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Old 03-08-2012, 11:37 PM
jibjab jibjab is offline
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Default 38spl/44spl with vv n340 ?

I am continuing my quest for a Unique replacement. I tried AA#5 and had good results, #5 also worked well for me in warmly loaded 38spl, 45acp, 9x18 Mak and light .357 mag.
I've gone through 4lbs of #5 and I am at the cross roads again, so I bought a LB of n340 for $25, geese those Finns are really proud of this stuff.
So I'm wondering if anyone has tried this powder in 38spl and 44spl ? and whadya think ?
thanks
jj
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Old 03-19-2012, 03:12 AM
jibjab jibjab is offline
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Old 03-19-2012, 03:27 AM
GregG GregG is offline
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38spl/44spl with vv n340 ? 38spl/44spl with vv n340 ? 38spl/44spl with vv n340 ? 38spl/44spl with vv n340 ? 38spl/44spl with vv n340 ?  
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I wish I could help you. I want to try N340 and N350, but they're not in stock anywhere around me. I have to mail order it and pay the hazmat fee.

Every gun I have tried VV powders in did very well.

I have a thread in this forum about AA9 in a .44 Special. A gent in there spoke of 340 and 350. Maybe that will help.

Good luck and please post results.
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Old 03-19-2012, 06:06 AM
Daimler1989 Daimler1989 is offline
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Hi,

I use VV N340 for .38 Spl and .44 Spl. with very satisfying results. My .38 handload is 5.2 grains with a 158 gr Winchester SPFN, comfortable to shoot and very accurate. For .44 Spl I use 7 grs with a 240 grs plated bullet (SWC or TC) and 8.3 grs with a 200 grs lead SWC or plated TC - the latter is quite stout, both are only intended for backwoods carry of a M 696. For lighter plinking loads, I use 5.8 grs VV N320 with the 200 grs bullets, which works also very well and is very easy to shoot.

regards
Ulrich
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Old 03-19-2012, 06:33 PM
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jj,

Almost...
Here is one I use for hot-roded 38's out of my model 65 3":
38 special brass
WSP
158 gr sjhp
vN 350, 6.8 gr

It's a warmish load, but won't wear you out like the magnums do.

Mike
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Old 03-19-2012, 09:38 PM
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Jibjab,

In another post recently I had mentioned that I have used Vihtavuori reloading powders extensively in the last decade for the loading of handgun calibers.
Two calibers that I shoot a great deal are the .44 Special and the .357 Magnum.

I use N110 in the .357 Magnum and N340 & N350 in the .44 Special. My findings for the powders are that they measure very well, are very accurate, burn cleanly and seem to have very smooth pressure curves.

For my .44 Special loads I use Hornady 185 gr. and 200 gr. XTP bullets and load to between 950 – 1000 fps for my defense loads. To load beyond this level makes follow up shots more difficult and unnecessary.

Although Vihtavuori powders are somewhat more expensive than some of the more common powders I have made the decision that my results make it well worthwhile, when I make an order to Powder Valley I just add the Vihtavuori powder to the order and this supplier has the powder for a reasonable cost.
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Old 03-20-2012, 12:16 AM
jibjab jibjab is offline
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Thanks everyone for your replies,

For my S&W 696 I'm low on bullets I have some Nosler 200gr jhp and 240gr jhp and jsp, the 240's I'd like to save for 44 mag. So I will try 8.4gr of vv n340 to start with the 200gr jhp.
I normally load the Nos 200 jhp with around 6.5gr of w-231 and this load is very accurate in the 696, I'm hoping to find a accurate load with n340 and a little more velocity.
I need to order some bullets, I like Rimrocks 158 LSWC/WN 170gr LSWC .358" they cast a 200gr FP WC .430" that looks interesting, I may try their 116gr 9x18 FP .365" I don't think I can use n340 for that one, the powder seems to bulky and my be to slow for a straight blowback action.
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Old 04-17-2012, 01:33 AM
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I tried vv n340 with the Nosler 200gr jhp I went from 8.3-9.2gr in 2 or 3 tenths grain increments, I was not happy with the accuracy. I found some 180gr XTPs buried in the cabinet I worked up to 9.6gr and accuracy was better but not as good as my W-231 loads
I tried Rim Rocks 180gr LTC bhn 15 and worked up to 9.4gr of n340 accuracy improved with more powder, I stopped at 9.4 still working on this one.
I used F-150 primers for these loads. At the high end loadings shell extraction was easy in my S&W 696 and the primers were flattening which I'm not to concerned about given the softness of these primers.
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340, 357 magnum, 38spl, 45acp, 696, hornady, m340, model 65, nosler, smith & wesson, smith and wesson, winchester

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