Best Vihtavuori powder for various caliber handguns

[greywolf67nt]

I am just beginning to reload.
I am not using the ammo to compete just to plink.
Vihtavuori seems to be the only handgun powder I can find that I can order online.
I am going to be loading 9mm, .357 Mag, .38 Spl and .45 ACP.
I have been to their site and am not sure which one to get. I am thinking the N320 as it is listed as a multipurpose powder.
All I want to accomplish at this time is everything goes BANG when I press the trigger and I can start tweaking my loads once I have the basics mastered.
And 3-2-1 go with the opinions.

 

[Ganderite]

Handgun ammo runs in two groups - low pressure and high pressure.

38 Spl and 45 ACP low to medium pressure and 9mm and 357 are in the 35,000 psi range - high.

Vht powders might be the best powders made. They are also the most expensive. Cost is less of an issue with handgun because a pound goes a long way. I used to use VHt for rifle and I loaded 10s of thousands of rounds in cases as big as BMG - so cost was a consideration. the higher performance justified the cost.

If you only buy only one powder, 320 would be a very good choice.

I buy two powders. N310 for accuracy ammo in 38Spl and 45ACP and 3N37 for 9mm, 40 S&W and 357Mag.

If you are a newbie, I suggest N320 and 3N37 because N310 is only slightly slower than dynamite and a bit tricky to work with.

 

[ron hilchey]

VV N320 is the best "multipurpose" powder that I have used.
It will suit your requirements well.

 

[gwesson]

If you're loading light - 3.5gr - use N310. N320 doesn't burn entirely in squib loads (i.e., in an old revolver with enough flash gap that the pressure doesn't build very well), and leaves granules behind, which'll hang-up your action. If you're going to be loading powerful mid-range loads, N320 is the answer; but when loading as light as your pistol will still cycle, N310 is better. I'm loading ~3.3gr N310 behind a .45 ACP 200gr LSWC; it's @ 650 f/s, reasonably clean, cycles all my actions and it's my "go-to" accuracy load, while still working acceptably well in my old Webley.

 

[peterdobson]

It's suprising how much N320 we sell, almost all to IPSC shooters for which it is the go-to choice for the majority.

Regards,

Peter

 

[Brianma65]

I just got back from testing some n340 in .357 magnum. Started with 7g ,7.1,7.2,7.3 and 7.4. Using a 158 g campro plated bullet, col 1575 and 7.2 g of n340 was very accurate.