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Favorite powder for 9mm Major in open pistols


Chillywig

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Sp2 is king. 9 grains behind 125 zero

AA#7 at 9.8 grains behind 125 zero comes in at second

A third far away is hs6 on 115, I think it was 8.4 grains

Sp2 and AA7 gives concussions, but is soft. The explosion is so powerful, but the dot is so tame.

Autocomp and silhouette has no concussion and is snappy. Explosion is less powerful, and dot moves a lot.

To test the above powders, run some bill drills at 20 yards. Fastest time in alphas should be your powder. That's how I found sp2 and aa#7

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https://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Burn%20Rates%20-%202015-2016.pdf

I have a hard time telling what's better looking at different burn rate lists when they are all so close.

Anyone have real data how one preforms over another?

Andrew, I have always operated under the assumption "burn rate" correlates the charge weight required to achieve a given velocity, i.e.: a larger charge of a slower powder results in the same velocity as a smaller charge of a faster powder. I don't know how Hodgdon calculates "burn rate" nor how closely my concept of burn rate correlates with theirs, but previous editions of their chart agreed with my real world data perfectly. Unfortunately their latest revision places HS6 on the faster side of the other popular 9 major powders which doesn't jive with my concept of burn rate nor my data.

In my mind I group 9 major powders as fast, medium and slow:

Fast (7ish grains for major with a 115):

CFE Pistol

Autocomp

Silhouette

Medium (8ish grains for major with a 115):

HS6

Longshot

Slow (9ish grains for major with a 115):

SP2

3N38

These are just powders I've tested, but don't include: 3N37, N350, AA#5, AA#7, True Blue, etc.

Good thing you don't include 3n37 that stuff will torch a Schumann

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I didn't see it anywhere in the post but AA#7 just fill up the case, LOL I shot it with 10GR, and 124gr JHP nice but not as good as Silhouette.. My favorite is Silhouette 7.3gr, yeah my gun likes it hot. HS6, 3n37, AutoComp, N350, IMR7625 and True Blue, are a few that I have tried.

out of all those powders that you have tried, what makes you like the silhouette the best? Ive tried i have tried most of those powders too and silhouette was one of my least favorite. It was definitely snappier than the other powders ive tried. Ive tried hs6, autocomp, 3n37, true blue, silhouette, and cfe. Hs6 was the dirtiest but the softest. Hs6 is still my 1st choice though. Cfe would be my 2nd choice.
Your post just goes to reinforce the fact that all loads are different for different people. I have shot loads borrowed from other shooters that were horrible, yet they swore by them. And I'm sure others have thought the same of mine. :)

Funny you say that CocoBolo's start load with 7.2 of silhouette has worked perfect in my SPS vista short. I have tried and chronoed a bunch of others and that load works the best in my gun. I really think open guns are just picky. Depending on who built them barrel etc.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...
On 5/23/2016 at 8:51 PM, mro111lland said:

Hs6 is only dirty if u r not running major the higher the charg the cleaner the burn it's all I use. 8.4 grains 124 rmr

What gun do you run that in what is your oal and what powrrfsctor do you see. It's the fps consistent

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3 hours ago, Bamaboy said:

What gun do you run that in what is your oal and what powrrfsctor do you see. It's the fps consistent

Here is a load I have played with.  It shoots good, but definitely soots up the gun. 

 

Description: 124 PD JHP - 7.8gr HS6 - S&B SPP - New EGA brass - 1.150" - CK Open gun

Distance to Chrono (FT): 5.00

Bullet Weight (gr): 124.000

Altitude (FT): 3600.0

Temp: 86 °F

BP: 29.99 inHG

Shots

#     FPS     FT-LBS PF

10    1345     498.17 166.78    

9     1350     501.89 167.40    

8     1350     501.89 167.40    

7     1367     514.61 169.51    

6     1354     504.86 167.90    

5     1369     516.11 169.76    

4     1361     510.10 168.76    

3     1362     510.85 168.89    

2     1371     517.62 170.00    

1     1360     509.35 168.64    

Average: 1358.90

StdDev: 8.85

Min: 1345

Max: 1371

Spread: 26

True MV: 1359.67

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5 minutes ago, Chillywig said:

What is SP2 powder a couple of you guys referenced?

Nobel sport, vectan powder, http://www.vectan.fr/UK/reloading-charges

I don't see any in stock, but these two sites will probably be your best best to find it.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/3512

 

https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product-category/reloading/powder/?query_type_brand=or&filter_brand=nobel-sport

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4 hours ago, Chillywig said:

What is SP2 powder a couple of you guys referenced?

 

It's the Holy Grail of 9 major powders, made by Vectan in France and even though Graf's and Powder Valley are importing other Vectan powders, they're not bringing SP2 to us and it's driving me crazy!!!

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8 hours ago, kneelingatlas said:

 

It's the Holy Grail of 9 major powders, made by Vectan in France and even though Graf's and Powder Valley are importing other Vectan powders, they're not bringing SP2 to us and it's driving me crazy!!!

 

Does SP2 have any benefit over 3N38 beside lower price?

 

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I like 3N37 and Autocomp, I can get both to shot nicely, but Autocomp is easier to load as the case is way less full than 3N37.  With autocomp I've found you can also overshot on the power factor and move into too harsh without an improvement in dot tracking.  So you should try and find the sweet spot, which for me has been around 168-169 PF with 124 GR bullets.

 

I don't think I could handle 3N38 with how full it is in the case for loading.

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I found that at ~170pf with WAC, the 115's shot flatter and felt softer with less dot noise vs a 124. Everyone's set is diff and will vary per gun.  7.3gr/115 vs 6.8/124  w/3x 3/16' holes. 

Edited by echotango
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  • 2 weeks later...

I use Shooters World Major Pistol for both 9 major and Super Comp. I don’t even bother experimenting anymore. I’m running Berry’s 124gr Hollow Base RN Bullets in both. The 9 I’m at 10.1gn 2@ 1.200’ OAL and on the SC 10.2gn @1.2100” OAL.

 

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