Favorite soft shooting & Accurate 9mm HP-38 124gr Load

[WVsig]

I have been using HP-38 for a while now. I load 4.3gr with a 124gr Berrys plated or RMR FMJ with an OAL of 1.140". This has become my go to range load. When I go lower than 4.2 I have had slide cyclying problems with this OAL. I can shorten it but I like to run a round as long as I can and have it feed reliability but am open to other suggestions. It shoots accurately out to 25 yards for me in BHPs, Sigs, Sphinx & CZs.

I am pretty please with it but looking for others thoughts on what is their pet 9mm 124 HP-38 load. Part of the fun of reloading is tinkering. I do not have to worry about PF with these load but if you have chrono data on your favorite loads I would love to see it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You are already loading a good load. I usually charge 4.4gr W231/HP-38 but drop it to 4.0gr with a cast 124gr bullet.

 

[splattergun]

4.3 gn. or 4.4 gn HP38/231 under a 124 gn Berry's HBFP. accurate, predictable brass throw, sweet recoil from my P89

 

[Jesse Heywood]

4.1 gr. W231 with RMR 124 RN PL at 1.115 in Kahr CW9.

As for what you're using, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[WVsig]

Thanks for the replies. I am pretty happy with what I have been loading but sometimes the reloading room can become a bit of a a vacuum. You start out working out your pet load and then you reach a certain level of "perfection" and then stop tweaking it. I find I go into rinse and repeat mode and every now and then it is good to ask the community for a sanity check.

Sounds like I am right in the range with only slight differences in powder charge and OAL.

 

[Nature Boy]

I recently made some using Hornady (edit: should have been 147g, not 124g) JHP and 3.1g of HP-38.

They are very soft shooting, cycle my CZ75 PCR every time and were surprisingly accurate.

As a bonus, I also wasn’t digging through the bushes trying to find my brass like I do when shooting 115g pills and 5.0g of HP-38. They were all laying in a 2’ circle by my feet

 

[earplug]

Try a heavier bullet with less powder. Many of us have converted to 147 grain pills due to the soft felt recoil.
Good time to experiment with some coated bullets.

 

[peterk1234]

I have settled on 4.6 grains of BE-86 with a 125 grain conical from MBC seated to an OAL of 1.110. I can go lighter but this one seems to just shoot nice.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I have settled on 4.6 grains of BE-86 with a 125 grain conical from MBC seated to an OAL of 1.110. I can go lighter but this one seems to just shoot nice.

After reading all of the posts about BE86 I decided to try it with RMR 124gr as folks have raved about. I too think the BE86 load seems to be a softer hit than the HP38/Win231.

Maybe I’m wrong but BE86 with the 124s just seems softer than HP38/Win231.

 

[Dwb1957]

Try a heavier bullet with less powder. Many of us have converted to 147 grain pills due to the soft felt recoil.
Good time to experiment with some coated bullets.

Yeah I have gone to the 147gr acme flat point coated lead bullet @ 1.15 oal with 3.3grs sport pistol and it's noticeably softer shooting than 124gr bullets. Shoots good from my glocks and sigs.

 

[Dudedog]

You could get a lighter spring to function with lighter loads but that doesn't really answer your question.
How low you can go with HP38/W231 and get proper function is just up to your gun and it sounds like you have found the answer there.

I prefer a slightly slower powder like WSF. At the same velocity WSF loads feel "softer" to me than HP38 loads at the same vel.
It all depends on the load/gun but I have found seating to a shorter OAL sometime improves accuracy. Only way to know is to try it. Might be easier to fine tune with OAL.

 

[SSN Vet]

I've been loading 4.5 gr W231 (HP38) under the 124 gr Berry's plated RN for several years now and it is my go to 9 mm load.

I load 124 gr hollow point self defense ammo (Rem. Golden Sabre and Hornady XTPS) with the same charge.

My philosophy is that I want to always practice with the same level of report and recoil as commercial (non +P) carry ammo, and the 4.5 gr. charge seems to do just that.

I switched to Federal Primers, as I have a light hammer spring in my BHP and Win small pistol primers some times result in light strikes. But never the Federals.

YMMV

 

[WVsig]

Great info guys! Thanks. I will put an order in for some 147s.

 

[WessonOil]

4.3 grains of HP-38/231 with RMR plated or jacketed 124 RN 1.145-1.15 OAL is the minimum load that will cycle my M&P's and still be on the Lee Auto Disk chart.
Next step down gets "iffy."
I'm also using this for my Freedom Arms FX-9 carbine.
Very accurate in both.

 

[egd]

Just a note to everyone who posts their loads without giving their oal. It means almost nothing. There can be a huge difference in pressure with the same powder load but oal between 1.10 and 1.150. You have to state the bullet profile and oal along with the powder type and charge to really be useful to anyone.