CZ57
member
To standardize with one powder in 9mm, you're going to have to consider a lot of issues. Most of the powder recommendations are fine for lighter loads in 9mm. And NO, reloading for 9mm is not dumb! It's about the only way to get match grade accuracy with full velocity potential. 9mm is a 35,000 PSI round. Formerly 35,700 CUP which is equivelant to todays rating for 9mm +P at 38,500 PSI. To me, the 9mm is a high performance cartridge, so I don't load light, or cast loads for it. Blue Dot will get that done, but with a long fireball. Ditto for Power Pistol or nearly any other double base flake powder.
I like recommendation #3, because #7 was originally made specifically for high velocity 9mm Nato rounds. It works extremely well with bullet weights of 124 grains and higher. Flash is very low.
V-V 3N37 will get you some of the highest velocities available in 9mm with good accuracy. Flash is moderate to low depending on bullet weight and powder charge.
HS-6 is still the velocity king. It's used by more IPSC shooters loading very high velocity loads than any other. Right behind it would be Ramshot Silhouette (formerly Winchester Action Pistol, WAP), then Ramshot True Blue and V-V 3N37. Of these four, I consider Silhouette and True Blue to better as all around 9mm powders, like say, factory load velocity. Silhouette is the lowest flash powder I've ever used in 9mm.
Flake powders are fine if flash is not a concern, but as pressure/velocity go up, so will flash. If you really want a fireball, it's hard to beat Power Pistol and Blue Dot. Blue Dot has provided some of the most accurate high velocity loads I've fired over the years.
Bushmaster is making a very good point that needs to be heeded a bit more. Unless a powder manufacturer says that two powders are identical, its best for everyone if you don't ASSume they are. Hodgdon will only commit to two handgun propellants as equivelant to Winchester powders: 540 is HS-6, and 571 is HS-7. The thing that validates Bushmaster's statement is something you may not have considered and he's not being heavy handed, but here are the facts. First, if your loading manual doesn't give pressure values for handloads, how can you say something is equivelant? Hodgdon and Winchester ball powders are made by PRIMEX. They start off from the same base chemistry in many cases, but because they are made to the specifications (or were before Hodgdon bought Winchester powders, formerly OLIN) they will differ in pressure at the same powder charge. This is the case for W-231 and HP-38. All you need to do is consult the Lyman manual where loads were charged exactly the same and fired from the same 4" ballistic test barrels. I could understand some velocity/pressure variation because of manufacturing lot, but not the differences clearly shown in the Lyman manuals that do show pressure values. The same holds true for W296 and H110.
I like recommendation #3, because #7 was originally made specifically for high velocity 9mm Nato rounds. It works extremely well with bullet weights of 124 grains and higher. Flash is very low.
V-V 3N37 will get you some of the highest velocities available in 9mm with good accuracy. Flash is moderate to low depending on bullet weight and powder charge.
HS-6 is still the velocity king. It's used by more IPSC shooters loading very high velocity loads than any other. Right behind it would be Ramshot Silhouette (formerly Winchester Action Pistol, WAP), then Ramshot True Blue and V-V 3N37. Of these four, I consider Silhouette and True Blue to better as all around 9mm powders, like say, factory load velocity. Silhouette is the lowest flash powder I've ever used in 9mm.
Flake powders are fine if flash is not a concern, but as pressure/velocity go up, so will flash. If you really want a fireball, it's hard to beat Power Pistol and Blue Dot. Blue Dot has provided some of the most accurate high velocity loads I've fired over the years.
Bushmaster is making a very good point that needs to be heeded a bit more. Unless a powder manufacturer says that two powders are identical, its best for everyone if you don't ASSume they are. Hodgdon will only commit to two handgun propellants as equivelant to Winchester powders: 540 is HS-6, and 571 is HS-7. The thing that validates Bushmaster's statement is something you may not have considered and he's not being heavy handed, but here are the facts. First, if your loading manual doesn't give pressure values for handloads, how can you say something is equivelant? Hodgdon and Winchester ball powders are made by PRIMEX. They start off from the same base chemistry in many cases, but because they are made to the specifications (or were before Hodgdon bought Winchester powders, formerly OLIN) they will differ in pressure at the same powder charge. This is the case for W-231 and HP-38. All you need to do is consult the Lyman manual where loads were charged exactly the same and fired from the same 4" ballistic test barrels. I could understand some velocity/pressure variation because of manufacturing lot, but not the differences clearly shown in the Lyman manuals that do show pressure values. The same holds true for W296 and H110.
