N150 in his Howa creedmoor for his first outing at 1100 and was doing well.
He is using lapua small primer brass.
I gave him 20 123gn scenar bullets to try out next time and suggested he try N160 or give the N555 a go.
I was surprised that there isnt any data for 260 with N555.
Will be interesting to see results from this powder.

[Alpha1]

Thanks.
I normally use N160 with 139grain Scenars.
I was in my local gun dealers and he had one tub of N555 left so I bought it on a whim as you do.

[Ovenpaa]

The Viht double base powders can be quite hot and having burn the throat out of a few 7mm SAUM and .308 Win barrels I tend to not use the them for short distance stuff. My view is it is not until around 800 yards that the debatable benefits of the N5xx series powders need be considered.

[Alpha1]

[quote="Ovenpaa"]The Viht double base powders can be quite hot and having burn the throat out of a few 7mm SAUM and .308 Win barrels I tend to not use the them for short distance stuff. My view is it is not until around 800 yards that the debatable benefits of the N5xx series powders need be considered.[/quote)

What powders do you normally use.

[Laurie]

The Viht double base powders can be quite hot. .................

Have a look at Viht's key data sheet for the two types and N555's place in them:

https://www.vihtavuori.com/powders/n500-powders/

https://www.vihtavuori.com/powders/n100-powders/

It has a lower specific energy rating than basic N150! Its 900g/ltr bulk density is lower than all other N500 grades and even many N100s. As the absorption of heavier / denser nitroglycerin molecules is a major cause of most 'high energy' grade kernels being heavier, both factors suggest the nitroglycerin content is very low.

I cannot think of a new single-based rifle powder having been introduced for many years now. ALL recent introductions are double-based. This may be partly down to market demand for higher performance, but I suspect has also, maybe primarily, to do with other factors such as shelf life, cleanliness of burning, tolerance for other additives and regulatory issues such as Reach. The only single-based powders now available on the UK market are:

Viht N100s
half a dozen Lovex 'SO' grades (limited geographical availability)
likewise Vectan Tu XXXX grades (limited availability)
Reload Swiss RS30, 50, and 62

The old bugbear of greater temperature sensitivity of D-B types has now been overcome. The new Bofors manufactured Alliant 'TZ' technology grades - Alliant AR-Comp, Reloder 16 and 23 are reported to be as good in this respect as the best of the ADI / Hodgdon 'Extremes', and some US shooters claim they are in fact better. The recently introduced IMR 'Endurons' aren't as good as Hodgdon, but much, much better than the traditional IMR grades such as 3031 and 4064 from the DuPont Corporation period.