Vihtavuori N500 High Energy
Vihtavuori N540
A general-purpose high-energy powder for medium-sized rifle cases, hunting and target alike, especially with heavier bullets where extra loading density and velocity are wanted.
The fastest N500 in the current lineup and the high-energy answer to N140: the same cartridge territory in .223, .308, .30-06 and 6.5x47 Lapua, but with nitroglycerine in the mix so it makes more velocity at the same pressure. That is genuinely useful when you want a heavy bullet moving and N140 has run out of case. It meters reliably and burns very clean. The tradeoff for the extra energy is more heat on the throat, so it is not the powder for a barrel you are trying to nurse.
- heavy-bullet .308 Winchester
- .30-06 Springfield
- 6.5x47 Lapua
- heavy-for-caliber .223
Who has Vihtavuori N540 today
Checked October 10In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $59.05/lb (8 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $434.99 | $59.05 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $65.99 | $103.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $400.99 | $55.99 | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $45.95 | $77.39 est. | 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 N500 High Energy |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0701 cc per grain · 0.92 g/cc |
| Composition | double-base |
| Burn-rate position | 133 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 223 Remington, 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 6.5x47 Lapua |
Grain shape
Symmetrical single-perforated tube, neutral-burning, so the outer surface shrinks as the perforation opens and the extra energy of the double-base formulation is released on a controlled curve rather than all at once. The regular grain shape meters dependably.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Nitroglycerine-enhanced double-base formulation; Vihtavuori positions the N500 series as delivering higher velocity than the equivalent N100 powder at the same pressure. Symmetrical tubular grains that meter reliably. Vihtavuori calls it exceptionally clean burning. Note: the manufacturer's product page for N540 currently lives at a URL slug referencing N530.
Burn rate
The fastest N500 powder in the current lineup; on the chart it sits between N140 and N150.
Chart agreement: position varies - Hodgdon and Wolfe/LoadData place N540 well ahead of Winchester 760 / Hodgdon H414, while Vihtavuori's own chart bands N540 alongside H414 and W760, i.e. materially slower. Ordered here per Hodgdon. Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Winchester 748 (position 130)
- Winchester StaBALL Match (position 131)
- Hodgdon BL-C(2) (position 132)
- Hodgdon CFE 223 (position 134)
- Alliant Reloder TS 15.5 (position 135)
- Alliant Power Pro 2000-MR (position 136)
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.