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Need Steel Challenge 9 MM Load


Jaxshooter

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I am looking for a Steel Challenge load to shoot in my Akai Katana 9 mm open gun.

I am using 121 IFP Jacketed bullets and have the following powders to choose from, Silhouette, Clays, 7625 and Competition. Looking for a starting load. All loads will be chronoed.

Thanks

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I've found Clays to be a nice 9MM load for lighter bullets. I use 124 FMJs, so my load won't work for you most likely, but I downloaded this from Hodgdon's website. You could call them or work a load up starting with the minimum for 125 and work up from there to get the velocity you are looking for. It's always best to verify for yourself before trusting what somebody else says is the right load.

Hodgdon Powder Company

Cartridge Load Recipe Report - 11/14/2013

data.hodgdon.com

9mm Luger

Load Type: Pistol Powder: Clays

9mm Luger

Cartridge Load Data Starting Loads

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Maximum Loads

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Bullet Weight (Gr.) Powder Bullet Diam. C.O.L. Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure Grs. Vel. (ft/s) Pressure

115 GR. LRN Clays .356" 1.100" 3.0 954 25,300 CUP 3.4 1039 31,000 CUP

115 GR. SPR GDHP Clays .355" 1.125" 3.7 1066 30,900 CUP 3.9 1095 32,600 CUP

125 GR. LCN Clays .356" 1.125" 2.9 899 22,700 CUP 3.3 993 30,900 CUP

125 GR. SIE FMJ Clays .355" 1.090" 3.5 1010 28,000 CUP 3.7 1056 32,500 CUP

130 GR. BERB RN Clays .356" 1.150" 2.7 755 27,400 PSI 3.0 853 31,700 PSI

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For steel challenge there is no power factor so I use the lightest load that will cycle reliably in my CZ TS. Either 4.3 unique or 3.7 Titegroup. Either with 124 gr jhp from Precision Delta at 1.100 OAL. Works like a champ every time.

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  • 1 month later...

Anyone use something like Blue Dot? Slower powder and should have lots of gasses to work the comp?

Don't know about compensator issues but 6.5 grains of Blue Dot is a good shooting load with 124 grain fmj in my g17.

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assume your katana has Popple holes and the old style comp you will be very unlikely to find a load that will work the comp and be as soft shooting as a faster powder that doesn't work the comp.

With that said i have tried several loads in my trubore 9 major with 3holes

Hs-6 at around 115 pf with a 121 7pound spring

Tight group at 125 pf with a 124 9 pound spring

Wst with a 121/124 be careful with this one its an awesome load but you might have to stay with a 124 and as light a spring as you can get that will still strip rounds off the mag cause it doesnt take much to start seeing preasure

Autocomp

My experience has been when using a duel purpose gun... Major and steel... Most often you are better off just using a faster powder and adjusting your spring weight

There is no point in giving charge weights because you are going to need to run as low a charge that will cycle the gun at a given spring rate for me it was 4.3 grains of wst with a 121 @ 1.165

So with that said and the powders you have on hand my top choice would be clays first then 7625

I would start at the given starting charge for 9mm ignoring the oal... Since I'm sure you are running at around 1.165 be prepared to run a 6 or 7 lb spring

I have always found that medium charges are not as good as just straight up full uspsa load or fast burning low pf loads. The medium charges give to much flip and doesn't justify the the little bit of comp work

Scratch all this If you are shooting a dedicated steel gun with a comp made to run at lower pf

Good thing here titanium is your friend

Edited by Mat Price
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I like AUTO COMP.. my favorite load is 5.6gr of Auto Comp using MG 124 FMJ bullets.. produces 140 PF in my Steel Masters..

+1 for Autocomp. Great powder for 9mm. I'm loading 5.4gr with a 124gr Xtreme PRN for steel.

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