Lee 105 SWC or 120 TC in 9mm with AA#5 Pet Loads ?

[Indybear]

I recently picked up some AA#5 since that is all the was available. I normally run Unique but I'm running low, can not find anymore and I hate how it meters.

Anyone have any pet loads they will share for the Lee 105 SWC .358 OAL 1.025 WSP? How about Lee 120 TC? I will use these mostly in a SR9 or S&W 915.

[Indybear]

Yea, it sure looks like a good one on paper for a number of cartridges but I wonder why more do not use it. Could it be availability, price, accuracy or pressure spikes?

[Jupiter7]

I like aa5. But it doesn't do light loads very well for me. Seems quite dirty on low end. The closer to max the better accuracy was and the cleaner it burned. I've used it in 38/357 and 45auto and 45colt. And as said it meters very well. I was in the same boat as u, no unique available, aa5 had a lot of data across multiple calibers and it was available.

[MattOrgan]

Accurate #5 is a good powder, I use it as a substitute for Unique in a lot of revolver cartridges, #5 meters better and is widely available up here. I have not seen pressure spikes with it, but I don't work up any loads to maximum pressure either. Unique will go from OK to "too much" pretty suddenly as I learned years ago when I hot rodded just about everything I loaded. In 9mm I've only used it with 147+grain bullets. I'm guessing that with cast bullets as light 105 - 125 it may be slower than optimum, but I'm guessing it will work fine, its really not that much slower than AA#2, 231, HP 38, and Bullseye. Since it sounds like you have #5 and need to make it work. Lee's 2nd addition has loads listed and I would guess Accurates website does too. I've never worried about taking jacketed bullet loading data and using it for the same weight of cast. Cast bullets give lower pressures.

[Indybear]

Just got back from the range and I have to say I'm very impressed AA#5. Loaded 5.2-5.7 of AA#5 under a Lee 105 SWC @ 1.025 + WSP and all loads were extremely accurate, cycled my SR9 perfect and the brass came out so clean it was hard to tell it had been fired. 5.4-5.5 seems to be the sweet spot though.

As others have noted it does meter like water but I suspect people that have had leakage issues with H110/296 will have problems with AA#5.