Powder Puff load?

[blacklab]

I could use a little help with understanding the right load to use for steel challenge. A friend came over today with a bunch of different hand loads to try. The best for me seemed to be 6.5gr of autocomp with 115gr jacketed round nose. That put me at about 173pf with my gun that is a CK arms 2011 9mm with a custom 3 port comp and no poppel holes. The gun shot really flat and just felt right with the heavier loads vs. the lighter 130pf loads. So I'm a little confused as to why people use "powder puff" loads for steel. Are the 173pf too much? Am I missing something with the lighter loads? The lighter the load the less the comp. works and the more the gun jumps. So why use "powder puff" loads?

Any point in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[caspian guy]

Try a lighter bullet? Maybe a 90 gr or something would probably let you lower the pf some while still getting enough gas to run the gun well.

[echotango]

I run 4.8 or 5.0 of WAC with 115 mg. 118 & 122pf. Great load for me with egw comp.

[bradsteimel]

With a heavier slide, a 115 gr JHP over 9.0 gr N350 (171pf) is way more aggressive than the same gun with a lighter slide and the same 115 gr JHP over 6.3gr of n350 141pf).

Powder puff is better for steel

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[Sarge]

I'm still amazed how he got 170+ PF WITH THAT LIGHT A CHARGE. I run 115's @ 1.168 over 7.8 WAC for 171.

[blacklab]

Sarge,

I didn't think that sounded right either, just going off what the chronograph was telling me. I thought it might have something to do with the way my gun was built. The Steelmaster was at about 155pf with the same load.

Can a chronograph be out of calibration?

[Sarge]

They can get wonky if the sun is just wrong or the battery gets weak. Something is off somewhere.

[blacklab]

Ugh. Back to the drawling board.

[Hi-Power Jack]

6.5gr of autocomp with 115gr jacketed round nose. why people use "powder puff" loads for steel.

I have a feeling that your load IS a Powder Puff load - I'd guess it to be somewhere

around 140 PF.

[PatriotMRD]

Try a lighter bullet? Maybe a 90 gr or something would probably let you lower the pf some while still getting enough gas to run the gun well.

I overheard some of the guys at the Pro-Am talking and they were saying this is what Lesgar "Speedy" Murdoch was running. A 95gr bullet over a big, slow powder charge. The gun barely moved and had a deep concussive BOOM and a huge fireball. Granted, he runs a Akai gill comp with popple holes, which is loud to begin with.

[echotango]

I get 140pf with 5.8gr and a 115. My slide is 8.7oz

Edited March 7, 2016 by echotango

[blacklab]

Slide weight affects power factor?

[bradsteimel]

Slide weight affects power factor?

No, but a lighter slide and a lighter guide rod spring will allow your gun to cycle with Powderpuff loads.

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[bradsteimel]

Slide weight affects power factor?

No, but a lighter slide and a lighter guide rod spring will allow your gun to cycle with Powderpuff loads.

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[echotango]

Slide weight affects power factor?

No but it was referenced above. Post #4

Edited March 7, 2016 by echotango

[zzt]

blacklab, I am no expert on the subject. That being said, I've found that you have to tune your load to your comp. I also have a 3-port comp, and what I've found is it is not only about gas volume. Pressure counts for a lot as well. So far, for my setup, a max load of Autocomp (173PF) under a mid-weight bullet shoots the flattest. Switching to HS-6 at the same PF is worse. There is more gas, but the pressure is low and the muzzle rises more. Even driving to max at 188PF it still does not equal the AC load (and it is violent).

I've also tried experimenting with really light bullets and Minor loads. I haven't found anything that works for me yet. I'm going to try a different comp with smaller ports to see if I can get the gas velocity up with light loads. Until then, it's the 173PF AC load. It's the flattest load I've developed so far. It is amazingly accurate, the recoil is fine, and I'm a lot faster shooting it. So, I really don't care that it is 173PF.

[blacklab]

Ok. So I guess I'll stick with this load for steel regardless of the power factor, because I like the way it shoots. I'll see if I can borrow a different chrno to work on my major pf later.

Thanks for the help.

Edited March 7, 2016 by blacklab

[msg73]

Keep that load if you like it and definitely try a different chrono just to be sure. I get 147pf using 6.2gr of Autocomp with a Precision Delta 115gr JHP @ 1.170".

[Hi-Power Jack]

max load of Autocomp (173PF) under a mid-weight bullet shoots the flattest. Switching to HS-6 at the same PF is worse.

Interesting info.

I've used both powders, but never with the same weight bullets,

or at the same power factor.

I'll have to give it a try and see if my comp reacts the same way

yours does.

But, thanks for the info.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: A good place to start is using 1 grain less of your major load. It will give similar recoil effect and slide speed. 115's will be a good bullet to use and you could try some 380 95 grain bullets also. HS-6 is the softest shooting powder for 9mm major loads that I have tried and I have tried lots of them. Thanks, Eric

[scottlep]

Hello: A good place to start is using 1 grain less of your major load. It will give similar recoil effect and slide speed. 115's will be a good bullet to use and you could try some 380 95 grain bullets also. HS-6 is the softest shooting powder for 9mm major loads that I have tried and I have tried lots of them. Thanks, Eric

I agree. My Open Major load is 7.0 of Autocomp with a 125 Bayou Coated. Chrono is about 176PF. My Open Steel load is 6.0 with a 115 SNS Coated. Chrono on the steel load is about 142PF. The Major load shoots "flatter", but the steel load only has a tiny bit more dot movement, the dot movement is very predictable and the dot always returns to exactly where I want it for steel. I don't have to make any changes to my gun or change my zero going back and forth between the two loads.

[chase214]

I run 4.0 gr tightgroup with 124s not sure how fast they are going but I had to put in a 5lbs recoil spring just to get it to work of course I have 6 holes in my barrel plus the comp

[Meli2127]

I've been testing loads with Autocomp and my results have been as follows. 115gr JRN 7.2gr with a 166.0 PF and 7.5gr at 168.0 PF and 7.8gr at 171.0 PF. I believe there is something wrong with your chrono or some other variable that needs to be looked at. All of mine were shot with my 2011 9mm with a custom 5 port compensator.

[zzt]

Hi-P.., I had a new comp machined and tried it the other day. It is still a modified 3-port Tanfo comp with the first top port opened up, but not as much as the previous one. I also had two side bleeder ports milled into the sides of the second and third port. The seemed to help a lot.

Not the situation is reversed. I had a buddy film me shooting the Major loads and another just observing. I really couldn't tell any difference between the two loads from the video, but both of them say the HS-6 load recoiled upwards just a little less. Happily, it was the most accurate load, and softer by a lot.

Using the same powder charges used for Major, but substituting really light bullets did not have the same results. The Autocomp load shot flatter (but also harder on the hands). The HS-6 load was super, super soft, but the muzzle rose more. I didn't chrono these, so maybe more HS-6 will even the results.

[Meli2127]

That's interesting... Iv'e run 115 JRN with 8.0 HS-6 and the results were 159.00 PF (average of 10 rounds). I also did 2 sets of 10 ea. of 124s JRN at 8.0 of HS-6 and the results averaged out to 172.0 PF. I noticed the same difference that you described above. The Autocomp seemed to shoot flatter but a little harder on the hands and the HS-6 was soft and the muzzle flip was greater. The only thing I didn't like about the HS-6 was how dirty it was.