9mm round up round 1

[shotgunred]

Round 1 included SR7625, Tightgroup, WSF and WIN 231. All rounds were mixed brass,
124 gr. Montana Gold Dots.
Federal Primers.
OAL of 1.130.
Around 150 ft elevation.
60 Degrees Fahrenheit.


The first five rounds were just to see which was the softest. I took pumpkins and blasted away. Nice easy targets so I could warm up and get a feel for the rounds recoil. I got my first surprise for the day. I would have assumed it would have been tightgroup as it is the fastest burning of the group Instead it was SR7625 which is a medium burner.

Softest Recoil.

SR7625
Tightgroup
WSF
WIN 231


Next it was time to put up some targets and test for accuracy. Again I was surprised. I thought for sure it was going to be WSF closely followed by Tightgroup. I was shocked when Tightgroup ended up to be the most inaccurate of the bunch. It's just every one (except one guy) in my IDPA group that shoots 9mm uses tightgroup. Group think I guess.:crying: When I bought my 9mm I just went straight to tightgroup because they were all using it. It has only been this year that I moved to WSF.

Most Accurate

WIN 231
SR7625
WSF
Tightgroup

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l18/whidbeyphotos/gun%20stuff/win231.jpg

My Win 231 group was good enough that I almost wonder if I should keep looking at other powders.:supergrin: I have had good luck with WIN 231 with the 40SW so these results shouldn't have really surprised me. Next for Win 231 test out to 25 yards.

Time to get the next batch ready for testing.

[Colorado4Wheel]

How long of a range did you test at?

[Tree Rat]

What are Montana Gold Dots?


TR

[shotgunred]

How long of a range did you test at?

Due to the number of people out to the range I was only able to shoot at 30 feet. Win 231 4 shot group was 0.771. I will re-test at 75 feet when I can. I am going to have to go during the week when not as many people are there.

What are Montana Gold Dots?

TR

Bullets.
https://www.montanagoldbullet.com/Images/320x200/9mm-FMJ-124.jpg

[SJ 40]

What are Montana Gold Dots?


TRMontana Gold Bullets.

http://www.montanagoldbullet.com/

SJ 40

[njl]

Gold Dots are a Speer JHP product. Montana Gold makes FMJ, CMJ, and JHP...so Montana Gold Dots doesn't tell us much. Even with that side profile picture, I can't tell if that's their FMJ or CMJ.

There's all sorts of variables beyond powder type that could affect accuracy, so without having tested and chrono'd a range of powder charges for each powder, I wouldn't say one powder is better/more accurate than another. Unless you've already done that, and are loading all to about the same velocity, saying one powder gives lighter recoil than another also means nothing.

[JBnTX]

3.5 grains of 231 with a 124gr bullet is kind of a light load?

I use 4.3 grains of 231 with Hornady's 124gr FMJ.
Accuracy is so good I stopped load developing and settled on that as my 9mm load.

[SARDG]

...There's all sorts of variables beyond powder type that could affect accuracy, so without having tested and chrono'd a range of powder charges for each powder, I wouldn't say one powder is better/more accurate than another...
I'd have to agree. Just a .2gr spread (4.8gr - 5.0gr) with my .45 cal N320 load changed my group from ~6" to <3". Different round and characteristics, but a good example of how many rounds of how many loads will have to be fired to reach any meaningful conclusion.

[Boxerglocker]

Sorry Mike but have to say without a "constant" your tests are useless. Use the same bullet, OAL, primer and push all loads to the same velocity over a chrono then compare.
Another thing to add, if your getting that much bullet drop at 30 feet assuming you were aiming center of the target, your loads are definately underpowered.

[Tree Rat]

Montana Gold Bullets.

http://www.montanagoldbullet.com/

SJ 40


Ahhhh.......Montana Gold......no Dot.


TR

[njl]

I've only checked one source (Hodgdon online), but according to it, that load is 0.9gr below starting. Have you chrono'd it? Shot much of it and it all cycled properly?

[shotgunred]

typo on my part. 4.5 gr
As Richard says don't trust me until you look it up in a book.

[njl]

I hope you're more careful than that in your reloading log book. Otherwise, you may go back through it trying to duplicate a load you did a while back and wonder why the velocity is off or why your gun blew up.

[kd8x]

I had a FTE with my G19 at 4.0 gr of w231 so just not quite enuff at that level...ended up with 4.2 for the plinking load but I'm using 1.14 oal....