Is this a good starting load? First time loader

[ConeKiller]

We just picked up a Dillon 650 - been searching and reading about several loads. We just finished our first batch.....is this an ok starting load (for 9mm minor)?

9 mm:

4.3 grains Titegroup

1.153 OAL

.375 Crimp

115 grain Berry bullets

CCI Primers

Thanks

[PKT1106]

Might be a little hot for plated bullets, I would go to 3.8gr and work up.

Edited December 1, 2012 by PKT1106

[DougCarden]

OAL is too long for some guns. 1.130 ish will fit in pretty much anything. Make sure not to overcrimp. Make sure when you run your finger over it there is no sharp edge and more importantly the round drops in and out of the barrel. When I am showing people how to set up crimp I put less crimp on the round and show the person that it will drop in but wont drop out of the chamber. I then slowly add crimp until the round will drop in drop out. Once you have that, you are there.

That load is below max, you will be fine.

Have fun, it is a great hobby!

DougC

[L3324temp]

Here is my load data for the same powder and bullet. This is out of a 5" M&P Pro.

4.2 Titegroup

1.142 OAL

115g Berry

131.5 PF

[sroe3]

It's a good idea to pull a bullet and see if you are making a mark in the plating by over crimping. .375 is just a little tight. Also check for length by drop testing in the chamber of the guns you'll be running this ammo in. Your ammo should drop in and out and turn freely. I don't use titegroup so I can't comment on the load.

[ConeKiller]

Thanks for the responses. I'll check the ammo in my barrel / chamber today. When researching, I thought I had read that the crimp was .355 diameter of bullet plus .02. Maybe I read it wrong or it was for a different bullet. I'll dial down the crimp and do the barrel check. I just wanted to make sure this load won't blow up :-). Thanks again

[P.E. Kelley]

Please, please please…if you do not have at LEAST one reloading manual (Speer, Hornady, Lee, Sierra) please get one ASAP!

I love the info on the internet and the great guys who help on this and other forums, but for the love of Pete please get a manual

and read it cover to cover so you fully understand what you are doing.

[Red Ryder]

You may save yourself much grief (and possibly an emergency room visit) as a new reloader if you start out with FMJ bullets, 2-3 reloading manuals, a chronograph, a case checker, EGW U die, and an experienced reloader on speed dial (if possible). You may also want to use a powder that fills up the case more, like IMR SR 7625 or Vihtavouri N320 (not Titegroup). That will eliminate any chance of a double charge and you not knowing it cause you will have powder spilled all over the shell plate on a double charge. If you can get 1.153 AOL every time, please share your secrets with the rest of us.

Edited December 3, 2012 by Red Ryder

[Red Ryder]

Think of crimp this way with 9mm. You really don't want any crimp. You just want to remove the bell created by the powder drop that enables you to seat a fresh bullet. Measurement should be around .376 to .378. at the case mouth. Good reading and good luck. And don't let your wife test fire your new loads until you get this reloading thing down pat bro!

Edited December 3, 2012 by Red Ryder

[ConeKiller]

Shot our first batch yesterday. Everything went fine. 4.3 was a little hot. Going to dial down the grain and crimp for 2nd batch. Thanks again.

[mike l m]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck

Mike

[toddje]

Here is my load data for the same powder and bullet. This is out of a 5" M&P Pro.

4.2 Titegroup

1.142 OAL

115g Berry

131.5 PF

That's about what I use when I can only get 115gr bullets. I like the 124's and 147's better, as they have more of a push to shoot than as snap (just a preference). I'll often swap out Titegroup for Clays or Universal Clays (different weight of Clays, of course) depending on what I can find locally.

Like some have said, make sure you get one (or more) factory manuals on loading. Hodgon (the maker of Titegroup) also has a pretty good loading data website.

Edited December 5, 2012 by toddje

[CocoBolo]

After loading about 50k rounds, I acquired a bunch of reloading stuff with a gun, I sold it all off, including the gun, but no one wanted the powder check. So about a year goes by then one day I decided to dink with the powder check. After a good loading session I felt really stupid. With the powder check I could load a lot faster and I felt more confident. It is amazing how much time you waste looking in cases for powder. You got a 650 invest in the powder check.

In testing mine loading 9 major it will sound off if you are more than .3 gr either way, that is pretty good piece of mine.

When I load on a LNL I watch the powder measure plunger go up and down, faster than looking in cases.

If a 3-Gunner can load a shot gun faster with a hand full of shells, well I started grabbing a handful of bullets at a time, and sure enough it is faster.

FMJ's are idiot proof, the Plated bullets take more care in loading, make sure you are not cutting the plating and don't over crimp. I've seen lots of tumbling Plated bullets.

TiteGroup is cheap, hot, and dirty. Not bad, N320 is the best, IMR7625 is suprisingly good, works in open guns as well.

Get a crono and use it.

[ConeKiller]

Thanks - do have a powder check on our Dillon and have been using a Chrono. Had a match today and ran into a squib load. Couple days ago, I ran through 200 rounds at 4.0 grains TG, .377 crimp and everything went fine. I was chronoing around 1,130 fps. I decided to run the exact same specs for today's match, but decided to dial it down to 3.9 grains and ended up with a squib. Question is would that .1 have made that much of a difference that I would have gotten a squib? I didn't think so, but many of the other shooters were saying temperature may have caused. When I tested my loads couple days ago, it was around 60 degrees. This morning it was a cold 40 something degrees. I read that titegroup was temp sensitive, but didn't know it was that sensitive?

This was out of a XDm 5.25 and OAL of the bullet was ~ 1.137

Also, have a batch of Montana Gold CMJ's coming in.

Edited December 10, 2012 by ConeKiller