Amount of Powder

jeff6strings · January 30, 2005, 11:35 AM

I'm still doing my studying for reloading. I will be reloading 9mm FMJ ammo. Is the amount of powder used in a round dependant on the weight and manufacturer of bullet? I noticed the amount of powder varies when I look at Winchester and Speer FMJ 115 bullets.

Thanks for any help.
Jeff

Edward429451 · January 30, 2005, 12:55 PM

Everything can affect pressure. Jacket construction, length of shank, ojive etc, primers, brass type, gun, COAL, all that stuff. Those figures are for those specific componants with their specific gun. Change the gun, or any specific componant and you have to back off the charge and begin anew. Even if you work up a load and its fine in your gun...but they're out of your primers, or you use different brass etc, back it off, you have a different load.

I've carefully exceeded a couple max listed loads in manuals with no pressure signs, and gotten high pressure signs with less than max lised loads both, IN MY GUN(s). Cautiously use data as a general range and start low. Work up slow and keep meticulous notes. Inspect brass carefully for pressure signs.

There is a temperature/pressure relationship also! Higher temps means higher pressure. Test your load at 40 deg and its good? It doesn't mean you can take that load to florida on vacation and shoot it at 85 deg, might get a KB that way. Be careful and keep reading / asking questions.

9mm is a very high pressure round on average. That pressure data in the books is in there for a reason!! Take note of the pressure range you're dealing with when looking at loads.

Walter · January 30, 2005, 11:30 PM

The amount of powder to use in a reload is almost always related directly
to the WEIGHT of the bullet. BUT, different powders with the same weight
bullet will require different powder charges.

If you don't have one, get a good, RECENT reloading manual. Speer, Hornady,
Sierra, Hodgson, they all give good loading data. Study the data, decide
what powder and bullet you want to use, and start from there, using the
load charts in the book.

Reloading is really not that hard, if you follow the rules.

Walter

Robert M Boren Sr · January 30, 2005, 11:54 PM

To answer your question simply, yes powder weight is bullet brand specific. Each manufacturer will have different min and max charges for their bullets of the same weight and design.

Smokey Joe · January 31, 2005, 12:02 AM

Gotta go with Walter on this: FOLLOW THE RECIPE IN THE MANUAL!!! The amount of powder definitely varies with varying weights of bullet. It also varies with different bullets of the same weight, sometimes if they are very similar.

For example, in .357 mag target loads, using Win 231 powder, the reccommended dose of powder is differend for 148 gr. double-ended wadcutter lead bullets, from the amount to use for 148 gr. single-ended hollow base wadcutter lead bullets!! Amounts are similar but the recipes ARE different, at least a little. Who'da thunk it?

If you don't have a loading manual, GET ONE. If you only get one, Lyman's 48th ed. is my reccommendation. Whichever one you get--or more than one is even better--FOLLOW THE RECIPE!!!!!

These formulas were set up by PhD's in white lab coats who get paid a pot full of $$ to do it, and they DO know more than you do about excessive pressure. Making your beloved Old Betsy go Kaboom! is a rotten way to prove them right.

Don't mean to scare you; reloading is not rocket science (although there are some similarities) but we are working here with substances and pressures that can be dangerous if not respected. Study up first, that's good. Then, follow the recipe.

jeff6strings · January 31, 2005, 04:37 AM

Thank you for all the replies. I'm a little clearer on the issue, but I'm not totally clear on selection. Below is the information I collected from a few resources:

Alliant powder:
Unique
115
FMJ
5.5

Speer Manual:
Unique
115
TMJ
5.6

Winchester Bullets:
231
115
FMJ
4.4

In my case I have chosen to reload my Winchester 9mm cases with Alliant powder, CCI 500 primers and Winchester FMJ bullets. So who would have the deciding recipe?
Thanks again for any help.
Jeff

January 30, 2005, 11:35 AM	#1
jeff6strings Member Join Date: November 27, 2004 Posts: 26	Amount of Powder I'm still doing my studying for reloading. I will be reloading 9mm FMJ ammo. Is the amount of powder used in a round dependant on the weight and manufacturer of bullet? I noticed the amount of powder varies when I look at Winchester and Speer FMJ 115 bullets. Thanks for any help. Jeff

January 31, 2005, 12:02 AM	#5
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,106	Different bullet, different powder charge... Gotta go with Walter on this: FOLLOW THE RECIPE IN THE MANUAL!!! The amount of powder definitely varies with varying weights of bullet. It also varies with different bullets of the same weight, sometimes if they are very similar. For example, in .357 mag target loads, using Win 231 powder, the reccommended dose of powder is differend for 148 gr. double-ended wadcutter lead bullets, from the amount to use for 148 gr. single-ended hollow base wadcutter lead bullets!! Amounts are similar but the recipes ARE different, at least a little. Who'da thunk it? If you don't have a loading manual, GET ONE. If you only get one, Lyman's 48th ed. is my reccommendation. Whichever one you get--or more than one is even better--FOLLOW THE RECIPE!!!!! These formulas were set up by PhD's in white lab coats who get paid a pot full of $$ to do it, and they DO know more than you do about excessive pressure. Making your beloved Old Betsy go Kaboom! is a rotten way to prove them right. Don't mean to scare you; reloading is not rocket science (although there are some similarities) but we are working here with substances and pressures that can be dangerous if not respected. Study up first, that's good. Then, follow the recipe. __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe

January 30, 2005, 12:55 PM	#2
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Everything can affect pressure. Jacket construction, length of shank, ojive etc, primers, brass type, gun, COAL, all that stuff. Those figures are for those specific componants with their specific gun. Change the gun, or any specific componant and you have to back off the charge and begin anew. Even if you work up a load and its fine in your gun...but they're out of your primers, or you use different brass etc, back it off, you have a different load. I've carefully exceeded a couple max listed loads in manuals with no pressure signs, and gotten high pressure signs with less than max lised loads both, IN MY GUN(s). Cautiously use data as a general range and start low. Work up slow and keep meticulous notes. Inspect brass carefully for pressure signs. There is a temperature/pressure relationship also! Higher temps means higher pressure. Test your load at 40 deg and its good? It doesn't mean you can take that load to florida on vacation and shoot it at 85 deg, might get a KB that way. Be careful and keep reading / asking questions. 9mm is a very high pressure round on average. That pressure data in the books is in there for a reason!! Take note of the pressure range you're dealing with when looking at loads.

January 30, 2005, 11:30 PM	#3
Walter Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2004 Location: North Texas Posts: 641	The amount of powder to use in a reload is almost always related directly to the WEIGHT of the bullet. BUT, different powders with the same weight bullet will require different powder charges. If you don't have one, get a good, RECENT reloading manual. Speer, Hornady, Sierra, Hodgson, they all give good loading data. Study the data, decide what powder and bullet you want to use, and start from there, using the load charts in the book. Reloading is really not that hard, if you follow the rules. Walter

January 30, 2005, 11:54 PM	#4
Robert M Boren Sr Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Location: NW Montana Posts: 269	To answer your question simply, yes powder weight is bullet brand specific. Each manufacturer will have different min and max charges for their bullets of the same weight and design.

January 31, 2005, 04:37 AM	#6
jeff6strings Member Join Date: November 27, 2004 Posts: 26	Thank you for all the replies. I'm a little clearer on the issue, but I'm not totally clear on selection. Below is the information I collected from a few resources: Alliant powder: Unique 115 FMJ 5.5 Speer Manual: Unique 115 TMJ 5.6 Winchester Bullets: 231 115 FMJ 4.4 In my case I have chosen to reload my Winchester 9mm cases with Alliant powder, CCI 500 primers and Winchester FMJ bullets. So who would have the deciding recipe? Thanks again for any help. Jeff