Old Reloader ... New to 9x19

[cfullgraf]

I like True Blue for 9x19. I discovered it during the shortages around 2008 and beyond and have not looked back.

But of the powders listed by the OP, I’d go with Unique.

 

[Eugen]

I'm not that experienced and I am not that adventurous. I use Win231 for all my pistol loading and occasionally CFE Pistol just to be different.

 

[Dudedog]

PIF on the way.

 

[lordpaxman]

I'm interested to hear from those who have used any or all of these powders. What's worked for you?

Additionally, what's your favorite powder for 9x19? I might pick some up if/when the opportunity presents itself.

Of the powders you listed I’ve only loaded Titegroup. But it depends on your application as well, the faster powders lend themselves to a target load while the slower powders are better for full power loads. I don’t have a favorite powder, but am using Sport Pistol at an unbelievable rate for my target/competition loads currently. If you can get some N320/N330/N340 they all work well for their respective speeds. I’ve recently been experimenting with W244 as a replacement for my W231 loads and it’s been promising. Good luck!

 

[Tcruse]

CFE-Pistol - very forgiving, works well for light thru heavy loads
TiteGroup - narrow range of weights, but works well for 9mm target loads, some coated bullets have issues, plated or jacketed OK
HP38/W321 - the old standby works well, for accuracy need to load toward the high end
W-244 - the new cleaner replacement for HP-38, seems to be good, but not enough experience with it to make it my favorite
WSF - used only 1 lb, but produced excellent accuracy with RMR 115 FMJ bullets
Power Pistol - lot of flash, but it does produce accurate loads - not my choice but works if nothing else is available
---- Not Recommended for 9mm ----
Universal - bad results for me, dirty, and not accurate, have friends that like it however
International - very small loads and easy to get over pressure results with 9mm, works really well for .45 ACP (5.0 g - 230g bullet, 5.2g - 200g bullet)

 

[12Bravo20]

One thing I have noticed with Universal is that it is less sooty/dirty with a higher charge weight. I was reloading with 115Gr plated bullets at 4.2 grains and had sooty brass. Bumping the charge up to 4.7 grains with the 115Gr TMJ bullets and the cases are clean. I probably could have ran the Berry's and Rainier plated bullets at FMJ/TMJ charges but erred on the side of caution and used lead round nose data for the plated bullets.

 

[Waterboy3313]

I've used titegroup with several different bullets in 9mm with great results. I actually use it in all of my pistols. If you decide to try it just remember a little goes a long way.

 

[Dudedog]

Some Sport Pistol chrono numbers
I was looking for about a 128 130 PF load
Mixed range brass, 5" 9mm 1911, S+B SP, charges as thrown after setting measure
String: 1
Date: 8/26/2018
Time: 11:17:44 AM
Grains: 124
Hi Vel: 1016
Low Vel: 1001
Ave Vel: 1008
Ext Spread: 15
Std Dev: 6
4.0 Sport Pistol 124 RMR MPR JHP 1.08
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
1010 125.24 280.845
1001 124.124 275.862
1011 125.364 281.401
1016 125.984 284.191
1002 124.248 276.413

so 4gr was not quite enough
(note, this is a high mileage barrel probably 40K rounds on it)


String: 2
Date: 8/26/2018
Time: 11:19:12 AM
Grains: 124
Hi Vel: 1059
Low Vel: 1021
Ave Vel: 1037
Ext Spread: 38
Std Dev: 13
4.2 Sport Pistol 124 RMR MPR JHP 1.08
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
1059 131.316 308.756
1033 128.092 293.781
1040 128.96 297.776
1036 128.464 295.49
1021 126.604 286.995

4.2gr of Sport Pistol got me there and seemed to shoot well for me.

Here are Alliant' sport pistol data, MAX loads, reduce 10% to start


I liked Sport Pistol, but I still like WSF better.

 

[Paul Toms]

If you like N320, try Sport Pistol. I picked up N320/N340 to do comparison test with Sport Pistol/W244/BE-86 so stay tuned.


If she likes Unique, she should try BE-86.

And while WST produced smallest groups for me, IMR Target has produced very promising small groups as well.

BTW, here's WST dedicated to 9mm with published load data thread for those interested - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...er-target-published-load-data-for-9mm.870180/

I have made her some to try, and she didn't show it any love. She likes her Unique and 147 grain bullets

 

[sabbfan]

I haven’t seen it mentioned yet, I have been using Silhouette under coated lead 124 grain Acme and 125 grain Blue Bullets with good results. It seems to be available when other powders are sold out, at least locally.

 

[mmb617]

I was loading CFE pistol under my 115 gr FMJ's and didn't have any problem with it but when I couldn't find it one time I tried Titegroup. IMO it worked just as well for me and I could load 1600+ rounds from 1 lb of powder, so it was cheaper. I've stayed with the Titegroup because it's perfect for me, the tightwad.

 

[340PD]

My 9's run well with Titgroup but over the last 50 years, I have found if you have Bullseye, Unique, and 231/HP38 on your shelf you can load most any of the popular calibers and achieve good results.

 

[Paul Toms]

My 9's run well with Titgroup but over the last 50 years, I have found if you have Bullseye, Unique, and 231/HP38 on your shelf you can load most any of the popular calibers and achieve good results.

Very versatile powders those you mention

 

[jebova2301]

Unique has great "case fill" in 9mm, but generally ends up running sooty.

In my experience, this certainly happens when you aren't loading it stout. When I load it hot(5.2 grains or more), it tends to burn incredibly clean. My pet load with it is 5.4gr behind a 124xtp seated at 1.11 COAL. I have run all the way to 6.2(WARNING: THIS IS BEYOND PUBLISHED LOAD DATA, SO DON'T START HERE!!!!), but the accuracy wasn't there. Velocity was great, but accuracy dropped like a rock. 5.4gr, which is borderline max load/over depending on manual, gave me the best accuracy in my glock 17. Personally, I recommend starting around 4.2 grains, and then work your way up.

 

[Legionnaire]

I got my backordered Lee dies this past week, and got them installed on a turret for my Lee Classic 4-Hole Turret Press. I then put together my first 9mm loads today: 18 rounds of Armscor 115 FMJs over Green Dot, three each at 4.2 through 4.7 grains in .1 grain increments. I decided to start with Green Dot because I have almost a pound of it and no other application planned for it. It filled the cases nicely. I figure if it works well, I can use it up for plinking ammunition. Don't know when I'll get to test them, though; the club I belong to has its range shut down for reconstruction. Hopefully will be done in the next couple of weeks. I could go shoot them at an indoor range, but wouldn't be able to chrono them.

Next up will be some 124 grain Hornady XTPs and some 124 grain RMR JHPs. Thanks to @Dudedog for sending me some RMR bullets to check out. And thanks all for the suggestions. I see Sport Pistol in the future.

 

[roque5]

Unique is my main 9mm powder but lately I have been using BE86 with great results. BTW recently our two local large LGS have been showing ads w/lots of 9mm ammo for sale with no limits, maybe the ammo manufactures are catching up and maybe, just maybe reloading supplies will be available again.

 

[Legionnaire]

Kicking this one again, as I now have all my components to hand. Just got my RMR backorder today: 2K 124 grain MPR hollow points.

I am still planning to experiment with the powders originally listed: Green Dot, Longshot, TiteGroup, and Unique. RMR recommends 1,100 fps, and I have found load data for all four powders that should get there at less than the maximum listed charge. I'll be testing with the aid of a Labradar.

 

[Dudedog]

Legionnaire,
did any of my cleaning pins escape CA for Texas in the brass I sent?

I think one may have phoned home as all my other pins want to go to your house in TX..

(think I got most of them but double check the brass just in case. It's easy to miss them when they want to leave)


Hopefully the MPRs work out well for you.

 

[Legionnaire]

Nope, no pins! Thanks again.

Work has been killing me recently. Haven't been able to do much on the bench, haven't shot in a couple of months, and on top of that, my range was closed for reconstruction. I had no idea all that they were going to do to it. Total investment was over $300K. But it just reopened, and I'm hoping to do some testing in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Hondo 60]

I'm interested to hear from those who have used any or all of these powders. What's worked for you?

I've used Titegroup, Universal, W231. All 3 have been just as good as the next.
But I have to admit I haven't used 115gr bullets.
All of mine were made with 124/125gr from various sources, some lead, some plated & some fmj.

 

[Steve C]

My favorite powder to load 9mm with defensive level loads using JHP's in 115 gr is Unique. I can get +P velocities in 9mm with 115 gr bullets (1,250 + fps) using 6.0 to 6.2gr of Unique and still keep pressures levels at standard. Unique is also good for 124 and 125gr JHP bullets.

You will have to use older Alliant or Hercules data for Green Dot as there are so many powders GD has lost favor with many data publishers though the old data works fine. I've been loading FMJ's, Copper Plated and LRN bullets with Green Dot for target loads at modest velocities since I picked up a 4lb Keg from supplies donated to my gun club from a members estate. Over the years I have also used Red Dot for the same purpose. The small sub 4gr loads with these powders make the powder last a long time. TightGroup is a fast powder that would work fine for the same purpose.

About the slowest powder that will give some use in the 9mm is Blue Dot or AA7.

Longshot and 2400 are powders too slow for the 9mm and its small low volume case. You just can't cram enough of these powders behind a bullet to get an efficient load with decent velocity and enough pressure so the load wouldn't be extremely dirty.

 

[Walkalong]

Other powders are very capable as well, but I like Silhouette for full power (ish)
9MM with jacketed bullets. As posted though, a number of powders work very well.

 

[jmorris]

I have loaded 9mm with powders as fast as BA10 and as slow as HS-7. What powder I use depends on what I want out of the load.

N310 is my first pick for “minor” loads, I have loaded hundreds of thousands of these for gun games and practice.

N320 & tightgroup would go in #2 & 3 for minor loads, just a bit slower than N310, N320 is a cleaner powder than TG but TG is cheaper. Also loaded hundreds of thousands of these too.

 

[FROGO207]

First off I will again admit that I am a cheap SOB. That said I have several kegs of promo and have loaded a metric buttload of 9MM LRN 124's with promo and Red Dot data, good and accuate as well as quite economical. I have used Titegroup in the past with good results but the small sized charges make me leary of overcharges. YMMV

 

[Dudedog]

Longshot and 2400 are powders too slow for the 9mm and its small low volume case

I don't know about 2400 but Longshot works in 9mm.
Longshot is loud and flashy but it works and gives good vels. (at least in my testing) Longshot is fairly dense VMD around .082
So a for a charge of 5.7gr (MAX listed with a 124 FMJ by Hodgdon) the powder volume is about .47 CC same space as about a 4gr charge of Red Dot..