I'll give you the parts, you explain the whole

[counterman6]

The parts:
Springfield Armory XD9 4" -very clean
Handloaded 147 gr. bullet
once fired brass
3.5 grains of Unique, new container, just opened it
CCI primers
Over all length- 1.058"
chronographed speed: @956 fps

The whole:
A target full of keyholes- I mean bullets going through perfectly sideways. Why?


cast lead bullets- blue lube
Lyman reloading manual
3.5 grains is a midddle of the scale load
This pistol usually shoots jacketed 115 gr bullets like a champ
no leading at all unlike the junk ultramax .38's I was shooting the other day that took an hour to clean out of my barrel
bullets measure at .3555
the OAL is book specified

 

[hankdatank1362]

Did you try any factory loads?

Did you inspect the bore/muzzle?

 

[Werewolf]

What's the twist rate for that barrel? For heavier bullets a faster twist rate is required for the bullet to stabilize.

I'd guess that the twist rate on your XD is optimized for 115 and 125 gr bullets.

there's a web site out there on the inteweb that explains this concept and even provides a chart that shows the twist rates required for bullet stabilization based on bullet diameter and weight. Don't know where it is though I imagine someone here does.

 

[rickomatic]

More info on bullet. Lead? Jacketed? XTP? Where did that load info come from? Was it a starting load?

 

[Walkalong]

Lead bullet? Jacketed? Plated?

I suppose it could be too slow to stabilize the heavier bullets, but I have never shot 147's in 9MM. Hmmm... Speer # 13 shows jacketed 147's from 864 to 1001 FPS, so your velocity should be OK.

Barrel leaded badly after a few rounds? That will make them tumble for sure. What diameter bullets?

Need info!

 

[DWARREN123]

Brand and type of bullet? I would also say from the info that the bullets are not correct for rate of twist in the barrel.
Was gun clean before firing? Dirty or lead clogged barrel may cause this.

 

[socaldan]

hi..new to the thread also..i had the same concern with 180gr plated bullets, 5.2 gr ww231 , 4" s&w 4006 at 50ft. "factory rounds" didn't "keyhole" whats wrong? btw...thats 40 s&w in my case.

 

[Steve C]

You get key holing when the bullet isn't imparted enough spin to stabilize it during flight. As mentioned it could be an incompatible rifling twist. Usually with reloads, esp lead bullets the cause is too small a diameter bullet to take up the rifling. Bore fouling could also cause the bullet to not get enough grab on the rifling to stabilize it, but you said your pistol was clean.

Not sure if the XD has a polygonal barrel but this could also be a culprit.

I'm somewhat surprised that you get 956 fps from only 3.5grs of Unique since the on line data from Alliant lists 910 fps with a 3.9gr load and a 147gr Hornady XTP but if you are using a cast lead bullet your velocity should be accurate.

Double check your bullet diameter and see if its at least .356". You may want to slug your barrel to see what its true groove diameter is. Check your barrel for leading, if the bullet is too small a diameter to seal in the bore you should have leading from gas blow by, heavier at the chamber end.

Try a couple rounds with a heavier and lighter charge to see if velocity is an issue.

 

[Otto]

Not sure if the XD has a polygonal barrel but this could also be a culprit.

The XD does not have a polygonal barrel.
The OP should check that he isn't over-crimping.

 

[Galil5.56]

Even if using a properly sized cast bullet, a Lee Factory Crimp Die can squeeze it down, ruining the sizing and doing exactly what you are experiencing. Also, a soft cast bullet will swage down from the sharp internal taper of the 9mm case, doing what I describe, and only made worse by the deeper seating needed with the 147 grain bullet.

My hunch says a diameter issue is the culprit.

 

[Walkalong]

I'm somewhat surprised that you get 956 fps from only 3.5grs of Unique

Me too. Noticed that, but blew it off thinking about the keyholing problem. Maybe you got a bad reading and lack of velocity is causing the keyholing, due to not enough velocity to stabilize the bullet, after all.

 

[Jim Watson]

1.058" is very short for a 147 gr bullet. Might be the reason for higher velocity than the book predicts for that powder charge. I could go with a cast or plated bullet being squeezed undersize by the inside taper of the short 9mm case.

Rifling twist rate is a wild goose chase. I do not know what XD uses (there are a lot of European 9mms with 10" twist) , but bear in mind that S&W has used an 18" twist for 158 grain bullets in .38 Specials for over a century.

 

[fineredmist]

Round too short, crimp too tight. The crimp die should straighten out the case and not crimp more that .002" under specs.

 

[243winxb]

took an hour to clean Lead out of my barrel

Keyhole- Undersize bullets from taper crimping to much or using a Lee full body die. Could you have damaged the barrel in some way by over cleaning for an hour? 3.5Gr Unique maybe lite for a lead bullet that will not build as much pressure as a jacketed one. http://stevespages.com/355p_4_147.html

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Here's your problem: The particular lead bullet you're using is too small a diameter to proper obdurate (form a seal) while going down your barrel. Hence, you're experiencing gas gutting and the poor accuracy you're seeing. To confirm this, get a box of those bullet shaped fishing weights from Wally world and slug your barrel (Remember to lubricate the lead weight with some grease and use hard wood dowels). The lead bullet should be .01 to .02" larger than your groove diameter.

I suspect what you'll find is the lead bullets you are loading match SAAMI spec., which is .355" and you're European-made barrel is around .357" or so. The end result being the bullets you are using is too small.

Regards,

Dave