Speeding things up for 9, 40, and .38sp

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JohnhenrySTL

JohnhenrySTL

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I've loaded thousands and thousands of 9mm, .38s, and 40s using Unique, 231, and bullseye. I've had great success but I would like to increase my velocity. I have some expensive hollow points for the 9 and 40. I prefer my lead 158 grain semi wad cutter for my .38 special.

I use the Lee auto disk and perfect powder drop. I would like to buy one pound for all three, although I'm thinking the .38 special will be a different powder.

I'm thinking long shot for the 9 and 40. Anybody have experience with long shot in the auto disk or perfect powder measure?

What's my powder or powders?

Thanks all. Happy Thanksgiving!
 
I prefer WSF for full power 9's and 40's. Not sure the availability of the WSF, it's been scarce along with a lot of shotgun powder. I don't load 38spl only 357 Mag. My preffered full house loads are with W296/H110 or 2400.
 
For years, I have been using WSF for 9mm/40S&W full power/duplicate factory JHP loads using Gold Dot/Golden Saber bullets. WSF granule looks like W231/HP-38 and meters very well in Pro Auto Disk/Perfect Powder Measure.

Lately, I had very good accuracy results with BE-86 for 9mm/40S&W and granule is fine like Bullseye and meters very well in PAD/PPM. For full power loads, I would not hesitate to suggest BE-86.
 
Personally, I don't load any self defense rounds so I have no reason to try to squeeze the last bit of velocity out of a round. 231 or Bullseye work well for any of the rounds mentioned and as you know, they meter well in the Lee powder dispensers.
 
Another vote for Power Pistol. I have used it for upper end loads for all of the calibers mentioned in the OP.

Don't be afraid to work it up. This powder plays real nice, in 9 and 38 anyway. The 40 can start getting pretty energetic even before reaching the max book loads, depending on your bullet and load data.
 
You can't go wrong with Power Pistol. I use Power Pistol in 9mm, 40s&w, 357sig, 38spl and 357mag. You indicated that you use 158gr SWC in 38spl. Following are some chrono numbers. The 6.0gr is max listed by Alliant and the 5.7gr load is what I use. These numbers are from a 3" Ruger SP101 357mag:

38spl
COL: 1.475"
MBC, 158gr, B18HTSWC, PowerPistol, 6.0gr, WSP
Average: 960
ES: 21
SD: 9.2
Force: 323
PF: 151
Velocities: 946, 967, 966, 955, 966

38spl
COL: 1.475"
ACME, 158gr, SWCNLG, PowerPistol, 5.7gr, WSP
Average: 921
ES: 24
SD: 9.4
Force: 298
PF: 145
Velocities: 926, 915, 924, 909, 933
 
It's been a long time since I loaded jacketed HPs. When I did all I had on hand was Bullseye. For 38 I was in the +P range to get XTPs to open up & 9mn I was in ++P. I wasn't brave enough to ever get Good Dots to ever open using Bullseye.
 
Longshot would be a good choice. I don't use a lee powder throw, use a hornady instead. Never had a problem with longshot metering poorly. It meters the same a the clay's line of powders to me.

Power pistol:
38spl p+ loads and 9mm
Longshot:
40s&w
 
"...would like to increase my velocity..." Why? Accuracy is far more important than velocity. Any suitable jacketed bullet load for 9mm or 40 S&W will be fast enough for said bullets to expand upon impact.
A lead 158 grain SWC is limited in velocity anyway. Try and drive 'em too fast and you'll lead the barrel. However, CFE Pistol gives the highest velocities of the Hodgdon powders for all 3 cartridges. That does not guarantee it being accurate out of your firearms.
 
I've gotta get some CFE-Pistol , I hear good things and I have seen others shoot through my chronograph with really high velocity's. Like the other day a friend shot his sig238 with reloads using Hornady xtp 90gr bullet over what he said was the max and it almost shot 1100fps,I think the load was to hot But it made me look at a couple new manuals and surenuff CFE shows top velocity's for several pistol calibers. But if my 124gr XTP at 1,200fps Hits it's Mark dead is dead and I got lot's of HS-6 and I loaded some 110gr XTP from a charter arms 38spl that were around 1,100fps with #5 also I got a nice load with a 140gr lead semi flat point that shoots nice at 1,000fps and 158 leads at 950fps all with #5 . Universal or Power Pistol are good options too. I do have some notes written about Universal and it looks like it is very capable for what you want with the calibers you stated.
 
To stay with the OPs original question

I use a lot of Long Shot for 9mm and 40SW. It works very well IMHO.

The "one powder" concept is not always the best choice. 38 special is a different animal than the 9 and 40.

If you want "one" powder, your HP38/W 231 or Unique would cover all three.

I do not list loads, Hodgdons and manuals have all that good stuff.;)
 
You are correct, "although I'm thinking the .38 special will be a different powder. "

Longshot and HS-6 perform exceptional well in short high pressure rounds like the 9mm and 40 S&W. The .38 Special is a totally different matter. If you are looking for top end .38 Special +P loads Longshot and HS-6 are great but I would not switch away from W231 for normal 158gr LSWC ammo. I doubt it can be beat.

I use W231 for the 9mm, .38 Special and most every other handgun round for the range and when more serious 9mm ammo is needed I go to HS-6 and Longshot.
 
Thanks guys. Today I did all types of chroneograph work. My favorite bullseye load lingers around 765 fps pushing a158 swc out of a 6 inch gp100. That's about where standard .38s are. I think I check out some of your suggestions.
 
Check the velocity's that CFE-PISTOL are showing in a new manual or online. I gotta try some of this powder myself . Look at Hodgons load data online. I like hs-6 when I get serious about top shelf loads also my 38spl is +P rated and is a snubbie and I'm getting some high velocity's without any pressure sign using hs-6 but I've gotten really good loads using #5 and it does measure really good.
 
I don't own a 40 but CFE-P works well for hot 9mm, and is listed for .40 and .38 Special with good numbers for both.
Longshot works great for Fullpower 9mm. But I have never tried it in ,38.
Since you want one powder for all 3 it will be a compromise but I think you would be happy with CFE-P or BE86.
 
Dudedog is correct. CFE-P is another good powder for what you are looking for. I have not loaded CFE-P in 38spl yet, but I have loaded it in 357mag, so it should work in 38spl since there are good load data for it at Hodgdon using 158gr cast bullets.

I use CFE-P in 40s&w and 9mm. Following are my currentloads:

9mm
COL: 1.060"
Berrys, 124gr, HBFPTP, CFEpistol, 5.1gr, CCI500
Average: 1049
ES: 24
SD: 10
Force: 303
PF: 130
Velocities: 1064, 1050, 1040, 1052, 1040

Please note that the 40 COL is 1.142". I have been lowering my COL's to 1.125 on 40, and will probably do it for CFE Pistol also to increase the pressure a bit. CFE Pistol performs better with a higher pressure. This load is also a starting load. Start low and work up since the Hodgdon CFE Pistol data seems on the hot side.

40SW
COL: 1.142"
Xtreme, 165gr, RNFPHPCB, CFEpistol, 6.9gr, CCI500
Average: 995
ES: 57
SD: 20.7
Force: 363
PF: 164
Velocities: 972, 1029, 992, 994, 991
 
For 9mm and .38 spl you won't find any powder better than the Unique you have been using until you get into 147gr JHP's in the 9. I have also found that using a WSP primer gives you a bit more velocity than a CCI. Chrono'd average for 6.0 gr standard pressure load of Unique behind a 115gr JHP measured at 1,257 FPS from a Walther P1 with just under 5" standard barrel length. The same 6.0gr charge in a +P .38 spl load behind a 125gr Golden Saber JHP averaged 1,053 fps from a 4" S&W 66.

Longshot is a bit slower than Blue Dot and really too slow for the low pressure .38 spl leaving carbon scouring on the outside of the case. In the 9mm it may do well for 147 gr bullets where I have used Blue Dot. I've loaded the .357 mag using Long Shot but not the .38 spl or 9mm.

I haven't had any experience loading the .40 S&W. I skipped over the .40 since I had 9's and .45's.
 
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