Hi-Power Jack

My first Large match, I didn't sleep One Minute (no exaggeration) all night - didn't affect me - I still shot as badly as usual?( The first Three rules are safety, safety and safety - don't get DQ'd. After that, accuracy is next in importance followed by safety. Don't even think about speed. Set up our approach to the course of fire (talk to some old hands about it, and watch them shoot it) - then decide where to reload, etc. and shoot it carefully - don't run too fast, don't drop your gun, don't turn around (break the 180), and rule number 5 or 6? is Have A Lot Of Fun. Good luck tomorrow. Where are you shooting? Factoryville?

If you do everything consistently (force on the handle) you should get more consistent results than 4.3 - 4.9. It is difficult to get consistenly accurate weight measurements froma beam balance scale - many things will make same weight look different - try shooting the 50 and see what type of accuracy you're getting - if they're accurate, they are probably more consistent than you're measuring. If not, then you have to work on working the handle of the press more consistently each time you load.

WOW!! 9 grains. I was worried about using 8 grains and a MG 115 JHP in my Beretta 92 stainless.I feel better now nothing like BE fourms You can't use 8 or 9 grains in a Beretta. This is a 9mm major load - like a .357 magnum - you can't shoot it in a .38. You need to stick to 9mm minor loads - 1100 - 1250 fps. this is the load I got off handloads.com this does not make major. "MG 115JHP 8.3 gr HS6 1,350 fps 1.23" WSP Duplicates the 115gr Corbon JHP in my Taurus, good for practice if you carry Cor bon in your 9mm" minor 155.2 I planed on cutting it back to 8 grains. I may be wrong, but I don't think you can load a MG 115 gr JHP out to 1.23" in a 9mm? Maybe 1.18"?? Jack

WOW!! 9 grains. I was worried about using 8 grains and a MG 115 JHP in my Beretta 92 stainless.I feel better now nothing like BE fourms You can't use 8 or 9 grains in a Beretta. This is a 9mm major load - like a .357 magnum - you can't shoot it in a .38. You need to stick to 9mm minor loads - 1100 - 1250 fps.

Great idea to send them to Federal - see what they say. I might try a dozen of them and see what happens in a practice session - the primers themselves look okay. But, may as well wait for Federal's response.

Not sure a SWC would feed in a 9mm? Is that lead or jacketed? Not sure why you wouldn't take a light load for a 115 gr bullet, and try that? You don't mention what type of gun, what you're doing with the load, power factor you're looking for, powders you're looking at, type of bullet? etc

Try Winchester Auto Comp - really nice with 124 MG JHP's. Jack

If you need lead bullets, and you don't need any particular power factor - I'd suggest you try the 115 grains - they're a little cheaper and you can load them pretty soft (around pf 110 if they'll work your slide). Almost any powder will do that, without much problem. Use the lowest amount of powder recommended and drop it 0.2 grains until it doesn't function - then go up 0.2 gr and you've found it if it's accurate and feels good.

If speed is important (you'd like to start shooting your Open gun in April) look at Brazos' STI TruBor. They'll ship you one in a week or two - I have two of them, love them. You'll have to decide on caliber - 9mm major or .38 super. You can be shooting in three weeks. If time is not important to you, talk to some good gunsmiths - you still have to pick a caliber. Good luck with a great project - I started shooting OPEN three years ago, and LOVE it.

I shoot mine in the shade or on cloudy days, and it works just fine - once in a while I'll get an error message, but I fire 15 - 20 shots at a time to average the velocity, so one error message is fine.

As you check prices, see how much you're saving by shooting lead instead of fmj or jhp - unless you're saving a bundle, you get less cleaning of the gun/ reloader and usually less smoke if you move to copper jacketed bullets. Better feeding and accuracy might also be found with the copper jacketed bullets. Check your prices vs. Montana Gold's - if you buy in quantity, they aren't too much money and they ship for free. If you're near Area 6, someone just posted to sell Tula primers for $20/1,000 - you might want to try some of them - may or not be too hard for your gun - okay for practice, though - they work fine in my gun.

I throw away all S & B, but haven't had any trouble with Blazer.

Paul, if you engage the stars from top to bottom, they move a lot less - don't really "spin". They really start to "spin" if you shoot from bottom up. But, ten plates in 12 seconds is pretty good shooting, especially at those distances. Weren't there 13 other pieces of steel? Not 10? 13 pieces of steel in 12 seconds is even better:) Keep it up.

Just fired another 175 Tula SPMagnum primers in my STI TruBor - that's a total now of about 250, and they all went off the first time. Using range brass, 124 gr MG JHP's, and 7.0 grains WAC at 1.165". (not sure any of that means anything in this context). Since I had trouble with the Wolf primers in my Browning Hi=Power, I assume I'd have trouble with the Tulas also in that gun, but they work well in my TruBor.

You made the same mistake I did - I tried to shoot a few pieces of steel while walking and didn't do very much besides wasted some ammo and time. That was a bad idea:(

That's exactly the way to look at it, Paul. You don't compete with Limited guns that hold 18 rounds and shoot major, or with Open guns that hold 29 rounds of major ammo, with optical sights. You are competing with everyone who has a Production 9mm minor gun with 10 rounds. And, sounds like You Did Great !!! How did you like the all-steel stage? (24 pieces of steel) - that's a real test of a Production gun - very happy I had an Open gun for that stage:)) Keep it up - Jack

Major difference is the high cost of xtp's- mgs/ zeros are very accurate - don't need to break the bank on xtp's. Most people get better accuracy from MG's than they need.

If you're in it just for fun and relaxation, there's nothing wrong with the 9mm factory loads - that's how I started. Later, if you become competitive, you can reload your 9mm (save all the cartridge cases this year) to higher velocities and make 9mm major (125 grain bullet @ 1320 fps). Only disadvantage to shooting minor is that you'll have more points deducted for missing the A zone (hitting the C or D zones). But, that doesn't matter if you're having fun.

Could be the lubrication you're spraying on your cartridge cases during the reloading process? Or, your hammer isn't hitting the primer hard enough?

I agree with other posts - sort your brass, play with OAL (my P-35 was more accurate at 1.12" than any other OAL) - and experiment. My P-35 is much more accurate with 147 grains bullets than 115's or 124's. Powder will also make a difference - WW231 was pretty good for me.

Were the factory ammo groups around 1"? I'd definitely shorten your OAL - check accuracy at 1.12" OAL. Jack

I ordered 20,000 of them - just tried 75 of them, and they all went bang the first time in my STI TruBor:) Hope that continues - probably won't work in my Browning P-35 Hi-Power - but might be okay for practice.

Save your brass - you will be reloading soon:)

If you don't have a preference, the 124's are less expensive:) I prefer the 147's slow push.

I'm on the wall with you - can't figure this out. No, crimp is to assure feeding - not avoid setback. Sounds like you're definitely not overcrimping ... Undercrimping will mean you'll have rounds not chamber properly. Have you checked velocity of your rounds? Fired any groups, lately, with factory ammo (still getting small tight groups?) Is it possible your sights have shot loose - happened to me with a Colt Gold Cup and an STI TruBor - Still thinking ... Jack