9mm Powder Choice

[Forrest68]

Ok, I've been usen HP-38 and HS-6 for my 9mm load, I've moved up to 124gr bullets and was wondering what would be the best powder choice for accuracy. I pretty much have access to just bout any powder I want. I liek Hogdgdon cause it meters so well. As a side Question, also what would be a good powder to get +p performance outta 124gr bullets. Thanks and chime in let me know your thoughts.

[SIGSHR]

Unique always worked for me. Not a believer in the +P idea myself, sticking to standard pressures is easier on the gun and the shooter, and accuracy trumps muzzle energy IMHO.

[57K]

www.ramshot.com Silhouette is what I use for my +P self defense handloads. Accuracy is very good and I get very low standard deviation numbers to reinforce that. Silhouette is treated and has very low flash. When it comes to selecting a powder for +P loads in 9 x 19mm, I consider what IPSC shooters use to make 9mm Major handloads. Silhouette is one of the most popular and True Blue also sees it fair share of use. HS-6 is still one of the most popular but is prone to flash greater which doesn't matter in comp shooting. Defense loads are a different matter. 3N37 is also an excellent powder and I've been using it since Vihta Vuori powders first became available in the US. Not so much today because 3N37 and Silhouette are so similar in what they'll do performance wise that there's no need to spend more for 3N37.

You're not gonna find much as far as 9mm +P data. One thing I highly recommend is that you know how to determine the proper OACL for the bullet you're using with the pistol it's to be fired from. Typically, I load 124 gr. JHPs to 1.142"/29mm and always for my defense loads that primarily use the Rem. 124 gr. JHP, not the Golden Saber, but you MUST determine that your OACLs are not too long for the pistol's throat and 1.142"/29mm will be in pistols like the CZs and XD/XDm. You simply can't approach this by loading in accordance to most load data where OACLs can be short. It's not a matter of just increasing the powder charge over the listed Max Charge and only the most powder stable powders should be used. If it ain't being used by the 9mm Major guys, there's usually a good reason for that and while 9mm Major loads are well above +P, the powder's pressure stability is a proven commodity and a better choice for your +P loads. You don't even want to look at powders like Unique or faster burners. I do not use flake powders for several reasons. Chief among them is very bright muzzle blast with high pressure loads, then there's the question of pressure stability. As far as metering, Silhouette is finer grained than HP-38 or HS-6. True Blue is finer and denser still, but for my own 124 gr. +P Handloads in 9 x 19mm, Silhouette is as good as it gets.

[Toney]

I mostly use power pistol.

[BigD_in_FL]

I liek Hogdgdon cause it meters so well. As a side Question, also what would be a good powder to get +p performance outta 124gr bullets.

Have you bothered to look at Hodgdon's website? They have a LOT of load data

[Clark]

When I started handloading I experimented with overloads in 9mm with all combinations of 90 gr., 115 gr, 124 gr, and 147 gr bullets with Bullseye, Unique, Power Pistol, Blue Dot, 2400, HS-6, H110, LIL'GUN, AA#5, AA#9, and 3N37.

All the powder seemed to work.

Someone once told me that all beers taste the same.
I think he was not sensitive enough to tell the difference.

I can't tell the difference in pistol powders.
They can all get up to the recoil limit of the 9mm pistol.

[skizzums]

used alot of titegroup until i finally got hold of hp38 and hs6, i am so pleased wwith the hp38 over the TG so far.

[chiefr]

Agree. Unique is my only choice for the 9mm. Unique is a match winner.

[Forrest68]

Thanks guys great info, and BigD_in_FL I wasnt asking for load data,I was asking for opinions, real world info as apposed to oh the manufacturers hype.

[FrankenMauser]

HP-38/W231 and Unique are my preferred powders for 120-130 gr bullets in 9x19mm.

[Hammerhead]

I would stick with HS-6. Very good high end performance without excessive pressure.
SR-4756 would be another.
I like Universal or SR-7625 for regular loads. Both meter like water and burn very clean. You probably won't be able to find Universal for a while, too bad, it's my favorite all around powder.

[zxcvbob]

My favorite 9mm powder is Bullseye (for both target loads and +P) but I need to work up some loads using WSF because it's supposed to be a good 'un, and I have a lot of it.

[TimSr]

My own 9mm results, out of the book, without in depth testing trying to make each powder work - Bullseye was unacceptable, Unique was okay, WSF was okay once you got it hot enough to eject, and Blue Dot was awesome with every bullet size and shape I put it behind.

[schmellba99]

Universal Clays or Unique for me.

I wish I could say I had access to just about any powder I wanted. You are lucky in that aspect right now.

[Forrest68]

schmellba99 , Yeah I know thats true from all I keep hearing. Funny thing its not the big stores or even the established gun shops that have the powder. It between 2 small lgs, just 2-3 man operations and between them they have pretty much all the popular powders and primers. So its nice to be able to support the little guy for once and get what I need for a reasonable price too boot.

Oh and 57K thanks thats some great info, much appreciated all

[Forrest68]

Hammerhead, are you talking about clay universal ?

[57K]

Forrest68, you're welcome. Most all of these powders can be used successfully to one degree or another for 9 x 19mm, Luger, Parabellum, but 9mm +P is a different animal.

TimSr is pretty much on the money about Blue Dot. I don't recommend you try it, but you probably can't put enough Blue Dot in a 9 x 19mm case to cause any catastrophic overpressure condition. That may be the case with Power Pistols as well. I can't say for sure. When I used it with top-end loads, recoil with it seemed a bit higher than Blue Dot loads and I had experience with loading Blue Dot in 9 x 19mm back when data went up to 35,700 CUP which isn't much different from today's SAAMI limit for +P at 38,500 PSI. But as I mentioned, the fireball you'll get at night is impressive for a spectator. Not so much if you're in a defense shooting.

I also have a good bit of experience loading 9 x 19mm with HS-6 with the 35,700 CUP data. If you don't want to add another powder, HS-6 is plenty capable for +P loads. Actually, Ramshot Silhouette was originally sold by Winchester as WAP. They dropped it before it had the chance to catch on and when Western Powder Co. came into being, they bought the rights to the powder and relabeled it Silhouette. It comes from very similar base chemistry as HS-6 but is smaller in physical size and has the flash suppressant added, so their burn rates differ. It's like I said, the safest approach to loading TRUE +P loads is to follow the example of 9mm Major shooters and handloaders in regard to powder selection and because flash is not an issue for them, very few powders are used more, even today, then HS-6. You might want to peruse Brian Enos' Forum.

[zxcvbob]

As a side Question, also what would be a good powder to get +p performance outta 124gr bullets. Thanks and chime in let me know your thoughts.

I believe AA#7 was designed for 9mm submachineguns. It and Power Pistol should be your top performers. Blue Dot will do it too *if* you can compress enough powder into the case to reach full pressure (I've never tried) You want slow burning, but not too slow.

Vihtavuori also has at least one powder for which they actually publish "9mm Major" data. VV powder is expensive and hard to find in the USA.

[BigD_in_FL]

real world info as apposed to oh the manufacturers hype.

Um, the powder makers' websites ARE real world data and not hype...they do the testing, both velocity and pressure as their butts are on the liability line, but please feel free to ignore such "hype" and instead rely on opinions from folks you do not know instead..............

[FrankenMauser]

BigD, I believe the 'hype' he was referring to are the distributors'/manufacturers' claims that their powders are the cleanest, most efficient, smoothest metering, etc. And, that published velocity figures are often quite optimistic.

[BigJimP]

Hodgdon Universal or Hodgdon TiteGroup are my primary powders for 9mm...regardless of which grain jacketed bullet I load in 9mm...

[Forrest68]

Hey BigD_in_FL , If I go to Hodgdons website, who's powder do you think there gonna tell me is the best for 9mm? who's powder are they going to say is the cleanest burning? hmmmm any guesses, AGAIN I didn't ask for load data.

And yes I "bothered" to check out there website and nearly all the other powder manufacturers website, guess what they say, there powder is the best, surpisen right.

[iraiam]

I started using Power Pistol several months ago, because it was the only powder I could find. I have since come to love it. Accurate and powerful loads.

[H-D]

Power Pistol here as well.
Really like it for 9mm...very accurate and low recoil.

[Hammerhead]

Hammerhead, are you talking about clay universal ?

There are three powders using 'Clays technology'.
1. Universal (formerly known as Universal Clays)
2. International (formerly known as International Clays)
3. Clays.

I was referring to Universal (Universal Clays). It is similar to Unique in burn rate and applications.

International is a shotgun powder rarely used in handguns.

Clays is a very fast powder similar to Red Dot.

They changed the names because they were too confusing. A lot of the data uses the old names, and worse yet some (Hornady) abbreviate Universal as 'Univ Clays', which might lead people to use Clays, not Universal.
Confused yet?
Universal is a terrific single base flake powder that meters like water and also burns cool and very clean. I use it in quite a few calibers and would be my choice as an all around powder. Just be certain you have the right data.
Unfortunately Clays and Universal won't be available until next year.

I think the IMR SR powders, SR-7625 and SR-4756, are under appreciated. Both are cool burning single base flake powders that meter perfectly, have good bulk, and never disappoint at the target.
4756 will take you from mild to wild in 9mm and is best used with 124 or 147 grain bullets.