Suggestions M&P 9mm minor Bayou bullets and WW 231\HP-38

[hockeyref]

Looking for suggestions. Have a big jug of HP-38 and am looking to load 9mm minor for a S&W M&P. I plan to use Bayou Bullets, but don't know if I want to go 124 gr, 135 gr, or 147 gr. Currently I'm shooting whatever I fmj get cheapest at Walmart and saving the brass - WWB, Federal, etc usually 115gr. I'm thinking between 3.5 and 4.5 gr load depending on bullet weight, but don't want to beat the gun up with +P pressures for a minor load. 

[muncie21]

If you're doing load development, I'd suggest getting a chrono.  This will allow you to load  whichever bullet weight you want and tailor the load to your pistol and  shooting preference/needs.

 

Entry level chronos (don't need a fancy one for what  you're doing ) are easily <$100

[Chrisyoung]

A chrono is the only way to know what your load is doing in your gun. I have the cadwell chrono from Amazon. It's cheap and the phone app is great. Having said that my go to load is a 125gr tc blue bullet with a col 0f 1.125 over 4 gr of 231. It gets me around a 135 power factor out of a 5 inch gun. 

[Hi-Power Jack]

4 hours ago, hockeyref said:

 1.   I'm shooting whatever FMJ I can get cheapest at Walmart and saving the brass  

 2.  I'm thinking between 3.5 and 4.5 gr load depending on bullet weight 

 

1.  That's not bad, but not the cheapest way to get 9mm brass - it's usually available for 2-4 cents each, cleaned

 

2.  You're in the right ballpark -  BUT, as has been said before, YOU NEED a CHRONOGRAPH.

     

3.  Be careful with OAl - lots of beginners just measure factory ammo and use that for their OAL - you

     should run The Plunk Test with your bullets, your gun and your mags, to see what is the longest

     that will feed in your gun.   Too short can increase pressures, and too long won't feed      

[hockeyref]

47 minutes ago, muncie21 said:

If you're doing load development, I'd suggest getting a chrono.  This will allow you to load  whichever bullet weight you want and tailor the load to your pistol and  shooting preference/needs.

 

Entry level chronos (don't need a fancy one for what  you're doing ) are easily <$100

I appreciate the data on known loads. I 'HAD" a crono... I "executed it" a month ago testing rifle loads.... swapped scopes and forgot to verify that it was turned down to 100 yard zero..... Sent a 175gr TMK through the LCD.... I plan to get a replacement but am weighing my options. Would like MagnetoSpeed but that looks like rifle only. Might get a Caldwell in the interim or pistol and archery only.

 

 

[hockeyref]

2 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

1.  That's not bad, but not the cheapest way to get 9mm brass - it's usually available for 2-4 cents each, cleaned

 

2.  You're in the right ballpark -  BUT, as has been said before, YOU NEED a CHRONOGRAPH.

     

3.  Be careful with OAl - lots of beginners just measure factory ammo and use that for their OAL - you

     should run The Plunk Test with your bullets, your gun and your mags, to see what is the longest

     that will feed in your gun.   Too short can increase pressures, and too long won't feed      

Jack, 

Thanks for the feedback.

I agree that it's not the cheapest way to get brass, but its not unusual to shoot cheap factory ammo and save brass until you are ready to reload it. I'll be shooting the M&P anyway and have yet to get ramped up for 9mm reloading. Once I have the load settled I will be buying in bulk. I am a relative newbie around here, but rest assured I am far from a newbie to crafting precision hand loads having shot Bullseye, IHMSA, NRA HP and LR over the last 30 years. Plunk test is a given, that's no different than running my Stoney point tool into a rifle barrel with a given bullet to determine where the ogive touches so pretty much SOP in my book. FWIW, I'm eventually going to load Bayou's in my 45 too. I currently shoot uncoated 200gr LSWC over 4.5 gr Bullseye in my both Kimber and Springfield.

Edited October 29, 2018 by hockeyref

[Jim Watson]

I just loaded a batch of 124 Bayous in 9mm with 3.8 gr of HP38.

That got me 1054 fps f 131 in a Springfield.  Sorry, I didn't chronograph it in the PMP. 

3.6 gr HP38 is about right for 135 coated. 

Haven't shot any 147 coated, but 3.4 is enough for plated. 

[Weapon]

Maybe these will help. All chrono'd from a Canik TP9SFx:

 

Acme 135gr RN (coated) 1.145" OAL, HP38 3.8gr = ~133.5 average power factor

Blue Bullets 135gr - 1.150" OAL, HP38 3.7gr 132.4 average power factor

 

Acme 145gr RN coated - 1.155" OAL, HP38 3.3gr 129 average power factor

 

 

[hockeyref]

All,

Thanks for the info. I pulled out the old Hornady Projector and cleaned her up this weekend. I ran about 500 rounds of 45 thru it to work out the kinks from the years that it sat dormant. Probably need to source a stronger spring for the Auto Powder measure (or just run it semi automatic) . Also gonna need to re-engineer the primer feed a bit as the little wire loop spring has gone soft over the years and there likely are no replacements at this point.I do have a few idea, just need to see if I can get some bits n pieces made.

[Tawadc95]

I use 4.1gn of 231 with Blue Bullet 125 gn rn at 1.132 OAL in my Shields.