ZERO 9MM FMJ 124 gr load data

[Quick Draw McGraw]

Contacted ZERO bullet company and inquired about load data for their 124 gr 9mm FMJ bullets. They recommend the following:

Powder : HP-38 5.0 grains

COAL: 1.110/1.095

CRIMP: 0.376/0.375

I've loaded their 45ACP 230 GR fmj FOLLOWING THEIR LOAD DATA OF: HP-38 5.8 - 5.4 gr; COAL 1.265/1.245

My current load being 5.5 gn & 5.6 gn HP-38 w/ COAL 1.255 and they shoot real nice.

Just seems like their recommended 9mm load above might be a little hot. Any opinions?? Bob

[Cy Soto]

Just seems like their recommended 9mm load above might be a little hot. Any opinions?? Bob

5.0gr of HP-38 is just two tenths over what Hodgdon recommends on their web page for 125gr. I don't think that 5.0gr is an excessively hot load but it will certainly produce more felt recoil than if you were using a faster powder.

If I were in your position, I would probably start loading at 4.5gr and chrono up from there.

[Quick Draw McGraw]

Just seems like their recommended 9mm load above might be a little hot. Any opinions?? Bob

5.0gr of HP-38 is just two tenths over what Hodgdon recommends on their web page for 125gr. I don't think that 5.0gr is an excessively hot load but it will certainly produce more felt recoil than if you were using a faster powder.

If I were in your position, I would probably start loading at 4.5gr and chrono up from there.

I was thinking 4.6 as a start point but I may even lower that and work up. Thanks Bob.

[CZinSC]

Also, you might want to double check the weight on those bullets. I bet you find they are closer to 125 than 124. The last two shipments I've received of Zero 124 FMJ, actually weigh anywhere from 124.7 to 125.2. Not a huge difference, but if you're figuring out Power Factor, it can make a decent enough difference.

FWIW, I'm loading these over either 4.3gns of Titegroup, or 4.3gns of VV320. Both are getting me an average 130-131 PF.

[Quick Draw McGraw]

CZ in SC: What OAL are you using?

[CZinSC]

I'm using a CZ SP01. For the TG load, I was using 1.150. For 320, i'm using 1.140. What I did was take loads of 1.13, 1.14, 1.15 to the range, all at 4.3gns and bench rest fired at a target 15 yards away and decided on the OALs based on the accuracy. ( 15 yards becauase for me, 25 yards is too difficult to determine accuracy, and 10 yards is too close, everything was hitting the 3 inch diamter circle i was aiming at)