Vihtavuori N500 High Energy
Vihtavuori N570
For large-capacity magnums in long-range target shooting and military applications.
Official Vihtavuori load data →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Vihtavuori |
|---|---|
| Product family | Vihtavuori N500 High Energy |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | rifle |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Composition | double-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 191 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, 338 Lapua Magnum, 6.5-284 Norma |
Vihtavuori explicitly warns that N570 shows signs of increased pressure in heavy loads at deep sub-zero temperatures and does not recommend it there, while noting the other N500 powders stay safe below freezing. See the manufacturer's product page for the exact temperature limit. The kernels are large enough that Vihtavuori advises weighing charges rather than throwing them from a measure. Grains are impregnated with nitroglycerine plus non-energetic additives intended to raise velocity without raising chamber pressure or wear.
Burn rate
The slowest of the N500 high-energy powders; only the .50 BMG powders sit below it on Vihtavuori's chart.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it 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:
- IMR Enduron 8133 (position 188)
- Vihtavuori N568 (position 189)
- Ramshot LRT (position 190)
- Alliant Reloder 33 (position 192)
- Vihtavuori 24N41 (position 193)
- Hodgdon H50BMG (position 194)
Sources
Other Vihtavuori powders
Verify the charge, not just the recipe
Good data gets you a safe starting point. It does not tell you what actually went into the case on stroke 340 — a bridged measure, a double charge, a squib. That is what an RCM Laser Powder Check is for.