Ready to switch soft loads from 115 to 147gr

[RickT]

Wife and I used to shoot WSF behind 147gr coated lead, but switched to 115gr when N320 became available.  We don't have to meet minimum PF.  I recently loaded up a bunch of left over 147gr Bayou with 3.0gr N320 and compared to 3.6gr N320 behind 115gr Acme.  Both are very, very soft loads, but during rapid fire it became apparent that I was getting less muzzle rise with the 147gr bullets.  Guns are 9mm 1911s BTW. I don't think the difference will necessarily improve my SC times, but never hurts to have one's head on right.  I won't be changing my wife's load;  I'm a former engineer who follows the data while my wife usually doesn't want to deal with change.

[bandw1dth]

I've never been able to source N320 locally, I keep hear excellent things about it. I just can't bring myself to pay the hazmat fee for buying it online. Just cause I'm curious and happen to have a canister of WSF and some Acme 147gr NLG FP. How much WSF were you using behind your 147gr pills and at what OAL. How much smoke were you getting?
Stay safe, Bandw1dth

[blackhand]

I'm not the OP, but 3.4 gr WSF behind a 147 gr SNS Casting NLG FP at 1.135" OAL reliably cycled my Glocks. The bullet profile is very similar to the Acme 147 gr bullet. 

I've increased the charge to 3.6 gr WSF and shortened the OAL to 1.125" to work with my match barrels. The increase in powder was because the brass pretty much dribbles out at 3.4 gr. I was worried about the inverse temperature sensitivity of the powder shooting in summer.

Very little smoke if the coating remains intact. You will get that unique burning Hi-Tek coating smell, but it's faint.

[Hi-Power Jack]

With no minimum PF, I've found that a light bullet (115 gr) with a very small powder

charge of a fast powder has very little recoil .   YOu might need to get a lighter

recoil spring but I was able to shoot PF 110's with both my Kel-Tec and BHP with

the standard springs.     

[Taroman]

I have found N320 to be a very useful powder.

In 9mm, used it for 115, 124, 135 and 147.

Specifically, my 9mm Colt does its best with the Bayou 135.

3.6 grains gives me 1001 FPS with an ES of 21 and SD of 7.2.

Accurate and soft shooting

As mentioned above, the 147s are less accurate, likely barrel twist having an effect.

Also load this bullet over 2.8 grains of Bullseye for my S&W 986 in speed steel matches.

[MemphisMechanic]

On 11/14/2016 at 9:44 PM, Taroman said:

As mentioned above, the 147s are less accurate, likely barrel twist having an effect.

From what I've seen, the main issue is velocity. The slower a bullet is traveling, the less agessively it's given a stabilizing spin by your rifling - It's turning fewer  RPM.

A light 115pf load with a 105gr bullet is still going a few hundred FPS faster than a 115pf load using a 147gr bullet... and the long/fat nosed/butt-heavy 147 should logically be more prone to tumbling than the short point bullets are.

I've found 140+ grain loads generally seem to shoot more accurately at 132-137 power factor than they do when they're loaded super light.

Lighter bullets don't show the same dramatic accuracy change when you load them to mousfart specs.

Edited November 16, 2016 by MemphisMechanic