9mm Powder Recommendation

[Rich22]

Looking for a couple of recommendations for 9mm powder. Would be for 125gr cast, looking for fairly high velocity, economical and well metering. I currently use Unique and the metering leaves much to be desired. I have been told several times WSF would be a good choice.

Second I am looking for high velocity lowest flash possible and cost not much of an option since it will be fairly low usage for possible night shoots. Something in the VV variety?

Thank you

[repawn]

I use universal clays and have had good luck with it. It meters well and I have used it for 125gr but primarily use 3.2gr under a 147 gr bullet.

[nhrifle]

Try either Clays or Universal, both are outstanding in my 9mm Taurus.

[dauntlessdave]

Nothing wrong with W231/HP38. Easy to meter and clean.

[reg293]

I like Bullseys myself.

[dagunnut]

I did a quick search online for low flash powders for 9mm. I see Ramshot Silhouette referenced a lot as well as VV-N340, VV-N350, VV-3N37, Hodgdon Universal Clays, Winchester 231, and Hodgdon HS-6. The first two powders listed being referenced as the lowest flash while achieving high velocity loads. This is shown on several sites and they both have online load data and list cast bullet data. Hope this info. helps.

Mario
dagunnut

[joe i]

I've been using 231, but only because I need to use up the last couple pounds. I'd agree that it's a low-flash powder...in low-light IDPA scenarios I get no flash at all, but a tremendous amount of smoke which quickly conceals the target arrays. Extremely frustrating when the seconds are ticking by while you're trying to see what you're shooting at. I actually heard one of my fellow shooters say, "He must be using 231!" as I was trying to see through the smoke! I have a thread around here somewhere about it. Once I run through the rest of my 231, I'm going to give Clays a try. It came highly recommended from this forum as well as Brian Enos' forums. I'll also be trying some different boolit diameters and hardnesses.

[ph4570]

Blue dot

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for Blue Dot

[khmer6]

Tite group for cheap plink loads
Unique for a little faster
Blue dot for my max loads

[DxieLandMan]

I use Unique almost always but have been using Accurate #7 lately. It is ok too.

[r1kk1]

Unique

r1kk1

[bobthenailer]

IMO for full power loads i would use Power Pistol or WSF powders for excellent metering through powder measures, excellent accuracy as well as low charge weights for economy.

[Bonz]

Personally I like the muzzle flash and flame out of the barrel, I'll vote for PowerPistol

[giddyupgo55]

I like 231. Meters really good out of my Dillon. I have used Unique, and a couple years ago was given a unopened 8 pound cansiter of Herco, that I used to load 9mm 40s&w 45acp with. Not very clean burning but it worked.

[casterofboolits]

BlueDot works for me too.

[dnotarianni]

bullseye, powder pistol and unique Take your pick and with todays shortages anything will work
Dave

[Giggidy]

I'm still pretty green with all this and don't have a chrono so I can't speak for velocity. I've been using Titegroup and have been pretty pleased with it. It meters pretty well through my Lee powder thrower. After my first loads I noticed there were a few stray grains of powder under the powder dispenser. I just put the lid for my reloading die tray under it to catch them which makes getting them back in the canister a breeze. I weighed each and every charge I threw for the first 150 or so rounds that I loaded (obsessive?...maybe, but I'm attached to my fingers and my guns and was going to make darn sure I was being careful with both every step of the way). The charge was the same everytime so it works for me. Titegroup is pretty economical too given its low charge weights.

[GabbyM]

AA#5 gave me great results. My all time favorite 9mm powder. But I don’t have it on my shelf anymore. Best 9mm powder I ever used. But I haven’t used them all. WSF is one I never used.

WW231 and Bullseye gave my best ever accuracy with reduced power loads. But when charged up to full power published loads velocity was short and pressure was high.

Power Pistol: Simply a huge disappointment. Burned two different lot pounds of it. Failed to reach published velocity. 5.9 gr only yielded 1096 fps under a 124gr RN cast. Cases would expand .0003” avg. per shot. Indicting excessive pressure. Accuracy was not special. Heated up the gun badly. So what is to like there?

Alliant 20/28 works just like Unique in a 9mm. So it can be substituted. Burned a half pound so far with 122TC 124 RN and Lee 125 RNFP. All worked good. Not better than Unique but if Unique is sold out in this market and you can get 20/28 go for it. Last I heard Alliant would back that up. Things change though.

5gr of Unique under a 122 grain round nose will do anything that can be done with a 9mm handgun. Has for half century or more. I back that charge off a bit with 122 TC as the bullets seat deeper. +P+ load is up to 5.8 grains but you better have your micrometer out to measure case head expansion and a chronograph. Unique will push a 122 grain boolit 1,125 fps over a chrony and be under max pressure as a general rule.

Blue Dot by Alliant. Used 7.7 grains under a 122 to 125 grain bullet for thirty years.
Went bear hunting once with a Model 39 as backup. 8.0 grains of Blue Dot under a Hornady 125gr truncated cone soft nose flat point 357 magnum bullet. NOT a 38 Special bullet. Counted on that bullet not expanding much if any and it had some serious smack down for a little eight shot 9mm. Back then no one made a flat nosed 9mm bullet. I cast mine now. Used old cases then just let them lay in the woods. After that +p+ shot they were done.

VV3N38 I’ve used this with published VV data to push a 147 grain FN from Magma’s mould to 1,143 fps. Gun needed a heavier recoil spring. Only the max charge would place bullets to the POI. I used a Steel frame S&W 659. About guarantee a plastic or aluminum gun would come apart in short order. Powder burned extremely dirty. One pound of this powder will be my lifetime supply. Have 100 rounds loaded with 147gr Hornady XTP’s.
This is 40 S&W power factor and my recommendation after trying these would be to just buy a 40 S&W.

AA#7 Have a pound to try with my 147 grain FN bullets. Will have to see if they hit to POA.

Would be nice to send a 147 grain FN at over 1100 fps. Beating out a 122 to 125 grain TC or RNFP with Unique or AA#5 is a hard act to follow.

I basically gave up on getting a 9mm to shoot heavy boolits. Bought a few 38 Special revolvers and could not be more delighted. Shot the nine for forty years so time for something new and old. I get a kick from the great accuracy of a 38 revolver.

From my personal experience and what I’ve read. It’s very important to separate 9mm cases by brand. Do not assume a max pressure load with one brand case is good in a different brand. Absolutely throw away any European brass. You might set it back to separate then work up a load. It’s generally ***** and has small case capacity. I’ve had the stuff run so over pressure that on the second reload the primer would fall out in my magazine. Gecco stamp comes to mind. Even American brass. Speer Rem ,WW, and Fed all vary considerably so mixed up brass is just a huge no no.

My advise for a 9 is:
Get some Fed SP primers. A 4 lb jug of Unique, 20/28, AA#5, AA#7 , HS 6, True Blue. Any of the 122 grain TC boolits. A Lyman M die as the expanders included in other die sets don’t reach as deep as a TC boolet seats. If you don’t want to use an M die get a 124gr RN mould. All expanders including the Dillon powder through will work with a 124gr RN boolit. For any target shooting a round nose does not kill as well as a TC with flat point but is just as accurate. So all the better to shoot yourself in the foot with. Plus the RN boolits tend to easily drop from a mold. TC boolits will run through most collators better. TC’s are more accurate but in the average 9mm auto you simply can’t tell any difference since most just shoot like, agh, an 8 inch plate at 25 yards.

[jonp]

I have just been playing with 125gr boolits in my 9mm and have tried Unique/Bullseye/Universal and 231. I've had the best luck with 231 but they all work. I would try them all.

[dragon813gt]

You could have asked, what powder for "this non magnum pistol round." And I would've answered the same way, W231/HP-38. I'm not one for using every powder under the sun since all my firearms can out shoot me. I do use Universal for heavyweight 9mm SD rounds. Loading any pistol round is economical compared to loading rifle rounds ;)

[oldreloader]

HP 38, AA#5,and Bullseye work well for me

[Wal']

I've used every thing from Blue Dot to Bullseye in my 9mm's, but until you finally settle on what works best for you & boolit weight as well, try starting with a mid range powder like Universal.

The faster burning powders will cheaper to load, less used. :)

[winelover]

AA#5 gave me great results. My all time favorite 9mm powder. But I don’t have it on my shelf anymore. Best 9mm powder I ever used. But I haven’t used them all. WSF is one I never used.

WW231 and Bullseye gave my best ever accuracy with reduced power loads. But when charged up to full power published loads velocity was short and pressure was high.

Power Pistol: Simply a huge disappointment. Burned two different lot pounds of it. Failed to reach published velocity. 5.9 gr only yielded 1096 fps under a 124gr RN cast. Cases would expand .0003” avg. per shot. Indicting excessive pressure. Accuracy was not special. Heated up the gun badly. So what is to like there?






Alliant 20/28 works just like Unique in a 9mm. So it can be substituted. Burned a half pound so far with 122TC 124 RN and Lee 125 RNFP. All worked good. Not better than Unique but if Unique is sold out in this market and you can get 20/28 go for it. Last I heard Alliant would back that up. Things change though.

5gr of Unique under a 122 grain round nose will do anything that can be done with a 9mm handgun. Has for half century or more. I back that charge off a bit with 122 TC as the bullets seat deeper. +P+ load is up to 5.8 grains but you better have your micrometer out to measure case head expansion and a chronograph. Unique will push a 122 grain boolit 1,125 fps over a chrony and be under max pressure as a general rule.

Blue Dot by Alliant. Used 7.7 grains under a 122 to 125 grain bullet for thirty years.
Went bear hunting once with a Model 39 as backup. 8.0 grains of Blue Dot under a Hornady 125gr truncated cone soft nose flat point 357 magnum bullet. NOT a 38 Special bullet. Counted on that bullet not expanding much if any and it had some serious smack down for a little eight shot 9mm. Back then no one made a flat nosed 9mm bullet. I cast mine now. Used old cases then just let them lay in the woods. After that +p+ shot they were done.

VV3N38 I’ve used this with published VV data to push a 147 grain FN from Magma’s mould to 1,143 fps. Gun needed a heavier recoil spring. Only the max charge would place bullets to the POI. I used a Steel frame S&W 659. About guarantee a plastic or aluminum gun would come apart in short order. Powder burned extremely dirty. One pound of this powder will be my lifetime supply. Have 100 rounds loaded with 147gr Hornady XTP’s.
This is 40 S&W power factor and my recommendation after trying these would be to just buy a 40 S&W.

AA#7 Have a pound to try with my 147 grain FN bullets. Will have to see if they hit to POA.

Would be nice to send a 147 grain FN at over 1100 fps. Beating out a 122 to 125 grain TC or RNFP with Unique or AA#5 is a hard act to follow.

I basically gave up on getting a 9mm to shoot heavy boolits. Bought a few 38 Special revolvers and could not be more delighted. Shot the nine for forty years so time for something new and old. I get a kick from the great accuracy of a 38 revolver.

From my personal experience and what I’ve read. It’s very important to separate 9mm cases by brand. Do not assume a max pressure load with one brand case is good in a different brand. Absolutely throw away any European brass. You might set it back to separate then work up a load. It’s generally ***** and has small case capacity. I’ve had the stuff run so over pressure that on the second reload the primer would fall out in my magazine. Gecco stamp comes to mind. Even American brass. Speer Rem ,WW, and Fed all vary considerably so mixed up brass is just a huge no no.

My advise for a 9 is:
Get some Fed SP primers. A 4 lb jug of Unique, 20/28, AA#5, AA#7 , HS 6, True Blue. Any of the 122 grain TC boolits. A Lyman M die as the expanders included in other die sets don’t reach as deep as a TC boolet seats. If you don’t want to use an M die get a 124gr RN mould. All expanders including the Dillon powder through will work with a 124gr RN boolit. For any target shooting a round nose does not kill as well as a TC with flat point but is just as accurate. So all the better to shoot yourself in the foot with. Plus the RN boolits tend to easily drop from a mold. TC boolits will run through most collators better. TC’s are more accurate but in the average 9mm auto you simply can’t tell any difference since most just shoot like, agh, an 8 inch plate at 25 yards.


:goodpost: Should be made into a Sticky, since this question comes up often.

Winelover

[Petro58]

Tite group for cheap plink loads
Unique for a little faster
Blue dot for my max loads

+1 These are what I use also.

[Springfield0612]

I also use Bullseye. Good all around powder. I use it for .45 acp, 9mm, .38 special, and .38 S&W.

[Able 5]

I like Ramshot Silhouette. I've tried true blue, solo 1000, 231, clays.

[oldscool]

AA#5 would always be my first choice

[TuxAir]

I shoot 125gr LRN over 4gr of Red Dot. At 4.4 the bullet just touches the top of the powder. It's the most economical and versatile powder I own. I use it in .380, 9mm, 38, 357 & 45ACP.
HP38/W231 is my second choice for powder.

[Lloyd Smale]

aa2 both comercial and surplus have been my go to powder for 9s. That said im not looking for the last fps that i possibly can get either. More looking for accuracy at a level my guns function reliably

[Infidel]

I've been using Titegroup for a while and it seems to be good for 9 and 40, with just about the same amount of powder for both. I'm loading with a 124 gn. tc boolit for 9 and a 180 gn. tc for 40. It doesn't seem to dirty my cases up too bad. I think you kind of "find" a powder that works well for you and stay with it. Hey, we're back to that consistency thing. [smilie=s:
I haven't looked at the new .223 powder that is supposed to keep your cases super clean. I figure it has to be a fast powder, just don't know if would make a good pistol powder. :veryconfu

[hiram1]

Red dot is good to. I use it with 115 gr 9mm and works well.