Range Report: Dardas 125gr LRN in 9mm

[RidgwayCO]

I went to the indoor range yesterday and chronoed a bunch of reloads over my CED Millenium with the infrared screens ten feet from the bench. Ten rounds for each load.

One of the loads I tested was with the Dardas 125gr LRN bullets (the ones with a driving band at the base of the bullet) loaded to 1.140" COL using CCI 500 primers, once-fired Fiocchi brass, and a light crimp with the LFC die. I'm looking for an accurate subsonic load around 1000 fps out of my Beretta 8000F Cougar (3.6" barrel), which is what I used for this test. All rounds functioned 100% out of the Cougar except for the 3.7gr N320 load, which had the last three rounds in the magazine fail to feed (I suspect it's too light a load, and the Cougar might have been running a tad dry).

Powder ........ Grs ....... Vel (fps) .... ES .... SD
-------------------------------------------------------
VV N320 ...... 3.7 .......... 920 ........ 24 ..... 7
VV N320 ...... 4.0 .......... 973 ........ 24 ..... 8
VV N330 ...... 4.3 .......... 958 ........ 34 ..... 9
VV N330 ...... 4.6 ......... 1020 ....... 18 ..... 5
VV N340 ...... 4.7 ......... 1017 ....... 25 ..... 8
VV N340 ...... 5.1 ......... 1065 ....... 57 .... 15
Unique ........ 4.3 .......... 925 ........ 65 .... 23
Unique ........ 4.7 .......... 985 ........ 23 .... 13
AA #2 ......... 4.0 .......... 994 ........ 15 ..... 5
AA #2 ......... 4.4 ......... 1040 ....... 15 ..... 4

I love the VihtaVuori powders, but it's amazing to me the numbers Accurate #2 puts up sometimes...

I thought about trying some 3N37 and Power Pistol as well, but they're just not efficient at this power level. I'll save them for my factory-duplication loads with the Speer 124gr Gold Dots...

These loads proved safe in MY guns. In YOUR guns they may not be safe. Always start low and work up gradually, using published reloading data. Be suspect of ALL reloading data you find online, including (especially) mine.

 

[rjbishop]

I find Accurate to be an excellent powder for cast bullets. Have you tried AA #5 for comparison? I got very similar ES and SD numbers at your velocities using Lee 124gr TC, tumble lubed (1003 fps, 19 ES, 6 SD). I suspect your bullets might end up even better.

How was bore lead fouling? I am down to just a smidge of leading after 200 rounds, Lyman #2 alloy.

 

[RidgwayCO]

Bore fouling was minimal to non-existent. I'm almost out of AA #5 (only enough for 10-20 rounds), so I might try it just for grins and to use it up!

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

good write-up. I'm useing more and more cast slugs now due to price and availability of jacketed. plated costs near as as much as jacketed.
I'm useing Red Dot for cast. it's sure clean burning.

 

[schmeky]

RidgewayCO,

Great write up, but I would like to know how accurate they were, say at 25 yards? I just received a batch of 9mm, 124 gn hard cast RN bullets this week and plan on doing some load development soon.

I read about a fellow that Ransom rest tested loads with this bullet using 4.1 gns WW231 and 1.100" OAL. The accuracy was incredible.

 

[RidgwayCO]

Schmeky, I was shooting primarily for velocity and feel, but with the target at 25 yards they chewed the center out of it. I'm not much of a marksman, but I'll see if I can get some groups when I test these loads with my other 9mms.

 

[Galil5.56]

RidgewayCO,

Did you go with the defacto .356" sizing, or request somthing else?

Thanks.

 

[RidgwayCO]

Galil5.56, I went with the .356" sizing, after slugging the bores of my 9mm pistols and revolvers.

 

[BUGUDY]

4.0 grs W231 ,1.10" oal. I woorked up this load, and it is all I use with my 124gr cast bullets. Shooting clay pigeons @ 15 yds, and hitting them about 1 outa 4 shots. Shooting a CZ P07.

 

[Galil5.56]

Interesting; A Beretta 9mm that has optimal bore dims for .356"... .358" in my M9 isn't even .001" over groove diameter, and I will at times shoot .359" which is as-cast for my mold. I can say 4.7 grains of Unique and a Lee 125 LRN works OK by me shot from German surplus:



And pretty well from my M9:

 

[schmeky]

RidgewayCO,

Thanks a bunch. I have not been shooting my 9's because I have been rather disappointed in the 25 yard accuracy. This may be because I'm expecting to much.

I would love to shoot them more if I could keep more of my groups in the 2" range "fairly" consistently from a sandbag rest. I prefer cast bullets, and the only good grouping load I have developed is 5.2 gns of Silhoutte pushing a 115 FMJ slug.