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calvin_yung04

calvin_yung04

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Hi,

I am reloading my 9mm Luger with HS-6 for the 124grain bullet.

The data chart of Hodgdon read:

Start Grain - 6.4grain

Never Exceed - 6.8grain

If I want to make some light load, can I go below the Start Grain??

And by how many grain it will still has enough energy to push the bullet out the brass safely??

Please advise.:confused:
 
calvin_yung04 said:
Hi,

I am reloading my 9mm Luger with HS-6 for the 124grain bullet.

The data chart of Hodgdon read:

Start Grain - 6.4grain

Never Exceed - 6.8grain

If I want to make some light load, can I go below the Start Grain??

And by how many grain it will still has enough energy to push the bullet out the brass safely??

Please advise.:confused:
Click to expand...

My load was 6.7gr/HS6 under the 124.
 
RePete said:
My load was 6.7gr/HS6 under the 124.
Click to expand...

6.7 is close to the Maximum.

I like to know if I can go below 6.4? And I heard that you can go below the Start Grain by no more than 10%.

For 9MM, how much I can go below 6.4 and still have enough power to push out the bullet and cycle probably?

Can any experience reloader answer:confused:
 
Doc M said:
Load 10 rounds at 4.4 grains, 10 at 4.9, 10 at 5.4, 10 at 5.9.

Shoot.

Observe.

Draw conclusion.

If 4.4 still cycles, then do another 0.5 grain spread and try again.

-M
Click to expand...

Just want to clear things out. You are talking about the HS-6,right?

The suggested Start grain is 6.4 grains. Can I go that low to 4.4??(Below start grain for more than 10% already)

I am just try to do it safe.

Moreover, I assume I also need a lower number recoil spring for these light loads as well?:confused:

Many thanks to all that replies..
 
Usually the start load is there for an reason. You might be getting erratic ignitation and pressure if you go to low. Why don't you try Bullseye, PB, Reddot or another powder.
I don't load the 9mm but the Lyman Cast Bullet manual shows these with stasrting loads of 3.7, 6.4, and 3.8 grains respectivally.
 
Just be careful with low-loading rounds that all bullets clear the barrel; make sure to slow-fire the first few rounds and visually inspect the barrel for 100% clearance... firing a follow-up shot while there's a projectile lodged in your barrel is going to ruin your day pretty quickly.

Start with the high rounds, and you'll probably notice that there's a failure to cycle before there's a failure to clear the barrel. If a primer will 'squib' a 9mm 3/4 way down a 5" barrel, 4.4 grains of powder should push it at LEAST out the end.

The only danger you face from an underloaded round is a squib round which cycles the action - that's a killer if ever there was one.

-M
 
I used to use HS-6 for 9MM when I started, but have moved to TG because I get more loads per pound.

Anyways.

124Gr Frontier CMJ Bullet.
Hodgdon HS-6 Powder
Win Small Pistol Primer
Mixed Federal and Win casings.

6.4Gr of HS-6 (using .46 LEE auto disk)

Average FPS out of a SIG P226 and STI Ranger II was 1097 for a PF of 135.

YMMV.
 
"...can I go below the Start Grain??..." No. Below 'Starting' loads can be just as dangerous as above max loads. The pressures get weird and the powder can actually detonate.
My Lyman Pistol and Revolver book gives 5.4 to 6.8 of HS-6 for a 125 grain jacketed bullet.
Hodgdon's site gives 5.9 to 6.6 of HS-6 for a 125 grain LCN bullet. The one grain of weight won't matter.
"...Are there any other powders..." Bullseye. 3.5 grains with a 124 grain cast bullet works just fine.
 
Slow burning powders do not like low charge weights nor pressures.

You go down almost 2 grains from min adn you're asking for trouble. It may not happen but at some point it will.

Take heed of the manuals and not that someone told you that it's OK to do. You may get away with it but probably not.
 
the start grains have been thoroughly tested to be the optimum charge to activate the auto loading system. Why play with it? If you wanted a gun with less recoil, you should have gotten a smaller bored one. If it is the cost of shooting the gun, maybe you should have thought it out before you purchased it. These charge limits are there for a purpose and that is to protect YOU, YOUR GUN, AND ANYONE NEAR YOU WHEN YOU FIRE IT.
 
Switch to a faster powder.

Slow burning powder requires more charge weight than fast burning powders. So reducing a slow burning powder is not recommended. Similarly, using larger quantities of fast buring powder is also not recommended: more powder, more pressure, more velocity = more danger.
There are many fine fast burning powders that are suitable for 9mm. Currently, I am using Alliant's bulk powder, PROMO. It is like RedDot. You don't even have to approach 4 grains of PROMO.
PROMO costs C$95.00 per 8 pounds or about C$13.60 a pound. Very economical.
 
Thank you for all the value information.

My intention is not try to save money on powder.

I've seen Todd Jerrett's clips and his pistol has a very light slide.

And I're read his suggestion on some forum mentioned that a light load just enough to cycle the slide and a lower number of recoil spring will make the follow up shot lightening fast.

This is the reason my question were started. :redface:
 
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