Do-all load

[RickT]

I'm currently running 3.1gr Sport Pistol behind 135gr Bayou bullets in my softly sprung 9mm 1911: a bit sub-minor since it's for steel challenge only.  This same load (and OAL)  runs in my SA EMP, HK P2000 and CMMG Guard.  The little EMP has a short, stiff spring, but the heavier bullet and what I expect is a medium speed powder just works in the 3" barrel.  Things are good when life is simple.

I'll chrono all four next week and post the results.  One of our clubs requires a 120PF and I know I'm just below that with the 3.1gr load.  

 

[9x45]

What venue requires a 120 power floor? That's not a sanctioned event, like USPSA/IDPA?

[RickT]

This is a non-sanctioned SC match, albeit decently well set up.  They had some frag injuries when shooting falling plates and launched a research/test effort to redefine safety requirements with respect to bullet weight/velocity.  Thus 120 PF for bullet weights under 180gr (as I recall).  We practice 2x/week with our sub-minor ammo, all bullet weights from 115 to 147gr.  I have never seen any evidence of a bullet failing to fragment and this is after 200K rounds, self and wife combined, but their range their rules.

[Hi-Power Jack]

For 9mm rounds in Sub-Minor loads, I have loaded Red Dot with 3 grains behind a

124 gr JHP and got PF 110.   Great load for shooting in my 12 ounce KelTec P11   

 

BUT, it won't make my S&W M&P go bang reliably    

[9x45]

If you are getting frags from steel, the angle is wrong. Cowboys, SASS, only shoot steel. And Steel Challenge only shoots static steel. Your match directors need to look at the setup, not the power floor. USPSA Major is 165 and there is plenty enough steel. It has to be far enough away, and set right. 

[jschweg]

What venue requires a 120 power floor? That's not a sanctioned event, like USPSA/IDPA?

Even the USPSA/SCSA sanctioned Steel Challenge matches don't have a minimum power factor. You can bunny fart your ammo as long as you can hear it hit the steel  

Edit: Nevermind, I completely missed the point of your post. I'll contribute by saying that I love Sport Pistol.

 

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[RickT]

On 6/5/2018 at 3:23 AM, sandrooney said:

So when you shoot uspsa matches out there you are limited to 10 rds?

 

1 hour ago, 9x45 said:

If you are getting frags from steel, the angle is wrong. Cowboys, SASS, only shoot steel. And Steel Challenge only shoots static steel. Your match directors need to look at the setup, not the power floor. USPSA Major is 165 and there is plenty enough steel. It has to be far enough away, and set right. 

This particular club had some frag injuries on a falling plates setup probably due to bad design of the plate mount.  They launched a study and came to an erroneous conclusion.  I don't want to flaunt the rules so I'll bump up my load by .1 gr.  My wife's normal load is on a 115gr bullet, but she'll go ahead and run the 120 PF load just for this match.  Of course we shoot regular matches frequently and I've seen only one minor injury where tweezers were necessary to pull a small fragment out of a forearm.

[9x45]

Frags happen all the time in competition, I've been to urgent care twice in the last 10 years. The worst was a 40 cal lead frag that went into my forearm about 5mm deep and took 20 minutes to dig it out and 3 stitches. That is why you never take your glasses off at the range.