Questions about loading 9mm

[Matt Dillon]

Folks, I have never loaded 9mm before, but have loaded .380acp and .40 cal S&Wm so it can't be that much different than these?

I just purchased a set of the (4) Lee carbide dies, and a box of 500 lead 125 grain pills.

I was wondering if anyone had a good medium target load,using either Unique or Clays powders? I am just looking for a good recipe for target shooting and pllinking, so I want it to be hot enough to operate the slide reliably, and not too much hotter than that.

Also, I have no 9mm brass. Can anyone recommend a source, for the best price for this brass? As I say, I have never loaded 9mm before, and the last time I purchased brass I bought it from eBay, but that was manyb years ago. I looked today and didn't find much.

Do you all have any other notes/comments/cautions regarding loading this caliber?

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

 

[Corner Pocket]

I enjoy loading 9mm, but use HS-6 for lead bullets and Unique for JHP bullets. Sorry that I don't have a Unique load for lead...

As to gathering up some 9mm brass, why not just buy a couple of boxes of Blazer Brass at Wal-Mart, shoot 'em up, and then load the new brass that you have just acquired?

Corner Pocket

 

[loadedround]

Go to Hodgdon's website and you will have more than several loads for your lead 125 gr 9mm bullets. www.hadgdon.com Good shooting!

 

[NCsmitty]

There are some new and once fired brass available at these sites.

http://www.blue-star-inc.com/catalog/ofpbrass.htm

http://www.oncefiredbrass.net/pibrper500.html


NCsmitty

 

[Matt Dillon]

Thanks so much, folks, for your suggestions and advice; please keep them coming. Someone has to have a pet load using Unique or Clays!

 

[oneounceload]

I use both of those powders - however, what works for me might not for you. There isn't a lot of wiggle room with them in 9mm. Start where the mfg.says and work up in .1 or .2 increments

 

[Roadkill]

I load 124g lead bullets with 4g of red dot. Use it in about five different 9mms with no problems at all.

 

[ojibweindian]

I use 4 grains of Unique and a Remington small pistol primer over a 125 grain LRN. Pretty tame load that prints 1.5" at 15 yards, off-hand.

 

[moxie]

The old Speer #11 manual showed 4.1-4.5 grs. Unique with a 125 gr. RNL bullet. This gave 911-1007 fps. The cases were W-W, and the primers were CCI-500. The manual gives the SAAMI recommended OAL of 1.169".

They always recommend you start at 10% below the minimum aand work up from there.

Here's a good link: http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/9mm_reloading.htm

 

[bullseye308]

There are plenty of fine folks selling 9mm brass right here on this site. Look in the trader section under reloading components for good deals. No help on the loads, I use Bullseye.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

ditto roadkill. Red Dot is going to be cleaner than Unique. no experience with clays.