Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 9mm reloading powder question

Hi.
Am reloading for a glock G17.
Only powder available in my area is Bullseye or Unique.
Will be loading a 115-grain jhp from Magnus bullets. (nice looking jacketed bullet)

Any experience out there on either bullseye or Unique with the 9mm and 115-grain jacketed bullets?

Happy New Year.

Not sure what information you're looking for. I've loaded 9mm with Bullseye and I think I've loaded it with Unique, but I can't recall for sure. Either should work just fine. Neither are what I'd call optimal for the 9mm, but they will work.

I shoot a lot of 115s over 6.0 gr Unique. 1320-ish fps from my G17.

Unique would be my choice based on burn rate. Less chance of a double charge too.

Good shooting sir!

I was going to say I recalled a 5.5gr load I used once with Unique, but then I couldn't remember if it was 9mm or .45 ACP???

I just don't have the time to load much anymore, and without pulling out my reloading notebook (what's left of it, most was destroyed in a flood...that sucked), I don't trust my memory enough to quote loads of the top of my head to someone.

I run unique out of my CZ 75D compact.

you need to get a couple of good loading manuals, and spend some time in them. it is not only prudent in this situation, but it may possibly be of some additional benefit to you as you load/shoot differing cartridges in the upcoming years.

from the early 1980's until the early 1990's, i used several different powders for the 9mm.

unique is a respectable choice. though i'm not recommending these specific loads to you for your rig--as examples only, in my rigs i used;

4.5 grains unique with hard cast 124 gr pills--target loads (this may not function in some rigs);

6.0 grains unique with 115 gr jacketed pills--full power loads;

back then, unique was a hercules product--they were later purchased by atk. have not purchased unique since then--so subsequently, don't know whether it will perform any differently when at that upper limit of 6.0 grains that i once used. it would be wise to consider beginning your charges for full power pills at about a 10% reduction (from upper level charges averaged from two different manuals), or something close to that--just load up a few, then test them, and if ok, go up a little more, etc.

i prefer older manuals, when establishing a "baseline" to begin loading from.

when you can obtain it, check out wsf. reasonably similar burn rate to unique, with much lower flash, and better metering. i use it exclusively for 9mm, 40 s&w, and 45 acp, etc.

would definitely say that i'm so satisfied with wsf that i've never looked back...

Thanks to all for your replies.
I will definitely use the unique, and work my loads "up" slowly and watch performance/accuracy.
I will also look for some of the wsf to hit the stores I shop. As I said, the only pistol powder I have found lately is bullseye or unique. Things are still real goofey when trying to find components.

Happy New Year to all!

When I owned and loaded for 9mm, I used a lot of AA 5. Clean burning, economical charge weights and a good combo of accuracy and velocity.

Don't over look power pistol

I am on my 3rd 8-lb jug of Bullseye used in 9mm loads. 115 gr. bullets using 4.5 grs of Bullseye is a factory duplication load and works well in S&W, Sig, Beretta and Glock pistols, Ruger 9mm PC carbine, Colt 9mm AR and a S&W 9mm submachine gun, and you get 12,444 rounds per 8-lb jug.

I think Bullseye meters better than Unique. I use it for 9mm. 40 and 45 ACP without difficulty.

PowerPistol is my current powder for the 9mm; also works very well in 45 ACP.

Much cleaner than either BE or Unique.

MM

HS-6 is a dandy for 9mm, too, if you can find some. It's a ball powder, and meters like water.

I use 231 for target or std.loads and unique for my warm loads.
Both give me great accuracy,I also use both powders for 45 acp.

I use 231 for target or std.loads and unique for my warm loads.
Both give me great accuracy,I also use both powders for 45 acp.

1320? thats pushing +P Velocity...

This^^^^

I've settled on 5.9 gr Unique and all my Glocks like that load.

With the 115gr bullet over 6.0 gr Unique, QuickLOAD calcs pressure at 35-36K psi, depending on oal. So yes, that would be slightly into the +P pressure range.

FWIW, my Speer manual lists 6.3gr Unique as max load with their 115s.

Anyone have a favorite load recipe and COL for AA#5 pushing a 115gr FMJ-RN Remington bullet?