Picked up some hen's teeth today

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vaalpens

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No, it is not as bad as primers, but I did put an order in in October, and finally today I was able to pick up a 1,000 RMR 115gr FMJ RN bullets. An added bonus today was meeting Joe Durnbaugh, the shipping Manager at RMR. Joe, thanks for always being courteous over the phone, and treating me like family.

Now back to the 115gr bullets. I have been reloading 9mm for a while, but have only loaded 69 rounds in total using 115gr bullets. This will basically be new for me, and I am hoping that I will be able to find a load or two that will challenge my 357sig and 40s&w accuracy loads.

Where do I start?

First I will decide on a COL and then create a few dummy rounds. The 69 rounds I have created were all using a COL of 1.135", and I used Power Pistol. I will probably start with 1.135" and Power Pistol again. Load data I normally trust is the Speer data, so I will probably do their suggested 6.2gr to 6.7gr range.

I have already created the dummy rounds and cycled them though my gun. Plunk test was also good and no setback has been observed.

I have fallen a bit behind in my testing with all the snow on the ground in the National Forest, but will make some plans to get some of my testing done. All my test results will be shared since al lot of members buy the RMR 115gr bullets and will probably look forward to compare their results against mine.

As always, any comments or suggestions regarding loading this RMR 115gr bullet in 9mm will be appreciated.
 
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First I will decide on a COL and then create a few dummy rounds. The 69 rounds I have created were all using a COL of 1.135", and I used Power Pistol. A lot of load data use a COL of 1.169", but I will probably start with 1.135" and Power Pistol again. Load data I normally trust is the Speer data, so I will probably do their suggested 6.2gr to 6.7gr range.

I don't recall seeing 9mm load data using a recommended OAL of 1.169". Where have you seen that?
 
Here's the history on that information:

That data is transcribed directly from Winchester's old 15th edition reloader's manual. That manual did not list OAL for any of their bullets - which is a problem as most handloaders know since it affects pressure. Instead, on page 44 there is a table listing the maximum OAL for all handgun rounds, entitled, "Maximum overall lengths with bullet seated". 1.169" is the SAAMI maximum OAL for the 9mm cartridge. But that's not what all 9mm bullets should be seated at.

Whoever transcribed that data (which is only for WSF powder) was not aware of that simple fact, thus that information is problematic. Flat nose bullets loaded to 1.169" OAL will not fit in many 9mm magazines.

And that's probably the only source that would list 1.169 as the "recommended" OAL for 9mm (which is a misinterpretation of what the data in Winchester's table is for), though some will get close listing 1.165".

Load manuals have errors. It's not the first, and probably won't be the last.
 
Here's the history on that information:

That data is transcribed directly from Winchester's old 15th edition reloader's manual. That manual did not list OAL for any of their bullets - which is a problem as most handloaders know since it affects pressure. Instead, on page 44 there is a table listing the maximum OAL for all handgun rounds, entitled, "Maximum overall lengths with bullet seated". 1.169" is the SAAMI maximum OAL for the 9mm cartridge. But that's not what all 9mm bullets should be seated at.

Whoever transcribed that data (which is only for WSF powder) was not aware of that simple fact, thus that information is problematic. Flat nose bullets loaded to 1.169" OAL will not fit in many 9mm magazines.

And that's probably the only source that would list 1.169 as the "recommended" OAL for 9mm (which is a misinterpretation of what the data in Winchester's table is for), though some will get close listing 1.165".

Load manuals have errors. It's not the first, and probably won't be the last.

Thanks for the explanation. I am loading RN bullets, but will remove the 1.169" COL from my original post to prevent any confusion. I was not planning on loading to 1.169" in any case. The COL I will use will be 1.135".
 
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anybody ever load 9mm major for STI? much longer than 1.169

Sure, but we're talking about fitting in a typical 9mm-sized frame, not a special condition. And some 9 Major shooters are using 9mm-frame guns, like CZ, Glock and S&W M&P, so they're limited by the same 1.169" constraint. And you can even load them long for your 1911/2011 if you're not trying to make Major.
 
Sure, but we're talking about fitting in a typical 9mm-sized frame, not a special condition. And some 9 Major shooters are using 9mm-frame guns, like CZ, Glock and S&W M&P, so they're limited by the same 1.169" constraint. And you can even load them long for your 1911/2011 if you're not trying to make Major.
I long a little long even on my Production STI, better feed reliability
 
I long a little long even on my Production STI, better feed reliability

Yup. I have to load my 40 S&W long to feed reliably in my Para Ordnance (wide body). Short rounds can be a problem in long frames. However, short 9mm rounds feed fine in my 9mm wide body Para Ordnance. Para's 9mm magazines are well designed - and they don't have spacers like some 2011 mags. The rounds sit all the way back and have a long jump to get to the feed ramp. They are 38 Super mags with a different design rib to work better with the 9mm tapered rounds - and work well with rimless 38 Super cases, too.
 
For an additional reference point. Hornady’s 10th Edition.

Thanks for sharing the Hornady's load data. This is making me reevaluate the range I want to test with Powder Pistol.

The COL they show is a bit shorter than the Speer data, but the powder range for Power Pistol is big. Nearly 2gr difference between min and max.

I wonder what the length of the Hornady 115gr FMJ-RN bullet is. The RMR bullet length is around .5710".
 
Thanks for sharing the Hornady's load data. This is making me reevaluate the range I want to test with Powder Pistol.

The COL they show is a bit shorter than the Speer data, but the powder range for Power Pistol is big. Nearly 2gr difference between min and max.

What is the purpose of your loads? Are you looking to achieve a certain velocity? Is this just a plinking load? Are you trying to make power factor?
 
What is the purpose of your loads? Are you looking to achieve a certain velocity? Is this just a plinking load? Are you trying to make power factor?

My purpose is to find the most accurate load. I have my own internal competition where I try and improve on the best grouping I have per cartridge, and then also between cartridges. I always try to get into my top 10 of grouping results.

Once I have the load data, I then start evaluating on how I can use it. Some will qualify as an accurate plinking load, where some will qualify as an accurate possible competition load (power factor). I just let the load data dictate what I can do with each load. I am definitely not pushing the loads to get a certain velocity or anything, but rather let the results tell me how they could be use.
 
That's interesting, I've not heard of that method before. So I think what you're saying is that the shank of the seated bullet would keep the cases from touching?
 
That's interesting, I've not heard of that method before. So I think what you're saying is that the shank of the seated bullet would keep the cases from touching?
Unless you absolutely nail the sweet spot where the shank ends and the curve inward begins. The cases will touch in that instance as well. Just something to think about, a micrometer will tell you where the ogive starts and a scribe tip will mark the point without damaging the bullet. Tools can be useful.
 
I load most 9mm ball, (jacketed, plated or cast), to about 1.095, but I load for CZ pistols that normally have a short chamber. Nice snag on the bullets!

Thanks for the information. I am still deciding on the COL, but it looks like I will go with 1.135" for now. I still want to load a few more dummy rounds, then use my impact bullet puller to see how easy the bullets come out. If they came out way to easy, then I could shorten the COL. Once I pick a COL and everything is reliable, I would normally stick with the COL.
 
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