Favorite Powder 9mm & Sub Sonic 7.62

[Wm Cook]

Favorite Powder 9mm & Sub Sonic 7.62

In these times of scarcities of reloading products I would like your opinion of powders.

I’ve been waitinggggg for everrrr for a Ruger Mini 30, Ruger 9mm PC Carbine and a Ruger Ranch 7.62x39 that are on back order.

I’m comfortable loading either cartridges from 900 to 1,200 fps.

I’m good to go on high power 7.62x39 with 4198, 2200 (1,900 - 2,400fps) but everything I need that’s on the shelf for pistol powders is lean. I would like some recommendations on pistol powders so I can buy a jug.

I have a lot of time behind unique, red dot and bullseye but I’m open to another powders that will push 9mm and 7.62 around 1,050. Thanks, Bill.

[billyb]

I use a lot of Power Pistol, 231, & Tight Group, and a fellow club member I know likes CFE Pistol in the 9.

[JimB..]

I use TG under a 147gr or 158gr bullet for suppressed 9mm, otherwise I use w231 or Bullseye.

[Taterhead]

Plenty of good powders for 9mm. Unique is one of them, as is WSF. Both play nicely with cast bullets. Accurate No. 5 has been solid for jacketed and plated. Of course, BE-86 is developing a great reputation, although I have yet to open the can that is on my shelf.

I've never loaded 7.62x39, so I don't have any insight for that.

[uscra112]

Power Pistol was designed for 9mm. I haven't bothered with anything else. In this age of famines, others mentioned above all will do fine.

As for subsonic loads in 7.62x39.......why? But if you have to, my choice would have to be Red Dot. Bullseye maybe. Trail Boss maybe.

[Kylongrifle32]

I also use Titegroup in 9mm's and have worked with subsonic loads in 223 and 300 BO with it.

[Thunder Stick]

I have the Ruger PC carbine in 9mm and have tested 124 grain cast RN PC boolet loads using Bullseye, WW231, Unique, AA#5 and Blue Dot. Top accuracy was with Blue Dot. The Bullseye loads were subsonic but kind of dirty.

Years ago I had an SKS in 7.62X39. Reloader 7 worked great in that gun with 123 grain J words. But, it was not subsonic.

[Wm Cook]

Quick summary for ~1,050 fps in 9mm and sub sonic 7.62x39 (Ruger Mini 30, Ruger Ranch and a 9mm Ruger PC Carbine. All firearms will be suppressed. All have a twist rate less than 1 in 10.

• Power Pistol
• Power Pistol
• 231
• Tight Group
• Tight Group
• Tight Group
• w231
• Bullseye
• Unique
• WSF
• AA#5
• Blue Dot

I have enough 231, Bullseye, Unique and Red Dot to get me started. I’ll think I’ll add a couple lbs of Tight Group and Blue Dot. 9mm bullets will be 124 MP HP and 147 grain cast.

For the Subsonic 7.62 (Ruger Ranch bolt gun). will be with 140 MP HP and a 200 grain cast out of a mold yet to be determined. It’ll probably wind up being cast as a .303 then sized down to .313. I’ll even try a NOE 165 FN that drops at .312 out of my mold.

As to why the need for sub sonic for the 7.62? Pushing heavy bullets suppressed sub sonic in the Ruger Ranch rifle will give me a few hundreds hours of fun. A half dozen qualified powders, multiple bullets, infinite seating depth options, sizing options from .312 to .314? What’s not to love about that.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a 200 grain .303 mold?

[fcvan]

My go to load for 9mm has been the Lee 356-125 2R over 5 grains of Unique at about 1050-1075 FPS, from 4 - 4.5" pistols. I have also used W231, Bullseye, and Red Dot, but stick to Unique which I buy in 8lb jugs. When fired from a Marlin Camp 9 or an AR 15 9mm, I get 1350 FPS from a 16", and 1325 from a 10" AR 15 pistol. The 9mm through a carbine is quiet and accurate. I have also loaded the Lee 356-102 1R for plinking and lead conservation, same 5 grain Unique load. I don't recall the velocity, probably need a trip to the range after the fires are out in N CA/S OR. The AR 15 9mm is probably my favorite all around fun gun.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Gonna have to try Unique in my 9mm. Should fill the case well.

[Alferd Packer]

titewad is a shotgun powder which has been used in .45 acp in some manufacturer approved loadings.
I have used it to also load .32 and .25 acp cast bullet.As well as catsneeze loads in the 30 calibers.
Bullseye is my favorite, but Titewad is a mite faster and works for me, but It could prove to be too fast in a high-pressure load like 9mm.
Lite .38 special loads and lite .44 special loads could probably work too as well as.380.
But I would step very carefully with any 9mm or .40 cal loads and advise against it.
7.62 x39 as well except in a catsneeze load with cast bullets.
Just my 2 cts.
Proceed at your own risk.
Start low and creep up.
I am working with an 8 lb.jug of Titewad that I acquired some time ago.
Good Luck and God bless all here!

[pipehand]

WmCook,
You asked for a 200 gr .303 recommendation, so the Lyman 313299 is in order. I have the NOE copy. What I will suggest is checking the bore and groove size on the Ruger. I have a much older 77 MK2 in that caliber and it has standard .308 grooves. The throat is larger and tapered to accept larger boolits though and it has proven to be very accurate with the original NEI Ed Harris boolit. That one does jam into the lands enough that they tend to de-bullet if not fired.
That particular rifle does as well as a 300 blackout using the heavier 30 cal boolits.

[Sig]

WSF for 9mm here.

[RU shooter]

For the 7.62 I'd use Bullseye ,231 and or Unique . Red dot/promo would work too just don't like how it meters so I tend to not use it

[HumptyDumpty]

Red dot and 700x have both performed well in 9mm for me. However, I am looking to change, because I have had a very difficult time getting either to meter consistently; they are both flake-powders. Not sure about 7.62x39, but I have had some preliminary success using Trailboss and 200+ grain cast boolits for subsonic .308.

[Cherokee]

HS-6, WST, Power Pistol are my three main 9mm powders.

[farmbif]

as posted previously a whole bunch of powders will work but for me after trying be86 in 9mm when it came out I was sold, great velocity and reduced flash. can't say anything about 7.62, that's one caliber I don't even have dies for