Powder for 9mm 115-124 gr for glock 17 and hk vp9

[jdutton24]

Just getting into reloading 9mm and kinda overwhelmed with powder choices. Here are the ones im looking at. Mainly target loads but if i can get a nice defensive load too then great.

Silhouette
True blue
Titegroup
Power pistol
Be 86
Cfe pistol
Hp38
zip

Im using a dillon xl650 with mainly rainer plated bullets. so want it to meter well.

Titegroup is fast and higher pressure from what i can tell. Hp 38/win 231 is an ol stand by but kinda dirty. BE 86 is allegedlya slightly faster power pistol with a flash suppressant. The silhouette and true blue are getting great reviews for 9mm. Supposed to be really clean. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Walkalong]

Zip and HP-38 are nearly identical and will work well. I don't consider them dirty.

True Blue and Silhouette will work real well. I really like True Blue as a powder, but prefer Silhouette in 9MM.

I have never used CFE or BE-86, and am not a Titegroup fan.

PP should work well, has lots of flash, and is a good choice when folks want high velocities. It never wowed me either.

All of them should meter well enough. True Blue meters nearly perfectly, Silhouette meters extremely well, Zip & HP-38 meter well.

 

[jdutton24]

Wow thanks! Great information! It was just what i was looking for.

 

[LiveLife]

Here's my grouping of powders suitable for 9mm by "relative" burn rate - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10271016#post10271016

Faster burning pistol powders:

No. 2 - Bullseye - Clays - WST - Red Dot/Promo - 700X - TiteGroup - Solo 1000 - Am. Select - International - Trail Boss - PB - N320 - AS - Ba9 1/2, Ba10 - Prima V/SV - Clean Shot/D032-03

W231/HP-38 - Zip - Green Dot - SR7625 - N32C - 206V - A1 - S020

Slower burning pistol powders:

Unique - Universal - BE-86 - Power Pistol - N330 - Ba9 - Ultimate Pistol/D036-07

No. 5 - HS6 - WSF - AutoComp - CFE Pistol - Herco - Sillouette - 800X - True Blue - N340 - 3N37 - D-20 - A0 - Auto Pistol/D036-03

This post explains each powder with close up comparison pictures referencing W231/HP-38 - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10094185#post10094185

I have Dillon 650 and powders you listed will meter well in the Dillon powder measure as they are small granule powders seen in the link above.

Just getting into reloading 9mm ... Mainly target loads but if i can get a nice defensive load too then great.

For lower velocity target loads, consider faster burning powders like Titegroup/W231/HP-38 from your list and slower burning powders for higher velocity defensive loads needed to properly expand JHP/plated HP bullets like Gold Dot.

W231/HP-38 has been my reference powder for 380Auto/38Spl/9mm/40S&W/45ACP/45Colt the past 25 years and do not consider it dirty. Unlike slower than Unique/Universal powders which must be loaded at higher charges to burn more efficiently and produce accuracy, W231/HP-38 is flexible and can produce consistent chamber pressures at lower charges for accurate lighter target loads. As Walkalong posted, Zip is comparable powder to W231/HP-38.

Titegroup burns hot and violent and can get spikey with pressure near max charges. With very narrow start/max charge range, small changes in powder charge, OAL/COL and bullet seating depth/setback can easily create over max pressure conditions and I do not recommend Titegroup to new reloaders. However, it is less temperature sensitive than W231/HP-38 and can produce more accurate loads so it is popular with match shooters needing to meet power factor requirement (2"-3" shot groups at 25 yards with Berry's regular plated RN/Titegroup) - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9924922#post9924922

For decades, I have used WSF for defensive loads because of higher velocities/accuracy it produced compared to other powders. In recent years, have grown fond of BE-86 (which has similar burn rate as Power Pistol without the big muzzle flash) which I consider the modern Unique that meters well as BE-86 has produced more accurate 9mm/40S&W loads than my previous accurate loads (2" groups at 25 yards). - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9924922#post9924922

I consider CFE Pistol comparable to AutoComp but unless you are loading near max, you will obtain greater accuracy with faster burning powders. BTW, many match shooters like faster burning N320 for accurate/clean lower velocity target loads and Walkalong likes slower N340 for higher velocity loads.

If you had to buy only one powder for mostly target shooting, I would suggest W231/HP-38. I would suggest Unique/Universal and slower powders for defensive loads but if you had to go with one powder for both target/defensive loads, BE-86 would be my recommendation as it has produced accuracy at lighter charges than other slower powders and capable of higher velocities. Here's THR mega thread on BE-86 - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=760289

rainer plated bullets

While I shot USPSA matches with jacketed bullets, I practiced with Berry's and Rainier plated bullets. What I found with regular plated bullets (around .004" thick plating) is they start to lose accuracy above mid range jacketed load data. With thicker plated bullets around .010"-.014" (Berry's TP, Power Bond, RMR HM, X-Treme HPCB), accuracy is maintained to max jacketed load data.

Many report less accuracy from 115 gr plated RN bullets compared to 124 gr plated RN bullets. I attribute this mainly to shorter bullet base which results reduced neck tension that leads to inconsistent chamber pressures. While most manufacturers size 9mm plated bullets to .355" diameter, Berry's size their 9mm bullets slightly larger around .3555" and RMR size 9mm 115 gr HM RN even larger at .356" to improve neck tension/chamber pressure consistency for greater accuracy. RMR goes one step further by using harder alloy core of 11-12 BHN (hence the name "Hardcore Match") which resists reduction of bullet diameter during bullet seating/taper crimp and I get less bullet setback (essentially none) compared to other plated bullets with softer core.

FYI, here's a listing of plated bullet thickness and velocity rating - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=10309500#post10309500

 

[Toprudder]

Silhouette
True blue
Titegroup
Power pistol
Be 86
Cfe pistol
Hp38
zip

Titegroup is good for plinking loads. A little goes a long way. Probably not my first choice for 9mm, though.

When you say "defensive loads" I assume you mean higher velocity loads, as expansion of self defense rounds depend almost entirely on velocity. For those, I would recommend Power Pistol, BE86, and CFE Pistol. For me, personally, Power Pistol and BE86 are my top choices for 9mm.

I've used Silhouette in 9mm, enough to know that I don't dislike it, but not enough to say yet that I might prefer it over something else.

HP38 is a good all around and versatile powder. Good for target loads in 9mm.

I've got a pound each of True Blue and Zip that I have not tried yet. I've heard good things about them, though.

Another couple of powders I would recommend for 9mm are AA#5 and AA#7.

 

[jdutton24]

Great information! do any of those powders sling from the 650? Some of this mya just come down to price. Some maybe cheaper than others at LGS so im trying to get a list together so to speak. I need to narrow it down to 3-5 powders. Titegroup is out i think. Burns hot and not much variance in charges like you said. I think power pistol might be out because of the be86 (if its there), so im thinking hp-38/win231, be86, silhouette are my top 3. And zip/power pistol in there as well

 

[Jmoreno88]

I use titegroup and bullseye in my vp9. 3.8gr bullseye and 4.0gr titegroup. Not the cleanest in the world but gives me no issues and a little goes a very long way

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

[wbbh]

I use Titegroup fro 9mm

122 grain Acme 9mm 122 Grain FP-NLG Coated 3.5gr-Light 3.9gr-Medium 4.1gr- hot (I like to test reliability with various loads)

124 grain Delta 124GR JHP 4.1gr

 

[sellersm]

Check out the thread about BE-86 powder in this forum. That would be my choice for an overall load: accurate for target, enough speed for SD, not too flashy either.

I also really like Silhouette.

For simple plinking/target, I'd go with Win231/HP-38 or Ramshot Zip.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have tried this and that but always come back to HP38/W231 for 9mm and most other non-magnums.

 

[Handloader109]

I've used power pistol, metered well, shoots fine, cfe is good, kind of snappy in my loads. Haven't used any of the other yet.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Zip and HP-38 are nearly identical and will work well. I don't consider them dirty.

True Blue and Silhouette will work real well. I really like True Blue as a powder, but prefer Silhouette in 9MM.

I have never used CFE or BE-86, and am not a Titegroup fan.

PP should work well, has lots of flash, and is a good choice when folks want high velocities. It never wowed me either.

All of them should meter well enough. True Blue meters nearly perfectly, Silhouette meters extremely well, Zip & HP-38 meter well.

Very well said and I agree all but Silhouette. (but that's just personal choice)

I have never tried CFE or BE86 and do not like Titegroup either.

 

[jdutton24]

What don't you like about silhouette?

 

[Dudedog]

Welcome to THR, lots of great people here.


I tend to prefer medium burn speed powders in 9mm such as Universal or WSF. (medium in the 9mm range that is)
HP38 works well and is a bit faster.

Titegroup and Bullseye on the fast side will work but I don't care for them that much in 9mm. I don't think Titegroup is a good powder for beginners.

Lots of people like BE86 sort of like a Unique that meters or PP with less flash, BE86 worked ok for me but not as well as some others.

CFE-P works well for me for medium to heavy 9mm loads, it seems to be happier on the higher side of the load range but is ok in the middle.

One nice thing about Universal or WSF is a double charge will fill up or overflow a 9mm case at most charge weights.

I haven't used Silhouette or True Blue but I have used everything else on your list.
I would say all the rest of them meter decent thru a measure.
From your list to start I would pick HP38 then maybe CFE-P.
For me ZIP shoots about the same as HP38. It is a different powder though so data is different. (new HP38 and W231 are the SAME powder)
HP38 and ZIP are a little fluffier and fill the case better, which is a good thing when you are learning to load.
I would say start with one of those 2 (medium-fast, then maybe try something in the middle (medium) or something slower, say CFE-P)
You didn't list Universal or WSF but I think both would be a good powder to start with as well.


That is one nice thing about 9mm a whole range of powders will work.

My current favorite practice load is 4.4gr of WSF, RMR plated 124 FN or target HP. That load gives me around 1030fps is and is soft shooting and would make 125 PF if necessary.
(functions fine in my Springfield 1911, XD Subcompact, Sig 226, Taraus PT99 and my midsize XD)
It is on the middle of the lead charge range. (plated bullets are usually some where between lead and jacketed)
With MAX charges and jacket bullets WSF is not as fast as some powders but is close. Gives up about 40fps to HS6. So it works well from light to heavy charges.

 

[MarshallDodge]

5.0 grains of WSF behind a 124 Precision Delta HP works great in the Dillon 650 and any 9mm pistol I have tried it in, including my wife's 9mm 1911 and my VP9.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

What don't you like about silhouette?

I don't dislike Silhouette I just don't prefer it in the 9mm. Re-read what was said and you will see I did say I don't like it.

 

[Jim Watson]

As I said, I use HP38 but think it is a bit on the fast side.
Going back some years (decades) I recall comments on 9mm powders.
When the HK P7 was new on the market, the NRA did a bigger article on it than most. They actually shot reloads in a new gun! They reported that loads with Bullseye were not fully reliable, but Unique at the same velocity did fine.
When C.E. Harris did an article on 9mm barrels and chambers, with Barsto barrels in a Browning, he pointed out that European ammo was typically loaded with 5 to 7 grains of a ball process powder.
Accurate Arms used to point out that starting loads of AA#2 might not function European autos.

If you are starting out, or have a finicky gun, it would be worth picking a medium burn powder. CFE-P and Autocomp look good on Hodgdon charts.

 

[jdutton24]

I understand what your saying but I should have worded it better I suppose. Did the silhouette under perform compared to other powders for you? Not meter as well? I guess I'm just gonna have to buy a few different powders and see

 

[AABEN]

I use Win 231 in all my hand guns 380 to 44M I do not load hot loads I like loading in the middle I like a 180 Gr JHP in my 44M so that way I can use W231