9mm Loading Data Please Help!

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rayrobbins

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New Hampshire
The only powder available in my area was IMR PB and Winchester WSF so I bought a couple of pounds of each. In addition, the only bullets available were some Zero 125 gn JHP and I purchased them as well. To my dismay I found that Hodgon does not have data available on their site for the bullet/powder combination that I have. I am using CCI-500 primers and Starline brass.

Does anyone out there have any recipes for this bullet/powder combo?

Your help would be appreciated!
 
WSF will work just fine for the 125gr JHP. I use it all the time for the Berry's 124gr RN. The 124gr FMJ will work. Just like with any other round start low and work up. The OAL will probably not work for you. Find the Max OAL your gun like by making up a dummy round. Then work up the load.

From Hodgdon's site:

124 GR. FMJ Winchester WSF .355" 1.169" 4.7 1015 27,700 PSI 5.3 1115 32,700 PSI
 
The only powder available in my area was IMR PB and Winchester WSF so I bought a couple of pounds of each.

Certainly not the way I'd do it.
You can't make just any powder fit.

The "fit" has to be powder for the caliber.

To my dismay I found that Hodgon does not have data available on their site for the bullet/powder combination that I have.

That's Hodgdon's way of telling you that they don't recommend what you're trying to do.

OK - I just checked & Hodgdon has 124 gr jacketed data.
I guarantee if you weigh every bullet, they'll be off by more than 1 gr., so use of 124 gr data is perfectly OK.

But what is the diameter of those bullets? If it's .355" then again 124 gr data is fine.
If those bullets are .357 or .358, then they were not designed to be used in a 9MM.
So you have to start on the low end & work up.
 
WSF works great in 9MM. Use 124/5 Gr data from Hodgdons website or any good load book. Zeros are excellent bullets. I have shot quite a number of the 125s in 9MM (.355) and .38 Super (.356). I loaded them at 1.100 OAL. I stopped buying 9MM Zeros and just bought the .356 Zero for both calibers.
 
WSF is an extraordinary powder for 9mm. You did good.
I don't know why Hodgdon never published any load data for WSF; they just copied the little bit of data that Winchester had. There might be data in Lyman's 49th.
 
Hodgdon doesn't test every powder/bullet combo. I know this from talking to them. Even if a powder is within the typical burn rate range for a given caliber, it's not guaranteed that they'll publish data for it or even test it. I recently called them about using CFE223 in 7.62x54R. I was told that they hadn't tested it in x54 yet and that they were most likely done testing that powder, at least for the time being. So with so many other powders available maybe they just haven't tested WSF or PB in 9mm. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't suitable. But this is exactly why you should own a couple good manuals (on top of the procedural information in them). Some times a powder manufacturer hasn't tested a combo, but maybe a bullet manufacturer has and their manual may show data. I never go solely off of a powder manufacturer's website and I wouldn't recommend anyone else do either. The availability of reloading manuals hasn't been effected by the recent panic, but sometimes it seems like it has.
 
Thanks for the help!
My Zeroes are .355" dia so I should not have an issue there.

I have used WSF with 115 gn Montana Gold JHP bullets and the Winchester data online stated a COL of 1.169". The 1.169 does not work in my old Smith SW9F, it jams repeatedly. I called Hodgdon and was told that I could go as low as 1.130".

I made a few rounds at 1.150" and 1.140" and found that the 1.140" cycled reliably and was very accurate.
 
Both powders will work wonderfully in 9mm with whatever bullet you choose to shoot. You done good!

I wonder why some members berate others without full knowledge of what --deleted-- they're talking about?
 
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+1 for wsf.. 4.9 gr behind a 124gr montana bullet @1.15 is my favorite load so far.
 
The 9mm .355 Zero JHP with traditional ogive are great bullets. (Where the heck did you find them?) My favorite load with n320 for comp. at 129/130pf.
I've had them backordered for months.

I use a 1.10 oal in a tight chambered CZ.

WSF will work fine.
 
I found the Zeros in a publication called Uncle Henry's, as far as I know this pub is only available in New England. Uncle Henry's, is like a Craig's list on paper but costs 2.00, it can be found on just about every counter in most stores.
 
Both WSF and PB are great for 9x19.
Bullet Weight Powder Weight Velocity Note P.F. COL
Sie FMJ 125 PB 3.2 887 Start 111 1.090
Sie FMJ 125 PB 3.6 974 Max 122 1.090
Spr SP 125 PB 4.2 997 Start 125
J-all 124 PB 4.4 945 Start 117
Spr SP 125 PB 4.7 1081 135
J-all, Rem MC 124 PB 4.9 1050 Max 130 1.135
Spr SP 125 PB 5.2 1135 Max 142
Hdy HP-XTP 124 WSF 4.6 1109 Accurate 138 1.096
FMJ 124 WSF 4.7 1015 Start 126 1.150-1.169
FMJ 124 WSF 4.8 Start 0
FMJ 124 WSF 5.0 1100 Max 136 1.150
FMJ 124 WSF 5.3 1115 Max 138 1.150-1.169
J-all 124 WSF 5.3 1170 145 >1.10
 
I found the Zeros in a publication called Uncle Henry's, as far as I know this pub is only available in New England. Uncle Henry's, is like a Craig's list on paper but costs 2.00, it can be found on just about every counter in most stores.

The primary Zero distributer is "Roze" (anagram for Zero): http://www.rozedist.com/
They are in high demand by competitors and have limited production. They shut down the 9mm line about every 3 months or so, to make other caliber bullets.
ALL the distributers I know of have had "zero" 9mm Zeros for a few months now..

Anyway, they started a second 125gr JHP bullet that has a "conical" nose instead of a convential ogive. These sell just as fast, but I haven't tried those. I really like the original .355 125 JHP. Very high quality bullet for the cost.

Still curious about who specifically has any for sale. I only know of 4 or 5 distributers.
 
i wonder the real scoop on that myself
ive read here and there and found some common loads
for other calibers that bear it out
and ive been doing some test loads to that point
the numbers are very close
but Herco is a bulky powder compared to WSF
so some loads may show that they would be compressed
but they wouldnt be using the same charge of WSF
so far so good with my testing
tomorrow i should be out with 2 loads
one at 4.0gr 147gr CNFP @ 1.120
the other the same at 4.1gr
im pretty convinced that the data is interchangable
but im not going past 1000fps so i dont have push it


EDIT! dont bother with those loads i mentioned
to short for such a long boolit, they went worth a hoot
so back to much longer OAL and get them a bit hotter
 
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im gonna bump this to see if anybody has info to share on the Herco/WSF data cross over

BUMP!!
 
I think WSF is an extremely popular 9mm powder and I think the 124/125 gr 9mm is as versatile a reload as you will ever reload. I don't know your bullet maker or how much you paid for them but if this is just range ammo you are already golden. Go to Winchester and start low (lowest) with a 124gr JHP. YMMV
 
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