The search for accurate match loads for 9mm continues...

Trey Veston said:

Will definitely try some of the Power Pistol. Online, it ships to my door for about $25 a pound. But only in 4lb container. Nearest store that carries it is 50 miles away and it's $24 a pound.

Click to expand...

Some love Power Pistol and some hate it. It seems it is not the best powder for competition because of the sound and being flashy. It is probably not a good idea to start with a 4lb container.

If I move one day I will definitely miss my local supplier Bruno Shooters Supply. They have 1lb PP for $17.40, but I have to pay tax.

Power pistol is flashy and sort of loud but shoot some Longshot and you won't notice it

I have never tested the RMR 124gr JHP MPR rounds in 9mm, so I'm not sure what the best COL is. I have tested the The RMR 124gr TC FP matchwinner with a COL of 1.065" and the best grouping Power Pistol load 5.6gr at 1058fps out of a 3.9" barrel.

Good luck testing your loads.

vaalpens said:

I have never tested the RMR 124gr JHP MPR rounds in 9mm, so I'm not sure what the best COL is

Click to expand...

This may help.

Thanks for the update, and sorry to hear that you feel loading 9mm is a waste of time, money and resources. I actually just loaded 50 of the RMR 124gr FMJ TC FP bullets with 5.6gr of Power Pistol, and my calculated cost was $5.76. I don't save as much loading 9mm when compared to 357sig, 40s&w, 45acp or 38/357, but there are still some savings. Reloading is a hobby for me, so the effort it takes is a positive, not a negative.

Good luck with your upcoming match on Saturday.

Trey Veston said:

Got some range time in again today and have come to the conclusion that reloading for 9mm is pretty much a complete waste of time, money, and resources.

Click to expand...

For some, this is a fact. I would entreat you to stick with it a bit longer. It’d be one of those awesome moments if you happened upon the perfect reload within 20-30 combinations, but there are a LOT of variables that come in to play.

Have you seen this project? https://ammosquared.com/gaatproject/

If you look at the surveys of the major competitions, most of the competitors reload. The predominate reloads are a coated bullet with a fast powder like Titegroup or N320.

Folks might also want to check out this article on 9mm accuracy.

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2019/1/18/38-different-9mm-loads

lordpaxman said:

Have you seen this project? https://ammosquared.com/gaatproject/

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing this link. I watched a few of the videos and a trend that I saw was that the first shot was always low and definitely impacted the grouping. I have read about this before, but it was interesting to actually see it happening.

With my normal load testing I normally just shoot 5 rounds for a 5 shot grouping. When I retest certain loads to confirm accuracy or maybe for a longer distance test, then I would load 6 rounds, shoot the first round off target, and then the remaining 5 at the target for a 5 shot grouping.

Trey I might agree with lordpaxman. For the cost of manufactured 9mm for many it is a waste of time. Now for myself it is not. I produce 9mm for right around .10 cents a piece and I can't unequivocally say that my handloads are any more accurate or reliable than what comes out of a factory box. But I do know that my handloads are more accurate than many I've tried that do cost more. I could also add that I know my handloads could be more accurate than they are but I load so that I can use these rounds in a number of different guns and it's not tailored to any one particular gun. I load this way not just for the 9mm but also for the 380 and 45acp.

Next the two biggest reasons I reload, 1. because I enjoy it and find it rewarding. 2. it gives me something to do and fill time being that I am retired. It keeps the mind active too.
Just can't be fishing all the time!

What I dislike about reloading, the more I reload the more I want to shoot. The more I shoot the more I have to reload. The Circle! Only at some point we get to where we have to restrain ourselves for financial reasons otherwise I could shoot myself into the poorhouse!

vaalpens said:

Thanks for sharing this link. I watched a few of the videos and a trend that I saw was that the first shot was always low and definitely impacted the grouping. I have read about this before, but it was interesting to actually see it happening.

Click to expand...

This is normally due to the gun not the ammo. What is happening is the slide closing on release is not the same as under fire (recoil return). This is more noticeable on a hard lockup barrels to slide fit. If done right there is no difference.

Blue68f100 said:

This is normally due to the gun not the ammo. What is happening is the slide closing on release is not the same as under fire (recoil return). This is more noticeable on a hard lockup barrels to slide fit. If done right there is no difference.

Click to expand...

Correct. I could see they had different methods of releasing the slide while the gun was mounted on the ransom rest. I don't know how different the lockup is on my guns, but when trying for a small groupings, I just try to eliminate most of the variables. The big variable me is still there, but it is what it is.

Blue68f100 said:

This is normally due to the gun not the ammo. What is happening is the slide closing on release is not the same as under fire (recoil return). This is more noticeable on a hard lockup barrels to slide fit. If done right there is no difference.

Click to expand...

So are you saying this only happens with certain guns? They were testing a Gen 3 Glock 19 and a Gen 5 Glock 19 and both had results where the first shot was always low.

vaalpens said:

So are you saying this only happens with certain guns? They were testing a Gen 3 Glock 19 and a Gen 5 Glock 19 and both had results where the first shot was always low.

Click to expand...

Can happen with any simi-auto if the lock up is not the same every time. New guns being tight are more prone to it. As they get used and loosen up settle down.

vaalpens said:

So are you saying this only happens with certain guns? They were testing a Gen 3 Glock 19 and a Gen 5 Glock 19 and both had results where the first shot was always low.

Click to expand...

It generally only happens with some guns. As blue68f100 notes, it depends on if they lock up consistently. My Glock G19 does not appear do this, some of my other guns do it sometimes, and one gun does it all the time on the first shot.

Many Ransom Rest users will fire the first (hand cycled) round off target for this reason to avoid the first wild shot ruining their group.

Trey Veston said:

Shot the Federal ammo in the G19 and then a box of my match loads in the G35, which was 165gr RMRs and 5.0gr of Ramshot Silhouette.

Click to expand...

?165gr RMRs? I guess shooting with the Pres has it's advantages! I haven't seen these on RMR's pages yet. Or are these really 115?

If you happen to continue the 9mm quest, you may want to look at round nose profiles. In my guns, I can achieve a much longer COL with round nose, and in a few they group well enough. Actually, I'm not sure if it's a good group due to the loads, or a good group due to a conflux of movements that pushed would-be errant shots into a good group. At any rate, they're better than my current skill level.