Light vs heavy bullet

[Cltpewpew]

Wondering what everyone shooting with their Pcc. I shoot mostly uspsa with it and run either a 135 or 147 grain bulllet. Few in our group have move to lighter bullets (100 gr) and while the felt recoil is more they say the dot says flatter. What’s everyone’s experience? 

[Darqusoull13]

8 minutes ago, Cltpewpew said:

Wondering what everyone shooting with their Pcc. I shoot mostly uspsa with it and run either a 135 or 147 grain bulllet. Few in our group have move to lighter bullets (100 gr) and while the felt recoil is more they say the dot says flatter. What’s everyone’s experience? 

Not worth the hassle of the light stuff but if you want to test it by all means have at it. 

125 has always been the sweet spot for me for 9mm across all platforms. 

[MCW]

I have tried bullets from 100gn-165gn in my PCCs. In general, I find that a lighter bullet with more powder results in a flat shooting. My favorite load in my JP5 is 100gn Berry with 7.3gn of Vihtavuori 3N38. It has a PF of 128 in my PCC. If you want commercial ammo Super-Vel 100gn Blitz is a flat shooting with a PF about 130.

 

[zzt]

The 100gr SuperVel ammo makes 137 PF in my 16.1" Leadstar barrel.  It won't function in my 2011 Open gun with 6V recoil spring.  My 124gr, 134 PF 9mm minor load (5" barrel) makes 168 PF in the 16.1" barrel.  Both are flat shooting.

 

Flat shooting for USPSA requires speed.  The 100gr @ 1377fps has almost no dot movement and a laser-like trajectory.  Sighted at 25 yards, you are on at 50 with less than 1/4" high in between, and 1/4" low at 59.  Same for the 124gr @ 1359fps.  No more that 1/4" high or low between 25 and 61 yards.

 

My dot does not move with a 147gr @ 985fps (out of 5" barrel),  No idea of the fps out of a 16.1", but it is higher.  I can put 20 rounds into a 2" circle at 25 yards as fast as I can pull the trigger.  Recoil in a 5.5 lb. gun is significant.  Trajectory in no where near as flat as the two previous loads.

 

Less velocity with any of these loads means more dot movement, but softer recoil.

 

 

Edited April 26 by zzt

[mrvip27]

By all means test it out, but its all down to preference in the end.

 

Not every gun is gonna react the same and you need to consider how everyone holds the rifle, recoil control, etc.

Edited April 26 by mrvip27

[PractricalUse]

18 hours ago, mrvip27 said:

By all means test it out, but its all down to preference in the end.

 

Not every gun is gonna react the same and you need to consider how everyone holds the rifle, recoil control, etc.

 

Yup!

[Darqusoull13]

On 4/26/2024 at 3:15 PM, mrvip27 said:

By all means test it out, but its all down to preference in the end.

 

Not every gun is gonna react the same and you need to consider how everyone holds the rifle, recoil control, etc.

Just tell me what is the best. Don't need to complicate it with any of those differences much less the size of the competitor. 

[lroy]

I was using two separate loads for CO and PCC then got lazy and tried 147s in the jp5. It barely makes a sound and the dot wiggles slightly so I've stuck with it.

 

Maybe I'm just not good enough to take advantage of a snappy 100gr load. I can still split 12-13s with 147s and it feels like a 22 so that's good enough for me. 

[idahoyotes]

The only "shot" I can tell the difference between 100 and 147 is something that requires dialed-in accuracy - 4 inch plates at 30 yrds, for example.  Though that's probably more imagination than reality.  If I'm using 100 gr I'll go with heavier spring in JP SCS, and lighter spring with 147.  As for dot bounce using different weight bullets, I never really see the dot beyond confirming I'm close to where I need to be.  Watching too many B. Stoeger videos, I guess!

[mrvip27]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:09 AM, Darqusoull13 said:

Just tell me what is the best. Don't need to complicate it with any of those differences much less the size of the competitor. 

 

shhhh....its the GM secret

[jeremy kemlo]

On 4/30/2024 at 3:13 PM, idahoyotes said:

The only "shot" I can tell the difference between 100 and 147 is something that requires dialed-in accuracy - 4 inch plates at 30 yrds, for example.  Though that's probably more imagination than reality.  If I'm using 100 gr I'll go with heavier spring in JP SCS, and lighter spring with 147.  As for dot bounce using different weight bullets, I never really see the dot beyond confirming I'm close to where I need to be.  Watching too many B. Stoeger videos, I guess!

That powder and grains are you using with the 147 bullets? Also what spring weight? 

[Cltpewpew]

On 5/12/2024 at 5:34 PM, jeremy kemlo said:

That powder and grains are you using with the 147 bullets? Also what spring weight? 

I and using 3.2 of n320 in my pistol and 3.2 with a 135 for Pcc. I have the JP SCS short stroke and all up tungsten weights. 

[Dirty_J]

I started with heavy bullets years ago when I got into the pcc and reloading game… as 135/147’s were what I was shooting in my handguns. I find them to not be very ideal now that I’m more seasoned. 
 

I personally wouldn’t touch anything heavier than 124/125, but my preference today is 115’s with something like sport pistol or Cleanshot. 

[zzt]

I have been struggling for some time to reduce the number of 9mm loads I make.  I got it down to four, and then three.  I decided it was an impossible task as long as one barrel was 5" and the other 16".  So, I bought a Taccom Superfeed barrel and had Tim modify two bolts.  I also ordered his wave spring kit.  Now my 9mm minor load runs about the same velocity in each.

 

A5 buffer tube.  Wave spring dropped in backwards with the Aluminum limiter facing the bolt.  Standard Blitz hydraulic buffer and the Blitz short stroke plug with a 556 carbine spring.  The 3 oz. weight is still in the bolt.  Soft, dot barely moves and 100 115 and 124 all shoot to the same POI.  Now I can shoot up all the various minor loads I have laying around with the same setup.

 

Now I'm down to two loads, major and minor, but with the same press setup.  The only difference is the powder and charge weight.

 

Added later:  Tim called to be sure I had the wave spring installed properly.  What I called backwards is actually the correct way to install.  Drop the wave spring in first, then the Aluminum limiter so it fits inside the wave spring.  That leaves the large flat surface for the recoil spring to push against.

Edited May 17 by zzt

[xjwalt666]

2 hours ago, zzt said:

I have been struggling for some time to reduce the number of 9mm loads I make.  I got it down to four, and then three.  I decided it was an impossible task as long as one barrel was 5" and the other 16".  So, I bought a Taccom Superfeed barrel and had Tim modify two bolts.  I also ordered his wave spring kit.  Now my 9mm minor load runs about the same velocity in each.

 

A5 buffer tube.  Wave spring dropped in backwards with the Aluminum limiter facing the bolt.  Standard Blitz hydraulic buffer and the Blitz short stroke plug with a 556 carbine spring.  The 3 oz. weight is still in the bolt.  Soft, dot barely moves and 100 115 and 124 all shoot to the same POI.  Now I can shoot up all the various minor loads I have laying around with the same setup.

 

Now I'm down to two loads, major and minor, but with the same press setup.  The only difference is the powder and charge weight.

With using that buffer setup with the spacer, plug, and tube do you still get the lrbho? I know it's not really necessary but more of a curiosity thing for me. 

[zzt]

59 minutes ago, xjwalt666 said:

With using that buffer setup with the spacer, plug, and tube do you still get the lrbho? I know it's not really necessary but more of a curiosity thing for me. 

 

No.  If I take out the short stroke plug, the bolt stays open.  If you are using the wave spring in a carbine length tube, it will automatically  be short stroked.

[zzt]

On 5/13/2024 at 7:59 PM, Dirty_J said:

I started with heavy bullets years ago when I got into the pcc and reloading game… as 135/147’s were what I was shooting in my handguns. I find them to not be very ideal now that I’m more seasoned. 
 

I personally wouldn’t touch anything heavier than 124/125, but my preference today is 115’s with something like sport pistol or Cleanshot. 

 

I feel the same way.  I was using 147s for knock down steel  I still have a bunch loaded up, plus another 1k plated.  I have 500 135 bullets. I used 124s @ 134 PF for USPSA like events, and 115s for steel challenge.   When all the loaded ammo is gone, it will be a 115 JHP @ 132 PF for minor and 172 PF for major.  Sport Pistol or AA2 for minor.  AA7 for major.

[xjwalt666]

21 hours ago, zzt said:

 

No.  If I take out the short stroke plug, the bolt stays open.  If you are using the wave spring in a carbine length tube, it will automatically  be short stroked.

Ok. Thanks for the info. I was watching the videos Tim posted on FB about the wave spring and the plug and it seems like a really interesting concept. I was thinking about grabbing one to try. 

[GMP]

On 5/17/2024 at 12:30 PM, zzt said:

I have been struggling for some time to reduce the number of 9mm loads I make.  I got it down to four, and then three.  I decided it was an impossible task as long as one barrel was 5" and the other 16".  So, I bought a Taccom Superfeed barrel and had Tim modify two bolts.  I also ordered his wave spring kit.  Now my 9mm minor load runs about the same velocity in each.

 

A5 buffer tube.  Wave spring dropped in backwards with the Aluminum limiter facing the bolt.  Standard Blitz hydraulic buffer and the Blitz short stroke plug with a 556 carbine spring.  The 3 oz. weight is still in the bolt.  Soft, dot barely moves and 100 115 and 124 all shoot to the same POI.  Now I can shoot up all the various minor loads I have laying around with the same setup.

 

Now I'm down to two loads, major and minor, but with the same press setup.  The only difference is the powder and charge weight.

 

Added later:  Tim called to be sure I had the wave spring installed properly.  What I called backwards is actually the correct way to install.  Drop the wave spring in first, then the Aluminum limiter so it fits inside the wave spring.  That leaves the large flat surface for the recoil spring to push against.

I have the same buffer setup in a Springfield Saint 16" but with a Sprinco orange 308 spring, which I think is a bit stiff for 124g minor loads.  New 5.56 spring should come tomorrow.  At this point it seems like splitting hairs so about as good as its going to get.