VV powders & temp stability

stello1001 · Aug 30, 2025

Have you all seen the new video VV put out? Supposedly their 500 series powders are more stable than their 100 series. I can't imagine that being true with the 500 being double base and the 100 single base.

Perhaps things got lost in translation and nobody on their team was able to verify their info prior to putting it out.

bigboss91 · Aug 31, 2025

Tagged.

Jeff 6.5 · Aug 31, 2025

I just finished a 8lb jug of n555 in 6.5 I took the same load to 5 different Nrl hunter matches from January to July in temps from 16-100 and I really didn’t notice any variation in velocity I did chronograph at each location before the match , looking back through Garmin data it was always 2600-2620

stello1001 · Aug 31, 2025

Jeff 6.5 said:
I just finished a 8lb jug of n555 in 6.5 I took the same load to 5 different Nrl hunter matches from January to July in temps from 16-100 and I really didn’t notice any variation in velocity I did chronograph at each location before the match , looking back through Garmin data it was always 2600-2620

Ok, I'm no VV expert but I've always heard this one powder was the exception. In general though, the 500 series are double based and the 100 series are single based. Everything I've learned has always been double base are good for speed at the cost of some temp stability. Single base are more consistent at the cost of being a bit slower.

Of course, I could be totally wrong and that's why this is up for debate lol.

KYAggie · Aug 31, 2025

I’ve also heard reports that the 100 series powders don’t exactly have a great shelf life even when stored properly. I don’t remember who it was on here that said their N150 or 160 went bad after 8-10 years.

flogxal · Aug 31, 2025

Just what I have heard/read, I am not a powder chemist --

The 5 series have nitroglycerine for the extra energy, AND different coatings/treatments which account for the temperature stability.

st1650 · Aug 31, 2025

That’s not been my experience.
Sure the 500s are generally more temp stable that say staball but they’re not more stable than their 100 line.

John Glidewell · Tuesday at 6:23 PM

KYAggie said:
I’ve also heard reports that the 100 series powders don’t exactly have a great shelf life even when stored properly. I don’t remember who it was on here that said their N150 or 160 went bad after 8-10 years.

Not my experience. I got an 8lb jug of N160 dated from the 90s, it still shoots good. Stored in original container indoors. I run a lot of N555 too, one of my favorite powders. Very stable and versatile.

Kaldor · Wednesday at 9:46 AM

Ive found N140 and N555 to be equally temp stable, SDs around 5-6. N570 is slightly worse at SD of 10ish, which I attribute to having kernels the size of road gravel so it doesnt meter quite as precisely. Life span I cant comment on as I use my powder up within a couple of years.

03machstock · Thursday at 8:06 PM

Interesting, I havent tested much in temperature swings but iv been using n540 and I love it, if what they say holds true it might be my new favorite powder. At first I thought he just mis spoke, but then he gave very clear examples of what he was trying to say.

Holliday · Thursday at 10:36 PM

I just ran a side by side controlled test with N560.

Rifle: Seekins 6.5 PRC
Chrono Garmin
Ammo temp soaked over night.

38° f 2962 fps 5 shot average
75° f 2992 fps 12 shot average

Difference: 37° f - 30 fps

A cursory google search confirms my results are commonplace.

Putting “temperature stable” on new N560 bottles confirms that Vihtavuori thinks that breathing and lying through their face, are the same thing.

That said, in terms of accuracy, speed, lot to lot consistency and SDs, I am exceedingly happy with this powder in my 6.5 prc. Since this is a hunting rifle shooting big game animals up to and beyond 600 yards in temps from 85°f to below 20°f, it is important to acknowledge and account for these fps variations. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

Oh and I find this powder tends to jam in the area 419 funnel unlike H4350 and others.

flogxal · Thursday at 10:46 PM

One thing I have heard & read, but don't know if it's true, is this -- temperature stability can be seen as predictable rates of pressure/velocity change, rather than immunity to pressure/velocity change.

This again was in the VV video, but also is something I'd heard/read before watching that video.

I just know that the VV powders I've tried have all given me low SDs, have burned very clean, have metered okay in RCBS Chargemaster Lite. N133, N140, N150, N555. And not wild velocity swings either when using mid-winter loads in late summer.

They don't seem as pressure-spike-prone as, e.g., IMR 8208 XBR in the 6.5 Grendel, which is sorta spooky near its max/limit.

Holliday · Thursday at 10:50 PM

Oh and N560 burns dirty in my setup compared to other powders. QL says I am getting 100% burn. I am careful about pulling my Ultra 7 can and rapping it on the shop bench to get the loose carbon out after as few as 8 rounds. Don’t want that stuff in my barrel.

stello1001 · Thursday at 11:16 PM

Are you guys shooting VV powders able to confirm if 100 series are stick powders and 500 series are ball?

If so, it may just be that the 500s in general will be sensitive and 100s will be more stable.

Obviously this is all speculation on my part.

Holliday · Thursday at 11:27 PM

N560 is stick.

John Glidewell · Thursday at 11:30 PM

stello1001 said:
Are you guys shooting VV powders able to confirm if 100 series are stick powders and 500 series are ball?

If so, it may just be that the 500s in general will be sensitive and 100s will be more stable.

Obviously this is all speculation on my part.

They are all stick powders.

st1650 · Thursday at 11:43 PM

Holliday said:
I just ran a side by side controlled test with N560.

Rifle: Seekins 6.5 PRC
Chrono Garmin
Ammo temp soaked over night.

38° f 2962 fps 5 shot average
75° f 2992 fps 12 shot average

Difference: 37° f - 30 fps

A cursory google search confirms my results are commonplace.

Putting “temperature stable” on new N560 bottles confirms that Vihtavuori thinks that breathing and lying through their face, are the same thing.

That said, in terms of accuracy, speed, lot to lot consistency and SDs, I am exceedingly happy with this powder in my 6.5 prc. Since this is a hunting rifle shooting big game animals up to and beyond 600 yards in temps from 85°f to below 20°f, it is important to acknowledge and account for these fps variations. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

Oh and I find this powder tends to jam in the area 419 funnel unlike H4350 and others.

View attachment 8760759
View attachment 8760756
View attachment 8760755

That's my strategy as well,
I use 500s for my hunting/low volume loads

N540 with 223rem and 77 TMK
N555 with 22 creed with 77lrx/88eldm
N560 with 7saum

Accuracy is decent, I get an extra 100fps over varget/h4350/h4831sc for the equivalent pressure but I wouldn't use them in high volume guns due to the temp stability and throat erosion ...

TylerN · Friday at 6:15 AM

I avoid the 5 series powders in anything high volume due to the extra heat and throat erroision. Even in some lower volume magnum stuff shooting the 500's are still a challenge to keep barrel temperatures reasonable.

John Glidewell · Friday at 12:47 PM

TylerN said:
I avoid the 5 series powders in anything high volume due to the extra heat and throat erroision. Even in some lower volume magnum stuff shooting the 500's are still a challenge to keep barrel temperatures reasonable.

N555 is very easy on barrels compared to the other 5 series powders. It is the coolest burning powder I have run.

Holliday · 2025-09-06T10:16:42-0400

Define “high volume”.

TylerN · 2025-09-06T14:49:40-0400

Holliday said:
Define “high volume”.

200+ rounds on a range day. And temperature are typically 80-90F year round here in Florida compounding barrel cooling.

VV powders & temp stability

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