New 5" 9mm bullet/powder test

[Nevada Ed]

The weather finally warmed up and winds calmed down, with no rain in two days.
All rounds cycled and no failures to feed. Here is what turned up.
I know that Xtr should be kept at 1200 fps but I just now got the Berry's to test later.

115gr Xtreme RN plated at a oal of 1.12" full loads
Bullseye .......... 1218 fps
w231 .............. 1198
Green ............. 1257
Unique............. 1350 (high)
BE-86 ............. 1307

124 Xtreme .................. 1.14" full loads
Bullseye ........... 1155
w231 ............... 1153
CFE pistol ......... 1205
Unique ............. 1267 (high)
BE-86 .............. 1206

135 Xtreme ................ 1.14" full loads
Unique ........... 1100
BE-86 ............ 1113 (high)

147 Speer TMJ ............ 1.14" full loads
Unique ............ 1020
BE-86 ............. 1042 (high)
HS6 ................ 966

Light to medium target loads per my C9 3.5", that worked well.

115 Xtr........... 1.14" oal
Red ........... 1000 fps
w231 ......... 966
Green ........ 1033
CFE pistol ... 1120 (Acc load)
BE-86......... 1059

135 .............. 1.165"
Red ........... 882
Green ........ 851
Unique ....... 845
BE-86 ........ 823 (Acc load)

147 ............ 1.165"
BE-86 ......... 820 fps. (minimum fps ? )

I did not see any plating "Spray" on my target behind my chrony
from using the 115gr Xtreme at 1350 fps but I will be using non-plated from now on, at these high speeds.
No real problem with 124gr or heavier bullets if you don't go wild.

I did learn that a 5" 9mm barrel is a wee bit fast than a 3.5" compact, though.

Later.

[Bkreutz]

I just checked my load last weekend to make sure I won't have trouble at the next major match (Oregon state championship the end of May) Using 124 Rainier plated super match with 7.0 gr of Autocomp gave me 1400 fps average, just where I wanted it.

[Just another 22 shooter]

Originally Posted by Bkreutz

I just checked my load last weekend to make sure I won't have trouble at the next major match (Oregon state championship the end of May) Using 124 Rainier plated super match with 7.0 gr of Autocomp gave me 1400 fps average, just where I wanted it.

Just curious(not criticizing you at all) but why not go to the 38 Super instead of cranking up the 9?

[S&WIowegan]

Not to speak for Bkreutz but one primary reason Open class shooters use 9mm major loads in their compensated guns is cheap brass. Used 9mm brass is literally cheap as dirt at about $20./1000. Buy it, clean it up, load it, shoot it and leave it lay. Various brass such as 38 Super, 38 Super Comp are much more expensive.

The only real negative I've personally witnessed is cases blowing up in guns that are fully supporting the cases. Two summers ago a middle-aged man joined us for our Tuesday night match. He was running major 9 in an STI/SV looking gun. Halfway through his second stage, the ammo blew out, the gun flew out of his hand and the magazine left the gun. No injuries except for the gun. Don't know more details.

Bkreutz has posted on this forum his experiences with Major 9 and S&W M&P pistols.

[fredj338]

Your story iowe is why 9 major is such a bad idea. 40 gets you there so much easier.

[m657]

Has anyone used the 124g Berry's flat hollow point in such loading/recipe studies?

I've just loaded a test batch up & intend to give a trial run this coming week. They are shorter than the plated RN 115/124g typical I've used before.

And thanks for your recipe posting; interested in comparing to what I can generate.

Frankly I'm so far disappointed in my own 9mm reloading efforts I may jettison the whole caliber in favor of factory fresh....although I have great results/accurace in 38/357/44/41/45LC/45acp.

[Nevada Ed]

Come on guys......
if I wanted this to be a 9mm "Major" post I would have......

Many have asked how the new BE-86 is vs the older Unique powder......
This showed that it has its place in the 9mm loading, mostly
where Unique fills the case and the finer grained powder will take over.

Mostly with the use of the heavier bullets.

[STORMINORMAN]

Originally Posted by m657

Has anyone used the 124g Berry's flat hollow point in such loading/recipe studies?

I've just loaded a test batch up & intend to give a trial run this coming week. They are shorter than the plated RN 115/124g typical I've used before.

And thanks for your recipe posting; interested in comparing to what I can generate.

Frankly I'm so far disappointed in my own 9mm reloading efforts I may jettison the whole caliber in favor of factory fresh....although I have great results/accurace in 38/357/44/41/45LC/45acp.

Yep: 500, or so...

But I much prefer their 124gr HBFPTP (Hollow Base Flat Point Thick Plate) version which they OK for "...up to 1500fps". The HB allows a little extra seating depth, the FP is just that & the TP part is what justifies their increased velocity range.

HODGDON'S has 18 (!) published loads for the Round Nose version of this exact bullet with velocities up to 1200fps... Loads in the midrange (for me that's 1000 to 1050fps) with W231, AutoComp, 700-X & 800-X work just great in all my 9mm's (S&W 3913, CZ75 & G19 Gen4).

Probably my overall favorite 9mm plated bullet & I have tried a bunch!

Cheers!

P.S. Their 380acp 100gr HBRN is a real winner, too, IMHO!

[Nevada Ed]

m657;

The speer gold dot HP in 115 and 124gr measure .52 and .56" in height.
The berry plated RN in 115 and 124gr measure .555 and .59" in height.

Speer calls for a 1.12" OAL for it's bullets...... which are a LOT longer
than a lot of other manual data out there.
I can't get over how short some Hodgdon and Lyman data is on some bullets.

I have yet to try the FPTP style bullets, since I know the old style RN will feed 99.9% of the time.

Good luck with the Berry's.

[STORMINORMAN]

...(hollow base) design comes into play, allowing more of the bullet length into the case without reducing the case volume vis-a-vis the powder charge.

Since the Hodgdons suggested OAL for the RN is 1.150" I set the seating die (Hornady with the round vs. flat insert) for that length with a RN bullet: the FP bullet then is then seated effectively at that OAL but actually measures significantly shorter with calipers (obviously). Hodgdon's OAL for 124gr RN lead & fmj bullets is 1.169", BTW.

Maybe I'm lucky but all my 9mm's will accept a much longer round than 1.150" and feed and eject reliably. Loading 'em "long" is not a problem for me, anyway.

Cheers!

P.S. Hints about TANK w/b appreciated, Nevada Ed!

[Nevada Ed]

STORMINORMAN;

I nick named my C9........... "TANK"
due to a you-tube thread that I watched.

A double charge of Bullseye did nothing.
I think it was a double charge of Bullseye and a 5" bolt pounded down its barrel,
then locked in a vise, with a LONG heavy string, that finally did it in.

I don't treat my C9 3.5" quite that bad but I do get 4" fps out of it.

[STORMINORMAN]

"TANK" is a HiPoint?

Those loads you chrono'ed ("chronoed?" Past tense of "chrono", the verb?) as the OP were all developed out of TANK? I am truly amazed!

I hope your's is also a pretty LONG string!

Where do you go to do this? I REALLY was wondering and am really intrigued.

Thanks, Nevada Ed, and CHEERS!