9mm Steel Challenge loads with HP38

[Reinholt]

First I have many 8# jugs of HP38 and am trying to be economical before buying more powder.  I am looking to make very light loads for Steel Challenge PCC, 115gr FMJ / 115gr Blue Bullet or 125gr Blue Bullet.  All the reloading manuals I have, start with 115gr bullet and 4.5gr HP38.  I dialed it down to 4.0gr of HP38 with both 115gr bullets.  Is there any risk of going lower on powder weight other than it not cycle or stuck bullet?  For primers I am using Fiocchi and CCI SPP.  Next steps are 100gr HB Berry bullets but would like to find a load that is soft but does going slower cause other issues for Shooting Fast?

Edited November 28, 2023 by Reinholt
typo

[DougCarden]

I run 3.8 gr 231 with 115 fmj/jhp  around 1.120 oal in stock and open guns.  Guns are tuned to that load.  7lb spring in open gun with two ports and 8lb in stock 5 inch lightened slide.  I found 95 fmj bullets suck past 15 yards, about 5-6 inch group at 35 yards.  95JHP was laser beam but hard to get from Montana gold so I went back to 115s.  I did not notice any benefit on the timer but you may.  I never found any plated bullets accurate enough for matches but again you may.

[Reinholt]

Thanks Doug.  I did run the 4.0gr load through my open gun and no issues but the kid got a PCCO and he is tap dancing with GM times with 22 rifle, so he has some skills .  Just trying to keep him fast.  I'll take the load down a little and try.

[IPSCLUVERRR]

We run 1.2 grains of Ba10 behind a 115gn bullet. If it clears the bullet and cycles the gun its good to go. 

[Sigarmsp226]

Over the last two years I have run 3.5gr of 231 under a 124gr Precision Delta JHPV2 loaded at 1.10” and have shot 5000+ rounds with zero FTF or FTE in my PPC and in my non red dot SIG P320X5 pistol

 

BUT

 

After  installing a Holosun 507COMP on my SIG P320X5 pistol last month and taking it out to sight it in and shoot it some (stock springs throughout) the 3.5gr load of 231 under the 124gr Precision Delta HPV2 had on average one FTF or FTE per 20 round mag. I think this occurred because of the added weight on the slide created by adding the Holosun.

 

As a result I loaded 200 rounds of 3.8gr of 231 under the same PD 124gr HPV2 bullet at 1.10” and all 200 rounds functioned perfectly.  
 

Now I have about 8000 rounds that will be used for PPC (3.5gr load). I am going to run another 200 rounds using the 3.8gr of 231 through the P320X5 before I load up the planned 2000-3000 rounds that will be dedicated for pistol use just to make sure it is the perfect round (no FTFor FTE).  Once I shoot up the 3.5gr. loaded rounds, I will load all future rounds at 3.8grs of 231 so I do not have to worry about keeping up with two different 9mm loads that I shoot in competition. 
 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Sigarmsp226
Spelling

[Reinholt]

15 hours ago, Sigarmsp226 said:

Over the last two years I have run 3.5gr of 231 under a 124gr Precision Delta JHPV2 loaded at 1.10” and have shot 5000+ rounds with zero FTF or FTE in my PPC and in my non red dot SIG P320X5 pistol

 

BUT

 

After  installing a Holosun 507COMP on my SIG P320X5 pistol last month and taking it out to sight it in and shoot it some (stock springs throughout) the 3.5gr load of 231 under the 124gr Precision Delta HPV2 had on average one FTF or FTE per 20 round mag. I think this occurred because of the added weight on the slide created by adding the Holosun.

 

As a result I loaded 200 rounds of 3.8gr of 231 under the same PD 124gr HPV2 bullet at 1.10” and all 200 rounds functioned perfectly.  
 

Now I have about 8000 rounds that will be used for PPC (3.5gr load). I am going to run another 200 rounds using the 3.8gr of 231 through the P320X5 before I load up the planned 2000-3000 rounds that will be dedicated for pistol use just to make sure it is the perfect round (no FTFor FTE).  Once I shoot up the 3.5gr. loaded rounds, I will load all future rounds at 3.8grs of 231 so I do not have to worry about keeping up with two different 9mm loads that I shoot in competition. 
 

 

 

I know that pain.  On my old single stack 38 Super race gun, I decided to take off the old 30mm Aimpoint 5000 frame mount and do a slide mount dot.  All the light steel challenge loads I had would not run.  Thought it might be interesting to run but with 5k rounds loaded, I went back to the old trusted set up. 

 

At lunch I am going to go see if my 3.6gr HP38 and 115gr blue bullets work in the 9mm race gun.  I have some 125gr blue bullets and at 3.6gr HP38, would that be a better load?

[old558]

On 11/30/2023 at 9:35 AM, Reinholt said:

I know that pain.  On my old single stack 38 Super race gun, I decided to take off the old 30mm Aimpoint 5000 frame mount and do a slide mount dot.  All the light steel challenge loads I had would not run.  Thought it might be interesting to run but with 5k rounds loaded, I went back to the old trusted set up. 

 

At lunch I am going to go see if my 3.6gr HP38 and 115gr blue bullets work in the 9mm race gun.  I have some 125gr blue bullets and at 3.6gr HP38, would that be a better load?

I made up some 9mm 115 gr SNS coated rounds for my 11 yr old grandson to shoot from my Sig 320 X5. He had a lot of fun, but with his grip I will need to go to a lighter recoil spring. He had a few fail to eject.

I will say they were a lot of fun to shoot and accurate enough for steel challenge.