Prowler53
Member
I was going to limit this to 9mm but I figured I would leave it open to any caliber handgun. I ask this because I've seen hundreds of threads online in just about every forum regarding favorite powder or bullets. It got me to thinking....How many of these folks who recommended a specific powder or bullet have actually tried several different brands of each before making the conclusion that "Unique" or whatever brand works best for them? Maybe they are just your typical (Ford or Chevy guy) that will never switch brands. I'm only in this reloading for over a year and I have tried several different powder / bullet load workups. I'm actually in the middle of loading up more test rounds that I need to try. Last night I went through the records that I have already finished, and pulled out the targets that I used for each load workup. I separated them according to bullet brand / weight / profile and put each stack in order from best to worst results. All of them were fired from the same 9mm sub-compact handgun but with different powder drops and OAL's. Each round loaded in a single stage press and every powder drop weighed on a digital scale. I have a few other powder / bullet combo's to try but so far my results are different from what I thought they would be.
124 Grain Berry's RN Plated
Powders tested: Power Pistol, AA#2, W231,Bullseye,True Blue, CFE Pistol, Titegroup,
OAL's 1.135 and 1.150 for each powder
Most Accurate from best to worst @ 10 Yards
1. True Blue 5.5 Gr. @ 1.150 9 shot group 1.88"
2. Bullseye 4.0 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 1.97"
3. True Blue 5.7 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 2.3"
4. Titegroup 3.8 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.5"
5. Power Pistol 5.3 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.6"
6. True Blue 5.3 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 2.68"
7. Titegroup 3.7 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.74"
8. W231 4.4 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.95"
9. True Blue 5.4 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 3.10" (6 / 10 shots grouped .69")
10. Bullseye 4.2 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 3.15"
CFE Pistol (which is what I've been using as my go to powder) did not make the top 10 targets
as well as AA#2.
125 Grain Brazos LRN Hi-tek Coated OAL 1.0725
Powders tested: W231, True Blue, Bullseye, CFE Pistol
Most Accurate from best to worst @ 10 Yards
1. W231 4.0 Gr. 6 Shot Group .90"
2. True Blue 5.0 Gr. 7 Shot Group 1.5"
3. True Blue 4.8 Gr. 10 Shot Group 1.65"
4. Bullseye 3.7 Gr. 6 Shot Group 2.0"
5. CFE-Pistol 4.5 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.1"
6. True Blue 4.9 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.4"
7 W231 3.9 Gr. 6 Shot Group 2.75"
8. CFE-Pistol 4.8 GR. 10 Shot Group 2.78"
9. True Blue 4.7 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.85"
10. W231 3.8 Gr. 7 Shot Group 2.90"
Still running test rounds and I have WSF and Unique to add to the test's. So far It looks like True Blue, W-231, Bullseye. Brazos LRN's are looking good, Acme Bullets are on the way!
I have to mention Hornady 124 XTP's. I don't shoot many of them because of cost.
Power Pistol 5.1 Gr. @ 1.080 7 Shot group 1.09" (6 shot's grouped .77"
124 Grain Berry's RN Plated
Powders tested: Power Pistol, AA#2, W231,Bullseye,True Blue, CFE Pistol, Titegroup,
OAL's 1.135 and 1.150 for each powder
Most Accurate from best to worst @ 10 Yards
1. True Blue 5.5 Gr. @ 1.150 9 shot group 1.88"
2. Bullseye 4.0 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 1.97"
3. True Blue 5.7 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 2.3"
4. Titegroup 3.8 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.5"
5. Power Pistol 5.3 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.6"
6. True Blue 5.3 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 2.68"
7. Titegroup 3.7 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.74"
8. W231 4.4 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 2.95"
9. True Blue 5.4 Gr. @ 1.150 10 Shot Group 3.10" (6 / 10 shots grouped .69")
10. Bullseye 4.2 Gr. @ 1.135 10 Shot Group 3.15"
CFE Pistol (which is what I've been using as my go to powder) did not make the top 10 targets
as well as AA#2.
125 Grain Brazos LRN Hi-tek Coated OAL 1.0725
Powders tested: W231, True Blue, Bullseye, CFE Pistol
Most Accurate from best to worst @ 10 Yards
1. W231 4.0 Gr. 6 Shot Group .90"
2. True Blue 5.0 Gr. 7 Shot Group 1.5"
3. True Blue 4.8 Gr. 10 Shot Group 1.65"
4. Bullseye 3.7 Gr. 6 Shot Group 2.0"
5. CFE-Pistol 4.5 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.1"
6. True Blue 4.9 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.4"
7 W231 3.9 Gr. 6 Shot Group 2.75"
8. CFE-Pistol 4.8 GR. 10 Shot Group 2.78"
9. True Blue 4.7 Gr. 9 Shot Group 2.85"
10. W231 3.8 Gr. 7 Shot Group 2.90"
Still running test rounds and I have WSF and Unique to add to the test's. So far It looks like True Blue, W-231, Bullseye. Brazos LRN's are looking good, Acme Bullets are on the way!
I have to mention Hornady 124 XTP's. I don't shoot many of them because of cost.
Power Pistol 5.1 Gr. @ 1.080 7 Shot group 1.09" (6 shot's grouped .77"