doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Alcan/Vihtavuori shotshell loading data anywhere?

Anyone have old Alcan or Vihtavuori loading data anywhere? I have been given some Alcan WW209F MAX-FIRE & Vihtavuori Magnum Shotshell Primers and would like to use them in Remington STS 12ga hulls with Red dot powder. Do any of you have any load recommendations for loads using this combination? If I need to change the powder, I can do that too, but I would prefer red dot if at all possible. If not, does it make a huge difference to change the primer. I use winchester W209 primers now.

Loren

Wow, ALCAN is long gone. I remember using them 25 years ago and if my old guys memory is right they inlarged the primer pockets. You could contact Alliant ands see if they have any old data. We used them in Federal papers that were low pressure loads and the primer pockets tended to leak so the size helped.
bill

The Alcan Max Fire primer was probably the hottest primer on the market at the time it was made, but the Federal primer could have been its equal. If you can find a copy of Lyman's first edition of their shotshell loading manual, you will find some data with this primer. Most of the data is for their powders, but there are other recipies. Do your best to try to find good data. I've seen or heard nothing about Vihtavouri primers.

http://www.vihtavuori-lapua.com/downloads.php

Sam

Sounds like another job for Sherm Bell ... testing primer effect on loads. Based on some tests of metallic cartridge primers, I suspect the effect on pressure in shotshells is pretty limited.

Actually Chuck it can make a dramatic difference. I cannot recall where I read the tests before but it was probably in Hand Loader magazine and in one of the loading manuals. A change of 1500 psi is possible. The Alcan primer was a very hot primer back then. From the Lyman First Edition Shotshell hand book all loads for the Alcan 220 Max-Fire primer are for use with their powders or their wads wich are no longer available. I would try them with 16 GRS of Red Dot and 1oz of shot with the appropriate wad and I would feal confident that they were safe.

This type of stuff is exactly the kind of stuff that caused me to buy the PressureTrace system.
http://www.shootingsoftware.com/pressure.htm

Loren, a quick check of Alcan Reloader's Manual XI show 3 Red Dot loads using Reminton Express and Shur Shot (plastic) shells. They used various combinations of Alcan Air Wedge, Plastic Gas Seal and Feltan Blue Streak wads. All three are 1200 fps 1 1/8 oz loadings. No modern plastic wad data in the old 1966 manual. Probably not much help.

Johnpe's suggestion to look in Lyman's 1969 first edition Shotshell handbook is a good one. There are more Red Dot loads for the 220 max-Fire primer in there. At least one has a Remington wad in the Rem. All American plastic target case for an ounce of shot at 1260 fps.