9mm powder choice

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swampy308

New member
I'll try to make this as simple as I can.
I have never reloaded for 9mm and am getting ready to start. As hard as pistol powder is to find in my area I would like to know what you would recommend would be the best choice of powder that I have.
This is what I have on hand, and i'll be loading Hornady 124 gr XTP, and 124 gr HP from Extreme bullets.


Unique, Bullseye, Tightgroup, and HP-38.
 
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AzShooter

New member
Unique will work in anything, probably your best choice of powders. Then bullseye. Powder is getting so hard to find. I'm using VhitaVhouri but am switching to Winchester Super Field because I can find it.
 
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mrdaputer

New member
Out of those I have used both Bullseye and Tightgroup both work well. Your pistol might prefer one over the other. I would pick one try a few hundred rounds then maybe switch to another, so you can compare what you like.
 
9

9x45

New member
All will work, but as you are a newbie reloader, I recommend starting with a high volume low density powder, like HS-6, that occupies signifigantly more volume than TiteGroup, which is a high density low volume powder. You didn't say what press you are loading on, but it is impossible to double charge a 9 mm with HS-6. Other good high volume low density powders are 800-X, Longshot, CFE, AutoComp, SR4756.

My standard 9 mm load is a 125 TC Bayou on top of 4.3 grains of TiteGroup at 1.100" OAL and goes about 1,180 fps. I have loaded them to 5.1 grains of TiteGroup and chron'd at just 1,300 fps, equal to +P+. Not a beginners load at all.
 
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Dufus

New member
Damn, you just told him not to use Titegroup and then you tell him that is your favorite load? Talk about an oxymoron.

To the OP: all 4 of the powders that you listed are very good powders for the 9. If I had a preference, it would be the HP-38.

Now, my favorite "go to" powder would be VV N340 for all weights. It is an extremely clean burning powder and virtually no detectable muzzle flash in low light or no light conditions.
 
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Worc

New member
I use both Bullseye and HP-38/Win 231 for 9mm with 115gr plated bullets. Both work well and produce pretty similar results. The Bullseye is a little less expensive and I uss .3 grs less per round, so it goes a little further. I like the HP-38 as it meters better for me and accuracy might be a little better. I currently have several thousand rounds loaded up ready to go with with both powders.

I've not used the other two but, they should be fine as well. Tight Group might be one that I try if I ever can't find the others that I use. I'm good on powder for a little while now though.
 
6

68shooter

New member
I am new to reloading as well. these guys have helped me tremendously.
I recently evaluated my first loads in 9mm. My Taurus PT 92 did the following, using the following:

Hornady XPT 115 gr. HP
4.6 gr. of TiteGroup
Primer : Winchester Small Pistol
Min LOA : 1.125"
Grouping : 1" at 15 yds. consistently
********************************
Ranier Ballistics 115 gr. RN Plated
4.2 gr. of Titegroup
Primer : Winchester SP
Min LOA : 1.140"
Grouping : 2" somewhat inconsistent @ 15 yds.
********************************
Same info above with RN Plated and worked up in single gr./ increments.
no noticeable difference until I got to 4.5 gr., then things started to to tighten up.
I am sticking with Titegroup for a while. Easy to fond around here d works pretty well for me so far.
 
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alexcue

New member
Of the powders you have... Titegroup and HP-38, If you want a "better" powder, try BE-86. Works real well in 9mm or 40S&W. YMMV
 
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LE-28

New member
I'm in the all of the above group. I use mostly Titegroup for my range shooting and BE-86 and Universal for my SD rounds but the choices you have listed will all definitely work well in 9mm.

Titegroup is the most economical around my area.
 
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BigJimP

New member
TiteGroup is my personal choice...but you have to be careful with it .../ on 115gr Jacketed bullets...min and max are only 0.3gr apart. ( 4.5 - 4.8).

So you have to hold your tolerances really tight on the powder....( 4.6 is my target powder drop ) using TiteGroup for 115gr jacketed bullets in 9mm.
 
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Tsquared

New member
This is what I have on hand, and i'll be loading Hornady 124 gr XTP, and 124 gr HP from Extreme bullets.

Unique, Bullseye, Tightgroup, and HP-38.
Click to expand...

Unique, Bullseye, Tightgroup, and HP-38 are all good powders to load 124gr 9mm.

Unique has a recommended starting point of 5.2 gr and a max at 5.8 gr. One of my shooting buddies has a pet load at 6 grains that he puts behind 124XTP's.

Bullseye is my goto powder for my 45GAP. I have used it in 9mm but it runs a bit dirty. It has a recommended starting point of 3.9 gr and a max at 4.4 gr.

TiteGroup is my goto powder for target 124gr 9mm. You have to be extra careful not to double charge a round and it has a narrow window where it works very well. It has a recommended starting point of 4 gr and a max at 4.4 gr.

HP-38 data from Hodgdon is a bit strange to me on the 124/125 gr bullets - very hard to extrapolate a non-listed bullet for a load. I have used it in 9mm but I like it better with heavier bullets.
 
J

Jeffm004

New member
HP-38, 4.3 to 4.5 gr under 124 plated. 4.3 1050 fps, 4.5, 1076. YMMV. 4.5 had a lower Standard Deviation (SD) of 22 with 9 rounds.
Glock 17

WW 231 and HP-38 are the same powder.

Enjoy, I use all those powders and like them. Bullseye is for the single actions, just for the smoke :)
 
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swampy308

New member
Really don't know where to start here, I'm really not a new reloader, I have been loading rifles off and on for 26 years, but I am new at pistol, been loading for 45 acp, and 38 special for about 5 years and recently bought a 9 mm CZ P-07.
I've been using bullseye and unique, and havent been able to find any for about 3 years, or anything else as far as that goes, up until recently. I've found 2 lbs of Tightgroup, and 4 lbs of HP-38 and have less than a lb each of bullseye and Unique and would like to save this for the 45 & 38.
I use a Rockchucker press and weigh every powder charge I know it's slow, but old habits are hard to break but hopefully it will keep me safe.
I don't post on here very much, but im on here about every day, and I really like all the information I find on here so keep it coming.
 
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xracer98

New member
Had to chime in. I keep see post about Titegroup and double charge. If one can't notice the difference "visually" of a single ver double charge sitting in a case, then one might be better off paying for factory ammo.

Been using Titegroup for a couple a yrs and never have I seen a "double charge" with it or any other powder.

If your paying attention to your loading process and having a checks/balance system, you won't ever end up with a "double charge".

Example... Drop 4.2 gn of titegroup in a case. Look at the level. Now drop another 4.2 gn on top of it. Ray Charles could notice a double charge..
 
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