OAL=1.135 I use this ammo in my Glock 17, HK USP, P226 and Shadow
9mm load
- Thread starter Ian Robertson
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OAL=1.135 I use this ammo in my Glock 17, HK USP, P226 and Shadow
CZ just have changed the barrel's chamber then. I could never load a round to that long an OAL and have it chamber. Either that or the bullets you use are long and pointy so the sides don't run into the leade of the rifling before the case mouth headspaces in the chamber.
I found that the MOST I could go was about 1.12 with some bullets. But most of them needed to be at 1.10 or even 1.09 with the more chunky 147's when I tried a batch of 100 rounds to see if I'd go that way. The other 9mm guns don't seem to be as sensitive and longer lengths load just fine. It's just CZ's that seem to require a shorter OAL.
To Ian Robertson that started this question.... Look at the loading data on the Hodgdon reloading data website. You'll see that the Tightgroup loadings vary by a little depending on the type of bullet. And with 9mm having such a short case you really need to watch the OAL and how it affects the powder charge. So while this is a nice idea to just drop one charge for any 125gn bullet you might use I think you should re-consider. You need to take into account bullet skirt length and how seating the bullet affects the case capacity and how that affects the charge. And then there's the current issue on sketchy powder and bullet availability. Those of us that shoot a lot need to be somewhat flexible in what we accept. So it's likely that you'll find yourself using any number of powders and bullets. And each is going to have its own sweet spot.
And in particular if you want to start shooting cast lead bullets you add the need to slug the bore and size the bullet so it's a thou or two bigger than the groove diameter of your barrels if you want to obtain the best accuracy and avoid leading. And lead rounds also vary on how fast they can be driven and how hard they can be hit by the charge as part of this practice of avoiding leading since the alloy you use affects how they respond to the powder. Oddly enough from all I've read the lube isn't as big a deal as long as you use some. But all the other factors add to the picture.
So while it would be nice to simplify things with a "one powder, one size drop" I think you'll find that you need to do some testing and load development. In particular if you're after tighter bullseye groups. For general plinking or fast action shooting competition where absolute accuracy is not AS important you can get away with a middle of the road charge behind a variety of bullets and the guns will shoot OK. But if you're after tight bullseye groups then you can't get there by not testing each combination and recording the information.
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Mine is a G34 Gen4. Will give that a try, thanks.
BCRider, Yes I know about slugging barrels and in the case of a revolver it is best to slug the chambers for max fit. I certainly have looked at all the loading info on the web and that is why I have asked the boys for a one load solution. In the past I have loaded 147 and TG for IPSC and it shot well with a bit less recoil in my CZ75 and my Hi-Power. My Grand Power does not seem to like the same load with some key holing occasionally but seems good with 125 and my new PC929 also seems to like the 125 so that will be my new standard for now, all I need is enough power to work my semi's reliably. The 929 is a little different because the area around the firing pin hole is quite convex which tends to produce a concave primer when fired which is not good for showing pressure signs. This is no doubt done to avoid any cratering which if high enough could cause drag when the cylinder rotates.
The Hodgdon site lists loads for 9mm and Titegroup anywhere from 2.8 to 4.4 and that is a big spread fora little case and also some of the hottest loads are with lead. So right now I think I will go with 3.8 and see what happens in my various guns. I do appreciate the response form everyone.
The Hodgdon site lists loads for 9mm and Titegroup anywhere from 2.8 to 4.4 and that is a big spread fora little case and also some of the hottest loads are with lead. So right now I think I will go with 3.8 and see what happens in my various guns. I do appreciate the response form everyone.
Ditto here...
Ian, I suggest you load both 3.8 and 3.5. When I do a load development test like this I often take all guns of a given caliber (or a big selection of them, at least) and shoot both loads through all of them. I hang up a pair of targets, with masking tape holding the bottom one onto the top target. Then I shoot a gun with both loads at this pair of targets. If I have 3 loads to compare, I hang 3 targets like this. It is important you develop a system of which load gets fired at which target, so each can be labeled accurately. I shoot the mildest load first, at the top target.
When I get home I create a chart showing the guns down the side and the loads across the top (2 or 3 loads). Each gun/load gets evaluated as P, F, G, VG or VVG.
Usually one load will emerge with a lot of VG and VVG and it becomes my "standard" load for that caliber. A few guns will puke with that load but shine with something else, so I make a few containers of that ammo for the odd ball guns.
Each gun gets a small label to remind me what load it uses. You can see the label on most of my shooting results pictures.
My standard loads are (all DRG cast lead bullets):
38 Spl 148 BBWC 3.8 TG (hot, but very accurate in most of my revolvers)
38 Spl 158 SWC 4.0 TG (not hot, very accurate)
9mm 135 LRN 3.6 TG
45ACP 200 SWC 4.3TG
45ACP 225 FP 4.3TG
I have at least 20 handguns in each of these calibers, and most of them work well with "standard" load, so it would be a good place for you to start.
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I always try a spread of different powder charges in my guns, to see what they like. It is common to see that a particular gun does best (or worst) with a hot load.
I have done this kind of test for several hundred handguns in many different calibers and would say that most of them did best with a medium power load.
here is how I translate the target results to a chart, so I can see the results. I am usually looking for a load that works well in as many guns as possible, and then I load several buckets of ammo to that recipe.
In the 9mm test below, you can see that the 1911 likes mild loads, whereas the Star BM prefers hotter loads. Note how many did well with 2.9 and 3.2 gr of TiteGroup. This is why I encourage guys to try a spread of loads to see what THEIR gun likes.
This is part of a 38Spl test. This is the load results for the mild half of the test. Some of the guns did much better with the hotter loads.
I have done this kind of test for several hundred handguns in many different calibers and would say that most of them did best with a medium power load.
here is how I translate the target results to a chart, so I can see the results. I am usually looking for a load that works well in as many guns as possible, and then I load several buckets of ammo to that recipe.
In the 9mm test below, you can see that the 1911 likes mild loads, whereas the Star BM prefers hotter loads. Note how many did well with 2.9 and 3.2 gr of TiteGroup. This is why I encourage guys to try a spread of loads to see what THEIR gun likes.
This is part of a 38Spl test. This is the load results for the mild half of the test. Some of the guns did much better with the hotter loads.
