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Best powder for 9mm

SW 357MagSW 357Mag Member Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
out of bullseye,aa7 or hs-6 which is best for 124gr lead bullet in the 9mm? i have these powders all on hand.thanks

Comments

  • SW 357MagSW 357Mag Member Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just purchased a new S&W M&P 9mm. I'm looking to reload ammo for it.

    What is the best powder for this caliber?

    Thanks
  • mussmuss Member Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    700x is fairly decent.

    I use a lot of ww231, not bad
  • SW 357MagSW 357Mag Member Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Will lead bullets work ok in a semi-auto or do I need to buy jacketed?
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Unique

    Clays

    Bullseye

    231

    American Select
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hodgdon "TITEGROUP". It is a newer powder that burns cleaner than most others including Unique, Bullseye & 231. It measures nice. Per pound it is usually a couple of dollars cheaper than others. This powder works well for target loads in most handguns. The powder was made to not be position sensitive (although this is more of a benifit in cases larger than 9mm). You can load over 1600 rounds per pound. Clays works pretty well to but I prefer Titegroup.
  • konamtbikerkonamtbiker Member Posts: 284 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would try Unique, W231 or Bullseye. One of those should shoot well with your new handgun.
  • 375H&H375H&H Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have loaded alot of 9mm's , and the only powder I ever used was Win 231 . Mostly 124 gr JHP's [:p] Right now I'm ready to load 1000 rounds , all the casings are resized , belled , and primed . After reading BHAVIN's post though , I think I'm gonna try Hodgdons Titegroup powder , just to see how much cleaner it is over the 231 .
    I was loading 4.5 gr's of the 231 and a pound would yield around 1500 rounds or so . Always lookin to try a new load .
    Thanks for the tip BHAVIN [:)]
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
  • SW 357MagSW 357Mag Member Posts: 1,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the tips on the powder. I think I'll buy a lb of Titegroup and 231 to see which I like best.

    Does anyone know if lead bullets work ok in semi auto? They are quite a bit cheaper.

    Thanks again for all the suggestions.
  • gravleygravley Member Posts: 79
    edited November -1
    I have loaded and shot several thousands of rounds of RN cast bullets for my Ruger P85 with great success. I use a Lyman 120 gr. bullet mold No. 356242 and wheel weights for casting. Not sure how they might work in your S&W as the Ruger will eat any thing I put in it.
    Now that Berry and Rainer have the copper coated bullets cheap I have just about quit casting for the 9 mm and 380. As for powder I use 231 and bullseye loaded just to the point of reliable functioning of the action.
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In the past I used unique and 231 in about everything. But as mentioned the newer titegroup is a great powder. It's cost is low and it burns cleaner than unique. If you shoot a mag full of loads on a calm day with unique you can barely see the target through the smoke and haze. With titegroup the smoke is less than half.

    I shoot a lot of lead bullets in my 9MM. It seems to perfer the FMJ's for accuracy but for plinking the lead is a lot cheaper.
  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I've had good luck with Unique in all of my hadgun loads.

    I play with many other powders, including 231 and HP-38 (great for target 357 loads!) but I've always got a couple of pounds of Unique at my reloading bench. It's available every-dang-where and I get good groups in everything from my Dad's 5906 to my M-28 to my Ruger Superblackhawk.
  • goldeneagle76goldeneagle76 Member Posts: 4,359
    edited November -1
    I'm a big fan of W231 myself for 9mm and 45ACP.
  • richbugrichbug Member Posts: 3,650
    edited November -1
    I like something a bit slower to maximize the cartridges ability. Hs-6(ww 540), or VV 3n37 come to mind.
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SW 357Mag
    Thanks for the tips on the powder. I think I'll buy a lb of Titegroup and 231 to see which I like best.

    Does anyone know if lead bullets work ok in semi auto? They are quite a bit cheaper.

    Thanks again for all the suggestions.


    for general purposes they will function fine in a rifled barrel, but are a absolute no no for any polygonal barrel, ie: glock, H&K, the polygonal barrel strips a bit of lead each pass till a excessive build up occurs, then one round will not pass, and the gun goes boom, so not being familiar with the M&P make sure it is rifled first, then try a few rounds for your self

    edit: i have tried 231, unique, clays, ramshot silhouette, tightgroup has performed well above all of them, low recoil while maintaining velocity, and accuracy, and with a SD of 8, and that is very good from a volume powder dispenser on a Dillon
  • 375H&H375H&H Member Posts: 1,545 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A buddy just gave me a pound of " Blue Dot " so I loaded 100 rounds with a charge of 7.3grs under a 124 gr JHP [:I] They shoot well
    Didn't load any with Hodgdon " TiteGroup " yet , but I will [:p]
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