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Posted By: denton Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
The end of my Accurate #5 stash is in sight. In a few months, I'll have to replenish the powder I use for 9mm.

What are the powders that are exceptionally well liked for the 9mm?

Absolute maximum velocity is not required. Some of my loads are 124 grain poly coated cast lead.
Posted By: Kenlguy Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I'm using TiteGroup but only because I latched on to a three pound jug for a good price. four grains behind a 125 cast makes a good target load.
Posted By: EWY Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I like Power Pistol.

Ernie
Posted By: conrad101st Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Win 231
Posted By: Bristoe Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Blue Dot makes a 9mm perk.
Denton,

There was a good supply of AA #5 at the last Tanner Gunshow.

I think the Tanner makes an appearance somewhere in UT as well.
Posted By: Spud Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I use Unique because I have a lot of it. Works fine for 9mm & 40 Short & Weak. And a lot of others.
Posted By: RBunt227 Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I'll second WIn231
Posted By: denton Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Those sound like excellent suggestions.

There is a gun show in town this afternoon.

I think I have some of most of the powders suggested back in the back/bottom of my supply. TiteGroup and Universal both have the desirable feature of not being position sensitive.

Thanks!

Keep the suggestions coming.
Posted By: watch4bear Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
ww231
Posted By: GeorgiaBoy Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I currently use #7 and Unique...which ever is available. I shoot 124 FMJ and JHP. I do not shoot lead.
Posted By: MontanaMan Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Originally Posted by denton


What are the powders that are exceptionally well liked for the 9mm?



I use Power Pistol.........it's clean & seems to have good loading density.

I mostly use 115 gr bullets & 6.7 gr of PP.

Burn rate is very close to Unique, & Unique works very well too, but it's not as clean as PP by quite a bit.

MM
Posted By: 12344mag Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Win231.
Posted By: dodgefan Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I'm glad this got asked. I just got started loading for a 9mm and have used Red Dot and TiteGroup. The Red Dot is an older lot of powder and the TiteGroup is the only stuff I could find at the time I bought it.
4.0 grains of Red Dot and a 125 cast gave me 1115ish out of a 4.5 inch CZ.

3.6 grains of TiteGroup and a 124 plated gave me 990 out of the same pistol.
Posted By: Bristoe Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Not to belabor the point, but the 9mm is a hot little cartridge pressure wise. (35,000 PSI) In fact, there's an argument to be made that it was the first "magnum" pistol cartridge. Nothing else matched its pressure until the .38 Super came along. Then the .357 Magnum, of course.

It'll work with the faster powders like 231 or Red Dot, But at 35,000 PSI it's going to perform better with something in the burning rate of AA#7 or Blue Dot.

The Speer manual has toned down it's 9mm data in the past few years, but early versions of the loading manual had some smokin' loads for the 9mm using Blue Dot.
Posted By: Mesabi Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
HS-6 for 124gr FMJ and HP; VV3N37 for my "serious" 124gr loads; and Blue Dot with 147gr JHP.
Posted By: denton Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Quote
9mm is a hot little cartridge


Yes it is.

This site has data for several cartridges, taken as the barrel was shortened an inch at a time.

Taking into account that a revolver's cylinder actually counts as barrel length, it appears to me that a 124 grain 9mm bullet out of a 3" barrel slightly exceeds a 125 grain bullet out of a 2" 357 Mag revolver. Of course, at longer barrel lengths, the contest clearly goes to the 357. But I was a little shocked at just how well the 9mm performs at shorter barrel lengths. It's a dandy cartridge.
Posted By: ratsmacker Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I like Unique and HS-6/W540 for the 9mm. Blue Dot and AA#7 work, too , but I've had better accuracy with the first three I mentioned.

Blue Dot is pretty bulky for that little case, I've used it, but I wasn't especially satisfied with the result.

For plinking loads with cast bullets, I've tended to favor AA#2 and 231, either at about 4.0 gr. or Unique. I used the LEE 356-1252R bullet by the thousands, and they shot great with Unique. I've shot "hand-sized" groups, offhand, at 100 yards out of an old Radom P-35 and 5.0 Unique, but that's a stiff load.
BE-86 will approach +P velocities without +P pressure with 115gr bullets. Pretty good for 124 and 147gr bullets also.
I use Titegroup under 147 gr

I like it for 9mm, .40 and .45


Mike
Posted By: Yondering Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
There is no single "best" 9mm powder, the range of loads is too broad. Any of the powders listed above work well for certain loads, and are poor choices for others.

For +P loads Ramshot Silhouette, Win AutoComp, and AA7 are a few of the better choices.

For standard velocity loads I like WSF, partly because it meters so well.

For subsonic suppressed loads I prefer Bullseye above anything else.
Posted By: NVhntr Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
5gr.of WSF under a 124gr. plated bullet for my standard velocity load. VV-3N37 if I want to go for +P.
Posted By: achadwick Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I like 4.7 gr TiteGroup behind a 115 gr XTP bullet.
Posted By: Swifty52 Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Powder valley has 1 pounders in stock of AA5. Finally sold out of the 8's.
Power Pistol is accurate, clean burning, gives good velocity. Unique is usable, but not as good.
Posted By: bowmanh Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I use Titegroup. It's quite accurate in my Glock 34. I use it for IDPA/USPSA/3 gun competition loads and they only need to make minor power factor. In my case this is a 124 G FMJ bullet at around 1050 fps. Titegroup burns pretty hot so it's not the best choice for lead bullets but it's great with FMJ's. However, there are many powders that work well in 9mm.
Posted By: 86thecat Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
I like power pistol but would use something with less muzzle flash for certain loads.
Posted By: bcolorado Re: Best 9mm Luger Powder? - 01/02/16
Indoor low flash loads aa#7.

Google for pics, impressive.
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