Powder quandary

Boz49 · December 29, 2013, 09:10 PM

Hey, y'all. I am a new member to your forum and wish I had joined a while ago from the looks of it. I began reloading because of monetary issues as most people do I would imagine. Started reloading my 7.62X54R because Winchester loads are about $1.50 per shot and then started loading for my Ruger P95DC. Since beginning loading 9's I have tried two powders with varying luck. I began with BlueDot and had pretty good results except for a messy weapon afterward several mags. At a gun show recently I was told that Accurate #5 was the way to go and bought a pound. I use Berry's 115gr clad projectiles and tried a low charge of 5.3 gr and it wouldn't even push the slide back on my Ruger. Finally after jumping up to the max of 8.4 I finally got movement but had a lot of unburnt powder. I notice that BlueDot is further down on the burn rate list than #5. Is the burn rate too fast for my pistol? CCI primers, used and resized brass, new projectiles, of course, and I'm flustered. I would appreciate any help out there. Thanks a million.
US Army (Retiring)

DannyB1954 · December 30, 2013, 01:35 PM

I also am trying to come up with a load for my SR9using IMR 700X and HDY XTP 124. So far I am finding that the charge amount will be dependent on the type of bullet you use, but also your OAL, (if too long you may not get complete ignition, if too short you may get excessive pressures). I am also a new reloader, so I hope someone else with more experience chimes in.

This site has one listing for a 124 grain in Accurate 5
http://best9mm.com/reloading9mm.html

This site has several loads.
http://handloads.com/loaddata/defaul...Powder&Source=

This link will take you to Western powders load info, (they make Accurate powders)
http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-con...pec_7-2-13.pdf

Clark · December 30, 2013, 01:49 PM

The frustrating thing for 7.62x54R for me is the lack of .311" boat tailed hunting bullets.

I like to shoot ruminants between 400 and 500 yards with boat tail bullets and temperature stable powder in smaller calibers.

In Oct 2013 I watched a friend shoot an antelope at 75 yards with a 7.62x54R with a Sierra 180 gr flat base hunting bullet with IMR4350. He has been hunting with that combination for 40 years.
I made a one minute video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7vdJVDSNQ

That did not even kill the animal. I had to hand him the 380 in my pocket to shoot it through the heart.

Right now I can see H4350 on the internet for $100/pound.
If I run out, I will switch powders, rather than pay that.

The burn rate of AA#5 is listed as slower than Power Pistol.
That may be true for burning at low pressures, but it is not true at higher pressures.
AA#5 is peaky. The pressure gets high fast.
I have not found any other powder with that much density*speed product.
If I can't blow up a gun with AA#5, I can't blow it up.

john gun · December 30, 2013, 02:41 PM

Try the Hodson's Clay powder. it uses `far smaller amount for 9mm cartridges. I am doing well with a 3.1-3.3 gr load on 124 gr lead.

December 29, 2013, 09:10 PM	#1
Boz49 Junior Member Join Date: December 29, 2013 Posts: 1	Powder quandary Hey, y'all. I am a new member to your forum and wish I had joined a while ago from the looks of it. I began reloading because of monetary issues as most people do I would imagine. Started reloading my 7.62X54R because Winchester loads are about $1.50 per shot and then started loading for my Ruger P95DC. Since beginning loading 9's I have tried two powders with varying luck. I began with BlueDot and had pretty good results except for a messy weapon afterward several mags. At a gun show recently I was told that Accurate #5 was the way to go and bought a pound. I use Berry's 115gr clad projectiles and tried a low charge of 5.3 gr and it wouldn't even push the slide back on my Ruger. Finally after jumping up to the max of 8.4 I finally got movement but had a lot of unburnt powder. I notice that BlueDot is further down on the burn rate list than #5. Is the burn rate too fast for my pistol? CCI primers, used and resized brass, new projectiles, of course, and I'm flustered. I would appreciate any help out there. Thanks a million. US Army (Retiring)

December 30, 2013, 01:35 PM	#2
DannyB1954 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2013 Location: Pahrump Nv USA Posts: 480	I also am trying to come up with a load for my SR9using IMR 700X and HDY XTP 124. So far I am finding that the charge amount will be dependent on the type of bullet you use, but also your OAL, (if too long you may not get complete ignition, if too short you may get excessive pressures). I am also a new reloader, so I hope someone else with more experience chimes in. This site has one listing for a 124 grain in Accurate 5 http://best9mm.com/reloading9mm.html This site has several loads. http://handloads.com/loaddata/defaul...Powder&Source= This link will take you to Western powders load info, (they make Accurate powders) http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-con...pec_7-2-13.pdf Last edited by DannyB1954; December 30, 2013 at 01:48 PM.

December 30, 2013, 01:49 PM	#3
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	The frustrating thing for 7.62x54R for me is the lack of .311" boat tailed hunting bullets. I like to shoot ruminants between 400 and 500 yards with boat tail bullets and temperature stable powder in smaller calibers. In Oct 2013 I watched a friend shoot an antelope at 75 yards with a 7.62x54R with a Sierra 180 gr flat base hunting bullet with IMR4350. He has been hunting with that combination for 40 years. I made a one minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7vdJVDSNQ That did not even kill the animal. I had to hand him the 380 in my pocket to shoot it through the heart. Right now I can see H4350 on the internet for $100/pound. If I run out, I will switch powders, rather than pay that. The burn rate of AA#5 is listed as slower than Power Pistol. That may be true for burning at low pressures, but it is not true at higher pressures. AA#5 is peaky. The pressure gets high fast. I have not found any other powder with that much density*speed product. If I can't blow up a gun with AA#5, I can't blow it up. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

December 30, 2013, 02:41 PM	#4
john gun Junior Member Join Date: September 30, 2012 Posts: 10	powder choices for 9 mm Try the Hodson's Clay powder. it uses `far smaller amount for 9mm cartridges. I am doing well with a 3.1-3.3 gr load on 124 gr lead.