Hodgdon Clays as cleanest - but no 147 gr. 9mm bul

[jkushner1]

Hodgdon Clays as cleanest - but no 147 gr. 9mm bullet data

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I load light 9mm in 147 grain LRN for IPSC, IDPA and STEEL. Currently using 3.3 gr. of Titegroup but its quite dirty (as many a post echo). At 3.3 grains they fly at about 890-900 fps making Minor PF. Anyway, I want to try regular Clays (not Universal) as recommended here and on 1911forum.com, but Hodgdon only lists regular Clays for 115/125 grain bullets in 9mm Luger, and does not list reg. Clays for 147 grain bullets - Does anyone have experiences loading reg. Clays in 9mm with 147 grain bullets, if so please provide your recipe - Many thanks in advance or if you have a suggestion because of other experience with Clays, please hit reply. (Oh by the way the gun is Para LDA 18.9 9mm)

Thanks,

Jon

[DougCarden]

Do not go below 3.0gr with 147 lead with Clays at 1.110 OAL. It doesnt obiturate the bullet enough to seal the barrel, hence squibsville! I know this as I also know that a guide rod makes a great bullet pusher out of the Barrel.......

2.8gr with 125 and 122 lrn is great, but not the heavy bullet. I also like Titegroup for this as well.

[Harmon]

i suspect due to the smoke and nastyiness of lead bullet you will not want to use them.....9mm doesnt seem to like clays, and i think clays doesnt like the 9 as well...i have shot clays loaded 9s with 115s, and they were little high on pressure, and gave mediocre performance(some guns wouldnt make the power factor. 3.5 grains of the new bullseye isnt bad load...with berrys 147s loaded to 1.15 its cleaner than factory winchesters and blazers which are pretty clean anyway..

I would steer away from clays in the 9mm, there are plenty of other good powders that will work...and be plenty clean, Universal comes to mind...clays with 147s in a 9mm scares me.

[ErikW]

Nope, never got Clays to work with 147. What DougC said: it's for use with 124/125-ish only. In fact, Clays was only happy with lead bullets for me, not jacketed, and only at low velocity.

For a 147, you can't beat N330. N320 works with a wide selection of bullet weights, too. And they are both clean.

[neil]

I used clays with a 147 lead bullet and it would make most of the shots tumble and keyhole. Then I tried Universal Clays and it shot great.

Neil

[gm iprod]

I have found that with a 147gr JHP Straight Clays is way too fast. Try WSF, V V N330 or 340, Universal Clays or Unique, there are others. Anything around that burn rate is going to be safer and more likely to be more accurate if you have to make 125PF.

[jkushner1]

Thanks guys:

Doug: do the 2.8 grain with 122/125 grain bullets make minor PF ?

Neal: Is the Universal loaded light, if so how's your burn rate, residue situation ?

Erik: I thought the VV N330 was supposed to be dirty at lower pressure - I'm itching to try a VV product.

GM Irpod: Thanks !

Gents: Have a great holidays weekend, no IPSC bit I'm shooting steel.

[Nik Habicht]

Jon,

Just to confuse you further, I still shoot Winchester 231 under my 147s.....

Pretty clean --- and cheap!

[ErikW]

I run the 147s at about 950 fps with N330 and it's clean. Same for 115s at near 1200. I just shot a ton of 124s below 1000 fps (starting load) and it was still clean even at that low pressure. At the same time I developed that load for GSSF I tried Clays under the same bullet for the same velocity and it didn't group.