Lee Load: Herco, 124gr, 6.5gr, 1.150" for 9mm?

[Dannix]

This thread has me looking at using WSF with Herco data for top-end 9x19mm loads while waiting for some more Silhouette to arrive (and some N340 to try too).

I noticed Lee has a 125grn Jacketed Herco load of 6.5grn at 1.150" OAL for 1180fps, 32700psi.

Does this load look right to anyone? (I'd just bring the press to the range and load up with a chronometer, but that's not really something I can do with the equipment I have, and with the range approaching an hour away, multiple trips for experimentation is a difficult option.)

Projectiles to be used:
Miha 125grn HP 50PB/50WW WDed (Glock 19 Jarvis barrel)
Precision Delta 115grn JRN (Glock 19 stock barrel)
Precision Delta 124grn JHP (Glock 19 stock barrel)

Ultimate goal:
Top-end loads, but with accuracy ultimately trumping. AA#7 gave me fps with Miha's 140grn FN, for example, but accuracy was rubbish. I settled on a max manual load of Silhouette for that boolit for the time being as a non-rubbish stopgap.

[tejano]

Just a few months ago I tried 6.2 gr. of Herco and a 125 gr. LSWC in my 9mm DW Guardian and it was too hot. Some of the primers flattened. I had to throw away the brass later because the primer pockets were enlarged. Could be just my pistol YMMV.

[darkroommike]

I would use Herco data for loading Herco and WSF data for loading WSF, the two are not interchangeable.

[farmerjim]

I find herco loads all over the place in different tables.Some tables have the starting load above the max load in other tables. I just started reloading after being away from it for 45 years. All my primers and powder are still good. I have 16 pounds of herco from 12 gauge reloading. I never used it for pistols until now. I am loading a 9mm 125 gr LRN with 5.5 gr of herco. I am also using it for 38 sp .357 and 44 mag. It works good for heavy loads in all of these.

[Dannix]

I find herco loads all over the place in different tables.

Yeah, that's the way it seems. I may just have to bite the bullet and load at the range with a chronometer, or be willing to pull any loads reaching into ~1200fps territory.

[MT Gianni]

I don't go over 6 gr of herco in my nine.

[Dannix]

Just a few months ago I tried 6.2 gr. of Herco and a 125 gr. LSWC in my 9mm DW Guardian and it was too hot. Some of the primers flattened. I had to throw away the brass later because the primer pockets were enlarged. Could be just my pistol YMMV.

I don't go over 6 gr of herco in my nine.

OAL for you guys? Just checking. I've heard a Herco 6.2gn load mentioned for 115/124grn at 1.150", so I'm curous if you were using an OAL near that length or something shorter.

I'd just try the shorter OAL WSF loads are listed with, but my Glock stock barrel really likes the PD 115JRN at ~1.150". We'll see what OAL ends up being good for the Miha 125grn HP boolit in the Jarvis barrel. (I sure hope the Jarvis barrel is boolit friendly, since that is what I bought it for.)

[rintinglen]

Those Herco loads seem overly heavy to me.
Except for my Lee Manual, which appears to be the source of your load info, every other source lists 6.2 as a max load for 124-125 grain boolits. One lists 6.0 as max. Alliant listed Herco as 6.2 max, an older NRA book lists 6.0, neither listing OAL. An older Lyman Manual lists 6.2, but again no OAL. A Hornady manual lists 5.6 as max with a 125 grain jacketed bullet. I would start at 5.5 grains, the recommended load from Speer for their 125 grain bullets and carefully work up from there.
Personally, I have only used Herco once in my S&W M-39, and I don't have any info on the load. 20 odd years ago I standardized on WW-231, Unique, and 2400 for my handgun reloading, all of which are readily available, fairly economical, and have plenty of data to choose from. Powders like Herco, Red Dot, Green Dot, and WW-540 fell by the wayside, though Red Dot is making a comeback thanks to my new found affection for the 44 special.

[tejano]

My usual go-to-load is 4.0 gr. of Bullseye so I had already found that I needed an OAL of 1.05-.055" to get the Missouri 125 gr. LSWC to feed reliably in my DW Guardian. In fact, for the Penn 155 gr. SWC I had to go to 1.03." I hope this helps.