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Powder ?'s


ThomasPI

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8 hours ago, ThomasPI said:

Correct, just target loads for the range.

Yeah, then either Titegroup or VV N320 would be good options.  You will hear some caution you against a "newbie" starting with these faster powders, but if you load light and long you will have no issues and love the soft feel. Do some searches in the reloading forums for minor 9mm and .40 loads using Titegroup.

What are you shooting them in?

 

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Thanks, being shot in Glock 23 40, Glock 19 and Walther PPS M2 9mm. The way I figure it, these faster burning powders will lessen the recoil and be a good bit softer overall. I'm only shooting holes in paper. For example took my 23 to the range with factory ammo Winchester Ranger 180 and my reloading mentor who was with me noticed a big difference in recoil compared to his Glock 30 45 cal with his reloads. Factory ammo recoil was about twice what his rounds are. He's been reloading for 50 years and uses the powders you noted. When he shoots competitions where no power factor comes into play that's what he does. Much better accuracy. Once my bench is set up and equipment comes in I'll have him get me started down the right path. Thanks! 

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Once you are set up, have him show you how to figure out the longest you can load.  I am sure you will want a single 9mm load to use in both the Glock and the the Walther so you will have to figure out which one limits your OAL for the 9mm.  My guess is that it will be the Walther.

The easiest way to determine the longest OAL is to set your press up completely.  Run a piece of brass through the press but don't prime or add powder, this will be your chamber check round.  Have your seating die set up to give you an OAL that you are sure will be too long and do what everyone calls the plunk test in both the Glock and Walther barrels.  Keep adjusting your seating die and running the chamber check round through the seating station to slowly reduce your OAL until the round passes the plunk and spin test.  Measure the OAL once it just passes the plunk test.  Shorten by another .01 to .02 and you should be good to go.

Do the same for the .40 round but of course you only have to worry about the one barrel.

Doing this you should end up with OAL’s that are longer than any published load data from the powder companies.  This is fine, better in fact.  Use the recommended minimum powder charge for these rounds.  This gives maximum case volume, lower pressures, and a nice margin of error for the faster burning powders suggested.

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ThomasPI

I just noticed the top post in this forum about not posting load data here.  I believe I am safe, no load data in my posts, just the technique for a beginner to figure out a good OAL.  Check the other forums for more specific info.  Hope this helps!

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On ‎1‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 6:07 AM, Hi-Power Jack said:

I can understand you "like the velocity" - but faster powders  will also give you the same velocity.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say that you "like the recoil" ... does that

mean  you kind of miss the recoil  when you go to faster powders and heavier bullets?

What was it about the faster powders didn't you like, for minor 9mm loads?

I got the chance to try titegroup and a 147gr in 9.  I couldn't tell any difference.  Heavier bullets cause more recoil, fast powder less recoil. I get the same effect from a light bullet and slow powder.

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On 1/17/2017 at 4:17 PM, sitw said:

...Keep adjusting your seating die and running the chamber check round through the seating station to slowly reduce your OAL until the round passes the plunk and spin test.  Measure the OAL once it just passes the plunk test.  Shorten by another .01 to .02 and you should be good to go...

 

Sitw - I'm new to reloading and will be reloading for .40 Major. Where can I find out more on what this plunk and spin test is that you mentioned?  I know that .40's are better to load long than short. 

 

Thanks!

 

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8 hours ago, R1_Demon said:

 

Sitw - I'm new to reloading and will be reloading for .40 Major. Where can I find out more on what this plunk and spin test is that you mentioned?  I know that .40's are better to load long than short. 

 

Thanks!

 

Plunk test? You can search these forums for the best info. But here is a hint as to what you will find.

 

Remove barrel from gun. Hold in hand with muzzle straight down. Drop a round in chamber. It should plunk as it bottoms out. Spin the round. It should spin freely and not feel like it's touching rifling at all. Then invert barrel and round should fall free.

 I personally don't do the spin part. I just drop and listen for the plunk and then flip barrel to drop round free. 

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On 4/25/2017 at 7:50 AM, Sarge said:

Plunk test? You can search these forums for the best info. But here is a hint as to what you will find.

 

Remove barrel from gun. Hold in hand with muzzle straight down. Drop a round in chamber. It should plunk as it bottoms out. Spin the round. It should spin freely and not feel like it's touching rifling at all. Then invert barrel and round should fall free.

 I personally don't do the spin part. I just drop and listen for the plunk and then flip barrel to drop round free. 

 

Oh okay, makes sense now.  And you guys do this for every round you reload?  Wow, that's a lot of testing.  LOL!  But it makes sense too, so it isn't a bad thing.  I appreciate the heads up and I will do more searching on the forum for this.  There is so much good info on this site that I feel like by the time I read it all and get everything I need to know, it will be years before I start shooting competitions or reloading.  LOL!  :-D  But that is a good problem to have actually.  Better than not having any info to read.

 

Sorry for the thread hijack! :(

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I'm a Blue Dot fan.  Does very well in my CZ 9MM (115 grain hollowpoints) and CZ .40 S&W (135 grain hollow points).  Seeing the powder in each case is easy when the powder almost fills the case.

 

I like small groups and I get them with these loads.

 

I'm about to try some 124 grain hollow points in the 9's, so we'll see what shakes out there.

 

 

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4 hours ago, R1_Demon said:

 

Oh okay, makes sense now.  And you guys do this for every round you reload? 

I DONT do every round.  It is done to get a dimension specific to your gun(s).  Once you find that length, you load all your rounds to that dimension.  Making a "pattern" or setting a standard if you will using plunk test.

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29 minutes ago, mlmiller1 said:

I DONT do every round.  It is done to get a dimension specific to your gun(s).  Once you find that length, you load all your rounds to that dimension.  Making a "pattern" or setting a standard if you will using plunk test.

 

Ohhhhh, okay, got it.  Just to get the max sizing down, so to speak and then you know where you are at and that it will function in your mags and your barrel and such.  Gotcha. :)  Then you would just measure (caliper) the rounds off the press after you went with those dimensions that you came up with during the test to ensure that your dies are set right and that they are seating the bullets properly and not going too deep or too shallow inline with the specs you came up with, correct?

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Crap...now I have to look up what case gauging is.  LOL!  Every time I think I'm good and have it covered, someone mentions something else that I have to look up and add it to the system to make sure it is right.  Hehehehe. :) 

 

It's been so long since I read my "how to" reloading book that I'm going to have to read it again before I start reloading.  I'm sure it covers this, but I've been reading all the great info here, so I haven't had time to dive back in and start reading that "how to" book again yet.  So, sorry for the dumb questions, but I figure a dumb question is better than blowing myself up.  LOL! 

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Sarge summed it up nicely.  I don't spin the round either, just see if it drops in freely.  Once you have done it, a round the plunks vs one that does not, you will know the difference very easily. 

 

Case gauge is a precision cut go-no go gauge typically made to SAMMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) specs.  The problem for me with case gauging is that some of my rounds won't case gauge but plunk test fine.  That is because for certain guns I custom ream the chambers so I can load longer and not worry about bullet profile.  So for me, instead of case gauging every round, I plunk test every round I will use for a match. It goes pretty quick once you get the hang of it.  For practice ammo, I just check the overall all length every couple of hundred rounds to make sure my press is not drifting for some reason (dies come loose).

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On 4/26/2017 at 8:23 AM, R1_Demon said:

 

Oh okay, makes sense now.  And you guys do this for every round you reload?  Wow, that's a lot of testing.  LOL!  But it makes sense too, so it isn't a bad thing.  I appreciate the heads up and I will do more searching on the forum for this.  There is so much good info on this site that I feel like by the time I read it all and get everything I need to know, it will be years before I start shooting competitions or reloading.  LOL!  :-D  But that is a good problem to have actually.  Better than not having any info to read.

 

Sorry for the thread hijack! :(

I only plunk test when developing loads. Then I use a hundred round case gauge from then on for EVERY ROUND I make.

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