alliant power pistol powder

[Val961]

New to reloading and kinda lost. I have 9mm 145 gr lead round nose bullets and Alliant power pistol powder. Can't find the load data. Checked with Alliant and they told me to contact the bullet maker. I did and they told me to check with the powder maker. Going is circles here. Anybody got any suggestions for a strong but not +P load for power pistol and 145 gr lead?

If the 9mm works out, my next step is 45 cal. 230 gr lead with the same powder. Any tips would be appreciated.

[Nick_C_S]

Speer #14 shows their 147g jacketed bullets running from 4.5g (872 fps) to 5.0g (975 fps). If it were me, I'd use the 4.5g as a starting point.

A few words about Power Pistol: First, I would not recommend it for a novice loader. But if it's all you have, it's all you have. PP is highly energetic. What this means, is that it's not well suited for use with lead. In a word, it burns hot. PP is also rather temperamental relative to other propellants in its speed range (AA5, Unique, HS-6). It can go from tame to pressure spike in just a few 1/10's of a grain under the right conditions.

One thing that ramps up the pressure curve is bullet weight. The heavier the bullet, the steeper the pressure curve - i.e. the less margin for error. 145's are heavy.

All that said, I think you may be able to make some good shooters - maybe. But if it were me, I'd be looking for some jacketed 124's to load. Those with Power Pistol would be a great combination.

[Average Joe]

I agree, I load 124 grain bullets in 9mm (hard cast, and xtreme plated) with Power Pistol, I keep to 5.0 grains. Its a great powder for 9mm but it can be very violent at high pressures. 145g is a bit on the heavy side.

[serf 'rett]

Welcome to the forum.

I generally find the Speer #14 tends to load a little more powder (hotter) in 9mm than some of the other manuals. A better range may be found in the 3rd edition of Lyman' Pistol and Revolver Handbook.

147 lead (#2 Alloy), 1.058 OAL, CCI-500, Power Pistol
start load 4.1 grains, maximum load 4.6 grains

This would be a better load for the lead bullet. The min 4.5/max 5.0 is also shown in the Lyman for a Speer TMJ bullet, but you have a lead bullet and lead loads generally use a little less powder.

I recently tested some 140 grain lead bullets with Power Pistol, Unique and Auto Comp and got slightly better results with the last two powders.

[Nick_C_S]

Yes, where are my manners: Welcome to the forum .

serf 'rett said: I generally find the Speer #14 tends to load a little more powder (hotter) in 9mm than some of the other manuals. A better range may be found in the 3rd edition of Lyman' Pistol and Revolver Handbook.

147 lead (#2 Alloy), 1.058 OAL, CCI-500, Power Pistol
start load 4.1 grains, maximum load 4.6 grains

This would be a better load for the lead bullet. The min 4.5/max 5.0 is also shown in the Lyman for a Speer TMJ bullet, but you have a lead bullet and lead loads generally use a little less powder.

I agree serf'rett. Good call.

I don't load a lot of 9mm - especially lead. Rather than specific load data, the thrust of my original post was the application suitability of Power Pistol - or lack thereof - framed in the context that "we load what we can get" these days.

Aside from just burn rate, powders tend to have their own personalities. Power Pistol is certainly no exception. Power Pistol really comes into its own making medium weight jacketed bullets go fast. It is clearly a high performance powder. Works best with: 9mm, 124g; 40 S&W, 165g; 10mm, 165g & 180g; 357 Sig, 125g; & on the revolver side of the world, 357 Mag, 125g. Honorable mention goes to 45 ACP - any weight loaded hot. That said, it's not the propellant I reach for when I'm making general purpose lead shooters.

But like I said, we load with what we have.

[Val961]

Thanks guys. Since I am new to reloading and don't want to blow my hand off, I'll seek out some 124 g bullets.However, I still have a bunch of these 145 g. What powder do you recommend for them, and any idea where I can get it? In my area, powder is almost impossible to find in stores. Even when a shipment comes in, it sells out before you can get to it.

[Nick_C_S]

Thanks guys. Since I am new to reloading and don't want to blow my hand off.

You won't if you're careful and methodical - even with Power Pistol.

I'll seek out some 124 g bullets.

I would. You will be pleased with the PP/124 combination.

However, I still have a bunch of these 145 g.

Yes, and you don't want them to go to waste.

What powder do you recommend for them?

In the speed range of Power Pistol, my vote goes to HS-6. It's medium speed (like PP), but cool burning (which is an excellent attribute for lead) and very forgiving all around. I highly recommend it for the novice loader. It's quirk is that it tends to run dirty when not loaded properly; but that's of little concern to someone new to loading.

Accurate Arms #5 ("AA5") is another great choice. Good, clean, consistent stuff.

Any idea where I can get it?

Nope. Not a clue And therein lies the rub.

In my area, powder is almost impossible to find in stores.

It's not just your area. It's everywhere. Hopefully, these shortages will ease up a bit. We'll see.

[Clark]

Nick_C_S
PP is also rather temperamental relative to other propellants in its speed range (AA5, Unique, HS-6). It can go from tame to pressure spike in just a few 1/10's of a grain under the right conditions.

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

I put a lot of hours into overload work ups with various powders and 90 gr, 115 gr, 130 gr, 147 gr, and 158 gr bullets in 9mm.

1) PPP: lots of velocity, hard to get a case bulge [11 gr 158 gr 1.169" must fit chamber without interference]. Blows fire balls with all weights. The opposite of peaky. High recoil and low pressure. Not enough will fit for too much pressure, but the recoil can be painful.
2) AA#5: If you can't blow it up with AA#5, you can't blow it up. Keep away from 9mm kids. This has the highest speed-density product of any powder I have tested. This is peaky. Can blow case heads with bullets as light as 115 gr. Very peaky.
3) Unique: Not enough will fit in a 9mm case to amount to much even with heavy bullets.
4) HS-6: One of the few powder with the speed density product to be able to get a case bulge in standard [they are all very good] 9mm case support of 0.190" with standard web thickness at 0.160". Keep away from 9mm kids.
5) 3N37: Another high speed density powder. Keep away from 9mm kids.
6) Bullseye: Not enough will fit to amount to much.
7) Blue Dot: Not enough will fit to amount to much.
8) 2400: Not enough will fit to amount to much.
9) 800X: Not enough will fit to amount to much
10) AA#9: Not enough will fit.
11) H110: Not enough will fit.
12) LIL'GUN: Not enough will fit.
13) N105: Not enough will fit.
14) LONGSHOT: Not enough will fit.

[Crankgrinder]

Ppp is great powder for 9mm as.far.as I'm concerned. I use 124g lead rn for mine though. On my last hopper of it now and have since been shooting .45 and .357 since I have more powders for both of those. Lee book lists 5.2 -5.7 for 147g xtp bullet. I use 6.0-6.6 for my 124s out of the same book.

[mikld]

An aside, and no criticism intended to the OP, but I always suggest to new reloaders to look in their reloading manual, choose a load to do what you need your reloads to do (including powder, bullets, etc.) then buy components. Finding data first will eliminate these kinds of headaches (powder fellers say talk to bullet mfg., bullet mfg. says talk to powder mfg. and needing to ask for data on a forum).

This also relates to my philosophy about reloading data; I pay very little attention to any load data I find on any forum, from any gun counter clerk, range rat, gun shop guru, or "pet loads" web sites. My data comes form published manuals or sometimes Powder Manufacturers web site.

My opinion only...

[Bamashooter2]

I agree wholeheartedly with mikld! Purchase a manual, maybe 2 or 3, start low and work up slowly. Do not use pet loads. One Kaboom will make you into a believer!

[BigDog58]

Wt. Bullet Powder Manufacturer Powder Charge Velocity (FPS)
145 Lyman 358212 Alliant Bullseye 3.0 869
Remarks: overall loaded length (inches): 1.14
145 Lyman 358212 Hodgdon Titegroup 3.0 868
Remarks: overall loaded length (inches): 1.14; poor accuracy
145 Lyman 358212 Winchester W-231 3.5 869
Remarks: overall loaded length (inches): 1.14
145 Lyman 358212 Alliant Power Pistol 4.0 886
Remarks: overall loaded length (inches): 1.14; poor accuracy
145 Lyman 358212 Accurate AAC-7 6.0 883
Remarks: overall loaded length (inches): 1.14

These are from a Load data website. Use these ONLY as a staring point.

[Bamashooter2]

CFEpistol seems to be fairly available and works well in 9MM,.40SW, 357sig and .45 for me