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daznad
10-05-2014, 8:35 AM
I've decided to start reloading and I'm evaluating my options on what type of equipment I want to use. I'm going to start with 9mm and I think I'm going to get a 4 turret press. I was wondering what kind of powder others have used for 9mm. Not looking for match ammo or anything just decently accurate plinking rounds.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks calgunners :)

Added question:

Question: I'm looking at reloading data for 9mm (115 grain bullet) when a recipe calls for a specific brand of primer can any small pistol primer be used. For example if the recipe only mentions Winchester primers can I substitute federal small pistol primers instead? Or would I need to then adjust the powder charge?
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Mot Mi
10-05-2014, 9:05 AM
Any powder will work if youre just plinking. Get anything that is available unless you can get any powder. I personally use hp38/w231. Although, ive used almost every pistol powder there is I suggest getting anything youre able to get now. Pistol powder is somewhat hard to get right now in the current market. Titegroup, autocomp, wst, red dot, unique, and power pistol. That has been thr run of thr milll in thr last 6 months.

opos
10-05-2014, 9:30 AM
Have you gotten one or two of the current manuals? It's all in there

daznad
10-05-2014, 12:22 PM
Well that's definitely a fair point. A manual or two will be my next purchase. Just wanted to see what others that have been reloading for a while prefer.

krwada
10-05-2014, 12:27 PM
HP38 ... if you can get it

I have found the following powders at the gunshows, (SF Cow Palace)
Titegroup
Unique
Bullseye
Trailboss
WSF, (not recommended for 9mm. Works well for .45 ACP)

If you do find any pistol powder ... Just buy it! Pistol powders are very difficult to find these days.

orangeusa
10-05-2014, 12:27 PM
Lee's book is pretty good. And Amazon is cheaper than LGS.
It's not well written but read the whole book. Take a class - Serioustalk. BigBronco here is the guy to contact.

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edgerly779
10-05-2014, 12:30 PM
lyman manual and a decent c press. I just bought 9mm and 45 acp rcbs dies today for $15 per 3 die set. That is killer deal . Just keep your eyes open.

Gryff
10-05-2014, 12:35 PM
I started with Titegroup for 9mm and I really like it. Meters well, and is economical since you don't need a large amount of it to push the bullet to your desired velocity.

Mot Mi
10-05-2014, 12:52 PM
If you do plan on getting an econimical low charge weight powder and using a progress press please pay attention to powder drops. It can double charge cases and cause a Kaboom. Titegroup and hp38/w231 uses low charges so please be careful.

EMR
10-05-2014, 12:57 PM
I just started reloading 9mm a few months ago. I'm using VVN320. Not the cheapest stuff but it's the only powder I've been able to find (admittedly I'm not looking terribly hard). Like what the others have said, if you can find powder, but it


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rccar
10-05-2014, 2:17 PM
Imr 7625, PB, 700x will also work if you see any.

noylj
10-05-2014, 3:31 PM
Read your manuals and, after that, read them again.
For accuracy, you want Power Pistol or Silhouette with 9x19. If you just want it to go bang and put a hole somewhere on the paper, then you should start with 231/HP38. This is one of the best "general purpose" powders out there for most non-magnum handgun cartridges and is often also the most accurate. For 9x19, slower powders are almost always more accurate.
If you want very light loads, you can use a faster powder.
In today's market, I don't even have a store within 35 miles of my house that has any powder, so you are probably stuck going through some manuals and noting the powders listed and trying to find some in your area, rather than worrying about some "best" powder.
Right now, it is easier to find 9x19 ammo for $13-25/50 rounds (26-50 cents/round) than it is to find components. Your consumable cost for loading 9x19 will run 12-15 cents per round (using jacketed or plated bullets), but you have to find the powder first.
For your first loads, get some 124gn FMJ-RN bullets (see Powder Valley—they have Zero 9mm 124gn FMJ bullets in stock for $299/3000 (10 cents a bullet, which is a GREAT price in today's market). You won't find any more accurate 124gn bullets and that will give you enough to load for while. If you want 115gn, then they have Zero 115gn FMJ-RN for $269/3000.

daznad
10-05-2014, 3:43 PM
Awesome. Thank you for the info. Greatly appreciated.

bruce381
10-05-2014, 7:56 PM
""Pistol powder is somewhat hard to get right now""

understatment I have not seen WW231 or Hp-38 in over a year and a half.

peekay331
10-05-2014, 8:04 PM
Unique is a good powder for starters. It takes up quite of bit of space in the shell so if you doublecharge it, it's very notcieable.

DRAB_81
10-05-2014, 8:15 PM
I use WSF for 9mm & 45, and it's one of the only powders I've found in stock online lately. With 124gr JHP's (Zero or Montana Gold), I can load it to USPSA Minor PF (very light) all the way up to +P velocities (to simulate defense rounds) & it's always dead nuts accurate. I also tried Titegroup & WST, but I found WSF to be the perfect balance for me. Titegroup, N320, AA2, Clays & Bullseye are great powders, you just have to be a little more careful with them & they don't produce upper velocities. They aren't as forgiving as slower powders like WSF, Silhouette, & Power Pistol (there isn't very much room for error with fast powders). W231/HP38 is probably the most widely used powder out there. The side effect of that is it's practically impossible to find either one right now.

orangeusa
10-05-2014, 8:24 PM
""Pistol powder is somewhat hard to get right now""

understatment I have not seen WW231 or Hp-38 in over a year and a half.

I see HP-38 every time I go I my garage. :)

Seriously, do a WTB here. It is surprisingly effective. That's how I got almost all of my powder. No kidding.

krwada
10-05-2014, 8:40 PM
I use WSF for 9mm & 45, and it's one of the only powders I've found in stock online lately. With 124gr JHP's (Zero or Montana Gold), I can load it to USPSA Minor PF (very light) all the way up to +P velocities (to simulate defense rounds) & it's always dead nuts accurate. I also tried Titegroup & WST, but I found WSF to be the perfect balance for me. Titegroup, N320, AA2, Clays & Bullseye are great powders, you just have to be a little more careful with them & they don't produce upper velocities. They aren't as forgiving as slower powders like WSF, Silhouette, & Power Pistol (there isn't very much room for error with fast powders). W231/HP38 is probably the most widely used powder out there. The side effect of that is it's practically impossible to find either one right now.

To tell you the truth ... I have not tried this. WSF is my go to powder for .45 ACP. It works extremely well with this.

stilly
10-05-2014, 10:48 PM
I see Blue Dot and Red Dot in stock a lot.

BLUE dot is my all time favorite versatile powder. It is great for 44 mag, 45, 38, and I imagine 9mm as well.

Red dot is also decent for those loads and 9mm. If you find yourself out and about and see that there is some DOTs on the shelf, red or blue is all good.

daznad
10-08-2014, 12:14 PM
So I was able to get my hands on a cpl of pounds of unique and a pound of bullseye. Thanks to all for the advice. Now I just need to wait for my press and dies to be delivered from midway! I'm still looking into which digital scale will be best value for money. I should probably get a manual also ��

scotchblade
10-08-2014, 2:27 PM
Besides a couple of manuals, this is a good source (http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol?&CartridgeName=9mm+Luger&OrderBW%5B%5D=115&Powder%5B%5D=231&Powder%5B%5D=700-X&Powder%5B%5D=800-X&Powder%5B%5D=AutoComp&Powder%5B%5D=CFE+Pistol&Powder%5B%5D=Clays&Powder%5B%5D=HP-38&Powder%5B%5D=HS-6&Powder%5B%5D=Longshot&Powder%5B%5D=PB&Powder%5B%5D=SR+4756&Powder%5B%5D=SR+7625&Powder%5B%5D=Titegroup&Powder%5B%5D=Universal&Powder%5B%5D=WSF). Alliant has something similar. As others have said, you will have to work with whatever powder you can find.

CGT80
10-08-2014, 2:53 PM
Here is one from Brian Enos, a professional shooter. http://www.brianenos.com/store/be.scale_pd.html It isn't cheap, but if he recommends it, then it must be good. He also sells dillon presses, if you ever buy one. I bought my 1050 through him.

My scale is an RCBS RangeMaster 750. It works fine, but is a little touchy and sometimes it will drift a bit. All scales, at least digital, are effected by air movement, so use them with fans or AC/heat turned off if they don't have a cover.

Dillon offers a scale as well.

My favorite powder is 231/hp38. Red dot works well, but I haven't used it for 9mm, and bullseye is a great powder that I have not used in a long time or for 9mm. Just go by the load data in the books or from the powder manufacturer.

the86d
10-08-2014, 3:07 PM
Whatever you can find right now, I prefer "fluffy" powder for 9mm, as you can see the top of the powder when visually inspecting powder levels. (My XL 650 arrived with a broken powder check buzzer, well barely bussed anyway, so I visually check powder levels on every round.)

Unique was my first pistol powder, but that is kind of hard to find, even now I understand, and I haven't looked for anything after our shoot slowed to a crawl during the recent hype/shortage/ammo crisis... Maybe I just got used to the "fluffy" powder, but other stuff seems cleaner-burning.

daznad
10-08-2014, 4:04 PM
Question: I'm looking at reloading data for 9mm (115 grain bullet) when a recipe calls for a specific brand of primer can any small pistol primer be used. For example if the recipe only mentions Winchester primers can I substitute federal small pistol primers instead? Or would I need to then adjust the powder charge?

Che762x39
10-08-2014, 5:36 PM
Question: I'm looking at reloading data for 9mm (115 grain bullet) when a recipe calls for a specific brand of primer can any small pistol primer be used. For example if the recipe only mentions Winchester primers can I substitute federal small pistol primers instead? Or would I need to then adjust the powder charge?

No, you are good to go.

I started reloading the 9mm in 1982 and it is the easy handgun caliber to reload. I recommend the RCBS Manual. Once you get a favorite load, you will do it forever. 115 FMJ and 4.5 grains of Bullseye is a favorite. With a 115 JHP and 6.0 grains of Unique is impressive. :oji:

Mot Mi
10-08-2014, 5:53 PM
""Pistol powder is somewhat hard to get right now""

understatment I have not seen WW231 or Hp-38 in over a year and a half.

My distributor let me have at it at 80 lbs he was able to get. I dont know about the whole year and a half. I am sitting on 24lbs still and 8lb of hp38. If you need it get it. I dont have a problem getting powder and never will but my connection to source is far greater than the common reloader.

and to op if the manual lists a certain primer you can deviate and use another brand. Charges will still be the same, plus federal has soft primers. I stick to cci or winchester.

krwada
10-08-2014, 6:37 PM
You are good to go.

However, you should still work up your loads from the minimum. Test them ... and figure out which charge weight works with your pistol / primer combination.

tamalpias
10-08-2014, 7:28 PM
Because I suck at shooting pistol I went with Winchester 231 as my gi to powder for all my pistol rounds. If you are not aiming for accuracy just find the most universal powder and use that. That way you would have no problems with having a hodgepodge of powder.

JMP
10-08-2014, 7:50 PM
Question: I'm looking at reloading data for 9mm (115 grain bullet) when a recipe calls for a specific brand of primer can any small pistol primer be used. For example if the recipe only mentions Winchester primers can I substitute federal small pistol primers instead? Or would I need to then adjust the powder charge?

All small primer pistols will work, but I'd discourage you from Federal for use in a progressive since the packaging is cumbersome and the primer is a bit soft. They are very good, but for small pistol, I'd go Winchester or CCI. If you can only find powder on the slow end of the spectrum for 9mm, then you may consider using a small pistol magnum primer.

For charge, 5.5gr CFE Pistol is what I have started using for 115gr 9mm. However, I use almost exclusively JHPs in .38 Super for 9mm, and I use 5.3gr of CFE Pistol for 121 or 125gr JHP .38 Super.

The manuals and published load data tend to be very conservative, so you will want to start in the published range, but you'll work up based on judgement. So, it depends on your gun and the pressure it can with hold. The "max" loads published will usually drop like a sack of potatoes for pistol at anything past 50 yards.

BigBronco
10-08-2014, 7:59 PM
For 9mm C1450 is my go to powder.

Cowboy T
10-09-2014, 11:16 AM
Question: I'm looking at reloading data for 9mm (115 grain bullet) when a recipe calls for a specific brand of primer can any small pistol primer be used. For example if the recipe only mentions Winchester primers can I substitute federal small pistol primers instead? Or would I need to then adjust the powder charge?

I've used the following primer brands in my various loads interchangeably.

- CCI
- Federal
- Magtech
- Remington
- Winchester
- Wolf/Tulammo

No discernible difference in chrono'd loads beyond the typical (small) variations you see from round to round when using identical components, so brand doesn't seem to matter. This is true of all my loads, from powder-puff .38 Spl all the way to top-end, Ruger-only ".45 Colt Magnum".

What *does* matter, though, is if you end up using magnum primers vs. standard ones. Then, yes, that will cause a significant pressure change, so you'll want to download by at least 10% and work back up.

The caution about using Federal primers in progressive presses is one you shouldn't overlook. People do it, sure--I did it with a run of 10,000 Federal SPP's a few years ago--but there is a bit more risk with it, so just be aware of that and be careful.