9mm Accuracy

[sam sanfilippo]

Which 9mm Luger load gives the best accuracy in a Bar-Sto barrel? Which load gives the best accuracy in a Glock 34 or Springfield XD-9 Tactical factory barrel? I am willing to use minor loads if that helps.

[bruce282]

Are you talking factory loads, or hand loads? If factory, any of the stuff out there is plenty accurate for USPSA/IDPA type distances. If you're talking bulls eye, that's a whole nother game.

Bruce

[sam sanfilippo]

Are you talking factory loads, or hand loads? If factory, any of the stuff out there is plenty accurate for USPSA/IDPA type distances. If you're talking bulls eye, that's a whole nother game.

Bruce

I'm interested in bulls eye with hand loads.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Then you'll have to test your gun with your loads. there are likely candidates, and no-doubt a slew of suggestions, but there is only one test: your gun.

[HSMITH]

PM Doug Carden, he has done a ton of accuracy work in 9mm and will be able to give you some good starting points for your testing.

[sam sanfilippo]

PM Doug Carden, he has done a ton of accuracy work in 9mm and will be able to give you some good starting points for your testing.

Do you have his email address?

[Kingman]

depends on what twist rate you have the barsto set up at. Some of them are set up for heavier and others for lighter bullets. Obviously that will make a difference in accuracy. Some barrels will do well with the 147 type grain bullets while others do 124 and lighter.

I use clark barrels and have found I can get right about 2-2.5" with 124 zero's that I used to shoot. I am finding about the same from the Montana Gold 121's that I have started shooting.

[Allgoodhits]

Which 9mm Luger load gives the best accuracy in a Bar-Sto barrel? Which load gives the best accuracy in a Glock 34 or Springfield XD-9 Tactical factory barrel? I am willing to use minor loads if that helps.

FYI, this is NOT a load I have tested, but was provided to me by Dr. Nick at Mountain Competition Pistols as a suggested load for a Beretta M9 CMP target gun. The gun has a KKM Precision barrel.

"The accuracy load that I have been using for the M9 is 115 grain FMJ bullet along with 4.8 to 5.0 grains of V V N330 powder. ....With the above load you can achieve 1.5 to 2.0 inch of Grouping at 50 yards.

Nick ..."

Martin

[gm iprod]

Intl Bullseye (Olympics) or US Bullseye match

Intl match requires use of lead projectiles, not coated ones either. Only lead and other metal additives.

I have used Bullseye, Red dot, Norma R1, Clays, 231 and TG mostly for light lead loads for ladies and kids to shoot my 9mm. Make sure of feeding and make you use the minimum crimp possible. 115gr Round Nose or short Conical bullet, you want as long a bearing surface as possible with the minimum wieght. You will need about 3.0grs of any of the above powders as a start point, make sure it cycles

32Cal wadcutters are hollow based to achieve this.

Then test away until you get what is required or desired.

For a match where Jacketed are allowed or required then I like 115 or 125 JHP or FMJ as requireed using 3.5 - 4.0gr of N320

Edited April 27, 2008 by gm iprod

[D. Manley]

"The accuracy load that I have been using for the M9 is 115 grain FMJ bullet along with 4.8 to 5.0 grains of V V N330 powder. ....With the above load you can achieve 1.5 to 2.0 inch of Grouping at 50 yards.

Nick ..."

That's a great load, for sure. FWIW, the version below produced probably the best groups for me but obviously, not enough different from a good FMJ to justify the cost.

115 grain Hornady XTP

4.8 Grains N-330

OAL 1.08 - .377 Crimp

Winchester Brass - WSPP

[cuzinvinny]

As others have noted, it is individual to every gun. To Kingman's point, the Bar-Sto barrel in my Caspian 1911 prefers the 147 grain bullets. I have had good results with American Eagle 147 grain, and horrible results with Winchester White box 115 grain bullets. In fact I have had terrible results with all 115 grain bullets, and powder combinations. I am currently loading a lead 147 grain bullet with WW231 powder (don't remember the exact charge) but get 1.5 to 2" groups at 25 yards.

[rhyrlik]

That's the same thing I'm seeing with my P210. 115gr FMJ bullets shoot groups roughly twice as large as 147's.

[DougCarden]

Hi Sam

.....when I started trying to load 9x19 for accuracy Good Ole GM IPROD started me on the way, and he hit it on the head with his info for you.

Every barrel is different, and you will have to find out what is most accurate in each gun. The above mentioned load with the 115 xtps and V330 works best in barrels with 1/32 twist, KKM and Schueman make them currently. I honestly dont know what twist rate Barsto uses in their barrels.

I would start with loading your bullets as long as the magzine allows, and that they still reliable feed. I load 115s out to 1.080 - 1.120, depending on the shape of the bullet. Accuracy also seems to come with using the following powders.

Win 231, VV 320, VV 330, Ramshot Silhouette, Titegroup. Primer selection seems to make a slight difference at 50yds, but inside of that I dont think it matters......IMHO....

It would be wonderful if all guns shoot one load and then you dont have to make up different batches, but it usually doesnt work that way. You will probably end up compromising in a couple of guns, but it will be much more accurate ammo than you can buy at the store.

Hope that helps some,

DougC

[Darrell]

I found the load I like, I got it from a Shooting Times Accuracy mag last week. They recommended Power Pistol powder. I loaded Montana gold 124 jhp at 1.120 under 6.0 gr. of power pistol, with wsp, and crimp at .3785. It chrono'd at 1126, the ES was 38 and SD was 11. It put all ten shots in one hole at 15 yards .9 inches with Fed. brass, and shot 1.1 inches with win. brass. Mixed brass was about 1.2 inches. Load felt hot compared to my match load of 4.1 gr of tightgroup.

[Allgoodhits]

"The accuracy load that I have been using for the M9 is 115 grain FMJ bullet along with 4.8 to 5.0 grains of V V N330 powder. ....With the above load you can achieve 1.5 to 2.0 inch of Grouping at 50 yards.

Nick ..."

That's a great load, for sure. FWIW, the version below produced probably the best groups for me but obviously, not enough different from a good FMJ to justify the cost.

115 grain Hornady XTP

4.8 Grains N-330

OAL 1.08 - .377 Crimp

Winchester Brass - WSPP

No doubt there are better ( more accurate ) bullets than an FMJ, but the Match M9 is for EIC, DCM matches , i.e. "service pistol" and FMJ ammo is a requirement. My guess, is that experimentation with Sierra 115 JHP or 125 JHP may produce the best obtainable load, since that bullet albeit "expensive" has proven to be very consistent and probably the best 9mm bullet (#8110 Sierra) out there.

Martin

[danpass]

Any new input on this?

[Turtle]

Danpass, I recently tested a new load for my Glock 34 (factory barrel) and was quite pleased with the results. I had about 4 lbs of an old 8 lb container of W231 lying around so I figured I'd use it up. This is what I came up with:

147gr. Zero jhp, 3.5gr. W231, 1.145" c.o.l., WSP primer, Avg. velocity (pact MKIV chrono) 874fps, Extreme Spread 20fps, PF 128.

The load was very soft feeling, compared to the 124gr loads I had been shooting. I haven't benched it at distance yet but am interested to see what it does at 50 yards. What I can tell you is that I put 5 shots in 1 hole at 10 yards (slow fire) freestyle! I know the PF came in a little low (I like to be around 130), so I bumped the powder charge up a smidge to 3.6 gr. of W231. The Arredondo powder bar has shown to throw very constant charges with such a light load and a small grained powder. I'm definitely happy with this load and will be shooting it this year in competition.