cast bullet powder for 9mm

[maddog2020]

ok two questions


1. 147 grain cast bullets lubed with alox
should they be hard or soft for a clock 19 9mm

2. whats the best powder ?
for the same(plinking loads) will use omg factory ammo for PDF

[BoolitBill]

As for powder I like Power Pistol in the 9mm. Alliant's web site has the loading info. Glock states you should not use cast boolits in their pistols due to the polygonal rifling in their barrels. I just bought a Lone Wolf barrel and shoot my cast in that. You will get pro and con opinions on shooting cast in Glocks but I figured, why take a chance. Also, the Lone Wolf barrel shoots great!

[RobS]

IMR 4756, Alliant Power Pistol or Herco, Winchester WSF, Accurate Arms #7, Hodgdon Longshot and Ramshot True Blue to name some of em. I would look toward the slower/medium burn powders as such but that doesn't mean Hodgdon Universal, Alliant Unique, or Winchester 231/Hodgdon HP38 wouldn't work for lower end 9mm loads.

[jonblack]

I have used W231 with good results under a 147 gr RN.

jonblack

[GabbyM]

Just received a pound of VV3n38 in the mail yesterday. Supposed to push a 147 grain Hornady XTP to 1207 fps. Have the Magma 147 grain boolit to try it with. Don't know anyone who's tried it though. Also picked up a pound of Alliant 20/28 to try in 9mm. No load data for that I know of. It's supposed to be close to Unique in burn rate while being more dense for small cases like 9mmm and burn cleaner. Guess I'll find out. Guess that doesn't help much does it.

[Buckshot]

Just received a pound of VV3n38 in the mail yesterday. Supposed to push a 147 grain Hornady XTP to 1207 fps. Have the Magma 147 grain boolit to try it with. Don't know anyone who's tried it though. Also picked up a pound of Alliant 20/28 to try in 9mm. No load data for that I know of. It's supposed to be close to Unique in burn rate while being more dense for small cases like 9mmm and burn cleaner. Guess I'll find out. Guess that doesn't help much does it.

............ A 147gr in the 9mm at 1207 fps? I know nothing about VV but that's some darn smart ballistics out of a 9x19. I've gotten 1260 fps with the Lyman 147 FNBB out of my 4.5" bll'd 38 Super and there were pressure signs (Surplus WC820, like AA#9).

...............Buckshot

[Adam10mm]

WSF is the best lead powder for 9mm.

ETA: That's a legit 9mm load, Buckshot. Work up but it's a solid 1200fps under SAAMP MAP.

[mike in co]

ok guys,
i have shot 9x21 for years. this is a hotrodded 9x19. i use 42kpsi where 9mm is 35kpsi.

i shot 135 fmj's at 1300 fps....
simple reloader math says a 145 might do 1200, a 125 do 1400 and a 115 do 1500. the 115/1500 was done by one of the gun mags over 15 yrs ago.

now the hiccup in these numbers is that it was all at 42kpsi...not 35kpsi.

i just ran the 3n38 and it appears way too slow...800-900 fps with a full case.
my quickload has been wrong before...but not by that much.

and power pistol only made 1000 with a full case.

aa7 got to 1100 with just over a case full

[GabbyM]

The 3n38 load is from Vihtavuori published data. 6.9 grains for 1207 with start load of 6.3 grains for 1171. From a 4 inch barrel. C.O.L. of 1.142" with a Hornady 147gr XTP. Catch is VV data book does not state load pressures. Given that Europeans are prone to run some high pressure 9mm loads one has to wonder if it's some +P+ load.

I did buy a box of Hornady 147 gr XTP bullets for an attempt to duplicate that load.
Everyone should note that if you reduce COL by as little as 1/32nd of an inch (.031") in a 9x19mm pressure may go up past safe levels. NO room for sloppy loading practices.
It's very likely other 147 grain bullets would take up to much case capacity to safely achieve this high velocity. I've not done ay measurements yet to compare the Magma bullet to the Hornady.

With the 20/28 Alliant powder I'm looking to duplicate Unique ballistics with better metering, cleaner burn and hopefully lower muzzle flash. Mostly under the Saeco 122gr tcfp and a 124gr rn.

[chris in va]

I seriously doubt maddog is trying to push a 147 grainer out of his Glock at 1200fps, especially as cast boolits just don't do well at higher velocities in 9mm.

As stated you're better off getting a Lone Wolf barrel first as polygonal rifling doesn't like cast too well (and yes, I have a Kahr).

[casterofboolits]

I found that Bluedot Is an excellent powder for 380, 9mm and 38 Super rounds. been using the Bluedot since the mid 80's with nary a problem.

[maddog2020]

weel I have clays,herco, and a cpl listed, also figured on gas checking them also

[Firebricker]

+1 on Power Pistol in 9mm. I've never loaded for a Glock though. I cast with water quenched WW for autoloaders. FB

[fredj338]

Put me down for WSF as well. I cast my lead bullets for the 9mm just straight AC ww, they shoot fine w/ little to no leading. Add some tin if you don't get good fill out. Most commercial cast work fine if the correct dia.

[GabbyM]

I seriously doubt maddog is trying to push a 147 grainer out of his Glock at 1200fps, especially as cast boolits just don't do well at higher velocities in 9mm.

As stated you're better off getting a Lone Wolf barrel first as polygonal rifling doesn't like cast too well (and yes, I have a Kahr).

Mike says WSF is a good 9mm powder and that's probably a good way to get to an easy practice plinking load. My note here shows 3.7 grains of WSF under the 147 gr boolit. That's probably around 915 fps. Good for nothing but paper.

I've had success in the past, as have others. With developing my full house go to the woods load with large doses of slow powder for maximum velocity. Then spending much more time working on a reduced velocity load that shot to the same sight setting. A faster powder with reduced charge weights and velocity. Aim is to get the bullet out the barrel in about the same lapse time so it hits the same POI. Not easy sometimes. If bullet hits low left you reduce powder to slow the cycle down allowing recoil to bring your POI up and right. Generally holds true. Then I'm still confused as to why my Colt revolver behaves the same when the rifling is backwards. It should be lefty tightly rightly loosely. I'll bet if a left handed pistolero was to shoot it the POI would be all off kilter. Go figure

For those of you whom have not studied it and for the sake of science. LOL I just backed up against a wall and used a yard stick and clip board to measure my chest front to back. At the thinnest spot which is my lower rib I'm 13 inches deep. I consider myself an average sized man. 5' 11” 220 lbs. A 124 grain NATO ball rounds will penetrate that but a 115gr 9mm hollow point will not. Which is why since the 1970's I've loaded my 9mm with a 124 grain fmj or hard cast truncated cone flat point. It works.

Last time I packed my 9 was last November on a 4 wheeling trip in AZ about twenty minutes hard road drive from where my daughters live. In the last three weeks a Sheriffs deputy has been ambush shot their and two civilians killed. Right up that trail. Shucks we didn't know it was the main path for drug smuggling into Phoenix. I will not be taking my daughters up that trail this year. But I will use full power loads in my 9mm at all times. I have other pistols to play target punch with. Which are more accurate and have cylinders to hold empty cases for re use. My 9mm is for one thing and one thing only. WIN with no excuses. EVER. Which is why I've never felt the need to carry a 45 or that political class 40 cal. Just don't make me shoot down loaded 1050 fps 124 grain bullets in my 9m and I'm fine.

As for Glocks. Why worry about a new barrel when you need to trade them off every two years to dump them off on some poor boy just before the slide flings off the frame to land in the grass out in front of you.

They are European junk. Sorry OP but that's a fact. As is a Beretta M9. Nothing but junk. I fell for the BS and actually paid out my good money for an M9. OMG. What a mistake. My 4” barrel S&W shot 150 fps faster than the 5” M9. Gee I wonder why we here a 9mm in Iraq isn't enough gun. DUH. So what is a 1050 fps laod runing in a *** M9 that looses 150 fps to published spec? About like a 38 S&W short?
Your experiances may varry but do not try telling me they are not out their because I owned one for a short time. I gave it away to a relative and told him to play with it then sell it to a punk.

You all that thnik a 45 acp is all powerfull try shooting your rounds from a bore that's .0025" over sized.

FYI our gubernment ordered another few hundred thousand M9 *** pistols. Bin Laden should be smiling. Industry is probaly still spewing out those sawed off M4 *** (rifles) aka pistols that do not make good yote guns more less an infantry rifle. Some days I do feel the need to just kick someones ass.

So what is the best 9mm powder? ? ? ? I'd say several

[GabbyM]

I like a 223 but it's not a pistol round as used in the 11+ inch M4 barrel. What a bunch of idiots.
Makes about as much sense as loading up high pressure 9mm rounds then using fat bores to reduce pressure so your *** pistols don't wear out.

[405WIN]

I use 3.7 grains of HERCO. WSF would be my second choice.

[Nose Dive]

I'm old. I'm stupid. I like Unique.... Some of Elmer Keith's favorites loads were with the old Unique loads. Just read the manuals and have fun. Plus it is cheap. There are plenty of high powered horse power out there.... But, Like I said,,, I'm old and reload pretty much all my pistol rounds with Unique. I don't know if there is an older concocsion out there or not..... {OK, I will tell on myself... I started out years ago with a 30 lb drum of it}... It too was old.

If you reload shotgun,,it works there too!

[Shiloh]

AA#5 and Unique.

Shiloh

[noylj]

Here is my opinion on powders for 9mm Para:

No. 5 (Accurate)
Unique (Alliant)
Universal Clays (Hodgdon)
N330 (Vihtavuori)
**Power Pistol (Alliant)
*SR-7625 (IMR)
HS-6 (Hodgdon)same as 540
Silhouette (Ramshot) same as WAP
N340 (Vihtavuori)
Herco (Alliant)
WSF (Winchester)
SR-4756 (IMR)
3N37 (Vihtavuori)
800X (IMR)
AA 7 (Accurate)
Longshot (Hodgdon)

[fredj338]

weel I have clays,herco, and a cpl listed, also figured on gas checking them also

Clays is too spikey. Herco used to be THE goto powder for lead bullets in the 9mm. I like Unique & WSF today. Cast them hard, make sure they are the correct dia & clean often, like every 100-150rds if using an OEM bbl.

[jonk]

After fooling around with many powders... I keep one on the shelf now for all applications, .32 through .45. Alliant Bullseye. If you are interested in just target shooting and don't care about wringing the last bit of velocity out of a gun, it is hard to beat.

I use 3 gr of bullseye with a 147 gr bullet. Nice mild load. Can go up from there too, I usually stick with the minimum to cycle the action.