Target loads for 9mm

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Al W.

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Originally Posted by Al W. View Post
Hi,
Wanted to see what the collective mind thought about this.
I've been target shooting with a model 14 using 148gr WC and a 2.7 gr charge of Bullseye. Real old school , works great for my S&W.
(I just had a look at the data on the Alliant site and their suggested 9mm charge is about 1059 fps with a 4.4 gr charge, seems kinda high for a target load, especially with my LRN bullets.) Why so high ?
When I went to my data book it really did not have data on the 148 WC in a target load. Believe it or else.
So I'm enjoying the results with the Bullseye and my 38sp. and was wondering what I could do with a 9mm
I've got 1000, 125gr LRN and some brass and a few pounds of Bullseye.
What do you think the ideal charge for targets would be.
I ask this knowing there is no one perfect load, I just need a range here.
Looking forward to plowing through some 9mm with my DP 550.
 
Last edited:
Al W. said:
Originally Posted by Al W. View Post
Hi,
Wanted to see what the collective mind thought about this.
I've been target shooting with a model 14 using 148gr WC and a 2.7 gr charge of Bullseye. Real old school , works great for my S&W.
(I just had a look at the data on the Alliant site and their suggested 9mm charge is about 1059 fps with a 4.4 gr charge, seems kinda high for a target load, especially with my LRN bullets.) Why so high ?
When I went to my data book it really did not have data on the 148 WC in a target load. Believe it or else.
So I'm enjoying the results with the Bullseye and my 38sp. and was wondering what I could do with a 9mm
I've got 1000, 125gr LRN and some brass and a few pounds of Bullseye.
What do you think the ideal charge for targets would be.
I ask this knowing there is no one perfect load, I just need a range here.
Looking forward to plowing through some 9mm with my DP 550.
Click to expand...

I believe everything on the Alliant site is a max load. They say that somewhere but can't remember where. Drop their load data 10% and start there. I've never reached their max load when I started 10% below their published load data.

I used up all of my Bullseye about a year ago and never got around to using it for 9 mm. Looking at their site it looks like 4.4gr/124 is max. I would start at 4 gr and work up.

Looking at the MV it doesn't appear that Bullseye is the best choice. But if you are like me you use what you have. I load 9 mm with American Select and it works fine. Actually it works for 38 spl and 45 acp too.
 
LostintheOzone said:
I believe everything on the Alliant site is a max load. They say that somewhere but can't remember where. Drop their load data 10% and start there. I've never reached their max load when I started 10% below their published load data.

I used up all of my Bullseye about a year ago and never got around to using it for 9 mm. Looking at their site it looks like 4.4gr/124 is max. I would start at 4 gr and work up.

Looking at the MV it doesn't appear that Bullseye is the best choice. But if you are like me you use what you have. I load 9 mm with American Select and it works fine. Actually it works for 38 spl and 45 acp too.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity I pulled apart Aguila FMJ 115. They have something close to 5gr of "something" in there. I might try the American Select if only to have more powder around.
 
As was pointed out in your last post, a semi-auto requires a balance between the powder charge and recoil spring to work properly.
Just putting a light load in a stock 9mm pistol causes short stroking, failure to lock back, and possibly jamming.
My S&W 9mms will run with stock springs with a power factor (PF) of 135 or more (PF is momentum in odd units. multiply MV in fps times bullet wt in grains divided by 1000) For 125gr bullets, MV of 1080 gives PF of 135. For lower PF, a weaker recoil spring is required for proper functioning. The exact spring needed depends on the specific gun and grip of the shooter, also.
 
Anwer to your earlier post:
I shoot these in revolvers and semis.
LRN 124 Bullseye GR 3.8 LO 1081 HI 1110 AVG 1100 ES 28 SD 8.94
 
My everyday 9mm load is 124 gr coated bullet and 4.1 gr Win 231. This load chronos in a variety of Glocks and M&Ps at 1100 fps. You could go lower but may well run into malfunctions if the slide doesn't fully cycle.
 
I've been experimenting with many different loads using W231 and 125g LRN (.355) and 124g JRN (.355) bullets for my Colt 9mm Competition pistol. 4.2g W231 with the 124g JRN and 4.0g W231 with the 125g LRN bullets. All were seated to a COAL of 1.135". Accuracy to 20 yards is decent but certainly not bullseye quality.
 
I don't use BE, but I use other fast burners to produce 9mm minor loads of 147gr @ 900fps +/-. Just about any gun will run that w/o a spring change. I just ran a test of 5 diff fast powders, all using 145gr RN from Bayou. All produce about 910fps+ using 3.2gr. OAL was 1.140". So I would start my BE at 3.2gr, see what functioning & accuracy is like & work it up as needed.
WST
VV320
IMR Red
Alliant RD
Ramshot Comp
 
Last edited:
David Sams Go-To 9mm Bullseye Load

Routinely shot between 1" and 1.5" groups at 50 yards from my Sams Wadcutter gun.

SAMS “CENTERFIRE/WADCUTTER” LOAD
115 gr. Hornady XTP
5.0 gr. N330 Powder or N340 Powder
Starline Brass
Remington 5 ½ Primer
O.A.L. = 1.085”
.377” Taper crimp at case mouth

 Bell case mouth Just Enough to start bullet
 Normal seating w/.377 taper crimp at case mouth
 You may want to adjust seating depth for optimum performance
 Adjust powder charge between 4.8 – 5.0 gr for optimum performance

I've NEVER found a better load.

Keith
 
I've tried different powders for my 9MM loads and always come back to BE. I shoot Action Pistol in the metallic and production classes. The Range Officer likes 124 JHP with 4.0 grains of BE while the S&W M&Ps, 1.0 and 2.0, like the 115 round nose with 4.2 grains of BE. You have to experiment with each gun and load; it takes a while.
 
for my own 9s a few years ago, anything under about 985 was producing too many slide cycling errors;

while I don't call them my 'target loads' there's a handful of powders I've found very reliable at 1025-1050 that work well enough for me to think I'm 'on target'.

And old Hi Power really likes the cast 147s while the others prefer 115 or 124 plated.
 
I agree with what a couple others mentioned - 4.0 Bullseye. Personally I go a little lighter sometimes, but 4.0 should be about perfect for your application. 4.0 should be high enough to cycle the action in the majority of guns. Go much lighter and you'll start to wonder if your shooting a .380.
 
Revolver loads are not that big a deal........... just need to go bang.

Now the Auto Pistol is a whole new ball game.
The companies need to have a load that has enough energy to work all pistols
no mater if a short barrel or a long 5-6" heavy slide model.

I just got back today from testing light loads for a C9 and a M9 5".
A 115gr plated at 1.14" OAL with 3.6g of Bullseye cycled the 5"
A load of w231 with the same set up, failed to feed and eject.
Yet this w231 load in my C9 feed and ejected.

A 147g Speer TMJ at a OAL of 1.14" with 3.2g of Bullseye cycled
but this same set up with 4.4g of HS6 had a failure to feed.
Hodgdon has this load down to 4.1 grs ........................

The smoothness of an action and the recoil spring have a lot to
do with how your loads are going to feed and eject.
One reason why you need to test your ammo per a weapon.

Tight groups.
 
Al W. wrote:
What do you think the ideal charge for targets would be.
I ask this knowing there is no one perfect load, I just need a range here.
Click to expand...

Asking people on the internet to suggest loads is not proper load development.

First, you have no idea whether I'm a safe and careful reloader or someone who believes maximum loads are artificially reduced because of "the lawyers" and will get you blown up. For that matter, I could just be a sadist that wants you to be known as "lefty".

Second, as has already been said, the load that strikes the proper balance in my gun won't necessarily do the same in yours.

Your post references bullets you had been using in 38 special. Keep in mind that 9mm bullets are nominal 0.355 inch in diameter with the associated cast bullets bring 0.356 while in 38 Special/357 Magnum, the bullets run 0.357 and 0.358, respectively. If you are using 0.358 bullets in 9mm Luger, you will need to be very careful because they will likely be oversize for the barrel and will result in increased pressure.

Go to the Alliant website (or other published source), put in your bullet weight and see what they specify as the maximum load. Reduce that figure by 10% (rounding down) and start there watching for function, accuracy and pressure signs, increasing in increments of 0.1 or 0.2 grains each time until you get a load that operates the gun reliably and gives you good accuracy.
 
I have just recently started using Auto comp for my 9mm target loads. I will be using them in the service division of PPC. I will run them thru my MP 9 pro. The load I have come down to is 4.8 gr auto comp W/ 115 gr bullet. So far this load has cycled my M&P PRO with minimum recoil.

Good luck and happy shooting!
 
I load my 9mm range ammo with 4.5 grains of SR7625 and it's a powder puff that functions perfectly in my Ruger LC9S and SR1911-9mm. Unfortunately it was discontinued a few years back but experiments with Vihtavouri 3N37 show some real promise. Been using 3N37 in my 38 special loads for years and while it is rather expensive it's not at all position sensitive and works quite well with lower energy charge levels.

You may also want to give Accurate #2 or #5 a try. While I've never used #2 I've been using #5 for years for 45 ACP and reduced energy 357 Magnums and it is a great metering and clean shooting powder. BTW, by reduced energy 357 Magnums I mean 900-950 fps with a 158 grain bullet out of my 2 1/2 inch model 19. I came up with this particular load specifically to insure I won't ever harm the forcing cone in my model 19 and it's a load I can shoot all day long and never get tired.
 
I load a 125 gr. Coated bullet with 3.7 gr. TiteGroup. Great load; it's what I have stuck with.
 
For 9x19:
If you can get a load that will consistently shoot <2" at 25 yards, you are doing well. To do that at 50 yards, you'll almost certainly need a custom gun/work.
So far, in MY guns, AA5 and faster powders are not accurate—not for a single group and not consistently over several groups.
Power Pistol has been the most consistently accurate, and that is really only <3" at 25 yards, with Silhouette being second best.
115gn JHPs are the bullets of choice, though I do like the Zero 121gn 38 Super JHP. I wouldn't even show up to match with any of my 9x19s, though. My 9x21s and .38 supers shoot "rings" around any of my 9x19s, even with custom barrel and fitting.
Really wish EVERY post on accuracy would report what they are actually getting and what they are using them for. Good enough for action pistol is not good enough for Bullseye and good enough for 25 yards is not good enough for 50 yards.
 
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As a parting note;

I don't load lead in the 9mm any more but I did do 125 coated, recently
in my C9 3.5" 9mm pistol.

as usual use at your own risk.......

125gr LRN coated .356 dia. oal 1.12" ...... 3.8 gr. Bullseye at 938fps.
125gr LRN coated .356 dia. oal 1.06" ...... 4.2 gr Bullseye at 1046fps.

Make sure you know what the + and - OAL of your bullet is per the company
before you start loading, since they may be different.

Stay safe.
 
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