I'm about to acquire a S&W FPC, and am wondering about what powder to use for loading ammunition. I'm aware that Hodgdon TiteGroup works well in 9mm. I'm wondering how Hodgdon HS-6 would perform in carbine length barrels. I'm also curious about other powders. I plan on using 124 grain X-Treme bullets.

Please make your suggestions known.

Thank you for your time.

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Left Turn On A Red Light

..for the PPC carbine. Mine is 9mm. Like every other caliber I shoot, I load from mild to wild. I've loaded bullets from 95 to 165 grains, but my go-to bullet is the Missouri 125 gr. coated SWC. Powders I've used are Bullseye, Unique, Titegroup, Red Dot, Acc #7 and HP-38/Win231.

For ranges beyond 50 yards I load lighter bullets with hotter loads. I just started doing that the last couple of range trips so I'm not sure of the results yet. I know that when I went to the range with a friend who wanted to set up the target at 75 yards, and all I had for ammo was some less-than-medium loads of 125 gr. SWCs, I had trouble reaching the target.

X-Treme bullets are great. I'd consider some lighter ones if shooting past 50 yards, but with the right hold over you will be all right. Besides a Chronograph, The Ballistics by the Inch website helps with working up loads.

At 25-50 yards I'm pretty 'deadly' with my PCC.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I've loaded thousands of X 124s amd have pushed them to the max... I treat them like any premium hollow point... I stay clear if tight group only because of how incredibly hot my gun get after shooting maybe 20rds. W231 is my go too. I've used HS6 also and would recommend that over tight.

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This is the way....

Lets see if I can attach my spreadsheet, these are all from PCCs

Attached Files

PCC LOADS.pdf (217.6 KB, 58 views)

I load my 9mm carbine with AA2 or Ramshot Silhuette. 3" at 100 yards with a 4x scope. Mine only sees my own cast loads, powdercoated 125 gr.

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Front sight and squeeze

A max load of HS-6 with both 115 gr and 124 gr bullets has been my go to load in my 16” 9mm carbines as well as my 8.3” AR-9, and 8.9” MP5. Power Pistol will give greater velocity in a pistol length barrel, but the slower burning HS-6 comes into its own in a longer barrel.

Unique also does quite well in a longer barrel.

I like the 115 gr XTP or HAP with a max load of HS-6 in my 16” carbine. It’s an AR-15 with a Ballistic Advantage barrel. They market all their barrels with a 1 MOA guarantee. I wasn’t holding my breath with 9mm, but I do in fact get 1 MOA five shot groups at 100 yards with 115 gr XTP bullets (the XTP line in general is noted for excellent accuracy). Get the same accuracy with a 8.3” Ballistic advantage in another 9mm AR-15.

I have found higher velocities in longer barrels with HS-6, but I have also found velocities can vary significantly in different firearms even with similar barrel lengths.

For example my 16” AR-15 will average 1525 fps with 115 gr XTPs, while the 8.3” barrel averages 1350 fps with the same load. But interestingly the 8.9” barrel in my MP5 averages 1437 fps with just 8.9” of barrel length.

I doubt the extra .6” accounts for the increase when another 7.1” only adds another 88 fps.

What kind of bullet drop do you get with that load at 100 yards?

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

All of my data says the W231 gets good velocity in 9mm, but the tests are done with short barrels. My carbines are 16 1/2". Do other powders take over in the longer barrels? What velocities you you all get?

I've just started shooting past 50 yards and I'm making loads accordingly. I think my 95 gr RN gets close to 1700 fps but I'll have to see what powder that was. That was the range session where I shot my chrono, so I'm a little shy of good info.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Not that I know anything about loading 9mm for exclusive use in a Carbine, I believe a slower propellant would be more satisfactory. I would probably look closely at using something like AA#5. I tend to have a bias toward using AA#5 for making up heavy loads in 9mm and .38 Super because of its high bulk density. If you have a chronograph, use it to work up some loads.

Wife and I shoot about 600 rounds a month for USPSA in PCC. I load 115g fmj on top of N340 getting 1150-1200 fps for minor power factor rules. Great accuracy, clean burning and 50y is not an issue. Of course this is not a self defense or a long range load. Rifles of choice are JP GMR-15s.

Attached Images

JP.jpg (103.5 KB, 4 views)

That's the equation I'm running with.
Theory being that the slower rate and larger charge weight works out to a larger gas volume at a similar pressure

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it just needs more voltage

About 4" drop.

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Front sight and squeeze

I would go with Alliant BE 86. X-Treme Bullets are my favorite too.

For full power 9mm loads I've always had the best accuracy with Power Pistol. Downloaded just enough to cycle the action and Green Dot is my go to powder.

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Where we go one, we go all