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Best Powder for 9mm Major


chuckbradley

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Running low on 3n37 and was hoping there is a better choice. If not I will get more. Only issue with 3n37 is the case capacity and the mess it makes. So i am looking for a DENSE, SLOW, CLEAN, CONSISTENT powder as an alternative. Dont tell me SP2 unless its available again. What powder do you think even if its stay with 3n37.

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My two favorite powders for 9-Major are 3N37 and HS6. Under a MG 115 JHP at 1.165, it takes 9.0gr HS6 or 8.7gr 3N37 for a 175PF out of my full size 2011. Both loads have an almost identical feel to them. If you are running 124s, I also recommend trying AA#7. 10.0gr under a MG 124 CMJ gave me a 181-182PF.

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Chuck I like AutoComp for the reasons you mentioned. I run 7.3 with MG 121's @1.168 for 173 PF out of my Cheely. The case is only about 3/4 full. No spillage, clean enough, easy to get and I get 173 on every chrono I come up against.

I tried HS 6 and it was pretty full and reportedly pretty temp sensitive. 3N37 was just way to full. Silhouette is a good 9MAJOR powder as well but for me the case was too full.

I have a Briley Barrel in my gun and it has proven to be slower than some others so you might get away with a little less powder than I mentioned. Plus if you run ZERO's you will also probably need less powder than MG.

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My favorite load is with HS-6 but it is dirty. I don't like the feel of it but AutoComp is cleaner, dense, but still slow enough and works the comp well. Just a different recoil impulse that I do not like so I stuck with HS-6...

True Blue is another that is very close to AutoComp in most terms and is my second favorite behind HS-6 (for a 124 gr bullet)

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The three powders I've tested and used. The powders do not fill the case and normally don't slop powder out. Each powder has it's pros and cons and feels different in every gun.

Silhouette ---115 through 124

HS6 ---115 through 124

Autocomp --124

N350 --124

If the gun runs for 500 rounds (Most major matches are less rounds), then I could care less how clean burning the powder is.

Edited by lcs
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I have found that Silhouette works best for me with 115 grain Zero or MG JHP's. It works just as well with 124's but, I really like how flat the 115's shoot. I bounced back and forth with Silhouette and HS6 for a while and I really could not tell the difference when shooting either. They felt the same and accuracy was excellent but, I shot a couple of stages back to back, several times, and while the times were almost identical I scored much better with the Silhouette. Now I keep a couple pounds of HS6 in the cabinet just in case Silhouette becomes hard to find. Silhouette is reverse temp sensitive but I have shot the same load from 40 deg to 113 deg and always made major [178-169PF respectively]. Remarkably, the PF changes but the gun shoots the same all the way through the range.

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Running low on 3n37 and was hoping there is a better choice. If not I will get more. Only issue with 3n37 is the case capacity and the mess it makes. So i am looking for a DENSE, SLOW, CLEAN, CONSISTENT powder as an alternative. Dont tell me SP2 unless its available again. What powder do you think even if its stay with 3n37.

I started with SP-2 went to 3N37 and then switched to Ramshot Silhouette It should shoot very similiar to your 3N37 with about 1/4" of case left.

I have a 5" gun with no holes in the barrel & use 125JHP Zero at 1.165 7.8 grains gets me 170-171PF.

(Silhouette is rumored to be the old Winchester WAP formula. It leave's some gold looking flecks of residue behind but has never caused any problems.)

Maybe see you at Nats.

Jeff Matsche

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Ramshot Silhoutte meters exceptionally well (spherical-shaped) and burns clean.

It also performs very well/clean in a 9mm Minor Load for 3 Gun/Production.

As mentioned earlier, recoil impulse is the same as HS6, Autocomp, and 3n37, as the burn rates are nearly identical.

Jack

Edited by Jack T
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By "consistent" I don't know if you mean low SD's or low lot-to-lot variation, so I won't comment on that.

HS6 is slow and dense but not clean. Silhouette is likewise.

Autocomp is dense and clean but not slow.

7625 is clean but not slow or dense.

Power Pistol is slow-ish and clean but not particularly dense, SD's suck and the velocity can actually start dropping at high charge weights. Don't bother.

N350 would not safely make major in my gun.

True Blue, AA#7, Pro Reach, Longshot, 3N38, I have not tried.

I started off using 3N37 and switched to 7625. I've been playing with HS6 this year and I like how it shoots, but I hate cleaning it up, and I've had some odd chrono results. If you made me choose one to stick with it would be 7625.

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I have tried all of the usual suspects for 9 Major powder and settled on True Blue. It is a very dense powder, a full pound will fit in a Dillon measure. It meters great and does not make a mess on my 650. I have not found it to be noticeably temperature sensative.

In my full size open gun (no popple holes) the gun is dead flat and smooth, with the dot barely moving.

Here is an portion of my excel spreadsheet from last loading session:

1395, 1400, 1403, 1393, 1405, 1388, 1398, 1403, 1425, 1411,

Case: range brass

Powder 7.8 Grains True Blue

Primer Wolf SRP

Oal 1.156

Standard Deviation 9.833107

Average Velocity 1402.1

Bullet Weight 124 Montana Gold FMJ

Power Factor 173.8604

I could probably back it down some, but the gun runs so well I do not want to mess with it. dry.gif

Scott Arnburg

Edited by sarnburg
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When I first started shooting 9mm major I used rue Blue with excellent results. I have since switched to Silhouette. The Silhouette is cleaner burning than the True Blue and is very consistant metering in a Dillon press. I load 124 gr Montanna Gold or Zero 125 gr JHPs.

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My favorite load is with HS-6 but it is dirty. I don't like the feel of it but AutoComp is cleaner, dense, but still slow enough and works the comp well. Just a different recoil impulse that I do not like so I stuck with HS-6...

True Blue is another that is very close to AutoComp in most terms and is my second favorite behind HS-6 (for a 124 gr bullet)

i have been using hs6 for the longest time since the 38 super /supercomp time. i know its kinda dirty, what i do i just use small rifle or small pistol magnum primers , i guess it burns cleaner with it

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My favorite load is with HS-6 but it is dirty. I don't like the feel of it but AutoComp is cleaner, dense, but still slow enough and works the comp well. Just a different recoil impulse that I do not like so I stuck with HS-6...

True Blue is another that is very close to AutoComp in most terms and is my second favorite behind HS-6 (for a 124 gr bullet)

i have been using hs6 for the longest time since the 38 super /supercomp time. i know its kinda dirty, what i do i just use small rifle or small pistol magnum primers , i guess it burns cleaner with it

I have tried that but it is still dirty. Excellent powder overall but I'm use to clean powders like N320 for my other loads so my comparison may be skewed slightly...

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I don't think it gets any more consistent than VV powders! If you are loading 124s, most of the usual powders feel very similar to me (with the edge going to AA#7). I REALLY prefer the feel of 115s. The dot is much easier to track and my times go down :cheers:

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Chuck: HS-6 is not that dirty at 171-173 power factor. It cleans up easily and is softer that 3N37. I am using 115grain bullets and small rifle primers. HS-6 is also accurate and not as hot as 3N37. Auto comp works well but is a little harsher than HS-6. HS-6 is temp stable as any of the others and gets a little faster with higher temps. I tested it using ones that were in the freezer all night and some at 80 degrees. The difference was only 15FPS. Better than Silhouette which is reverse temp sensitive. Hope this helps and it was nice to see you again at nationals. Thanks, Eric

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