help me pick a new 9mm powder

JO JO said:

help me pick a new 9mm powder to try , this will be used for target shooting / paper punching / range fun / 115 or 124 gr. it is nice to have the shelves full of powder so I ready to try some others, I have been using HS-6 so what say you guys ? ,

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It is hard to beat Hodgdon Tite Group. Meters well, efficient and very consistent.

Have you tried Longshot?

I used Win231/HP38 because it was what I was given when I was learning. After I found this site, I saw lots of raves about RMR 124 grain bullets and BE86. So I tried it and really liked it. I don't normally like to jump on a bandwagon but the combo is really a nice soft shooting load that works well, so I make an exception on this.

I choose powders by burn rate. The only choice you have listed with an appropriate burn rate for less than full power 9mm is Sport Pistol. It's also arguably the best powder for 9mm when casual velocities are desired. Titegroup is very good in this application but I find Sport Pistol meters even better and burns cleaner and cooler.

aa#5 and titegroup for me.

JO JO said:

I have not used longshot in 9mm , does longshot do well in target loads

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"target loads" ?? Dunno. I like it, and I don't push for max loads, and I'm not a good enough shooter to say that it makes for a more or less accurate load than any other. In pistol loads, I try to match my favorite factory ammo speeds with similar bullets.

I use WSF for my 9mm loads with 124gr pills. It's not as snappy as some powders are.

I would get a pound each of titegroup and HP38/W231 and see which you like best. I have used both in exactly your application. I shoot almost exclusively 124 grain hardcast at full speed, and also 124 JSPs at full speed. Found some guns like one or the other better. Both gave me excellent results overall. Accurate, clean and reliable function, including reduced charges within the operating range of the particular handgun in question. I also run a sub-max 115 fmj in my P-38 occasionally with HP38. Have also used TG for this load. I've gone over to HP-38 for all of my "fast" powder pistol loads as I inherited a goshawful amount from a shooter at our club who has passed. I've been very happy with it from 9mm to reduced .357 cast loads.

I really like WSF, works well mid range to top end, not as much velocity on top as some others but decent, meters well.
Match load is 4.4gr with a RMR 124gr MPR JHP 1.085 about 1040-1050 fps out of my 5" 9mm 1911.
I prefer the feel of it to say Titegroup or HP38, just does not feel as snappy to me, more pf a push recoil wise but of course feel is subjective.

Promo...cheap works well

I have only been reloading for 2-3 years so I never developed pet loads for 9mm using the old standby's like Unique, power pistol, etc... I initially developed load using W231 and HP-38. I got good accuracy but didn't like how dirty the powder was. Therefore, I started working with BE - 86 and most recently Sport Pistol. These new powder are amazing.

#1 - Alliant Sport Pistol

My first choice for 9mm plinking is Alliant Sport Pistol. It one of their newer powder so there isn't a lot of data on the internet yet, However, it meters extremely well and burns very clean. I like it better that Titegroup because it burns much cooler as well. I get great accuracy with both 115gr and 124gr bullets at medium range loads. The load data for this powder is almost identical to the widely popular W231/HP-38 and there is load data all over the internet for those powders.

#2 - Alliant BE-86

This is also a fairly new powder that is great for medium loads. Its a little easier to find that Sport Pistol,meters very well, and burns clean. If you do a search on THR for BE-86 you will see several large threads on testing and 9mm load data for this powder.

Hope that helps.

BE-86. Scary accurate, mimics factory loads quite well, great powder!

ray15 wrote:
I choose powders by burn rate.

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As determined by whom? There is no industry standard for determining burn rates and differences in testing methodologies produce different results. Compare the burn rate chart produced by Hodgdon with the one produced by Vihta Vuori and note the differences.

I use a lot of Bullseye and RedDot for my 9mm loads

I have used AA No 7 for quite a time. Started using it when I purchased at a discount No 5, 7, and 9. Use No 5 for 45 Colt. Stuff works well.

My frist choice would be sport pistol for range fun and target shooting and be-86 would be my second choice. Be-86 does good for medium to upper end loads ether one of these would work well for you.

I use BE 86 for all my handgun loads.

AA#2 followed by Titegroup.

AA#2 is the best metering powder I know of

Load Master said:

It is hard to beat Hodgdon Tite Group. Meters well, efficient and very consistent.

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Really like Ramshot Silhouette. Glad I started with it. It meters beautifully, fills the case well enough not to double, and is as consistently accurate as anything I have tried.

I was leery of TiteGroup because you could double load if your procedures aren’t solid. But I built enough confidence using Silhouette that I now feel comfortable loading TiteGroup. It meters close enough, is consistently accurate like Silhouette, and is more economical than Silhouette.

I keep Silhouette on the shelf, but now use TiteGroup for both 9MM and .45 ACP.

Do you load for any other pistol caliber? I'f so i'd look for something that might work for both. HP38/WW231 works for many cartridges.
I think Titegroup is my favorite 9MM powder based on flexibility, cost and availability.

I like CFE Pistol.

Light loads, medium loads, full power stuff?

I like my practice stuff around 1030-1050 with a 124/125gr bullet, just lucky what I liked for practice was just the right PF to use for matches. (midrange)
Others like their fun practice stuff a bit stouter.

AA#2 meters great but I like something a little slower for 9mm.
(perfect for .380 size charges, like it in .45 ACP,)
HP38/W231 works great for me in .45, ok in 9mm but other seem more accurate.

Lots of people like BE86, to me it just seemed happier on the higher side of it's charge range and in that area CFE-P shot better for me. Might be worth a try if your are looking for something middle+ to FP. Good vels on the top end of it's range.
Just tried some Silhouette the other day and it looks promising but I think it is going to be like BE86 happier middle+ to FP.

Of course all guns are different, no telling what they will like best other than it will probably be at least the 3rd ot 4th or.... powder you try