loading Flat point 9mm

[NJM15]

I have about 500 124 gr flat nose 9mm lead (Extreme) I usually use Round nose, but I bought the flat nose to load my Sig 357 rounds , and don't shoot them as much.
The FN 124gr measure 13.36mm long and the RN 115 gr 13.99 mm the overall length recommended at 29.69 mm what's more important OAL or the depth the bullets seat in the cartridge?

 

[RussellD]

The are close to the Hornady 124 fmjfp. You can start with a COAL of 1.050 and work from there.When loading the extreme bullets, the single most important element in your quest for accuracy is the crimp. If you use a bullet puller and pull a loaded round and see a ring where it was crimped its too much. Your case mouth should measure around .378 at the mouth of the loaded round.

Good shooting

 

[novalty]

The barrel of your firearm is the most important, apply "plunk test" on semi-auto to determine correct OAL to fit your firearm.

 

[OKFC05]

what's more important OAL or the depth the bullets seat in the cartridge?

Depth in the cartridge. Loading 9mm "close to the rifling" is poop.
Load ten and try them.

 

[Rule3]

what's more important OAL or the depth the bullets seat in the cartridge?

The two are directly related.

Load as indicated above. the COL that fits your barrel in a plunk test.

If you look at Accurate load data online the Berry HBFN is seated to 1.060 so that should give you a starting point plus or minus the bullet should be similar,

The Hornady MANUAL shows their 124 FN at 1.050 for comparison

 

[LoboGunLeather]

A few things to consider when working up your loads:

1. Overall profile of the bullet. The 9mm pistols headspace on the case mouth at the front of the chamber. The bullet must be seated far enough into the case that the full-diameter portion of the bullet will not be forced into the rifling. COL is the maximum for the cartridge by industry standards, but loading to maximum COL may not be possible with the bullet you are using. A simple "drop test" can be done with the disassembled pistol's barrel, dropping a loaded cartridge into the chamber to see that it freely enters with case head aligned with the chamber hood. Start with max COL, then seat deeper if necessary for your pistol's chamber.

2. The loaded cartridge must fit into the magazine and feed properly. Too long won't fit the magazine, too short may not feed reliably. Start with the COL determined in the drop-test (see #1), then seat deeper if necessary.

3. The flat point may cause the cartridge to jam as it passes from the magazine, up the feed ramp, into the chamber. There is probably a "sweet spot" within the overall range of possible COL that will function reliably in your pistol. Finding that can be done by loading a number of dummy cartridges (unprimed, uncharged cases) with bullets seated to different lengths, then cycling those through the pistol to check for reliability. Start with what you know will chamber properly and will fit the magazine, then seat deeper if necessary. You won't really know for sure until you have loaded and tested live ammo, but this should put you on the right track more quickly. (For the loads I most commonly use I always make up dummy cartridges to use when setting up my reloading dies and keep them for future use).

4. Every pistol is different. Some will work with just about anything you put in them, others won't like anything other than factory ball duplicates. My Browning Hi Power 9mm is one of the first kind; it will eat up 140-grain cast .357" SWC-HP's as readily as ball ammo. The same loads won't even chamber in the S&W 9mm pistols I've owned, probably due to differences in chamber dimensions and the larger than normal bullet diameter.

 

[yfz450r]

A few things to consider when working up your loads:

1. Overall profile of the bullet. The 9mm pistols headspace on the case mouth at the front of the chamber. The bullet must be seated far enough into the case that the full-diameter portion of the bullet will not be forced into the rifling. COL is the maximum for the cartridge by industry standards, but loading to maximum COL may not be possible with the bullet you are using. A simple "drop test" can be done with the disassembled pistol's barrel, dropping a loaded cartridge into the chamber to see that it freely enters with case head aligned with the chamber hood. Start with max COL, then seat deeper if necessary for your pistol's chamber.

2. The loaded cartridge must fit into the magazine and feed properly. Too long won't fit the magazine, too short may not feed reliably. Start with the COL determined in the drop-test (see #1), then seat deeper if necessary.

3. The flat point may cause the cartridge to jam as it passes from the magazine, up the feed ramp, into the chamber. There is probably a "sweet spot" within the overall range of possible COL that will function reliably in your pistol. Finding that can be done by loading a number of dummy cartridges (unprimed, uncharged cases) with bullets seated to different lengths, then cycling those through the pistol to check for reliability. Start with what you know will chamber properly and will fit the magazine, then seat deeper if necessary. You won't really know for sure until you have loaded and tested live ammo, but this should put you on the right track more quickly. (For the loads I most commonly use I always make up dummy cartridges to use when setting up my reloading dies and keep them for future use).

4. Every pistol is different. Some will work with just about anything you put in them, others won't like anything other than factory ball duplicates. My Browning Hi Power 9mm is one of the first kind; it will eat up 140-grain cast .357" SWC-HP's as readily as ball ammo. The same loads won't even chamber in the S&W 9mm pistols I've owned, probably due to differences in chamber dimensions and the larger than normal bullet diameter.

Excellent post.

 

[SMSgt]

The COL question for the day. I wonder what tomorrow brings.

 

[RussellD]

Tomorrow will bring someone saying if it's not in XXX reloading manual, it can not possibly be true or reliable information.

Manuals like guard rails on the interstate serve a purpose, however they are neither the journey, nor the destination.

 

[fredj338]

Oal is always gun & bullet specific. Make a dummy rd with the bullet seated long. Remove the bbl in your gun & test the rd in the chamber. Seat the bullet deeper until it fits the cartridge. Thn check it in your mag loaded all the way down. That is the correct oal for that bullet on that bbl. regardless of what ANY data source tells you, the oal must fit your gun.

 

[alwslate]

If it's pressure you're concerned about with the two different bullets,
two things are most relevant. The difference in weight and the depth
of the bullet base in the case which determines the amount of case
volume (airspace).

 

[mtgianni]

If it's pressure you're concerned about with the two different bullets,
two things are most relevant. The difference in weight and the depth
of the bullet base in the case which determines the amount of case
volume (airspace).

Add to that the amount of bearing surface. A 150 gr rn will have a much different bearing surface than a wadcutter. Friction and pressure will differ greatly because of that.

 

[scattershot]

I load that bullet to 1.030 without issue.