Powder question

[ejohanson]

Just thinking about my next load recipe(for 9mm) and was wondering if given 2 powders, one fairly fast and one fairly slow using a 147grn LRN bullet, what would the pros cons based on powder choice be using slower or faster powder?


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[BLR81]

Slow powder requires more grains so fewer rounds per pound than faster powder. Faster powder fills less so more chance of a double charge.

I've just stayed middle of the road with Win 231 or HP-38 which is the same powder.

[MR_X]

With slower powder you might not get the full velocity of the round specially out of a short barrel. Not all the powder will burn and this also makes your gun dirtier. Depending on the powder, you may also get a lot of flash. Slower burning powder can give softer recoil but that depends on other variable like bullet weight.

[ejohanson]

This is for a 5" 1911 chambered in 9mm using 147grn LRN projectiles.


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[rsrocket1]

Actually, you want a slow(er) powder. Not really slow like W296, H110 or Lilgun. You can't get enough powder into the case to drive the bullet to a decent velocity with those powders. More like Unique, Power Pistol, Universal Clays or AA5/AA7. Super fast powders like Clays, Titewad, Trail Boss generate too much pressure without driving the bullet fast enough to cycle the action.

9mm has so little margin between "just enough velocity to cycle the action" and "not enough case volume/too slow a powder" that you should just stick with one powder like Unique, Red Dot, Bullseye, Universal.

Now with 38/40/45, you can use 2 fairly different speed powders to get a low velocity/low recoil load and a full power load.

[Sunday]

The loading manual is your friend.

[357magnum]

Win 231, can't go wrong for 9mm

[sofbak]

A smaller charge weight of faster powder will produce less recoil for the same velocity than a larger charge of a slower powder...and the effect is more pronounced with a heavy projectile like the 147 gr bullet you are using...

[ejohanson]

Exactly the information I was looking for Sofbak! Thank you


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[sofbak]

Exactly the information I was looking for Sofbak! Thank you


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Your welcome. I don't shoot 9mm, but I did verify this relationship analytically and "emperically" with .40 s&w. I tried same-velocity loads using 165, 180, and 200 gr bullets with two different burn rate powders, and could definitely feel the difference.

But even at low power loads at the minimum end of the recommended weight range by the manual, recoil was still uncomfortable to say the least. So I found this article, and tried it out. I found a really fun load for 180 gr. bullets that is easy on the hands and more accurate than I am out to 25 yds.

You can apply the same logic and maybe some simple arithmetic ratios to 9mm loads as well. Author goes into much more detail than necessary, but some good logic and info here:

http://www.handgunsmag.com/2010/09/24/ammunition_40lite_091806/