Received some Vectan powders, first impressions

[9w1911]

Do any of you guys have an updated burn rate chart for these?
I'm interested in Unique and 800x speeds

[jonp]

How about this

http://www.tiropratico.com/htm/tabel...lveri_2011.htm

[9w1911]

That is better than what I found, but what about the BA6.5, 7.5 and 9.5 where do these lay?

[jonp]

Here is a loading chart I've used with Vectan. Seems good but use at your own discretion.

http://previewer.org/?pdfurl=1qeXpur...1crom9XQ1Zig8Q

I also use this: http://www.vectan.fr/UK/about-us

and for 38sp this which lists some shotgun powders which is what I am playing with. Use the sight for other powders: http://www.armerialsa.it/ricarica%2038%20sp.htm

For the powders you are asking for nothing beats going to the source:

http://issuu.com/grafandsons/docs/ve...95079/11745149 and http://www.lhs-germany.de/uploads/me...ta_2014_01.pdf

[jonp]

BTW: here http://www.lhs-germany.de/en/powder/...data-download/

This is a nice sight I've found with loading data for several overseas powders which we don't get over this way much like Lovex

Have fun with Vectan. It's great powder.

[9w1911]

Thanks iit does seem like a great powder
Powdervally has lovex its under the shooters world label

[BallisticExpansion]

Does anyone know what kind of geometrical shape the Vectan AS is? I'm hoping it's similar to the same shape as that BA10 so it will meter well in my 550. Also AS is $6 cheaper per lb on Powder Valley. Not sure why though... My main interest is in finding a fast burn rate powder to shoot in 40sw for USPSA major power factor.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Does anyone know what kind of geometrical shape the Vectan AS is? I'm hoping it's similar to the same shape as that BA10 so it will meter well in my 550. Also AS is $6 cheaper per lb on Powder Valley. Not sure why though... My main interest is in finding a fast burn rate powder to shoot in 40sw for USPSA major power factor.

Vectan AS is a large diamond/square flake, probably a little bigger than 800X. I do like AS quite alot, good bang for the buck, burns clean and pretty economic on the charge weights. I'm running 9mm Minor Open Division and Limited once in a while. Shooting a 120gr. cast/PC'ed TC bullet, 3.9grs IIRC of AS and was meeting minor PF with a little margin from a 5" barrel XDm. By the shape & size of the flakes it looks like it would meter like sewer lids but it metered very consistently from the Dillon measure on my 650 and it meters good in the cheapie little Lee PPM. Those are the two I can vouch for on AS. If you noticed, the Vectan bottles are 1.10lbs and cheaper than almost everything else available here. I have been very happy with all the Vectan powders I have used so far, super value and clean burning stuff. I will keep buying it even with all else available. I have switched to my previous Ramshot Silhouette load for my M&P open gun I just finished till I can work with Vectan for it. The comp on that gun is a gas pig, begging for pretty warm loads.

[LeftyDon]

AS has the same shape as A0 & A1, but is mostly green flakes with pink flakes. I'm on my 3rd bottle of AS using it in 12 gauge shotgun shells.

[BallisticExpansion]

Vectan AS is a large diamond/square flake, probably a little bigger than 800X. I do like AS quite alot, good bang for the buck, burns clean and pretty economic on the charge weights. I'm running 9mm Minor Open Division and Limited once in a while. Shooting a 120gr. cast/PC'ed TC bullet, 3.9grs IIRC of AS and was meeting minor PF with a little margin from a 5" barrel XDm. By the shape & size of the flakes it looks like it would meter like sewer lids but it metered very consistently from the Dillon measure on my 650 and it meters good in the cheapie little Lee PPM. Those are the two I can vouch for on AS. If you noticed, the Vectan bottles are 1.10lbs and cheaper than almost everything else available here. I have been very happy with all the Vectan powders I have used so far, super value and clean burning stuff. I will keep buying it even with all else available. I have switched to my previous Ramshot Silhouette load for my M&P open gun I just finished till I can work with Vectan for it. The comp on that gun is a gas pig, begging for pretty warm loads.

Interesting, I will have to get a few lbs to try from PV on my next order. I'm in the slow process of switching to faster powders. I am getting an 8lb jug of Ramshot Competition. If it feels the same as N320 I will stick with it. I wouldn't mind trying N310 for 40 major because its usually in stock but, I have heard it is sensitive to load with. It's good to have back up powders though for when the demand skyrockets. Last year I was trying to get any pistol powder I could for 40, now I have 14lbs of Hodgdon Longshot I need to sell lol. I will get some AS and BA10 when I place an order from PV. The nice thing about N320 and ram. competition is the charge weights are low. Wish there was some 40 major data for BA10 and AS loaded long out of a STI 2011. thanks for the help.

[LeftyDon]

This is kind of a jumble of copy and paste from some previous posts I've made:

Bought a 1# bottle of some Nobel Vectan Ba10:



Looks like tiny little kitty litter. I assume it will flow well enough. I've found more available online and it costs a heck of a lot less than I paid local. As in about ten bucks a pound less. I wish they wouldn't do that because now I will buy online instead of with them. Mark it up too much and you can keep it because it chases me away.

Obtained some more "Poudre"...

A0:


This stuff looks like green and gray/brown squares. It's rather thick cut too so it doesn't stick together or clump at all. It has some mass to it like it's heavier than it seems like it should be. Take note of the "safety seal" on the lid. Yeah, it's completely intact. It's pretty much pointless. There isn't an actual peal away seal on the opening once the lid is removed. Even better, all and I mean ALL the lids on them were loose. There is a thin foam seal in the lid so I tightened them all down (including the ones I didn't buy) but who know's how much humidity may have gotten to them. <growls>

A1:


These are all green square but not quite all the same shade of green. They look to be the same size and thickness as the other one.

The last thing I'm noticing is that they don't go out of their way to label these very well. Now that I have three different flavors I'm going to store them all apart from each other. Especially the A0 and A1 since it would be all too easy to open the wrong bottle and not notice the difference.

Edit:

In retrospect, I don't think nitro cellulose powders absorb moisture. Alliant is supposed to have old powder kept in a jar of water. They occasionally remove some and it burns just fine. I dunno.

Don't forget that the bottles aren't one pound, they are one half kilogram!! That's about 1.1 lbs!! So even better when you work out cost per pound.

[LeftyDon]

Here is a loading chart I've used with Vectan. Seems good but use at your own discretion.



I also use this: http://www.vectan.fr/UK/about-us

If you go to the above site and download the catalog pdf file there's list of powders compared to the Vectan powders in speeds on page 4 of the catalog. As per normal, start low and work up when using a new powder. For shotgun users of Vectan powders BPI (Ballistic Products) has many new loads listed for these powders)

[jonp]

If you go to the above site and download the catalog pdf file there's list of powders compared to the Vectan powders in speeds on page 4 of the catalog. As per normal, start low and work up when using a new powder. For shotgun users of Vectan powders BPI (Ballistic Products) has many new loads listed for these powders)

Yes, it is one of the better catalogs I have seen. No need to wonder what the powder looks like, go to the catalog, on the left is a button that says "range of powders". Hit that and the powders with pictures in color of them pops up. Despite the square look of the A1, AS and AO I've found the AS seems to meter out of a lyman 55 ok for me

[sh00ter787]

I wont post links to data as that seems to have been covered fairly well, however I have had a bit of experience of some of these powders.

GM3 - Used it solely for .38spl when I used to shoot comps, excellent with 148gn hbwc 2.8gn for .38cases 3.2 for .357's. It was one of the cheapest fast powders available in the UK and 90% of people in comps were using it. For me it was one of those powders where I wouldn't hesitate to buy if I saw it!

A1 - Half the price of "american" powders in the UK, I treat it like a ever so slighty slower Unique, in other words I use it in almost everything, anywhere from 5.5gn's to 8gn's in .44 and 8.5gns in 7.62x39 runs to about 1500fps out of a 16" saiga. Very cheap plinking! In a shotgun 25gn under 9 00 buck is very managable but apparently its safe up to 32gns... (I like to enjoy my shooting though)

[dave33]

Has anyone tried the Ao in a 9mm round? I came across a bottle this weekend and thought I would take a chance and give it a try. If it doesnt work out at least its spring and I can fertilize the lawn with it.

I know its a slow powder, which is why I got it, plan to shoot 100-125gr boolits through my compensated CZ, minor power factor range. Looking for a lot of gas to work the comp and as accurate as I can get. Now using mostly Autocomp, HS-6, and Accurate #7 but Im always experimenting.

I have seen the load data on page one of this thread from the german website and, as it turns out, there is a little load data on my lee 9mm die sheet so I have some starting points in mind, Im just curious if anyone has used it and how it worked for them.

I welcome any comments. Thanks.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Has anyone tried the Ao in a 9mm round? I came across a bottle this weekend and thought I would take a chance and give it a try. If it doesnt work out at least its spring and I can fertilize the lawn with it.

I know its a slow powder, which is why I got it, plan to shoot 100-125gr boolits through my compensated CZ, minor power factor range. Looking for a lot of gas to work the comp and as accurate as I can get. Now using mostly Autocomp, HS-6, and Accurate #7 but Im always experimenting.

I have seen the load data on page one of this thread from the german website and, as it turns out, there is a little load data on my lee 9mm die sheet so I have some starting points in mind, Im just curious if anyone has used it and how it worked for them.

I welcome any comments. Thanks.

I tested a some A0 hunting for 9mm minor loads for Open Division. I'd have to look at what I had for starting charge weights in my notes, probably the upper end charge per Vectan data. This was with a Rainer 115gr RN launched from a 4.5" XDm with a 5" Storm Lake barrel and Springer comp. It ran the gun fine, but a bit too slow I think, bit dirty burn and some unburned powder left. It wasn't working the comp as hard as I would like. Doing the cardboard test, firing through a IPSC target, muzzle 1" away, quite a bit of unburnt powder impacting the paper. It wasn't blowing out the hole in the cardboard from excessive gas, clean hole. Summation of that load is its too slow at least behind that 115gr. Perhaps the results would be more favorable with the 124gr'ers I use now? Maybe try a magnum primer to jump the in initial pressure up upon ignition? I had several other test loads I fired at that time that showed more promise than the A0 so I left off there.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Interesting, I will have to get a few lbs to try from PV on my next order. I'm in the slow process of switching to faster powders. I am getting an 8lb jug of Ramshot Competition. If it feels the same as N320 I will stick with it. I wouldn't mind trying N310 for 40 major because its usually in stock but, I have heard it is sensitive to load with. It's good to have back up powders though for when the demand skyrockets. Last year I was trying to get any pistol powder I could for 40, now I have 14lbs of Hodgdon Longshot I need to sell lol. I will get some AS and BA10 when I place an order from PV. The nice thing about N320 and ram. competition is the charge weights are low. Wish there was some 40 major data for BA10 and AS loaded long out of a STI 2011. thanks for the help.

I have some Vhitavouri N310, about the only thing I have messed with it in is 7.62x25. It is some snappy stuff! I don't play with .40 much anymore but I really liked WSF for it. It works in 9mm too but these were just plinker rounds, not USPSA loads. WSF is a great powder for handgun! My local fun shop buddy I buy a lot of components from keeps a full line of Vectan on his shelves now as he really likes it and it is gaining popularity with locals. It's become the brand he recommends to folks looking for powder without anything specific in mind.

[dave33]

I tested a some A0 hunting for 9mm minor loads for Open Division. I'd have to look at what I had for starting charge weights in my notes, probably the upper end charge per Vectan data. This was with a Rainer 115gr RN launched from a 4.5" XDm with a 5" Storm Lake barrel and Springer comp. It ran the gun fine, but a bit too slow I think, bit dirty burn and some unburned powder left. It wasn't working the comp as hard as I would like. Doing the cardboard test, firing through a IPSC target, muzzle 1" away, quite a bit of unburnt powder impacting the paper. It wasn't blowing out the hole in the cardboard from excessive gas, clean hole. Summation of that load is its too slow at least behind that 115gr. Perhaps the results would be more favorable with the 124gr'ers I use now? Maybe try a magnum primer to jump the in initial pressure up upon ignition? I had several other test loads I fired at that time that showed more promise than the A0 so I left off there.

Thanks for the input. Buying this was sort of a shot in the dark spur of the moment thing. Im leaning toward a 122gr powder coated boolit or a 126gr powder coated SWC so I will see.

Anyone else give this stuff a try?

[Mytmousemalibu]

Thanks for the input. Buying this was sort of a shot in the dark spur of the moment thing. Im leaning toward a 122gr powder coated boolit or a 126gr powder coated SWC so I will see.

Anyone else give this stuff a try?

No problem! If I had to take a guess, it will probably respond better to a heavier bullet. See what you can make it do! It would probably do pretty good for rounds like .45acp, .38spl, .45LC, etc.

[LeftyDon]

Per Nobel's powder chart A0 speed matches up with Herco, Longshot, Trueblue or 800X. It's not a powder they suggest for a 9mm.