Suggested 50YD load; Zero 185/ Vhitavuori N310

Hello All,

For any of you that use a Zero185 JHP & Vhitavuori N310, What load are you using for 50 yards?

Regards,


Keith

Below is from info I have gathered and tried. Start with lower # and work up. Your gun may like a slightly longer OAL like mine did with the WST. (Les Baer Wad and Hardball guns).

OAL 1.200 , crimp .469-.470, WLP primers, Federal brass.
4.3 - 4.7 VV N310 (Accurate , 4.5 worked best for me but some guns like hotter)
4.6 - 5.0 WST (Also accurate , 5.0 is my choice, increased OAL to 1.24)
4.5 - 4.8 Bullseye (Accurate , 4.5 worked best for me , but some guns want hotter)
4.3 - 4.5 Clays (Use to use but switched to WST, Clays is temperature stable for winter summer shooting)
4.4 to 4.6 Titegroup (same as Clays)
4.5 to 4.7 700X (Accurate . I've been told Zero loaded ammo uses/or used this powder)

- Dave

I've had great luck with the Zero 185 JHP, 4.5 gr. N-310, new or once-fired Starline brass, and Win. LP primers.

just check the sticky topic at the top of ammo section, "pet loads and you can see many that top shooters use with this bullet

Hello wheelsthatgrip,

One of three "go to" loads used in all my M1911s....4.2 grains (Starline brass and Winchester primers).

Jim

dronning posted a COL of 1.20. The spread I'm seeing all over the Web is crazy for the N310/185JHP combo. I've seen COL data from 1.13 upto 1.26. Jim and Bill, what COL are you using?

1.13 is way too short, 1.200 is shortest for the zero 185 fmj-hp and the nosler 185fmj-hp I would go,  then you can go up to 1.215 and they all will shoot x ring out of a accurate gun

I run my 185 JHP OAL at 1.24 using 5.0g of WST, for my gun the group tightened up a little from the 1.20 OAL I was using (< 2" at 50yds).

- Dave

It's funny, I thought 1.13 sounded way short too. But the 1.13 is what Vihtavuori Powders lists for Nosler 185 HP with 4.3-5.1 of N310. I'll try a longer seat and see how it does. Thank you.

IMO the first thing to do is stop using factory loading manuals, they just don't correlate to bullseye target shooting very well. Some things like maximum charge are worth paying attention too but most info will be way hotter than needed for our sport.


Many tests were done with ransom rests as to changes in oal only to find it made little difference if within normal boundaries. The marine team when brain zins was with them used a load developed by Al Dorman if my memory is right that loaded the nosler at 1.200, they changed the powder gr weight several times but never the oal, they dominated the matches and zins won the nationals shooting this load before they switched to using factory made match ammo.

I think the Marine load is 4.2 I have it somewhere in my notes at home.

rich.tullo wrote:I think the Marine load is 4.2 I have it somewhere in my notes at home.

It started at 4.1, then went to 4.3 and ended at 4.5.