9MM go to powder?

[dahermit]

I have been using N 340 as a powder for Lee cast plan base 120 (nominal weight, 128 grains actual), powder coated bullets to very good effect accuracy wise. In the Lyman Number 48 manual N 340 is listed as the "potentially most accurate load" using several cast lead bullets.

However, I have to drive too far and N 340 costs too much, so I am looking for a more common alternative. What common powder have you found to be accurate with the Lee 120 cast bullet? I have Red Dot, Unique (my standby for many handguns with cast bullets), Bullseye, and Herco. Is there some other powder that you have found to be really good with cast bullets in the 9MM...I don't want to overlook anything.

[Motor]

I always use Bullseye or Unique. I can duplicate the same load with either but it takes less Bullseye so I usually use it. This is with the Lee 124gr TC TL boolits PC and sized to .358"

Motor

[mozeppa]

i've had really good results with SR-7625 ....3.8 grains....meters real good.
and cycles my springfield just fine... wit a pc'd 125 grain lead cone shape.

....if you can find any.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Red dot is my go powder for 9mm

[swmass]

Another for bullseye. Titegroup works well too. Tite group burns hotter and scotches brass, bullseye is a little dirtier. Bullseye is also extremely accurate in 38 and 45 and I'm assuming Titegroup is as well. Just some things to think about.

[GhostHawk]

Red dot here, I'm loading mine light and my buddy thinks they are hot.

3 grains under a 124 gr TC tumble lube design. Functions good in every everything I have shot it in.

Might be a touch small in my HiPoint C9 pistol, it was keyholing 2 of the first 3 shots I fired in it.

[dh2]

blue dot for me it does pistol and carbine same load

[waco]

Redot
Bullseye
Titegroup

[therealhitman]

WSF
Bullseye
700X

[rsrocket1]

Of the powders you have, Bullseye, Unique and Herco will work best and give you a good safety margin in terms of pressure. Red Dot works, but it is a fine line between getting enough velocity to cycle the action and going over pressure. Unique is very nice in that you are loading a slightly compressed load which helps get even ignition and you will overflow the case in the event of a double charge.

Other powders that might be available and not too expensive:
My definition of safety margin is the additional charge you can safely use between getting the gun to cycle properly and hitting the pressure limit of 35k psi.

Alliant
BE-86 - very good powder with lots of safety margin
Power Pistol - less efficient cost-wise, but good max velocity loads. More flash and muzzle blast than some would like.
Blue Dot - Not efficient and you need a max load for a clean burn in 9mm

Hodgdon/Win/IMR
Universal - Like Unique, good safety margin and clean but more expensive and of questionable availability
International - Less margin, but safer than Clays or Red Dot
Clays/Titewad - barely usable in 9mm. Too fast.
Titegroup - lots of shooter swear by this, but very dense (easy to miss a double charge) and very small margin of safety. I've gone through nearly a pound of Titegroup and have finally found a good load for my 9's but it is right at the top of the safe zone.
800-X works marvelously, but meters so badly that you have to hand trickle each load as only a few flakes equals 1/10th of a grain.
HP-38/Win231 another standard, but can be tough to find especially with the thought of the powders being discontinued


Ramshot
Zip, Silhouette, True Blue in order of increasing safety margin.

Accurate
No. 2, No. 5, No.7 with No. 7 being marginal in that you need so much powder for a good burn that you are nearly at the same price per shot as VV powders.

Hope that helps

[james nicholson]

American Select has good case fill in 9mm.

[dahermit]

I looked back in my 9MM Browning H.P. historical data (I keep a book with targets and loads tested on all my guns), and found that I had experimented with Win. 231 quite a bit. I still have a quantity of that, and I think I have seen it on the shelf of my local gun shop, so I think I will use that. Thanks for the input.

[convert69]

Winchester 231

[Petrol & Powder]

WSF, look no further.

[carbine86]

231, cfe pistol, and unique for me

[Virginia John]

rsrocket1, nice job! For 9mm I like W231 (HP-38) or bullseye.

[DerekP Houston]

I've been using bullseye with excellent results for me. CFE pistol also worked with no noticeable difference to me, though I do not have a chrono.

[sirgknight]

Red dot is my go powder for 9mm

+1 vote

[Ed_Shot]

I have favorite loads with Blue Dot, WSF and Red Dot/Promo. Depends on the boolit I'm loading.

[takasaki]

Red dot, herco