I am loading 9mm 115grn fn Berry's bullets over 6.0 grns of BE-86. Manuals say max is between 6.0 and 6.3 grns. I have loaded about 30 or so of them that I worked up to and they show no signs of pressure. My COAL is 1.055. Any thoughts or results you have had with BE-86?

I use the same bullets but with a slightly above minimum load of Power Pistol. Your loads sound like they may be slightly high for Berry's, even if you aren't showing signs of pressure. They recommend using either 1) min to mid range loads if you are looking at jacketed bullet data or 2) lead or cast data directly. I assume you are using jacketed bullet data (since lead or cast bullets aren't that common in 9mm). What ranges do each of your manuals show? I see on Alliant's website three bullets listed with max loads of 6.1, 6.3, and 6.3. I would be conservative and use FMJ data, which has 6.1 as max. Starting loads are generally 10% below max, so that would be around 5.5 grains. Mid range would be 5.8, and you are very slightly above that.

I have tried three brands of 115gr "Ball" ammo and the Gold Dot HP but no FN's.

BE86 works with target and full loads with this light bullet but I have found that
non-plated bullets have given better accuracy after 25 yards in my weapons.

However it is nice to miss jackrabbits so there will be some for my next outings.

Is that out of a 9mm, 38 super, 380, rifle or a pistol................?

Carry on.

You are certainly at the max load for Alliant data. They list 115g fmj @ 6.1 and Speer 115g CPRN @ 6.3 but their listed COL is 1.120 and 1.135 respectively. How did you arrive at that COL as it seems short for that bullet? I have only shot Xtreme 124gr FMJ and plated at a COL of 1.135 to 1.150 with BE-86 and it preformed fine.

Sounds like you already tested them at that COL. What gun are you shooting them from?

As a 2nd reference Hornady 10th lists BE-86 with 115 fmj @ 4.5-5.5 with a tested COL of 1.10

^^ And what he said about COL.....

"Xtreme 124gr FMJ and plated at a COL of 1.235 ..." quote

are you sure about this length ?

I can get 1.325" with a 124gr JHP sitting on top of a 9mm case. (.571") 115g XTP .542" in length

However the new Handloader mag. has a 124 XTP at 1.060" on page 70 !!

Good catch, 1.135 not 1.235. Yes, XTP's load shorter. I'll typically load 115 XTPs to 1.080. Hornady 10th lists 115g XTP's at 1.075 and 124XTPs at 1.060, which match's the Handloader mag.

...that I've ever had to load that short was 'smallball' which would not function or chamber if it was a microsmidge over 1.06". The profile of the nose precluded anything longer AT ALL. I'm not familiar with Berry but that seems really short for that type and profile of bullet unless the load were reduced.

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Just a note on bullet OAL.

We all know every weapon is different but my pistols like;
115gr Ball RN : 1.10" oal only with w231 1.12 fac dup and 1.14" longest for target work.
The factory Gold Dot HP is from 1.12 to 1.125" OAL, I have yet to buy 115gr HP bullets.

The 124gr Ball type have been loaded from 1.09 out to 1.165" with
the new HP listed at 1.05" and my longest that looks right, at 1.135" and factory loads at 1.10-1.11".......
all this is ball park figures, that people use.

Do you feel lucky ?

Look at Berry's site and see what they list for COAL with that bullet. I would post it here but I cant figure out how to do it. I am shooting them out of a Shield PC Ported

If I recall correctly, Berry's gives the max COL. In some of my guns, loads will fail the plunk test at these lengths.

One burns COAL, reload to COL.

Here it is

Attached Files

BERRY'S COL.pdf (1.11 MB, 18 views)

There is where I got it from. I also started out at 5.1grns. That did not cycle it so I went to 5.3 and worked up from there.

"Overall" is one word isn't it? So I guess it's COL from here on out. For some reason I always read it 'Cartridge Over All Length' instead of Cartridge Overall Length.

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