Thread: Loading 9mm
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Old 05-20-2020, 10:31 PM
Turn4811 Turn4811 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: NE ATL
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My experience: I load and shoot about 9k of 9mm a year and have averaged within 1 to 2k of that for the past 3 years with a Colt Govt model and prior to that a 92AF INOX for many years.

Bullets: For the past four years Bayou's coated 120 and 124 have been the primary choice for about 80% with the remaining some brand of 124gr FMJ. I have had too many issues with plated bullets and the coated bullets work better and are more accurate.

Cases: Amerc, Maxxtech, Freedom Munitions, Xtreme, and Ammoland had the stepped cases for a while. Because of these I started sorting my brass about 14 years ago. I added TulAmmo, Wolf, B-West, SK, TCW, and TPZ as headstamps that get immediately tossed in the recycle bin - they all are very soft brass. I know some people that have loaded these headstamps but the headaches they can cause is just not worth it.

I will load Agila, CBC, and Perfecta brass once to be used at an indoor range that frowns on policing your own brass. I have had an Agila case separate at the knurling on about the 5th reload. The CBC and Perfecta primer pocket gets too loose to hold a primer after the third or fourth reloading.

My preference for brass is Starline, WIN, Hornady, FC, RP, Speer, Blazer, S&B, PMC, WWC, and Geco. I load in sorted lots.

Powder: What are you shooting? Bullseye has been around 120+years and won many competitions. I have used Bullseye, Blue Dot, AA-#7, Power Pistol, Herco, N-340, HP-38, HS-6, Unique, Universal, 231, and CFEpistol. All will work but some have characteristics that may not be acceptable (dirty, unburnt powders, smoke, or flash). I am currently on a CFEpistol kick (3 years) as it is very clean burning and gives me what I want.

Primers: CCI is my standard, S&B has identical characteristics but is usually 2/3 the price of CCI if you can find it. Winchester is more expensive than CCI but I can get less deviation in the speed and tighter groups but it requires its own load workup. No need for magnum primers.

I load on a Dillon 550B and work up new loads on a RockChucker
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