Some results for Clay's Universal

[mississaugagunnut]

Here are some of my results from today's Chrony session. Shot from a G17, stock barrel. The weather was -9 C.

4.2g Clay's Universal 124 fmj rn Frontier COAL 1.14

Low 921 fps

High 1050 fps

Avg. 986.7

Second group same load

Low 921 fps

High 1065 fps

Avg 990 fps

4.4g Clay's Universal 124 fmj rn Frontier COAL 1.14

Low 939 fps

High 1046 fps'

Avg 1005 fps

Second group same load

Low 1009 fps

High 1056 fps

Avg 1039 fps

4.6g Clay's Universal 124 fmj rn Frontier COAL 1.14

Low 1005 fps

High 1131 fps

Avg 1075 fps

Second group same load

Low 1005 fps

High 1056 fps

Avg 1034 fps

It looks like I will have to go with 4.6g to make minor in IPSC. This is my first time using this powder. It's all that I can get up here. I prefer Clays for both 9 and 45 but since Clays is hard to come by I will only use it for 45 and I will use Universal only for 9.

[8ring]

Your averages are consistent with mine using Universal in 9mm. I have used Montana Gold 124gr and Zero 124gr FMJ bullets. However, your extreme spreads are much higher than what I got with my FMJ bullets. I use a Lee "U-die" resizing die which sizes the case mouth a little smaller than usual and, I think, gives better neck tension and more consistent combustion of the powder charge. That's the theory anyway.

IIRC, the Frontier bullets are plated hard-cast. These might work better with the Lee U-die than soft-lead plated bullets that would likely swage to a smaller diameter and possibly affect accuracy.

4.6 gr of Universal under either the Montana Gold or Zero 124gr FMJ is what I use if Titegroup is not available.

Universal works quite well in 9mm 115 and 124gr bullets. It burns cooler than Titegroup, burns clean, and isn't too loud. The felt recoil between 4.1gr Titegoup and the 4.6 gr. Universal powder charges is minimal.

Universal is much more suitable to 9mm than "straight Clays" which is much too fast for high pressure loads in small cases at 130+ power factor. Some folks here, including "Cocobolo" have used Clays in 9mm and said that the groups looked more like shotgun patterns. YMMV.

Chris

[Justsomeguy]

As an aside, most people will now refer to Universal Clays as just Universal as it avoids problems of other persons confusing the faster Clays with Universal which could be catastrophic. Even Hodgdon now refers to it generally as "Universal".

[mississaugagunnut]

Thanks for the replies. I was loading using a 650 with the Lee FC crimping die.

[njl]

-9C and you're out shooting? I've never heard of Universal being temperature sensitive, but I've been using it for years for 9mm 124gr and 147gr jacketed bullets.

For 124gr, I find that 4.3-4.4gr has no problem making minor PF from a Glock 17.

For 147gr, 3.4-3.5gr works well, but is beyond Hodgdon's published max.

Where'd you get the idea to start at 4.2gr? That's below any starting load for 124gr FMJ I've seen.