9mm home rolled junk

[Mausermolt]

ive been reloading for about 8 years now and the one caliber ive never been able to really get good accurate loads with is the 9mm luger. been through 3 different pistols that i just got frustrated with and traded off because i could get good home rolled rounds to shoot worth a darn! it really tweaks my melon when i go buy a box of cheep-o WWB that shoots better than what i made. ive tried 115 grn 124's 147's WSF, WIN231, in every combination of charge weight and bullet combo you can think of. anyone that is a Luger pro help me out? maybe i just need to try a different powder? i like 231 alot in my 1911 45auto and thats why i wanted to make it work. buddy of mine has a M9 that really like WSF so i duplicated some of his loads to no avail. the pistols that i had were: S and W 469, Ruger P85MKII and a Hungarian Hi-Power Clone. any suggestions?

[Jerry45]

I haven't reloaded 9 mm. in years but when I did was using 125 gr. LRN over 231. It was more accurate than I was. Sorry but I don't remember the load. I believe it was 3.2 or 3.5 gr. but please, please, please check the manual I'm at work and don't have one available.

Those were shot out of a S&W 39 and S&W 915.

Just checked Hodgdon's site.

125 GR. LCN Winchester 231 .356" 1.125" 3.9 1009 25,700 CUP 4.4 1086 31,200 CUP

Must have been 3.5. I was loading light for practice.

[chris in va]

I get acceptable accuracy with a Lee 356-125-2r mold and my CZ. Come to think of it I haven't shot a FMJ out of it yet.

[reynolds357]

9mm has always loaded sufficiently accurate for me. I shoot them action, not bulls eye.

[chiefr]

If I want accuracy in 9mm, I use Unique.

[TimSr]

For me, I used Bullseye, Unique, and the one that really got me excited was 8.0 gr Blue Dot under a cast 125gr RN. I also used the same load with a 125gr FMJ with great results. Im shooting a Smith 439.

[Ted D]

115 and 124gn plated rn with Unique works great for me.In my S&W Sheild my sons full size S&W and his colt no problems.

[zeke]

The Win Q4172 white box of 50 with 115 grain fmjhb have been very accurate in every 9mm i ever tried them in. After pulling one apart, noticed the hollow base and started buying the bullets in bulk and loading them close to then COL the factory was using with imr 7625 or similiar burn rate powder loaded toward the top.

9mm semi's have a fairly wide variation in bore dia, and chamber leads.

[Misssissippi Dave]

What bullet are you using? Often over crimping 9 mm with a soft bullet or plated bullets will deform them enough to be less accurate. The amount of crimp needed for 9 mm is just enough to remove the flair/bell you put on the case to seat the bullet.

How accurate are you looking for. I have done fairly well with jacketed bullets using AA5 and WST powders.

[ljnowell]

May want to slug your barrel also. I was amazed when I started loading 9mm at the amount of 9mm handguns with oversized barrels. I know several guys that have to shoot .358" lead out of thier 9mms just to get an accurate load or one that wont lead up.

[primerman]

It could be your barrel, but I am interested to know what your C O L is/was on your 9mm reloads?

[Mausermolt]

C.O.L. was whatever Hornady loading manual prescribed for the appropriate slug. im currently about 2000 miles from my reloading kit and guns so all i can do is live vicariously through you guys the bullets i used for the most part were plated bullets made by a company in Idaho called PowerdBond. but ive tried lots of different types of FMJ's, XTP's and Gold Dot's. the accuracy i would like to get is something better than 6'' at 25 yds! around 3'' would make me happy. i still have the Hi-power clone. but im thinking about sending it down the road for a Sig 226 or an M9

[arch308]

I use Berry's hollow base bullets and HS6 powder. Seems plenty accurate and very clean burning. Have had good luck with Unique also.

[schmellba99]

I've had great luck with Unique, Clays and Universal Clays. I pretty much exclusively use Universal Clays with my pistols and shotguns now because it works with every caliber and gauge and I'm a huge proponent of the K.I.S.S. principle.

The vast majority of the projectiles I shoot are Friendswood Bullet Company lead projos, but I've put a fair amount of Berry's, Remington, Winchester, Hornady, Billy Bullets and even some no name lead projos I bought for a steal off of gunbroker (something like $.02 per).

Granted, I don't shoot my 9mm for bullseye - so that makes a huge difference in acceptable accuracy. I'm looking for minute of man at 15 yards and under in rapid fire.

[serf 'rett]

All of my developed loads group better than Winchester White Box. I don't normally use the "book" values for COAL, but use the measurements I obtain with the particular bullet and pistol chamber, with some allowance for “jump” between the bullet and lands.

I use W-231 for low velocity target loads, but find that I get better groups with higher velocities /slower powders such as Unique, N340 and Power Pistol. While this is the case with my XDm and Kahr 9mm pistols, it will not hold true with other makes and models of pistols.

It may be that WWB ammo is THE ONE that shoots best in your particular pistol; however, I would think that you should be able to find the right combination to duplicate (or improve) the factory load. Are you loading and testing series using the same brass/primer/bullet/COAL and only vary the powder in incremental steps? You are testing from a solid bench and rest?

[Mausermolt]

not specifically WWB, but ALL factory ammo shot better. yes i test everything from a rock solid rest. maybe ill give some Unique or Universal Clays a try. i do like 231 for my 45 but i would like something that would bump up the speed a bit. what kind of velocities are you getting in the 45 schmellba99?

[g.willikers]

While I no longer have anything in 9mm, for many years the following recipe provided excellent results in quite a few different guns:
231 powder, or Clays.
231 seemed a little more consistent, through the powder measure.
.357 sized lead 147 grain flat nosed / truncated cone bullets.
Loaded to factory standard velocity.
Just enough crimp to remove case bell, equal to factory.
The longest length cartridge that would work in the mags and feed in the gun.
Generally the same as factory ball.
Hope this helps some.

[schmellba99]

I honestly couldn't tell you what kind of velocities I get as I don't own a chrono.

I generally load most of my range rounds for the middle 1/3 of the load data range, so in a .45 ACP I'm guessing around the 800fps mark. I've never seen a need to load up hot rounds to punch holes in paper with for fun - hot rounds are for SD loads.

I'm at work so I cannot give you any of my load data, but will look at home tonight to see what I'm using and what my guesstimate on velocity is based on the books.

[Mausermolt]

browsing the web while at work! foreshame :P i would never do such a thing! (sarcasm) thanks for the info. hopefully i can get something figured out when i get back home. so many projects so little time!

[iraiam]

I use Unique, and Power Pistol for 9mm. Accuracy is as good as factory ammunition. I prefer powders that will fill the case for a given bullet weight. I don't shoot my 9mm pistols at 25 yards much, only occasionally on a standard silhouette to test the accuracy of a load.

[pgdion]

For 9mm, I like Unique better than 231. I'm guessing it's the slower burn rate but it seems less of a snap and more of a push (I like Unique better for .45 auto too for that matter).

Still waiting on the chrono to really characetrize my loads but I like 4.7g of Unique for 115g RN (Berry's plated) for most loads. Seems to be good for the 124g bullets too. I don't care for Unique much above 5gr though (For stronger loads I like Power Pistol better).

[jrz_dad]

I've had alot of luck using Unique powder

[57K]

All of my developed loads group better than Winchester White Box. I don't normally use the "book" values for COAL, but use the measurements I obtain with the particular bullet and pistol chamber, with some allowance for “jump” between the bullet and lands.

If factory jacketed loads are giving you good accuracy, there's no reason why jacketed bullet handloads shouldn't be equal or better. I reload all of the handgun ammo that my shooting partner and I shoot, including 9mm, but I don't use cast lead or plated bullets in 9mm, and I don't buy FMJ bullets because of the slight cost difference compared to JHPs bought in bulk.

Remember that the OACLs listed in load manuals are really for the minimum OACL that should be used for that recipe and are typically short. With any bullet you are using, you should find out what the MAX. possible OACL is for that bullet/pistol combination. Since you're shooting 3 different pistols, you need to load according to the pistol with the shortest chamber and it's fairly easy to determine what MAX. possible OACL is.

Using a FIRED case with a SPENT primer in it, insert your bullet into the case just enough that the case will hold it. With your barrel removed from the pistol, drop the "dummy" cartridge into the chamber. You might be able to push the case forward by hand but I'd suggest you have a plastic mallet or a block of wood handy. Tap the case rim very lightly with the mallet or block of wood until the case stops forward travel in the chamber. This is where the case is meeting the "ledge" at the front of the pistol's chamber. Remove the "dummy" and measure its OACL. Repeat this procedure until you've done it 5 times to ensure you're getting the same or close to identical OACL with each "dummy" cartridges, then use the average OACL you are getting, Depending on the OACL consistency you can get with your press/dies, shorten your loaded rounds by .005 - .010" compared to the MAX. possible you got with your "dummies". Example, if with your press/dies you get an OACL variation of +/- .005" with your loaded rounds, you'll need to shorten your loads by .010" vs. the "dummy" OACL so that the longer loads won't have the bullet touching the throat/leade/rifling of the barrel. This can cause increased chamber pressure and you definitely don't want that. Using the procedure I mentioned, you'll then have to determine which pistol gives the shortest OACL for the "dummy" rounds and load accordingly for all 3 pistols so that you don't confuse loads for one pistol vs. loads for another. And, to make it even easier, once you've established which pistol has the shortest chamber with the "dummy" cartridges, drop to the next lower .5mm for all 3 pistols. Example: 28mm/1.102", 28.5mm/1.122", 29mm/1.142". Ruger P-series pistols have long throats and will take the 29mm OACL loads but your S&W probably won't and I can't say what to expect from the FEG Hi-Power. I load for some pistols that have fairly short chambers like CZ and the SA XDm. Using a Rem. 124 gr. JHP, I find that 28.5mm/1.122" works for all of our 9mm pistols. But each time you begin loading with a new bullet, you need to find out what OACL you can use with that bullet for YOUR pistols.

As far as powders go, just about anything that's been listed can be used. Recently, I had a need for a low recoil/velocity load that still provided enough pressure to ensure slide functioning as my brother bought a Taurus 111 SSP with a 3.25" barrel and I wanted him to get started with a low recoiling yet functional load. I used both W231 and WST and it worked out fine. But for my shooting partner and I, and since we're in Texas where it's much less of an issue, I load defense oriented rounds with the Rem. 124 gr. JHP over Ramshot Silhouette. This is medium/slow powder that I like for loading high pressure rounds like the 9mm and .40 S&W. It's spherical and denser than flake powders and it's treated to give very low flash and it will meter more consistently than flake powders. It will yield velocities as high as your probably wanting to go and there is good data in the SIERRA load manual. I also use it for higher velocity loads with JHPs in the .45 ACP and accuracy has been great. But my favorite .45 ACP powder for loading light cast bullet loads all the way up to full power loads would be Ramshot ZIP. It's similar to W231 but gives higher performance and it burns cleaner. If you want to stay with one powder that will load any handgun round with great consistency, I'd recommend True Blue. It's as universal as Unique, but it's a very fine and dense ball powder that meters like the finest sand and it will work great for 9mm, .40 S&W or the .45 ACP as well as all others from .380 up to the .454 Casull.

[Don P]

115 grain lead round nose bullet, 4 grains of Titegroup and OAL is 1.115 and life is good.
Used in Beretta 92 FS, XD 4" barrel, Taurus PT1911

[coldbeer]

I've had good results with 124 grain fmj's over 4.8 grains of Unique and aol of 1.150. Accuracy was atleast as good as the remington bulk umc out of my sp-01.