9mm (9X19) Luger SWEET LOAD /167 Loads Reloading what Press/Powder for my needs

[Steve H.]

Steel Plate-USPSA-Bullseye-IDPA / Priority: PRICE and ACCURACY



 Hodgdon/Winchester/IMR Powders:  http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load_1.asp

#1 choice)  Powder: IMR - SR4756      /  Primer  WSP  / Bullet: 125gr.LCN
#2                                         SR7625

#3 choice)  Powder: Winchester 231  /  Primer: WSP  /  Bullet: 125gr.LCN 

CRITERIA: After going over much data. My research has come down to three (3) choices.

Target Load = Accuracy. Plus a touch more if needed for Steel Plate Shoots with 125gr. bullet.
Burn Rate: Rating between #20 - #60 / Mid range = slower burn to give less recoil.
Spherical/Ball powder: Fine grain easy metering.


                           Reloading what Press to buy ??

Problem: Humidity in garage
Needs: Approx. 500 rounds per month
Intent: Use reloader once every 3 to 4 months

Choice: Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press / Approx. $300 with all accessories to reload. Conservative estimate, reloads 150 rounds per hour,give/take..

Press stays in garage protected with corrosion protector: Corrosionx
Four (4) Stage Plate & Accessories easy on and off (5 to 10 minutes) stored in temp. controlled environment against humidity.
Powder charge very consistent,reliable.

[Rodolfo Fierro]

I use 4.2gr of Win # 231 with a 124gr FMJ bullet and WSP primers.  The velocity is 1020fps out of my 75BD.  Very consistant and mild recoil.

[Steve H.]

Thank you, Rodolfo Fierro..
I was looking very closely at that load. You confirmed!! .. My CZ 75 should do well with that load.

[GhostWarrior]

OK another topic for the Brand new Reloading-R-Us Board. Hopefully I can get all this over to it with out hosing it up.

[Larry]

  Finding powder, primers, bullets can be challenging these days. I finally remembered that some powders support both pistol and shotgun. Having exhausted my LGS' without any luck finding pistol powder, I recalled that there was a specialty trap shop and range out on a country hi-way. Sure enough, picked up his last brick of WSP primers and 4 lbs of Unique powder. Naturally my Lyman and Lee loading manuals didn't have a lot of info for 9mm 115g copper plated bullets with Unique powder. Finally found some data from Midway Load Data that applied but wanted a confirmation from another source. Ordered the 9mm Load Data booklet but not here yet. Frustrated, I e-mailed Alliant (Unique) last night and mentioned how disappointed I was under the present circumstances to not find loading data for anything but GDHP (gold dot hollow point). They forwarded the following, thought I'd share. My X-treme copper plated 115g bullets can go up to 1500fps and be treated like JHP according to their website, but think I'll stick to the lower velocities. This confirms what I'd found in other places to start at 4.5grs of Unique but doesn't include a COAL/OAL.


"9mm Luger


 
115 gr lead bullet
Red Dot  start  3.7 grs     max 4.2 grs
Bullseye  start  4 grs     max  4.5 grs
Green Dot  start 4.2 grs     max  4.7 grs
Unique  start  4.5 max  5 grs
Power Pistol  start 5 grs     max  5.5 grs

 
115 gr jacketed bullet
Red Dot  start  3.8 grs    max  4.3 grs
Bullseye  start  4 grs     max  4.5 grs
Green Dot  start 4.2 grs     max  4.7 grs
Unique  start  4.5 grs    max  5.5 grs
Power Pistol  start 5.9 grs     max  6.3 grs

 
124/125 gr lead
Red Dot  start  3.6 grs    max  4.1 grs
Bullseye  start  3.8 grs     max  4.3 grs
Green Dot  start 3.9 grs     max  4.4 grs
Unique  start  4 grs max  4.5 grs
Power Pistol  start 4.8 grs     max  5.3 grs

 
124/125 gr jacketed
Red Dot  start  3.7 grs     max  4.2 grs
Bullseye  start  3.9 grs     max  4.3 grs
Green Dot  start 4.1 grs     max  4.5 grs
Unique  start  4.5 grs     max 5 grs
Power Pistol  start 5 grs     max  5.5 grs

 
147 gr lead
Bullseye  start  2.8 grs     max  3.3 grs
Green Dot  start  3 grs     max  3.4 grs
Unique  start  3.2 grs      max  3.6 grs
Power Pistol  start 4 grs     max  4.5 grs

 
147 gr jacketed
Unique  start  4 grs max  4.5 grs
Power Pistol  start 4.5 grs     max  5 grs

 
Note: Start with the minimum charge wt.  Reload just a few and be sure they will properly cycle the action of your pistol before reloading a quantity."


Hope that helps. My best guess on COAL/OAL for the copper plated would be 1.15 - 1.169.



Larry
CZ-75B 9mm
Kadet kit
Springfield 1911 GI
 

 
 
 

[Steve H.]

Lyman 3rd Adition
115gr. JHP Cone Nose, .355 / 4" Barrel / 1.090" OAL / CCI Primers (CCI runs Hot)

Unique Powder: 4.4gr. 996 vel. to 5.8gr. 1233 vel.
WSP Primers are more mild should lower your pressure.

Berry's  Plated Bullets advise: start low mid range for FMJ bullets (recipe)

[GhostWarrior]

             I am looking forward to trying out all of these suggestions. I have so many things to do and stacking up higher every day.  I now have all the assorted equipment I wanted to run tests with so I will be starting on the list. My biggest problem to date is the range I can use is not close, gas is expansive, as are components, as is everything these days, and I now have a finite amount of money on a monthly basis now. Pretty way of saying S. S. Disability. It has and will continue to limit my getting to do everything I want to make this as good a forum as possible, with a solid reputation for information and knowledge, it's what I have always wanted and been striving for. It just took a lot more money to arrange than I figured it would when I first started down this path.   
 
         I am not even remotely asking for donations, but I may have to break a promise and take some ads on the forum, so I can keep doing what I am striving for. Anyway, I have what I figured I would need to be able to post quantifiable information, as to test and evaluations that are subjective. Every other post I have seen on YouTube, Facebook etc., has been done "in the wild" so to speak and each and every review has done his or her best to be fair, I would hope anyway, but no two people shoot the same, use the same ammunition, have the same size hands, and the many other small but different things that come with holding a pistol in their hands and firing same. (ok I need to catch my breath here a second, Whew! Does the term run on sentences come to mind? J )I'm going to be using a Ransom Rest and a chrony, alone with some other gear, plus my own subjective options, from now on. I think that the more accurate and repeatable information on the net will benefit not only our members but everyone in the shooting world, but especially the folks that are new to firearms let alone shooting in general.
 

             Oh and before I forget again, I am not going to be doing all this alone, chfields lives fairly close and is going to help me with all the gear and doing the tests, (he has a real life unlike myself, so that is also a wrinkle). along with our esteemed AngryVikingMan, who has been doing an excellent job of posting on YouTube and Facebook. He also set up both those pages and I can't thank him and chfields enough for all their help. And all of our Moderators: b5,5dan, DeeDubya, jonnie,  Ol Tex, Rodolfo Fierro. Along with all the memebrs that have given so much of their time and knowdledge to helping us all. No way this forum would be without their help.


Wow this was supposed to be simple, Apparently am I simply incapable of simple, even speaking/typing becomes a dissertation, my apologizes.
 

[Larry]

Finally got my reloading bench set up and put together some loads with the Unique powder following the recipe above. Shot 25 reloads last Sunday to try accuracy, recoil, et. Al. Not bad. Brought along my new Canik 55 Stingray for first firing too along with my Cz-75B.  Put another 100 rounds together and took  reloads to range and they shot really well, even out of the new gun which now has only 90 rounds through it. Using the NRA/Winchester "Bianchi"  AP-2 target (5 x 8.5 inch tombstone shape with a 1 inch bullseye, 2 inch ring around bull and a 3 inch ring around that scores 10, 8 and 5) and managed an 85 out of possible 100 at 15 yards from the CZ with the reloads. Cool. Canik it appears is gonna be a good shooter too when it gets broken in as I managed 40 rounds into the tombstone with only 4 Flyers. Was real pleased as to the accuracy of home made rounds. If I can figure out how to get some pictures up of reloading bench with the Lee breechload press, I'll post them. Thing is made from old U.S. railroad tracks....

[Steve H.]

 You are ahead of me I'm jealous ( )
 I have all my ingredients except Press. Waiting for my Nephew to send 25 yr. old Dillon model ??? unknown.
 I believe you went a more conventional route with ingredients. Plated bullets, Unique powder tried 'n true results.
I'm going to start with 125gr. LCN Bullets, IMR powder SR 4756 and WSP primers. Recipe off Hodgdon web site. (I march to a different drummer). Can't wait to start. 124 & 147gr. factory loads have given me good groups with my CZ75 (pre B).

***How will you test loads for best Accuracy***
I'm all set with brick (cement) and a 1" round sand bag on top (very Hi-Tech) for rest.
5 shot strings at 7yds./21 feet. At least 2 or 3 strings for each powder load. Once I get started I hope this will give me a good recipe.
        Very good group is approx.  1.0"
                good    "            "        1.5"
                mediocre           "        1.5" to 2.0"
                poor group       over     2.0"
Powder burn rates: SR4756 is approx #40 - Unique is approx. #35 Just about same burn rate. I hope I get good results like you.


             

[Larry]

Steve, I'm anxious to see your results. My objective is to become a better (more accurate) shooter and also to get some certifications together from NRA; somehow believe this may come to be important in current environment. If nothing else, gives me a goal to work toward and I always do better with a goal in mind. So, accuracy for me is keeping shots in the 5 x 8.5 AP-2 "tombstone". Working on 1stClass Marksman level using two handed grip from both strong and weak hand, 5 shots each, 3 minutes max each into 10 targets with minimum scores in mid 50's each target; can do 1 target per session or more. This gets colorful with loading my own ammo and keeping exactly the same loads from bullet to bullet.  I was lucky here to find Unique powder and just have to clean brass a little longer .  Your Dillon will be great I'm sure as they a great presses. I decided on single stage just to keep things in control and also due to having a 25-06 rifle to re-load(someday). May add a progressive for the 9mm once I get more comfortable as it takes me about 6 hours now to measure each load doing 100 rounds; the .005cc dipper with the Lee dies throws just a little less than I need for 4.6 grains and is very consistent (surprise). We learn. I want to hear all about your 124 grain loads as I think they may be more accurate than 115; who knows...

Larry

[Steve H.]

As Posted in -  Reloading RE: Cartridge O.A.L.    with Rodolfo Fierro
For the past month I've been working up my load with Hodgdon Recipe: 125gr LCN bullet - IMR, SR4756 powder @ 1.125" OAL. Starting to show a little better accuracy at 4.6gr. (near high end). 4.8gr. is max. for this load.
This week I will be testing 4.5gr,4.6gr.(again to confirm accuracy) & 4.7gr. loads. If it ever stops raining. "Curious I'm at same level as Larry all though he is using Unique Powder" (just about same burn rate as SR4756).

From my research on SR4756 powder, others have said this is an excellent powder for shooting mid size (115,124gr) lead bullets, usually at high end of recipe. They also mentioned Winchester WSF powder also gives excellent results with lead bullets. I therefore have high hopes, I believe I'm on right tract.

My hope for 25 year old Dillon fizzled out at this time. So I went ahead with original plans for Lee Classic Turret Press (it's built like a work horse). Approx. $300 I'm all set up with 2 sets of Dies (9mm Luger & 9mm Makarov)
Still using it as a single stage for my test loads. But, I did test the indexing rod for Turret use. I see no reason 150 to 200 rounds per hour is possible.

Steve H.

7/12/13 -  I'll be happy with 100 rounds per hour !!!!

[Steve H.]

Just a heads up to Y'all who want to save by reloading. Using your own saved brass, I'm down to $6 per 50 rounds. My investment will be recouped in less than 3 months (considering every body's shooting habits are different).

I will be selling my 22 ( )

Steve H.

[Larry]

Steve, Glad to hear you are into the reloading and got your Lee Turret; you'll really like it. I was considering the turret too but no sense now as Unique really doesn't meter well in anything consistently. I'm better off using the dipper and scale 'til I run out of powder and at 4 lbs. it may be a while . Longest part of loading is the dipping and weighing each round. Been doing about 100 rounds a week and very happy with the 4.6 gr of powder with 115g X-treme copper plated bullets. Good recipe for me.  I will need more bullets shortly and was waiting for your summary of 124g performance before I bought more. You'll  find too that the Lee Safety Primer that attaches to your press is great but will not do final 3 primers (separate carrier from round holder and load them by hand. Probably not enough weight in carrier to seat.). I'm sure by the time I run out of Unique I'll be more than ready for the turret and powder that auto-measures well. Accuracy is really good and I'm improving. It is saving me a fortune too.

[Sofalyr]

I use a Dillon 550B for reloading 9mm and many others.  I have two favorite loads for the 9mm both using Alliant Unique.
Light load is 105gr swc Lee mold sized .356 and 4.5gr Unique and carry load 124gr Berry PLHP 5.0gr Unique. COL 1.052 and velocity chronographed  avg 1137.  Use in CZ75B, CZ75B SA and CZ75 Compact L.  Tight groups in SA, vertical stringing with Compact L(probally me).  SA groups about 2" (very round) off hand 15 yards, Compact L approximately 3" 1" wide and 3" vertical and 75B about 4" round.  Have also used REX 1 but don't think that is currently available.
 
 
 
 
 
 

[noylj]

Accuracy:
1) Measure all sized cases and keep those that are 0.749" or longer. Use others for action pistol.
2) Most accurate bullets I have found are 121-125gn JHP.
3) Most accurate bullets are 0.3555-0.357" jacketed. Slug your barrel and use a jacketed bullet of the same OD as the barrel's groove diameter.
4) Most consistently accurate load is 6.0gn Power Pistol.
5) Most accurate COL, being chamber dependent, is 1.100" or longer--longer the better