I've been trying to settle on a good 9mm load, but can't seem to find one that matches the accuracy of the sellier and belot load I buy. Most recently I've tried WW244 since it's been good availability around here...I also have Bullseye, Unique, 700x, 800x. I use the Hornady 124gr HAP hollow points. I prefer a full power load for plinking and paper. If you have a powder you like please mention it. Thanks.

I load a Nosler 124gn. JHP over 6.3 grains of 800-X, WSP primer, COAL at 1.090". This is not a published load as far as I know, no pressure levels to advise you on, so you're on your own.

Depends on specific bullet, but for me, out of about a dozen powders:
147 grn bullets—N330 and W231
124 grn bullets—N340 and Silhouette

I load 4 gr of AA2 and a 124 or 135 gr home cast bullet. I am also experimenting with some powders I got from a nephew's deceased FIL. Ramshot Silhoutte shows some promise but it's early. I am also playing with 800X, 700X, Herco and Red Dot.

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Front sight and squeeze

I have sitting on my desk a 50-yard target with 10 shots inside of 1.9".
Sierra V-Crown 124s in front of 4.0 grains of B/E, loaded to 1.2".
Remington #6.5 primers (yes, I know that's a SRP) and Blazer brass. FWIW.

I've also had pretty good luck with 9.1 of AA#7 with Hornady bullets and with 115s it seems to like VV-N350.
YMMV, this is just what I've used.

There’s a lot of different 9mm powders and info at natoreloading.com

My most accurate load is the one I get consistent hits on a man size target at 25 yards!

I use a similar bullet (Precision Delta) with a close to max load of Universal. That's been the best so far but I'm still working on it. I find the 9mm very sensitive. Small changes can make a good load into minute of Buick.

I think the way to approach it is to take a powder and work through all the variables (OAL, charge weight, headstamp, etc) before giving up on it.

I know it's out there, but with the 9mm I find it difficult. Unlike the .38 Spl which seems to shoot just about anything well.

Edit to add pistol: Springfield 1911 "Loaded Stainless Target"

I too have found the 9mm to be very challenging to get a tight shooting load. VERY gun dependent.

Mu Sig 320x5 like the Berry 124 RN with 4.0 BE at 1.125" or the Bayou 120 TC with 4.0 BE at 1.06"

Model 39 hates them both. Likes the factory 115 RN.

I agree with the “gun dependent” factor. I usually start with HS6. My experience is that most guns will do well with it using a maximum load and 115-124 grain bullets. My older SIGs seem to prefer 231. I have one 9mm, an S&W 1911 Pro, that won’t seem to shoot anything but 147 grain FMJ-FN bullets. Loading for accuracy in 9mm pistols can be all over the place. I’d start with HS6 and see if it works well in your gun.

There is some interesting information on 9mm powders on that site, but they didn’t do their testing at far enough ranges. Their conclusion is that N330 was the overall best powder.

Currently I like the 9mm 124gr XTP Hornady,
Alliant Power Pistol, CCI SP, Win. or R-P Cases,
trimmed to length, Lee FCD tapered, 1000fps?

I use these as Plinking and Self Defense loads.

Always follow what the Reloading Manuals say!

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Too bad available powder choices are sparse these days. I've found no other powder that matches BE-86 with all bullet weights in 9mm. As mentioned above, HS6 is a great powder for full power loads also.

My Wilson ACP test target used Hap bullets and Power Pistol. Works good for me. My Pact took a dump so I’m not sure on velocity.

A lot depends on the pistol and bullet weight and types, (RN vs HP ) as well as OAL.

My pistols like w231 for light target.....
medium loads with CFE pistol powder.....
and depending on the bullet and how deep it is seated and it's OAL
for maximum loads my pistols like Unique, Blue Dot or BE-86 with the
JHP in 115, 124 and 147 grains for +P loads, that are accurate.

At the pressent I have 13 powders that I have used with my 9mm loads.

Out of all my pistols this is the best group that I have on paper
that was used in my testing fps in loads and just putting loads across the screen
and not really trying for accuracy, just not hitting my unit.
Target was at 20 feet and chrony at ten feet.

I will note, that this was before I had four verts in my neck fused.

My days of tight groups are over now, but just happy to still be able
to get out and pop primers and do some test now and then.

Wow thanks for this info. That CFE lead looks like a keeper. Good data. Thank you

Thanks for this link. Seems like a lot of work was done by these fellas.

"Most accurate 9mm load...?" Now THAT depends...

Depends a lot on the specific gun. Most of the time the 1st thing I'm trying to establish is a load (or loads?) that will work reliably in ALL my firearms in any specific caliber. With a new powder it may be for a bunch of different calibers as well.

Not always will every load be the most accurate in each example. This is where the real "fun" in reloading begins: at least for me. Determining the combination of powder, bullet and firearm that is accurate. Which opens the entirely different can of worms: exactly how much accuracy is actually needed? And at the expense of what other attribute, such as expansion &/or penetration in the case of defensive loads?

Cheers!

P.S. Only two of the previous posters included the kind of 9mm they were posting about. This, to me, is most relevant.

So, as far as powders for accuracy in 9mm are concerned I'll include CFE Pistol, 231, Unique and (sometimes) Bullseye. These in different pistols ranging from a CZ75, various M&Ps, a 3913 & a couple Glocks...

I used 4.5 grains of Unique and Speer 125 grain LRN bullets #4602. I could regularly ring 200 yard IHMSA rams with my issue 5906 and that load. I am NOT a super shooter.

Seems like that 5906 really liked the soft lead. Dunno if there was leading, as I usually fired a few jacketed bullets in my shooting sessions.

Here's another vote for Vihtavouri N340.
Accurate.
Stable.
Clean.

The holy trinity of Handloading, which is experimenting to find the right load. Reloading is making the same combo over and over and over.

Prescut

I'm not a devoted follower of the 9mm cartridge, but getting accuracy from 9mm handguns became an interesting pursuit about thirty-five years ago, just to see if it was possible. Since then, I've tried fifteen bullets (only a few jacketed, most have been cast using conventional sizing and lubricating) in weights ranging from just over 100 grains to just under 160 grains and about the same number of powders.

As with all handgun cartridges, jacketed bullets often won't shoot as accurately as a cast design that fits and is of the proper alloy mix for the load. Granted, that takes some work to get it all right and it usually doesn't happen quickly.

For the last twelve years or so, my most accurate 9mm load has used the obsolete Lyman #358212 .38 Special roundnose design, about 150 grains cast of wheelweight alloy, sized to .358", and Bullseye powder.

In addition to good accuracy, this load also functions perfectly in my three 9mm pistols, a Beretta 92F, a Sig P226, and a Walther P4.

Well put, and a distinction that is quite often overlooked!

I load a Delta bullet over 231. It is accurate enough for my plinking.

3.2 grains of Titegroup. Runs all of our pistols from pocket to unlimited 9mm pistols. What ever primer you have, but federal is what I like best. 124 grain Montana gold jhp. Much more accurate then wife and I can hold it!


Regards, Rick Gibbs

As a note on most accurate..............

I have a C9 3.5" 9mm pistol that will shoot 1.45" light target groups all day long.

The recoil is minimal and the barrel will not ever over heat with the low fps, I think ?
However it will not work in my 5" pistol due to the heavy slide spring.

It is also a low cost load, since it is with a 115 gr. coated LRN bullet that
is less than .07 cents each, for a box of 500.

Just that most of you can't use my data, since the powder is Trail Boss
and it is not in any manual, that I know of.........
just one of my "Home brews".

4.0grs Bullseye under 115/124gr plated bullet, as ALWAYS profile dictates OAL. Superior results in ALL the 9's I had thru the years, best shooting gun was Sig Elite Series gun hands down, next closest was any of the G17's I had. Although my M9A3 is the only 9 I keep these days, accuracy is nowhere near the other guns mentioned.

I use a 115 gr HAP or XTP on top of a max load (Hornady 11th edition) of HS-6 in my AR-9, Colt 6450, Uzi and MP5.

In my AR-9, with its Ballistic Advantage barrel it shoots 2” at 200 yards on a calm day.

The most consistently accurate load am using revolves around the Win 115 gn hbfmj at full power, loaded to 1.160 with fast powder at full pressure. This bullet has been vary accurate in all the 9mm's tried in.

I've got a published load ill check when I get home, it runs great in my 5906 TC, G17/19/48,

Its a w231 load with everglades 124 plated type 2s

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This is the way....

So, I settled on the CFE Pistol load 5.5 Gr using the Berry 124 gr RNHB. Shoots as good as my factory S&B loads.

For 30 years I've used Hornady 115 gr truncated JHP over 6.0 grains of Unique. Good power and very accurate.

I'm willing to trade clean for cheap, so I'm still running Bullseye rather than N340, but I know there is that other point of view!

With a 124gr FMJ bullet my most accurate loads are made with W231. They are not max velocity loads.

For max velocity loads AA#5, HS-6, Power Pistol or Longshot will all give you good velocities. I used to use HS-6 until I tried the fairly new W572. Now that's what I use for 124gr JHP or 135gr GDHP bullets.

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SWCA #3437

I use a Lyman 356637 147 gr RN-FP over 2.8 gr of Tite Group and a CCI 200 primer. It chronos at 830 fps out of 5906 IDPA.

Currently I'm loading 5.3gr CFP Pistol under a 115FMJ at 1.14" COL. The charge weight was developed using an Auto Charger, but when using the Auto Disk on the progressive, it is actually closer to 5.1-5.2gr, but consistently shoots ~2" groups out of a 3" barrel at 50ft even with the variance, and is more than good enough for my skill level and needs.

Previously it was 4.2gn Bullseye with the same bullet and length, but had to switch since I have not seen Bullseye for sale since early 2020.

Next is working up something with TightGroup, since I'm starting to run low on CFE Pistol, and TightGroup was the only thing available to add to a few primer orders a while ago to help spread out the HazMat fee.

Most casual shooters test at 21'. A load of "bubble gum and talcum powder" will do at that short distance!

I have never heard of anyone doing load development or "testing" factory ammunition at 7 yards.

Really? Check out post #16!

I stand corrected. Like you I see no validity. Normally, I do load development at 20-25 yds.

A 124gr Gold Dot over 6.6gr of hs-6 is what both my glock17 and my cz p-01 loves. Its a stout one and on the ragged edge and not something I shoot 500 of at the range on Saturdays but for sheer accuracy, and as an awesome SD type load thats it, for my guns.

My three favorite 9mm 115 grain loads are 4.5 grains Bullseye, 6.1 grains WSF or 6.0 grains of Power Pistol with a 115 gr JHP from Montana Gold, Hornady HAP, Nosler or Zero. Primers all Winchester SP.