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Posted

Hi,

I've been shooting IPSC for about 10 months now and finally decided to get into reloading. Main reason is cheaper ammo, but a more accurate, smoother shooting bullet is off course very desirable. I've bought myself a new Lee Pro 1000. The best shooter in my club uses one, so he can help me where needed. And since I'm reloading to save money, it does not make sense to buy a 1000$ press.

I shoot a STI Edge 9x19mm in Standard Minor and according to STI my barrel is made out of 416 rifle grade, stainless steel billet forgings. And the rifling is 1 in 16 twist and has 6 lands and grooves. So wich bullet weight is a perfect match for this Barrel?

So far I've only shot commercial ammo. Here are my experiences.

Fiocchi 9 Luger; Full Metal Jacket; 115 grain

+ Burns very clean

- Shoots very "angry", cycles the gun very fast, strong short bursts of power

Magtech 9mm Luger; FMC; 9B; 124 grain

+ Shoots a lot "smoother", better control of the gun

- Dirty

Fiocchi 9 Luger; FMJ; 147 grain; Custom made for my gunstore

+ Shoots even smoother

+ cycles and feeds well

- twice the price of the Magtech 124gr or Fiocchi 115gr

I love the last ammo, but they are just too expensive. I've shot the most magtech's, they are a lot smoother/softer then the 115gr fiocchi and even a bit cheaper. Downside is that they make a big mess in my pistol.

So right now I'm in the market for bullets to make my own ammo. I'm just not sure on which bullet weight to go for and which type of powder to use. A fellow shooter was making a big powder order (group buy) to get a better price and I bought N340 from him.. several shooters assured me this would work well in 9x19mm..

Will it?

124 grain bullets or 147 grain bullets? Winchester primers? (federal is sed to be too sensitive for progressives presses). Wich powder?

So keep in mind I want to make about 130PF and prefer a smooth shot then a fast shot.

thanks a lot, Michiel

Posted

340 will probably do the trick for you. Download Vihtavuori's reloading guide here:

http://www.nammo.fi/

I like the 115 Winchester JHP for accuracy, it's phenomenal in anything .355 that I've loaded it in.

147 are nice shooting, though; I agree. Very nice flip in the recoil, after which the gun (usually) comes back nicely.

For me, the incredible accuracy outweighs the "smooth" though- I've shot thousands of this bullet through various 38s and 9s.

Do experiment, and stick to Win primers in the Lee press. Fed primers have been known to go bang in them - did for me.

Regards,

Siphon

Posted

I have only been shooting competively with pistol for a year this month. I have only been reloading for a year.

I love N-340 because I have found great load with it for my 40S&W with 165s, 180s, and 200s, and for my 9mm guns in 115 and 125 (have not tried 147s yet). I just hated constantly playing around with all different brands of powders. It may cost a little more, but on a per round basis, it is not all that much different. It is reliable, and clean burning.

For 9mm I use 5.0gr of N-340 with 115 Zero JHP and 4.8gr of N-340 with 125 Zero JHP.

I mostly shoot a Para 18-9 LDA when I shoot IDPA and Production for USPSA.

The same loads work fine to Minor power with my normal truck/home guns (though with more aggressive bullets), Taurus Millinium Pros - one normal slide and one long slide.

Mark K

Posted

I would not get too hung up on extreme accuracy. The target we shoot is huge. Any bullet that will yield a 2" group at 25 yds is good enough. The heavier bullets, 147-160, shoot a lot softer than the 115 gr bullets.

There are powders that perform just as well as the VV powders for half the cost. I can buy 8 lbs of Titegroup or Solo 1000 for what I would pay for 4 lbs of VV. The VV powders do not perform any better than the above two.

I think most are just drawn to the "sexy" name. Hodgdon would sell a lot more Titegroup if they just changed the name to Tithagroupvuori.

Posted (edited)

I'll assume you are going to compete with these 9mm loads and want the softest round you can get at around 130 PF (power factor). If so, N340 will give you more noise and recoil. Many of us shoot N320 in our major .40s to reduce this but in reduced loads such as minor .40 or a light 9mm, I have found CLAYS gives enough pressures to run the gun right. That meaning there is enough case pressure to expand a brass case against the chamber walls for proper sealing and still give enough rearward bold thrust to run the gun reliably.

With that said, I have been loading minor/lighter loads in 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP with CLAYS.

I loaded up 2500 rounds of 9mm for a friend last month with a 125 MG FMJ @ 1.150" with 3.7 grain of CLAYS.

In his 5" SV it runs about 1050 fps for a PF of 131 and he can't believe how soft it feels. He dropped to an 8# recoil spring and the gun will run sub .15 splits.

In my .40 I normally run around 5.0 grains of N320 under a 180 Zero FMJ @ 1.160" for about 950 fps/171 PF.

Leaving everything the same except changing to 3.5 grains of CLAYS gives me 815 fps/146 Pf which feels softer than a 146 PF!

We ran this 9mm load through a 5" XD against WOLF factory 115s and the recoil was night and day softer!!!

Clays, like Titegroup can be had for about $15/lb unlike the VV powders which go for around $20/lb...

Edited by Mick
Posted

I have used N340 for both 125gr. and 147gr. loads. All minor, I think it is best with 147's such as the poly coated Precision Bullet.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Just love the 147 Berry's. With 4.0gr WSF, it's poofy and sweet. (Did I write that?)

320 does well, too, but it's harder to find and more expensive around here.

But, since you're looking to use 340, it will do well, too. But it may seem a bit barkier.

For fun, I loaded up some Berry's with 3.5gr and even 3.1gr of WSF, for my wife to use in a steel 1911. With a lighter spring, the 3.5 runs well and hardly pushes more than a rimfire alloy gun. The brass kicks barely over your wrist.

The 3.1 load is, if you get the spring balanced right, just hilarious. The brass dribbles over your hand and into your cuff, while the gun goes "puff" almost secretly and the steel falls down just as well. You won't make minor, but you will make your shooting buddies giggle when they try your gun.

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