Attempting to Figure out a Powder Load for 9mm

[@JackLyons00]

Just started myself. Funny watching this cause it's like watching the exact process that I've been going through. Same caliber, same powder, different bullets though. Don't think I'd be able to put my journey out for the world to see, so hats off to you for that.

[@BackwardTravisty]

Plated and FMJ are essential the same for load develoboxed. I make 20 rounds for test fire. I go to Hodgdon and screenshot the load suggestion and print it out. I make notes on the print. Generally, I use 9mm, plated bullets from X-Treme, in either 124gr or 147. I load the 124gr with 5gr of CFE Pistol, and the 147gr with 4.2gr. I seat the bullet starting at the recommended dept, then tune for smooth feeding and extraction from my pistol. Make a few no primer/powder dummy rounds to test and later use for dry practice. I only use Lee Precision for my main reloading components. I use a Lee APP and ACP presses to resize and prime in bulk. I then use a Lee Pro 1000 for powder drop, seating, and crimp. I store my training/competition rounds in blue 9mm MTM boxes, defensive rounds in red boxes.

[@footnotedrummer]

I inherited my father in laws reloading equipment a little while ago. My first step in loading 9mm, was to research powder. I read some blogs and landed on Ramshot Silhouette. Not long after starting to reload, I realized that I wanted a subsonic, less cracky, more flat shooting weight bullet. This is when I stumbled on competition shooting. Apparently... a lot of competition shooters use 147 grain bullets. So... I was off to the races with both a powder choice and a bullet weight. I started out using a 4.8 grain load and an OAL (overall length) of 1.10". I found this to be hotter than I wanted @ ~1075 ft/sec. I wanted to get down to the 850-900 ft/sec range to reduce muzzle rise. So... I eventually landed on 4.1 grains of powder and a recommended OAL of 1.16". I got the recommended overall length from the Berry's bullets website. Their 147 grain round nose bullets are specified to be 1.16" long. These rounds cycle nicely in my P226 and come in at 875 ft/sec. My next experiment will be using Hodgdon HS-6. I'll keep you posted.

[@blackhawk7r221]

Rather than using 4.1 to push a 147 to 900, have you tried a 115 with only 3.4 to achieve that 850-900? Would definitely reduce your muzzle flip, but may require a lighter spring in your 226. For the least recoil in my Hi-Power, I use 95gn .380 bullets on top of a reduced charge of Titegroup to just get it to hit 890-900 fps. It’s just for plinking plates anyway. I never worry about OAL, nor has it ever mattered in my pistols. But I do have a recoil spring selection from BH Spring Solitions.

[@dring219]

Wish I had come across your channel when you released this video , could have been able to throw in my 2c worth of my reloading journey . Definitely gonna watch more videos from here to see how your journey has progressed in right at 3 years time . Glad I came across your channel .

[@JohnSmith-nh9vr]

This book is a good starting point / consider velocity and bullet you have available ( most important is weight of the bullet, grains ) than go to the powder you have available or choose powder based on the book mainly velocity you want to push it to.

[@Dwayne7834]

Get you a couple of spiral note books or similar. For keeping records of what you load. Keep up with the length of your loaded. Load up maybe 10 of several different loads. Maybe a grain or two different amounts of powder. Example load 10 with 4 grains and Next maybe 4.2 grains next 4.4 grains start at the minimum and staying below or right at max .get bullet puller in case they don’t cycle proper or other problems. Always keep plenty of notes on your loads I do write notes in my load manual. . Hope this helps you.

[@EagleReloads]

Thanks man! I am starting a log book right away! Maybe I’ll make a page and print and fill out? So just make a spread across the range and try them out. I’ll mostly just have 2-3 guns I care about. Hopefully fingers crossed the guns can all agree!!

[@michaelhenderson5098]

I keep my records in a spreadsheet I found somewhere on the internet.

[@johnwoo6488]

I use 5.6gr Silhouette with 124gr Blue Bullet truncated cones (polymer coated) @ 1.10" for my competition loads (USPSA). I've shot about 1500 rounds with that load through my CZ 75 SP-01 and P-01 and it shoots well but YMMV. Another good powder for 9mm is Titegroup. I use Longshot for 10mm full-house loads. Remember folks...start low and work up!! As Johnny says, "Don't blow your face off!" (Oh yeah, visit Johnny's Reloading Bench, he uses Silhouette in some of his vids).

[@madewithscraps]

Anybody that uses only 1 manual is missing out and spending too much time developing loads. More manuals are better. I, personally would recommend "Load Data" a software program that is affordable showing about every bullet and powder combination ever conceived, for all calibers. This software with all the comparisons, in my opinion would equal 4-6 manuals, all on one site. As important as the powder, is bullet seating depth for what type and weight bullet used.

[@bltefft]

I shoot 9mm Berry's bullets, 115 gr and 124 gr. I've been loading 4.0 gr of Titegroup under a 115 gr bullet and 3.9 gr under a 124 gr. bullet I have a 550C Dillon press. Just came across CFE Pistol in my new Lyman manual - new powder to me. Ordered some today and am awaiting its arrival.

[@michaeli8505]

Getting kicked out of a gun forum conversation just by asking a question they deemed as dumb is completely outrageous and just proves that not only are there gun snobs but reloading snobs as well. Especially when there is someone trying to enter the world of reloading. It’s such a pity that there are people out there like that , is it they think one less person buying up primers and more for them ? Just speaks volumes on their mentality and puny minds. I am fairly new to reloading also and also got shunned by the seasoned reloading masses to which I just watch videos read , read and do more reading and my own research and all has been fun, safe cost saving and fun lol me and my 15 year old son have a blast no pun intended while reloading 9mm 45 acp 308 and 223 it’s been tuff finding powder and primers but have found some in small numbers so my advice is just stick with it read as much about the topic that you can in books online watch videos but just don’t take KZbin videos as spoken gospel it’s usually their perspective and or opinion always go by the actual data charts from manufacturers so glad to hear you have joined us and not all reloaders are jerks or snobs most of all have fun be safe

[@EagleReloads]

They just wanted salty reloaders in there I guess. No noobs.

[@footnotedrummer]

I've noticed that a lot of these books don't give details on loading all of the available powders for all of the available bullets. As far as your CFE and plated bullets go... do yourself a favor and search the web for a burn rate chart. It shows a comparison between all available powders, and enables you to hone in on a powder that's close to yours, that you can reference in your manual. Then... all you need to do is make a judgement call on the powder grain for a first run. Take notes and adjust. Boom. Example: your book shows Ramshot Silhouette, with a range of 5.4-6.0. According tot he burn rate chart that I found... CFE Pistol is super close to Ramshot in burn rate. In my mind... this basically means that I can use the Silhouette data as a close enough comparison for a first round of ammo. I'd just go on the low side of the powder recommendation (5.4 grains).

[@tomnelson3362]

You can ask the bullet maker about load data. Some have a lot of info but not all. Keep a notebook of what you load and how they performed.

[@Rusty_ok]

I have loaded tens of thousands of 9mm. I suggest you load a low to midrange powder charge, use lead bullet data for plated Bullets and you will be fine. I would start by loading 10-12 rounds and increase or decrease by 0.2 grains for the second sample. Also seating depth might be an issuer as some Bullets might not feed well if not seated deep enough. Shoot them to see which works for your gun. I use mostly HS-6 for 115 grain plated or powder coated lead 9mm with right at 6.4 grains and seated to 1.100” this seems to feed and cycle in all my guns reliably and has excellent accuracy. but every reloader you talk to has their pet loads.

[@EagleReloads]

I am figuring this stuff out, slowly! thanks for the comment. I found a load I like with the powder I have available that seems to run in my glocks and berettas. So far so good!

[@sixgunluvr1]

Exactly…my pet load is 6.7gr of HS-6 under a 115gr jacketed(Montana gold or zero)bullet. OAL @ 1.13 gives around 1200fps in a 4in barrel.

[@Rusty_ok]

@@sixgunluvr1 I just loaded a bunch with 6.5 gn of HS-6 with 115 gn FMJ RN seated at 1.10” then shot them from a czP10c and the chrono showed 1220 FPS. Great load with soft recoil impulse, limited smoke, no flash, and really accurate.

[@ronaldprovencher7570]

That the book i use .. N350 powder ..9mm luger 115 gr FMJ , 5.7gn

[@theelwhastrummer7166]

Gotta throw this in, barely couple minutes into your video. If someone kicked you off a Facebook group for a "stupid question"......that isn't a good group.... Some of these grump ass know-it-all gun people are the most narcissistic jerks on the planet, and you're way better off without their "skill" or "knowledge". Reloading is a great hobby, craft, whatever you want to call it, and there are lots of positive, helpful, knowledgeable people out there willing to help most anyone get started. I've been doing this since I was a kid, and have seen it all. Anyway gonna enjoy the rest of your video, just had to rant and rave a little.

[@tysonc6422]

Thx for the video. I'm with ya, I went the route of only sourcing components i have load data for. Just finished my first 50 rounds. 124 grain plated with ramshot zip. 10 each at 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0 & 4.1 grains. Can't wait to get to the range and see what performs best so I can set up for a big boy run!

[@EagleReloads]

Awesome man. I finally got 9mm dialed for now. Stay tuned for 223 and 6.5 :)

[@MusicMinisterJP7]

I am glad you are researching thru that manual, bcuz I am looking to purchasing the same in 2nd edition. I am New to using Win231 for 9mm and have used Reloader 17, IMR 3031 for rifle. But my concern right now is the 9mm load bcuz these are less powder loads. So I would like to ask you a question regarding the powder measurement. I have an RCBS 502 balance scale, and for rifle loads, I have used the left side of beam ruler on something like "50.5g or 52.7g". Of course the .7g is on the right side of beam ruler. So I am a bit confused bcuz the left side beam weight numbers are high (for the most part) and I don't see how to measure a load for the 9mm in the range of 4.7g or 5.0g.. Can you elaborate some? Thx.

[@Portuguese-linguica]

Cfe pistol powder in the Hornady book is (minimum ) 4.7 grains to max 5.8 grains . This why I tell people to read more and buy more than just one book . If you can give me a email address I'll shoot you a screenshot . Edit make 10 rounds and label them . Total of 3 batches to try of different loads . I do lable certain loads in a book on a sticky note but never never ever right different loads in a book that's not there . Learned that the hard way .

[@EagleReloads]

I found cfe for my application on the Hodgdon website. They said 4.9 starting load so I am loading 5.0. Several other resources and listings are similar so I’ll try 5.0 and maybe try a 5.1 or 5.2. I knew you would like this episode. :) if I load up 3. Batches for 115g copper plated with cfe what should my 3rd batch be?

[@Portuguese-linguica]

@@EagleReloads I would go bullseye / cfe ( minimum ) 3.9 gr to ( maximum ) 4.6 gr . Jacketed .

[@EagleReloads]

Absolutely! [e-mail]

[@seantu1496]

@@EagleReloads You can actually go under the starting load, and it is what you should do if you don't have an exact match for the bullets listed. The general recommendation is to start at 10% under the starting load when the bullet is similar but not exactly what is published in the manual, and work your way up 2gns at a time until you find something that works well. FWIW, I've been loading 4.7gns of CFP Pistol with some bulk 115gn FMJ as a light target load for the various micro 9's I have with 3" barrels. Of course the same round does have some problems cycling on a full size like a Sig M17, P220, or Beretta 92, which is why I load up something else for them.

[@michaeldunn150]

i usually shoot and reload 115 gr and 124gr bullets HP, Plated, and poly coated (like the monkeys and Hy-tek) I had used AutoComp and #5 powders

[@michaeldunn150]

i use lead bullet load data for my powder coat and poly bullets

[@michaeldunn150]

usually load 5 the same powder weight and do a ladder load up the powder by .2 gn making 50 rounds and shoot them see what my gun do and doesn't like and write it down in your log book

[@EagleReloads]

Thanks for watching. I found a load we love with CFE pistol.

[@stancreech43]

Buy index cards. Put in a bag with test rounds. Keep cards with good groups. Right the best in the book

[@EagleReloads]

solid!

[@Munndyosrs]

Listen to the Reloading Podcast here on youtube. They are a great group of guys, and have some really good info for new reloaders.

[@donz8501]

Ey. Just a tip. Put your hands in your pockets. I'm getting seasick watching them flopping all over the place.

[@wincertactical1317]

I also reload 9mm amongst a lot of other calibers. I run into this problem a lot when the manual doesn't list the bullet I'm using for my powder charge especially when it comes to bullet manufacture's such as RMR or Extreme. Most times I can guess what charge might come close. But if I'm really stumped and want to ensure I get the charge right say if I'm using copper plated bullets, I will simply reach out to the manufacturer by email or phone and ask them what powder charge min and max they recommend. RMR is great for helping out with this problem in my experience. As far as starting powder charge to go with, I usually start in the middle and work my way up to max, 5 rds each, and see which is more accurate.

[@martyinthecounty]

I use cfe for plated or jacked it dont matter . For cast use load for cast. Also different books may show a grain or so different max load. Load appx 4 of each load to check function . I can tell your very smart so you will pick it up quick.

[@EagleReloads]

Cfe. So far so good. I think 4.2 is where I settled.

[@CircleBrewery]

Crimp 9 mm? Doesn’t 9 mm headspace off case?

[@EagleReloads]

Yes lee factory crimp is great.

[@blackhawk7r221]

Yes, headspaces off the mouth, so a gentle taper crimp is used

[@chucko3879]

OK, a 115 FMJ or Plated shouldn't be too much of an issue, there about the same. Check diameter of the bullets are they .355 or .356 dia. Using lead bullets velocity depends on the hardness of the bullet in relation to velocity, so that leading doesn't occur. Keep lead at 1000 FPS and you shouldn't have any issues with leading. Polymer coated lead is better. If you have a Glock forget lead bullets, stick to jacketed or plated. Load developments are 10 percent below max and load a few rounds at a time. Overall length is important because the deeper you seat that bullet the higher the pressures. Powder burn rate is important. I load five rounds at each powder charge. Here's a reference, I almost always load either the Plated 115 or Jacketed at an overall length of 1.140 and never have any issues. Use a taper crimp as a last step so your bullets don't set back when feeding. Go buy a few manuals or go on line to find powder manuals from the powder companies. I use Glocks mostly but I test for pressure with extraction, primers, cases, slide cycling, ejection pattern, and velocity. A chronograph is imperative for reloading, so your not guessing. Chronographs are reasonable enough and your not loading blind. A 115 is a 115 jacketed or plated, I never had any issues loading the same with each. I use the same data. I keep a log on my loads. Powder, Primers, Overall length, bullet weight, caliber, velocity recorded and accuracy attained. I test them in my basement, so I don't make more than a few.

[@EagleReloads]

Thank you so much! Awesome info. I did figure a load after I tried 4. Chuck I hope to talk to you again! Today’s video shows my test results. I’d love for you to subscribe. I am learning to reload!

[@Badbri2A]

im getting ready to load some 9mm. found some powder and primers finally..wst winchester shot ball powder. and federal 100 primers small pistol.. i cant find any data on this for the wst powder data for 9mmwith 124gr cast lead bullets... any help out there??

[@David-cv6ih]

I understand your situation, novice myself. Nobody is going to want to tackle the liability issue with ya, which is understandable. My plan is to make 12-15 rounds as test loads. If the minimum is 3.9 grains start with 3-5 of those then go to 3-5 of 4.1, 3-5 of 4.3 etc. as long as I stay under max charge. If unsure of minimum / maximum charge call or email powder manufacturer. I got a chronograph to test velocity so I can see how hot loads are. Check gun manual to make sure you can shoot reloads in it, Glock says you shouldn’t in their gun. Once Ya find a load that works stick with it

[@EagleReloads]

Now that I have “some” experience I can make more sense of the numbers. Starting out if someone said load x gr of powder I wouldn’t have had any idea if that was enough for way too much. Familiarity breeds confidence. Stay safe!

[@blackhawk7r221]

Here is a key bit of information that is not discussed enough. Look at the pressure that your powder creates for a given load. Case in point, loading 300 Blk supersonics. If I want a velocity of 2100fps, one powder may give me that but it hits 49,000psi to do it. Another powder can do it and only hit 34,000 psi. Get your hands on as many load data sheets from as many bullet and powder manufacturers as you can. Another tidbit for pistol is to use a fast burning powder that costs much less. $22 vs $39, and it may require 30% less powder to achieve the same velocity.

[@christopheroliveriii3985]

If you are going to get seriously into reloading then you are going to need to get some very important tools, like a dial caliper, a nice balance scale, several reloading books. I use "load books" which are really nice to have for each caliber you reload. Load books will show you a large array of bullet tips and powders that you can use, also over all length of each load. I also take lots of notes in my books which will be very important for you to find what works best for you. If you are new to reloading, go slow and ask questions if need be.

[@chriscaz1239]

Have you figured out what to do if your powder is not listed for your bullet?

[@EagleReloads]

sure, you just need to compare your bullet type and make sure its a same weight. , but typically you can find safe loads from the bullet mfg.

[@chriscaz1239]

@@EagleReloads thanks for the info.

[@crash75naz]

Probably really old, just buy a Lee pro 1000 progressive press

[@jessefiorinif6057]

Wait a minute so the word reloading is in the channel name but you don’t know what your doing?

[@EagleReloads]

Hey Jesse, yup, just started this summer. Are you a reloader? I am documenting my journey learning to reload from zero. Thanks for commenting and watching.

[@jessefiorinif6057]

@@EagleReloads didn’t mean to come off as too much of a Di(k, I just get a couple minutes into the video and it seem like your were just figuring out stuff on your own. Yea I do reload and find KZbin to be a good resource to pull from at times. Good luck with the reloading journey it’s a pandora’s box for sure.

[@EagleRun23]

@@jessefiorinif6057 yes found so much help in the comments. Lots of wisdom out there. Made some friends.

[@gabrielark6353]

If you have a yellow scoop measure to the rim in line with the handle and if you want just take one apart from the factory round and put it in the scoop then you will have the measurements.but becarefull not to over crimp and reload only about 3 times same brass after that it will get weaker

[@Rusty_ok]

Not the best advice as powder should be weighed not measured by volume. Some powders are more “fluffy” and take a lot less space and different powders with require substantially different weight charges. For example 6.6 grains of HS-6 is a pretty reasonable load for 9mm. That much titegroup powder will blow your gun up.

[@seantu1496]

DON'T DO THIS, EVEN IF YOU ARE GOING BY WEIGHT AND NOT VOLUME!!! You have no idea of what propellant is being used in a factory load so this is the worst thing you could do. As an example, for a 115gn 9mm LRN, the max load for CFE Pistol is 5.4gn, while 700-X is 3.7gn, and HS-6 is 6.9gn, so if the factory load was done with CFE Pistol/HS-6 or something similar, you're using 700-X, and you do this, you will blow up your pistol, and possibly loose a finger or two in the process. Should also add, I'm sure I have some brass that has been in the rotation since the late 80's which has been reloaded much more than 3 times. The important thing on this when you're starting out is to inspect the brass before you reload it, and throw out anything that looks even the least bit questionable. (Let's not even get into a discussion about this idiot's view on crimping.)

[@gabrielark6353]

Yeah it blew up cracked pistol frame polymer, and used lead 147gr they are a bit longer than the rest of bullets.

[@seantu1496]

@@gabrielark6353 Sorry, and I this is going to come off as being mean about it, but do you actually own a gun? Your remarks and comments have you in the starved for attention idiot group, where if you did actually reload or shoot (besides maybe your dads weapons,) you would recognize this and how silly you sound. For the sake of keeping people safe, please don't be commenting and making things up.

[@gabrielark6353]

@@seantu1496 the thing is i understand but I took the factory lead out and just reloaded it and nothing happened but shot the target seemed to work just fine, I just practiced with factory before doing my own.

[@FFD19Ss-w5u]

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