Vihtavuori N100 Rifle
Vihtavuori N160
A staple for large and magnum calibers, particularly belted magnums and large-capacity small-bore cases, and for big-game hunting loads with heavier bullets.
The top rung of the workhorse ladder and a staple for magnums and large-capacity small-bore cases: 6.5 Creedmoor with heavy bullets, 6.5-284 Norma, .270 Winchester, .300 and .338 Winchester Magnum. Vihtavuori claims both temperature stability and exceptionally clean burning here, and users generally back that up. It is the N100 powder most often chosen for big-game loads where a heavy bullet needs a slow powder that still fills the case.
- 6.5 Creedmoor heavy bullets
- .300 Winchester Magnum
- 6.5-284 Norma
- big-game .270 Winchester
Who has Vihtavuori N160 today
Checked October 10In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $49.30/lb (8 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $356.99 | $49.30 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $54.99 | $92.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $328.99 | $46.99 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $48.99 | $95.89 | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Official Vihtavuori load data →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Vihtavuori |
|---|---|
| Product family | Vihtavuori N100 Rifle |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0734 cc per grain · 0.88 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Temperature stable | Yes — claimed by the manufacturer |
| Burn-rate position | 162 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5x55 SE, 270 Winchester, 25-06 Remington, 300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum, 6.5-284 Norma |
Grain shape
Tubular grains dimensionally identical to N165, differentiated by surface coating, which is the mechanism at this end of the range. Neutral-burning tube: steady gas production is what lets a heavy magnum charge build pressure without spiking.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Vihtavuori describes N160 as temperature stable and exceptionally clean burning. Tubular grains dimensionally identical to N165, differentiated by surface coating.
Burn rate
Medium-to-slow; on the chart it falls after N555 and before N560.
Chart agreement: consistent across charts - listed in the same relative neighbourhood by every publisher that carries it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Shooters World, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Alliant Reloder 19 (position 159)
- IMR 4831 (position 160)
- Ramshot Hunter (position 161)
- Vihtavuori N555 (position 164)
Sources
The specifications above come from Vihtavuori's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.