9mm load question

[chris in va]

This is my first reloading effort, so bear with me.

Universal Clays
122gr truncated/conical lead
COL 1.125 (per the Hogddon site)
4.0gr (3.8-4.3max)

I've seated the bullet to 1.10" and the blue band is still showing. Is that normal for this type of bullet?

 

[shooter_from_show-me]

Whats your case length measure out to be? Did you compare it to Hodgdon specs on case length should be to see if it was in spec. Just a thought.

 

[chris in va]

Case length is .74". The 'factory crimp' puts it nicely into that band, but just checking to be sure.

EDIT: Now another issue. I tried chambering them in my CZ 75 only to get one stuck in the chamber. Had to use a dowel to remove, it wasn't stuck hard. It chambers fine in my P11 and seats fully, similar to the CorBon's in there now. All ten I've made so far do the same thing, and they're all identical. Did I get the wrong bullet type?

 

[The_Vigilante]

Going to have to get the COL shorter than the 1.125 for a CZ-from experience.

 

[floydster]

I have a CZ 75 B and a CZ 75 PCR, to get the right COL I field strip the gun and drop the round in the barrel and I set the bullet back just so it clears the lands. These are both 9mm. I keep dummy rounds for reference.
Smokeyloads

 

[chris in va]

I thought of that, but what about the danger of overpressure? I already have it at 1.10...

 

[floydster]

Chris,
The OAL of my TC cast is 1.122
And the RN cast is 1.082
Smokeyloads

 

[RidgwayCO]

Your bullet type is fine, but you're going to need to seat that bullet deeper to fit the CZ. Also, your case length of .740" is a little short (Speer #14 quotes the range for 9mm Luger as .744" to .754"), but you should still be OK.

I recommend pulling the ten bullets you've already loaded, dropping the powder charge down to around 3.5gr or so, and then seating the bullets to a COL where they'll chamber in your CZ and the lubrication groove is completely covered. This might be as little as 1.000" COL. Then test them for function and performance (in that order of importance).

For future reference, I suggest you make a couple of dummy rounds and test them in your CZ's chamber whenever you buy new bullets for it. This exercise will give you the maximum COL your gun can handle with that particular bullet, and will tell you if you need to reduce the amount of powder you're using. Of course, using a chronograph would help a lot too.

 

[chris in va]

Thank you, I will do that tonight and report back. There's a discrepancy with min/max grains though, apparently the Speer manual shows a truncated/conical 124gr bullet should use 4.4-4.8gr of Universal, while the Hodgdon site states 3.8-4.3. I can't seem to nail down any hard facts about this setup...

 

[Jim Watson]

1. The "blue band" is bullet lube and will be inside the case at proper seating depth for the bullet type.
2. Hodgdon did not use that bullet type in their testing so their OAL number means nothing with regard to your bullet and chambering in your gun.

Seat your bullets to where the loaded rounds will chamber freely in your gun.
Start with the powder charge at the starting load and increase only as necessary to get reliable function or to make the required power factor if you shoot IPSC or IDPA.
Do not make up many rounds at a time until you have a satisfactory load. I read the other day of a guy who made up 500 rounds to a "recipe" from an authoritative source. Except that they would not work in his gun.

 

[DavidM55]

I'd like to second on Jim's point. I just loaded 50 rounds for a 45 acp Sierra 200 gr FPJ. I assumed the COL would be good since my gun handles the 200 grain SWC at 1.26 COL. Well, guess what none would chamber. Lesson learned.

I'll have to shorten the COL and of course start at the min. power charge.