Tite Group and HS-6 for 9mm?

[meh92]

Hello all. I am a pretty die-hard .45acp/1911 fan but CDNN's recent sale on FN Hi-Powers was to good to pass up. I've always wanted a Hi-Power (just for S&G's) and the price was right.

I am looking for a load for a 115gr FMJ. I have a pound of Tite Group and a pound of HS-6 in the cabinet and figured these might be just the ticket for 9mm.

I's like to go no hotter than the Winchester Q4172 load (1190-FPS @ the muzzle) so I don't batter the gun excessively. The load will be used for recreation, not hunting or defense.

Has anyone had any luck with either powder? I don't have a chronograph at my disposal right now and was hoping some of you had chrono'd your loads with these powders.

Thanks

 

[Jayman]

For the 115gr I unfortunately can't help you, but I've had great luck with Titegroup and 124gr and 147gr bullets. I usually load toward the low end of the load data, as I am punching paper for IDPA/USPSA and only need to make power factor.

At lower pressures (read: 147gr bullet with smaller charges) Titegroup is a little sooty. I didn't experience that with the 124gr bullets, I'm guessing you really won't see it with the 115gr bullets.

Some data that probably won't help you extrapolate anything:

147gr bullet (Berrys Plated RN)
3.2gr Titegroup
1.130" COAL
870 fps avg out of a G17
930 fps avg out of a G34

124gr bullet (Berrys Plated RN)
3.9gr Titegroup
1.130" COAL
1060 fps avg out of a G34
(didn't try this one out of my G17, I'm guessing if I were going to shoot this load in the G17 I'd have to go up to 4.0gr to make power factor.)

(For jacketed I'd probably have to increase the charge .1-.2 to get the same velocities.)

For a 115gr bullet I'd start with 4.3-4.4gr of Titegroup. Hodgdon's website gives a max load of 4.8gr for a 115gr bullet. Depending on if you are using plated or jacketed, you may find their velocities listed to be low.

 

[meh92]

The bullets are 115gr FMJ (not copper plated/washed) offered by National Bullet. I've had good luck with them in the past in my wife's S&W-3913.

 

[Jayman]

Try 4.4gr of Titegroup then, and work up from there if you are so inclined. Wish I could offer you some advice about the HS-6, but I've had such good luck with Titegroup, it is readily available to me, and it isn't too pricey, so I've seen no reason to switch.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have used a good deal of HS6 and it gives plenty of velocity, but it is the only powder I have ever had to foul out a gun past shooting in one day.

Titegroup does well for standard speed 9mm loads. It is dark, dense, and irregular; you do have to look sharp to see the powder level in the case as you set the bullet (assuming a D550, SDB, or other loader without a powder check station or block check from a single stage.)

 

[Navy joe]

Being out to sea and all with no book I can't tell you my HS-6 load for 147 plateds, but it was nice. Expensive for as much powder as you stuffed in it, but nice. 115s and HS-6 left me unimpressed, unburnt powder everywhere.

TG is my default 9mm powder. 4.4gr under a berrys 115 at 1.150 with Win primers is giving me 1165 out of a Glock 34, I was seeing 1130s with 4.3. Having shot about 18K rounds of that load, I like it, shows me very nice accuracy. I made the same load with 1000 Win 115 FMJs, no problems.

My favorite expensive load right now is TG and 115gr hornandy XTPs. I have loaded some rather hot as a subsitute carry load and have not seen any premium defensive ammo as accurate. No load data since the book is not here. All I can say is if you want to make a few hundred really accurate round use good component bullets like the XTP and match your cases! Chamfering the crimp out of WCC primer pockets is worth it, that is very consistent brass. TG plays well into making an accurate load, it meters very consistently for me.

 

[meh92]

Thanks everyone

 

[870]

You're in luck, as I was at the range yesterday with the chrony, 9mm loads w/ TG and 540.

115 FMJ + 4.8gr TG = 1198fps average with a pf of 137.747

124 CMJ + 4.4gr TG = 1061fps average with a pf of 131.514

147 CMJ + 3.6gr TG = 859fps average with a pf of126.273

The temperature was 33C or 91.5F.

As you can see, the 147's wouldn't make pf at 25C or 77F.

A 0.2gr increase might help.

As for 540, it's too slow for the 115gr'ers.

125 LRN + 6.3gr 540 = 1059 average with a pf of 132.313

125 LRN + 5.9gr 540 = 985 average with a pf of 123.125

124 CMJ + 6.7gr 540 = 1098 average with a pf of 136.152

And just for good measure

125 LRN + 4.6gr 231 = 1168 average with a pf of 133.475

870

 

[Jayman]

870: what gun/barrel combo were these figures produced from? Your 147gr data seems awfully low, FPS wise, with the TG. 3.6gr is listed as a max load, and I get better numbers than you were getting out of a Glock 17 with 3.3gr. (Saw 930 avg with 3.3-3.4gr of TG out of that Glock 17.)

Also, what OAL are you loading to? I usually keep everything right at 1.130", if you're loading a lot longer that might explain some of it...

 

[870]

Sorry, I forgot to say that they were fired in a BHP9.

Hodgdon states that the velocity is 929fps with 3.6, but the pressure is only 27500 CUP, but 9mm is rated at 35000 CUP.

There is only 70fps difference and that is within reason.

Hodgdon may have used a barrel with a tighter bore.

870

 

[Werewolf]

Titegroup is an excellent powder to use for 9mm as the above posts attest.

However, IMHO, HS-6 is a bit slow burning (relatively speaking) for 9mm (even though Hodgdon lists loads for it). If you want a slower burning powder than TG you might look into HP-38 or Win 231 (they're the same powder).

In addition you'll get a lot more bang for the buck using TG as the loads are only about 60% of that required if you use HS-6.