Max Load 9mm

[BigTrucks4Life]

Hey guys, I am new to reloading and I was working up some max loads over the weekend. It is 9mm 115 gr RN. Bullet diameter .356, I am using hodgon HP-38. The max load is 4.8g.

My question is I made a mistake when reloading. My beam scale had been bumped and was not zeroed in properly.The powder that I actually loaded was 4.85 or 4.9g instead of 4.8g. I have never loaded over and I was just wondering if I should pull the rounds or if I would be okay. I know it is a small error but I just wanted to check. This was unintentional and I realize loading over max load is not recommended and is something I plan to not do again. Thanks for your input

 

[ReloaderFred]

Are you talking about jacketed or lead bullets? For jacketed, you're fine according to Hodgdon's data. For cast lead, it would be over maximum.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Schwing]

Normally, I would not consider this a big deal but, since you did not work up from the bottom of the data, I would pull them and start over.

You need to start at the bottom of the load data and work up gradually looking for pressure signs along the way. A lot of factors can impact pressure so, if you start at a max charge, you might already be over the line.

 

[rsrocket1]

No need to pull them <yet>. Put them aside and work up loads to that level. If you have no problems, you already have a batch loaded. If you encounter problems with pressure signs, then you can pull them.

But in general, you should never start at max and never plan for max. You need to leave a tenth grain or two margin especially for handgun loads where a dozen fps won't make a difference in accuracy.

 

[Schwing]

No need to pull them <yet>. Put them aside and work up loads to that level. If you have no problems, you already have a batch loaded. If you encounter problems with pressure signs, then you can pull them.

But in general, you should never start at max and never plan for max. You need to leave a tenth grain or two margin especially for handgun loads where a dozen fps won't make a difference in accuracy.

This is a better solution

 

[LiveLife]

What length are you loading at?

If you are loading longer than published length, you may be OK.

If you are loading shorter than published length, you may experience SIGNIFICANTLY higher chamber pressure, especially at overmax charges.

I need to load 115 gr FMJ bullets at 4.8 gr using 1.135" OAL/COL as 4.6 gr will barely reliably cycle the slides of my Glock 22/23/26, especially G26 with stiffer recoil spring.

Besides, how do you know your scale is showing 4.9 grains? Do you have check weights to verify? If your scale reads 5.0 gr with 5.0 gr check weights, I would be OK if OAL is longer than published but if your scale is off, you may have a problem.

 

[BigTrucks4Life]

Are you talking about jacketed or lead bullets? For jacketed, you're fine according to Hodgdon's data. For cast lead, it would be over maximum.

Hope this helps.

Fred

they are copper plated

 

[BigTrucks4Life]

Normally, I would not consider this a big deal but, since you did not work up from the bottom of the data, I would pull them and start over.

You need to start at the bottom of the load data and work up gradually looking for pressure signs along the way. A lot of factors can impact pressure so, if you start at a max charge, you might already be over the line.

I did start from the bottom, i just decided to try max loads for once

 

[BigTrucks4Life]

What length are you loading at?

If you are loading longer than published length, you may be OK.

If you are loading shorter than published length, you may experience SIGNIFICANTLY higher chamber pressure, especially at overmax charges.

I need to load 115 gr FMJ bullets at 4.8 gr using 1.135" OAL/COL as 4.6 gr will barely reliably cycle the slides of my Glock 22/23/26, especially G26 with stiffer recoil spring.

Besides, how do you know your scale is showing 4.9 grains? Do you have check weights to verify? If your scale reads 5.0 gr with 5.0 gr check weights, I would be OK if OAL is longer than published but if your scale is off, you may have a problem.

my current length is 1.146 which is above. I know my scale is correct because I verified it with my other scale

 

[Walkalong]

I did start from the bottom, i just decided to try max loads for once

What was the last charge weight you tried on the way up to max?

 

[BigTrucks4Life]

What was the last charge weight you tried on the way up to max?

4.6 was the last one

 

[Dudedog]

Some good thoughs here. I don't know if I would start pulling them apart just yet.

I like my bullet puller, but I like it a lot more when I don't use it.

MAX listed loads are the "MAX" for the test setup and that bullet/lot of powder/lot of primers etc. What is the listed MAX may be higher or lower than what is safe in your firearm.

Most manuals will have different MAX for say a 125gr bullet, different bullet,different lot of powder, maybe different OAL etc.

Some powders vary lot to lot more than others. I have not shot enough
HP88/231 to say how much it does vary lot to lot. (all 3 lbs I have had seemed close)
I had a couple of different lots of 4756 and one lot took almost .2gr more to match the vels of the previous lot I had. So this took a load that was in the close to the middle of the chart withr one lot powder and made it a max load for another lot of the same powder. Now if I was at the max with the lot of "weaker" powder the stronger powder would have made that same load about .2 over listed max with the same weight of charge.
(which may or may not have been bad). That of course is why you should work up (as you did) when approaching MAX loads.

I would double check to make sure your neck tension is good by cycling some of the rounds through your pistol without fireing them to make sure you have no setback and yourOAL does not decrease. (always a good idea anyway IMO) Some set back with a lighter load might go unnoticed but the closer you get to the "MAX" the more critical things become as you just have less "wiggle room"

I managed to make a long post with out really doing a lot to address your question.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I have to follow BDS on this one. If you are using a longer than published OAL than I would have to refrain from pulling them.

You just aren't that far over to bother me unless your shooting a "Known To Be Weak" pistol.

If you do shoot some and you feel the pistol torqueing to the left in your hand I would have to say you need to "re-evaluate this situation".


I load hot with my own ammo but when I feel torqueing I have to back off.

 

[ulflyer]

I'm loading 5.0 of 231 at 1.12 OAL with 115gr plated round nose bullets, mainly to shoot in a newly bought STI Escort 9mm 1911 style gun. It simply would not function reliably at lesser loads...at least at 4.8. I did not try 4.9. I had been using 4.5 as my standard load but 5.0 "feels" fine in several of my other 9mm's.