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1st time powder purchase recommendations for 9 minor?


Gary Faulkner

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I'm shooting G 34 in IDPA and new to loading. Getting ready to make my first purchase of powder. I want to try Solo 1000 with some Wolf sp primers, thought I would start with some 147s on top of the S1000. Thought that I should order some other powders to experiment with. What would be your recommendations for other powders to try? May also try some 124s. What would be some good powders for both bullet weights?

Thanks in advance.

Gary

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Gary,

VV N320 is a powder you should be buying.

I'm shooting G 34 in IDPA and new to loading. Getting ready to make my first purchase of powder. I want to try Solo 1000 with some Wolf sp primers, thought I would start with some 147s on top of the S1000. Thought that I should order some other powders to experiment with. What would be your recommendations for other powders to try? May also try some 124s. What would be some good powders for both bullet weights?

Thanks in advance.

Gary

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I've used W231 with 124 and 147 Berrys/MG bullets. I've used N320 as well. Honestly I think they are both good for my liking althought W231 is much easier to get. I think the N320 (cylinder shaped) tends to cause a little choppiness on the powder drop. Both are fast powders and work well with the heavier bullets and offer nice easy recoil.

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what bullets? if they are moly 147's I love solo 1000 with them. If you want to shoot moly I have tried hs6 and unique, do not use hs6!! smoke! Unique works good for 115's but if I was you I wouldn't buy 115 moly! either plated or fmj are fine if you want to shoot them. 115 fmj with hs6 is interesting. I made some 124's and really liked them. But I am shooting 147's which are a little bit hot because i didn't test them before a made a bunch! So not I have about 1000 loaded to somewhere just short of 150 pf.

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Solo 1000 is a great powder. It's my preferred powder for 9mm, 38Special, and 45ACP.

It's clean burning, shoots soft, and is very cost effective.

Frankly, I think you started with the powder that I would stay with in that caliber- load to a 132-135 PF and you will take down poppers and have a nice light load.

If you want to have a backup powder give WST and/or Clays a try - just to do a little experimenting.

Run Solo as the primary and WST as the alternate or backup powder.

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I have been going through the same search.

I have been a big supporter of VV powders, and have shot nothing but since I started reloading. BUT, I was doing some research here in the forums, talking with friends, and exchanging emails with forum members.

I have been testing for the last week or so, while getting ready to make a large purchase of powder and primers myself.

If I could find a powder that would give me good loads in 40SW Major (180 and 200gr jhp bullets & Minor (180gr JHP) and 9mm Minor (124gr and 147 JHP), all the better. I love one powder to stock.

I found loads for all the above with Clays. All were nice soft loads compared to the N320 and N340 I have used.

I found loads for all the above with Solo 1000. All were nice soft loads compared to the N320 and N340 I have used. However, it was ever so slightly "less soft" than Clays. However, when working heavy bullet Major loads, everyone warns that Clays can go dangerous fast.

They all seem to burn clean. I had no problem with metering in my DL650.

Both Clays and Solo 1000 are about $100 for 8lbs. N320/N340 is $78 for 4lbs.

However, for any given load, I was using .5 to 1 grain more S1000 than Clays.

SO.....Since I am planning to buy about 18 months worth of powder (mostly I shoot Limited but some IDPA).

I think I am going to end up with Clays, since the main danger with it would be if I were shooting 200s, and I am pretty sure that I am going to 180s because I use them for 40 Minor with my G35 in IDPA. In 9mm with 147s it is just about like shooting a .22LR. And it does shoot a little softer than the S1000.

All reports are if you shoot lead or Moly, the S1000 is the way to go. I would be happy with it as well. ((I still have not decided for sure)).

Mark K.

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Solo 1000 is a great powder. It's my preferred powder for 9mm, 38Special, and 45ACP.

It's clean burning, shoots soft, and is very cost effective.

Frankly, I think you started with the powder that I would stay with in that caliber- load to a 132-135 PF and you will take down poppers and have a nice light load.

If you want to have a backup powder give WST and/or Clays a try - just to do a little experimenting.

Run Solo as the primary and WST as the alternate or backup powder.

This sounds like the best advice so far. Not to dismiss everyone else, but I was getting ready to make my first buy and thought that I might be making a big mistake, just buying the one powder.

So if I get 8lb of S1000 and a pound of WST plus the primers will help spread out the hazmat fee some.

So with WST and the S1000 will I be able to make some good 9 minor loads with different bullet types and weights?

Or would you get a pound each, of everyone's favorite powder and experiment like a mad scientist? Decisions, decisions.

Any other suggestions are most welcome.

Thanks

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9mm IDPA or minor loads with 115 through 147 gr bullets, then W231, WST or TiteGroup are hard to beat for the price and availability. V V powders are good, but the others are 99% as good at 75% of $. Especially in your requested applications.

If 115 through 135, then you can also add Clays to the list above.

Clays will work with 147's, but I think you are better off w/the others.

MJ

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Hello: Try Tite Group. I use 3.0 grains of Tite Group, 147 Precision, Winchester WSP primers and a OAL of 1.140. That will make minor in a Glock 34 and is accurate. It also feels very soft. You may need to use a 13lb recoil spring. They do smoke a little but not to bad. Thanks, Eric

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The safety factor in the bulk, the low smoke, soft recoil, cool burning, adequate metering, low cost, loadibility in 9mm, .40 Major and Minor, and .45 Major, and superiority with lead bullets make Solo 1000 my choice.

W231 is a great beginner powder, IMHO. It can be loaded in 9, .40, and .45. It burned dirty for me, but metered well and was linear. And I'm not very far away from beginner status, so Clays seems like something I have no interest in.

Edited by ben b.
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Your G34 has a bbl longer than most. This would be an important consideration for me in making a decision - the barrel length. With many hand loads, the time spent burning in the barrel determines both efficiency of the powder and potential of your round.A GREAT example is the 357sig. IMR quote speed pretty much at the same level as the 357mag. When we look at the barrel length on each quote we see why. You put a 357mag loaded with slow powder in a six inch wheelgun & certain weights will reach 1700fps!!!

My point is the "burning room" you can get from that G34 bbl is enormous. {You could find a slow powder that could put that bullet as flat as can be} All other things being equal, if you get that bullet moving FAST, the potential for accuracy may climb as well.

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I'd recommend Tight Group (or is it Tite Group?)...

But that's only because I am too cheap for those high fallutin' Vhita Vhouri powders.

Cha Ching $$

:P

Same here. But as mentioned in an earlier post, only for jacketed bullets. Moly doesn't like TG.

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Anybody have a starting load for N320 with 125gr MG JHP bullets in 9mm? Seating depth?

I'd say 4.0 - 4.2 would be where I'd start. As for OAL, what gun ? If your gun will feed 1.160, you should be pretty good but can probably go shorter, as short as 1.060 if needed.

HTH

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Sorry I didn't get back to the thread sooner. I didn't know that I had to subscribe to my on thread.

I went ahead and ordered some solo 1000 with wolf sp primers. Ordered some 147s in the black precisions and the plated berry's. May be a while before I get everything in, will let you know how it goes when I have everything together.

Thanks for all the replies

Gary

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