santacruzdave
Member
I'm relatively new to reloading and have a question regarding powder charge and COL.
I made up some dummy rounds and did a "plunk" test. All normal in most of my 9mm pistols with the exception of the XD-9 Tactical 5". I know from other plunk tests with different bullets that the barrel in the XD has a very short lead. I plan to use BE-86.
The Alliant website shows a max load of 5.9 gr. Doing the calculation -10% for a starting load of 5.3 gr. with a COL of 1.12. And it's the COL that is driving my question. The longest COL the XD will successfully plunk is 1.062. The difference, .058, is what has me concerned. I've been told that the 9mm is a high pressure cartridge and any significant reduction in the "boiler room" could lead to spikes in pressure and possibly a kaboom. I've also been told that every powder is unique in it's pressure curve and what might work for one would not work for the next.
So I have a dilemma. What would be a reasonable reduction in the minimum load of 5.3 gr of BE-86? Is seating the bullet .058 inches below the minimum COL of 1.12 simply too radical to contemplate? Perhaps I should just skip loading for the XD with the RMR bullet? Thanks in advance for any insight you might offer.
I made up some dummy rounds and did a "plunk" test. All normal in most of my 9mm pistols with the exception of the XD-9 Tactical 5". I know from other plunk tests with different bullets that the barrel in the XD has a very short lead. I plan to use BE-86.
The Alliant website shows a max load of 5.9 gr. Doing the calculation -10% for a starting load of 5.3 gr. with a COL of 1.12. And it's the COL that is driving my question. The longest COL the XD will successfully plunk is 1.062. The difference, .058, is what has me concerned. I've been told that the 9mm is a high pressure cartridge and any significant reduction in the "boiler room" could lead to spikes in pressure and possibly a kaboom. I've also been told that every powder is unique in it's pressure curve and what might work for one would not work for the next.
So I have a dilemma. What would be a reasonable reduction in the minimum load of 5.3 gr of BE-86? Is seating the bullet .058 inches below the minimum COL of 1.12 simply too radical to contemplate? Perhaps I should just skip loading for the XD with the RMR bullet? Thanks in advance for any insight you might offer.