hello,

this is my first time reloading and I have some of the HS 6 powder, Remington 115gr fmj RN and fed small pistol primers. I've looked in my lee 2nd edition and lymans for load data. Lee has nothing for fmj just 115 gr lead bullets, lymans has info for the 115gr jacketed HP and hodgdons website only lists spr gdhp and lrn. ***. I'm totally baffled that none of these highly recommended publications has any info on what I thought would be a pretty common bullet. so where do I go from here I don't want to blow my hand off and I understand that OAL is significantly important with the 9mm round. How do I go about developing a load with just the limited information I have available?

Thank in advance.

BTW I shoot a Ruger p89 and a shield 9

Lee has no load data for 115gn jacketed bullets? I find that hard to believe. You can use lead or plated data for jacketed bullets, but not necessarily the other way around.
All load data for a given weight of jacketed bullet of a given diameter can be used for any other jacketed bullet of the same weight and diameter-only the COL may vary. If you can't find data for your weight of bullet, use data for next heavier bullet.
Next, no data is necessarily correct for your gun and your components. Different chamber dimensions, different lots of powder, and changes to bullets, cases, and primers can have effects. Thus, start low and work up.
Data for 115gn jacketed bullets and HS6:
Start loads in my manuals range from 5.2-6.7gn and MAX loads range from 5.8-7.5gn, so you can see that the mentioned variables have an effect. I would start at 5.2 and work up.
COL:
COL is important, but not to the extent so many fear. The current fear of COL in 9x19 started when one company warned that a load that produced 33ksi at about 1.100" increased in pressure to >60ksi when the COL was reduced by ¼" (0.25") due to bullet set-back. Point was not to scare folks about COL but to emphasis that one should test bullets for set-back by using thumb/finger pressure on the seated bullet to be sure bullet won't move. Normal COL variation is not a worry and you should have the COL established before you ever add powder to a case.
Per Ramshot:
"SPECIAL NOTE ON CARTRIDGE OVERALL LENGTH “COL”
It is important to note that the SAAMI “COL” values are for the firearms and ammunition manufacturers industry and must be seen as a guideline only.
The individual reloader is free to adjust this dimension to suit their particular firearm-component-weapon combination.
This parameter is determined by various dimensions such as
1) magazine length (space),
2) freebore-lead dimensions of
the barrel,
3) ogive or profile of the projectile and
4) position of cannelure or crimp groove.
• Always begin loading at the minimum "Start Load".
• Increase in 2% increments towards the Maximum Load.
• Watch for signs of excessive pressure.
• Never exceed the Maximum Load."

Your COL (OAL) is determined by your barrel (chamber and throat dimensions) and your gun (feed ramp) and your magazine (COL that fits magazine and when the magazine lips release the round for feeding) and the PARTICULAR bullet you are using. What worked in a pressure barrel or the lab's gun or in my gun has very little to do with what will work best in your gun.
Take the barrel out of the gun. Create two inert dummy rounds (no powder or primer) at max COL and remove enough case mouth flare for rounds to chamber (you can achieve this by using a sized case—expand-and-flare it, and remove the flare just until the case "plunks" in the barrel and you have all the "crimp" you need for the test).
Drop the inert rounds in and decrease the COL until they chamber completely. This will be your "max" effective COL. I prefer to have the case head flush with the barrel hood. After this, place the inert rounds in the magazine and be sure they fit the magazine and feed and chamber. Adjust COL as needed so inert rounds work in your gun.
You can also do this for any chambering problems you have. Remove the barrel and drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber. Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth.
Remove and inspect the round:
1) scratches on bullet--COL is too long
2) scratches on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp
3) scratches just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case
4) scratches on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
5) scratches on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.
I hope this helps.

Hornady lists a 115 bullet RN FMJ with HS6.

Range of 5.7 to a MAX of 6.4 and COL of 1.100 your COL should be around that but not written in stone, it can be off a little not shorter!

Hornady data is pretty conservative but always start at the LOW end.

That said use at your own risk as I can't type And follow the post above for using YOUR barrel to determine the COL.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

my trusty crusty Hornady manual has the same data listed for both their XTP and their FMJ RN
OAL differs, with +.055" given to the FMJ

__________________
it just needs more voltage

In my 3.5" 9mm with a 115gr plated RN bullet at 1.14" OAL and cci std. primer......
the fps ran from a low of 1020 fps to a high of 1182 fps.

The low vel. load gave the best accuracy in my pistol, while the full load shot low and left and was
three times the size of the light target load.

A 124gr Plated RN with a OAL of 1.165" pushed with HS6 at 1014 fps was more accurate than the 115gr.

If you get up to a 147gr bullet........ ( OAL 1.165" )
a starting load of HS6 at 807 fps in my pistol, out shot both the 115 and 124gr plated RN bullets.
With a OAL of 1.13" the maximum load did 975 fps across my chrony.

I tried a 124gr Speer Gold Dot full load at a OAL of 1.12" (per Speer) with HS6 and a wspm primer.........
I had a fail to eject/feed on a 98 and 100% data loading per Hodgdon data powder volume. I also had a F/F with the Federal Gold Medal primer with the HS6 powder at full strength.
This powder likes the cci std. primer better, in "My" 9mm.

In my 38 and 357 it did best with the JHP bullets with both std. and mag primers.
Lead bullets shot well but my brands were a little "Smoky" with HS6 powder and std. primers, from the lube band.

Enjoy your powder.

Hey guys thanks for all of the GREAT information here. I am definitely going to test to see what my OAL is for my barrel.

This was all great info and much appreciated!

You posted the same question on another forum. I gave you the exact data from Hornady Manual. It's as close as as it gets.

Perhaps a picture will help in the "plunk test" This is a 1911 barrel but the procedure and concept is the same.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Another consideration is primer selection.
Several here, myself included, have found that magnum primers give more consistent results with HS-6 loads.

__________________
-jwk-
US Army '72-'95