New to 9mm loading - Is this load too light?

[Arkansas Paul]

Hey all.
I picked up a Taurus PT709 yesterday and loaded up some rounds for it when I got home. I went to the range today and had some great results and some not so great ones. I'm fairly certain that the not so great ones were my own fault though and not the gun.

I shot some PMC 115 grain FMJ factory ammo and it did excellent. Some Remington 115 grain FMJ factory ammo did great as well. My handloads with 115 grain bullets and with 124 grain bullets did very well. With all of these loads, I had zero issues. They were plenty accurate, and never had a misfeed or misfire. Everything went perfectly.

However, I had some 100 grain Hornady FMJs and some 100 grain Winchester PPs. I loaded them both with 4 grains of Bullseye and had several fail to feeds with both. The rounds fired and ejected, but would not consistently load the next round. Also, the slide did not lock back after the last shot. I'm thinking too light. Am I correct?

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

it's not unusual for 100 gr loads to fail to cycle the slide

 

[rcmodel]

This thread reply applies to your 100 grain load too.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=8855667&postcount=3

You will have to run near max loads to get it to cycle with light bullets.

I don't know what specific bullet you have, but probably 5.0 would be MAX.
So, try 4.5 and see if that helps.

rc

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Thanks guys. I knew it wasn't the gun, because it cycled everything else great.
I'll bump it up a little and see what happens. These two boxes are the only of this weight that I have, so I'll just stay away from the 100 grainers after they're gone.

I don't know what specific bullet you have, but probably 5.0 would be MAX.

These bullets are pretty old. I traded someone for them because I couldn't find any for sale right now. He said they were from the 70s.

 

[beatledog7]

These bullets are pretty old. I traded someone for them because I couldn't find any for sale right now. He said they were from the 70s.

But they have no idea their age, nor does your brass, your gun, or your target. He he.

I don't load 9mm with anything lighter than 115 grain. I have loaded some 100-gr plated and made them work, but finding the balance between a heavy enough charge to cycle and a light enough charge to control velocity was too much trouble. IME, 115-147 grain bullets don't present that challenge.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

But they have no idea their age, nor does your brass, your gun, or your target. He he.

True dat!
I also got a box of 115 grain hollow points and a box of 124 grain FMJs from the same guy. I like that it was a variety because I had no idea what this gun liked. They are all the same age. The others worked splendidly.

I'll up the charge and plink with these 100 grainers and stay away from them after they're gone. I've got some cast boolits for it too in 124 grain, so I'm sure those will work fine.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

they'd be better for .380 Auto

 

[gamestalker]

Although those light bullets are much better suited for a .380 application, I do load them for my 9mm's, including a new, and older Taurus PT 709. As I was working up with HS6 and Longshot, which are the two primary powders I load 9mm with, I encountered the same circumstances until I reached a mid level load. So yes, it should clear right up once you get the charge up to where it produces enough pressures, which will help sustain those pressures long enough to completely cycle with those light weight projectiles. so it's not something that is exclusive with light weight projectiles, it's just more frequently encountered with them due to the relative physics I would think. This would also reason why lighter projectiles operate with higher charges of propellant in general.

GS

 

[Arkansas Paul]

For the record, the 115 grain loads and the 124 as well were with 4 grains of Bullseye as well. They cycled fine. Like you said, physics.

 

[CGT80]

I picked up a bunch of 90 grain frangibles and ended up running 5.0 grains of win 231/hp-38 to get them to cycle. That seemed like a hot load. It really heated the gun up fast as well. They were chronoed at 1200 fps. Montana gold 124 jhp over 4.2 grains of 231 at 974 fps average felt about the same and cycled the gun reliably. 125 lrn moly coated bullets over 4.0 grains of 231 is just over 1,000 fps and feels the same and is also the minimum load for my XD 4" 40 cal running a barsto custom fit 9mm barrel.

I would run the frangibles again if they were $40 per K or so that I paid, but the accuracy wasn't that great and they don't knock steel around that great. I prefer 124/125. 147's make the gun run too slow with 231 powder. It felt like I was waiting for the slide to return home, or maybe it was just my imagination.

 

[4895]

If you try some bluedot or power pistol you shouldn't have any problems with the slide not returning to battery.