Marc82Much Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) I bought a used Redding Turret Press. With it came 4 lbs of VV 320, and 1,000 Lead Bayou Bullets - 147. I have been collecting my brass for some some, now it is time to try my hand at hand loading. Since I shoot a Springfield 9mm XDM 5.25 Comp, and I already have the bullets, brass and powder, what recipe might you recommend? I am only interested in IDPA and USPSA shooting, at this time. Also, what reloading book might you suggest as a reference and background for recipes, etc. Thanks. Edited October 19, 2011 by Marc82Much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Build a dummy round (no powder, no primers) of the correct over all length (OAL) that you end up trying first. In my XDM 5.25, the longest OAL I can use is 1.110" with Precision 147gr bullets. I'm not sure how the Bayou 147gr compares to the Precisions I'm using, but it's a fair bet you have similar issues. If I could, I'd load 147gr moly bullets at 1.125" with 3.2 gr of Solo 1000 and WSP primers. It's a well known soft shooting load, assuming your pistol can take the 1.125" OAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdude Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 http://www.vihtavuori-lapua.com/disclaimer.php http://www.hornady.com/store/8th-Edition-Reloading-Manual/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Vigilante Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Do you really have a Comp on your pistol? If so, it will be illegal for IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Do you really have a Comp on your pistol? If so, it will be illegal for IDPA. Obviously he isn't trying to make major with a fast powder and a heavy bullet, it will go kaboom before it makes major. I've shot my Major 9 Open gun in IDPA, they call it outlaw division, course when I ran the stage in 7 seconds and the best IDPA guy ran it in 30 well it raised some eyebrows. For our loader though get them as long as possible and start out with 3.1 or 3.2gr of N320, if you can get to 1.145 that would be optimal. Crono and look for pressure signs and adjust accordingly. Nothing wrong with a lee turret but keep a close eye on your powder drops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc82Much Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) Do you really have a Comp on your pistol? If so, it will be illegal for IDPA. No, no compensator. The model is 5.25 Competition Series....Comp for short. Edited October 19, 2011 by Marc82Much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckell101 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I recommend Lyman manual, but at the same time, Hogdon's has a pretty comprehensive cookbook online. Here is my recipe: SNS 125 grain lead round nose 3.2 Grain of Clays powder I have had no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodownzero Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I recommend Lyman manual, but at the same time, Hogdon's has a pretty comprehensive cookbook online. Here is my recipe: SNS 125 grain lead round nose 3.2 Grain of Clays powder I have had no problems. Clays is not recommended with heavy bullets in 9mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I recommend Lyman manual, but at the same time, Hogdon's has a pretty comprehensive cookbook online. Here is my recipe: SNS 125 grain lead round nose 3.2 Grain of Clays powder I have had no problems. Clays is not recommended with heavy bullets in 9mm. Shoot some groups at 25 yards and 50 yards and tell us about the accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueeyedme Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Lucky guy...the 147 Bayou Bullet is my favorite load. My gaming load is 3.8gr N330 @1.135 for that bullet. PF is 135 out of my P226 and it is the most accurate load out of my gun. VV does not recommend N320 for a bullet heavier than 130gr but I know some guys here load it. If I were you, I would start my load development at 3.0gr of N320 and work your way up. I suspect your final load will be around 3.3-3.4 range to get the velocity you need. I agree with CocoBolo above - which is why I am shooting at 135pf - laser accurate at 25 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauntedfuture Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 3.2 Solo 1000 with naked lead 147 in a 5" makes 130 PF. Several shooters here in the area shooting this same load or close to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbauer67 Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Personally, I think the Sierra reloading Manuel is great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 (edited) Caliber: 9mm Powder: 3.5gr Vihtavuori N320 Bullet: 147gr Precision Bullets (Molly coated lead) Case: Winchester Primer: Winchester Small Pistol OAL: 1.141 Out of my M&P 9L this yields around a 135 power factor. Edited October 28, 2011 by jdphotoguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc82Much Posted October 28, 2011 Author Share Posted October 28, 2011 Caliber: 9mm Powder: 3.5gr Vihtavuori N320 Bullet: 147gr Precision Bullets (Molly coated lead) Case: Winchester Primer: Winchester Small Pistol OAL: 1.141 Out of my M&P 9L this yields around a 135 power factor. I did my first ten reloaded bullets. I used: Powder: 3.4gr Vihtavuori N320 Bullet: 147gr Hornady HP/XTP Case: Range Brass Primer: Federal Match Small Pistol OAL: 1.141 I took them to the range and loaded them into my Springfield 9MM XDM 5.25. They all fired, and cycled properly. I bought 1,000 Bayou Bullets 147gr (Moly coated cast lead) but have not used them yet. I bought 100 of the Hornady to learn with because VV has published loads for that particular bullet. Now that I have actually set up my gear and processed 10 real reloads, I am feeling a little more confident. I will try your load when start on the Bayou Bullets. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I did my first ten reloaded bullets. I used: Powder: 3.4gr Vihtavuori N320 Bullet: 147gr Hornady HP/XTP Case: Range Brass Primer: Federal Match Small Pistol OAL: 1.141 I took them to the range and loaded them into my Springfield 9MM XDM 5.25. They all fired, and cycled properly. That OAL is much longer than most 9mm XDMs allow, you're probably into the rifling when you're chambering each round. If you remove your barrel from the slide and drop that round into the chamber, does the round freely drop in? Does it freely fall out of the chamber when you turn the barrel upside down? You may be running a very ragged edge here, be very careful. If you're loading the rounds into the rifling, you're probably setting the bullet back into the case. This raises pressure and increases risks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Vigilante Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 (edited) I would agree with Ihatepickles that the OAL you are using sounds long for the XDm 5.25. I use Precision Moly 147g and have been using an OAL of 1.12. However, I see you are using Hornady XTP JHP's so the ogive may well be different and will let you use a longer OAL. Just give it the barrel check Ihatepickles describes above and see if the ammo passes. Edited October 28, 2011 by The_Vigilante Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sin-ster Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 It could easily be that the ogive profile of the XTP is keeping the bullet off of the rifling, as IIRC, it's a pretty sharp "cone" shape. EVERY TIME you switch projectiles, you should establish the max safe OAL (leaving yourself at least .010 buffer for discrepancies-- with .015 being better). I definitely suggest that moving to an LRN from any HP. I've heard that in most cases, the gun simply won't feed or go properly into battery if you've got too long of a bullet. It'd take a REAL stroke of bad luck to have it chamber and be touching the rifling-- but it CAN happen, and you don't want it to be you who draws the short straw. That said, because I load my rounds long, I insist that anyone who wants to try my load pull their barrel and let me drop/spin check it, just to be sure. No reason to tempt fate! In many cases, the magazines will be the limiting factor. My G17 for example could safely take 1.180+ (IIRC-- have it written down somewhere), but the mags choke on anything past 1.165, leaving me loaded at 1.160 for some breathing room. Others pistols however are the opposite-- the XDm and CZ being the most notable in our sport. IOW-- be careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now