9mm 147gr X-Treme light recoil loads

[Glen9010]

I have been reading a huge amount on light recoil 9mm loads. Most suggested 147gr. I have xtreme 147gr RN. The powders I can choose from are Power Pistol, Silhouette, Bullseye, CFE Pistol, Unique, Titegroup and 231. I have found some suggested loads but many are for lead bullets and the OAL ranges from 1.100" to 1.165". I am confident in making sure I don't over charge but my questions come in on OAL.

Does anyone have some suggested loads with OAL that I can start from? A lot of load data is done with a Hornady XTP which in a HP and I don't know how that data would translate to a Plated RN.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am fairly new to reloading so I would rather be cautious and careful. I have figured out some nice loads for my .40 S&W but that was a lot easier than this 147gr 9mm stuff.

Thanks again

Glen

[DMax]

I dont have the exact answer you are asking but its related none the less.

I load up coated lead 147s (blue bullets) with ~3.6gr of WST. The load is light and the brass dribbles out of my G19. Super soft to shoot.

Based on my reading and other's experiences as well as my own, charge weights in WST are very similar to charges listed for 231/HP38.

[BritinUSA]

I got a 6% increase in velocity with Berry's plated bullets (OAL 1.130) compared to the same load with Montana Gold Jacketed bullets.

[jhr1986]

I have used 3.0 grains of titegroup with both bayou 147gr flat nose and 147gr round nose RMR thick plated bullets. COAL @ 1.115 - 1.120. Both loads averaged right around 905 fps out of my Glock 34.

[blairmckenzie1]

What kind of pistol? The short (1.10) oal is for CZ and others 1.165 is probably for glocks and 1911's

[Glen9010]

Thanks for the quick replies. I have several Sig 226's and a 2022. Have read Titegroup is well liked but can be sensitive to powder weight. Not much difference between min load and max load. typically .5gr. I suppose I have a lot of options. As long as I don't go too light and stay clear of max, should be good to check for function and then consistency.

Any others?

[trgt]

Most of the stuff I read on light recoil talk about the combination of heavy bullet and fast powder. I think fastest of what is you list is Titegroup, then 231 after that, based on their relative burn rate.

I liked how Titegroup shot in terms of feel and accuracy, but switched to Vihtavuori N320 which is relatively similar burn rate, but cleaner burning for me (less black stuff in gun).

[thermobollocks]

2.8 of Clays with a lead 147 at 1.14 is hilariously light. It doesn't make PF but the recoil is nice.

[TANFARM]

Been doing a lot of experimenting with 147 Xtreme RN and HP.......

Have tried : 3.0-3.5 grn Vih N320......1.13 COL.....settled on 3.4 as best compromise ....3.0 caused substantial stove pipes.

Then 3.1-3.3 grn Titiegroup....all seemed ok..different " feel" on the recoil end...a couple of hang ups a low charge...same loading specs.

Shooting an STI Edge 9mm......I have resigned myself that the bunny loads are not worth the effort and risk of misfires.

I prefer the N320 hands down.....clean, crisp and good recoil level......of course I will continue the experimentation ...next W231 on the list.....this is why I enjoy reloading....the experiment of the load is very interesting......and imthinkmthese Xtreme bullets are a darn good bang for the buck...forgive the pun.........and it goes on......

[DMax]

On a 1911, its a simple task to change the recoil spring to allow lighter loads to cycle.

I wont get into many details, but I've once loaded a 45 so slow you could see it fly downrange. Probably only 400fps max. That was a light load and a light spring.

[12glocks]

Glock 34, Power Pistol 3.3 gr, COL 1.140, velocity 875 FPS, PF 125.

To address your other question about COL, there is a lot of variability in the COL for 9mm bullets in the manuals. If I were going to pick a "standard" I observe on here I would say 1.130. I prefer a little longer with 147's. If it is a bullet in the manual like the Hornady 147 FMJ (which is a long bullet) I load it to 1.160 even though the manual says 1.165. I know these long rounds will not chamber in some guns.

When I shortened my COL I chronographed my loads to make sure there was no surprises. Everything I have read about reloading the 9mm has cautioned about potential big pressure increases when shortening the COL because of the small case capacity.

I choose not to use propellants like Bullseye because it is possible to double charge the case, I have used 231 and it works well, Unique is OK but is seem like it did not meter so great through my Redding (seemed like Dillon was OK) meter, I really want to try the CFE pistol, when loading hot 40's with fast propellants I glocked a lot of cases. I did not do that so much when I slowed the propellant burn speed down.

[thermobollocks]

What kind of standard deviations do you get with such a light charge of Power Pistol?

[racknrider]

I load the xtreme 147 over 3.2g of titegroup at 1.15" and get 130pf from my 5" barrel. I know guys that go as low as 2.9g at that length.

[Glen9010]

Excellent! Since I have access to a variety of powders, I will do some workups on several different ones. With my .40 Sig, I did a workup on 180gr xtreme with 231 and had issues on the low end. Ended up at 4.1gr of 231, no issues with gun function and shot well.

Appreciate all of the input!

[hlpressley]

I load the xtreme 147 over 3.2g of titegroup at 1.15" and get 130pf from my 5" barrel. I know guys that go as low as 2.9g at that length.

I am loading this same load and it works well out my 5" M&P. Recoil is light and usually runs about 130 power factor.

[inertia]

The softest load I can find to make pf with that bullet is 3.0 clay dot @ 1.15

[osw333]

I used 147gr RN xtreme with 3.2 Titegroup, OAL 1.135 on cz sp01 custom. Last 2 match chrono at 130 power factory. It's great production load.

[rtp]

3.2gr Titegroup w/Xtreme 147gr netted me ~130PF, with an OAL of 1.14"

4.2gr of CFE-Pistol w/same bullet and OAL netted me a PF of 132 in a CZ SP01.

Now, why people are discussing OAL and not a single person showed the OP HOW TO CHECK MAX OAL FOR HIMSELF...is kinda beyond me, but this is how you do it - you should never be taking 'random OALs' from load books OR online, IMO, and it's simple to check Max yourself:

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=34225.msg189131#msg189131

Edited May 4, 2015 by rtp

[Glen9010]

Thanks for the OAL link, rtp. Same basic method as using the Hornady OAL gauge using their modified cases for rifles. Great info. I was just thinking of doing something like this. Better to find an actual max OAL which contacts the riflings, then back off accordingly.

So much info in these forums. I am never reluctant in asking what I may think is a dumb question, it's probably been asked many times before. And the best part, almost never get razzed for asking, normally get excellent answers, and usually much more info!

Thanks to all!!!

Going to start some workups with Titegroup and also a few others.

[12glocks]

What kind of standard deviations do you get with such a light charge of Power Pistol?

I don't know I just averaged it when it went across the crony. The actual average was 870.1 FPS. The min/max charge in my Hornady 6 for Power Pistol is 3.5/5.1 for a 147.

[robport]

3.2 grains of bullseye with the same Xtreme 147 rn. About 130 PF. 887 average with a STD of 16 feet per second.

out of a 5" walther ppQ. It was about 125 through my 22TCM RIA (9mm barrel).

[rtp]

Thanks for the OAL link, rtp. Same basic method as using the Hornady OAL gauge using their modified cases for rifles. Great info. I was just thinking of doing something like this. Better to find an actual max OAL which contacts the riflings, then back off accordingly.

So much info in these forums. I am never reluctant in asking what I may think is a dumb question, it's probably been asked many times before. And the best part, almost never get razzed for asking, normally get excellent answers, and usually much more info!

Thanks to all!!!

Going to start some workups with Titegroup and also a few others.

The 'good news' is that the Xtreme RNs can generally be loaded long, even in a CZ or PPQ.

Having said that, I've run into a lot of different bullets that really need to be loaded 'surprisingly' short in some guns - where if I'd just 'grabbed a posted' OAL..there would be issues.

Whenever I get a new gun, or new bullets to try, I grab the barrels from the relevant guns, projectiles, a couple of fired cases, and sort out Max physical OAL, then deduce slightly for max loading OAL, and write down in a spreadsheet for each bullet/gun combination - once and done.

[Glen9010]

I checked the max oal in one of my Sig 226 barrels using the above posted method. Used a fired case that fit well in the barrel but allowed the bullet to be snug but still slide. To my surprise, and using several cases and bullets, the max came out to 1.220. I had to check several times and it was very consistent. With that info, most any length will work as long as mag fitment is ok. Here is what I have to test:

3.2gr Titegroup at 1.150" with xtreme 147gr RN

3.4gr Titegroup at 1.150" with xtreme 147gr RN

3.5gr Power Pistol at 1.150" with xtreme 147gr RN

Would like to give the CFE Pistol a try. rtp has a load of 4.2gr at 1.140

Also Bullseye seems to be popular. robport has a load of 3.2gr but no oal.

May add these to my next range session and see what works best.

Thoughts on all of these?

Edited May 5, 2015 by Glen9010

[Desmo412]

I am guessing you meant to type 1.220"? This is not surprising, especially with a RN bullet profile. If you ever try other bullet types (especially JHPs or any truncated cone shape) be sure to re-check your max as they tend to engage rifling sooner than RNs. When I am loading for a gun with plenty of room for OAL, I tend to stay around 1.150". Again, this is personal preference and should be function checked in your chamber AND mags. Also, this will not necessarily be the best OAL for accuracy.

Bottom line is make sure the load fits in YOUR gun, start low and work up using a chrono and looking for pressure signs. I jumped right into this game by buying an open gun, press, and was turning out 9-major rounds right away....still have all of my fingers!

Edited May 5, 2015 by Desmo412

[Glen9010]

You are absolutely correct. Fat fingered the max Oal. Should have been 1.220, changed it, thanks.

I checked some factory loads, Blazer aluminum and brass in 115gr were both 1.150-1.152

Federal HST 147gr was 1.121.

So starting at 1.150 seems a safe bet. So reducing oal may help accuracy? Help with more consistent pressures? Like to know all the little things while I learn.