Reloading 9mm for Steel and action shoots, Help?

[flyfisher117]

Howdy all,

Im getting into shooting some local Steel and USPSA matches. Im shooting a 9mm Browning Hi Power and curious if you guys could help me out.


#1: If anyone has experience with this, Has anyone had any issues shooting cast bullets out of their semi auto guns? I keep reading stories about cast bullets being to small and not properly engaging the riflings. How does one go about making sure a bullet will fit and how do they reload so that they minimize leading in the barrel?

#2: Since all I have is a 9mm what weight style bullet would give me the best results on steel plates. I was looking at using Missouri Bullet Company cast bullets and I couldnt find anything about actual styles. They have a 124 grain "Small Ball" and a 125 grain "SWC". What would you guys recommend? Only thing that I wonder is if my gun will reliably cycle SWC.

Link to Missouri Bullet.

http://www.missouribullet.com/results.php?category=5&secondary=8

#3: I know there is no real correct answer but what would be a good powder to start with? I have a few pounds of Clays (About as old as I am, dad didnt shoot it fast enough so he told me to shoot it up if I want to) but I keep reading online about people have great results with Unique. Anyone else have a recomendation?

Thanks all.

 

[rduckwor]

I load their "small ball" over 4.3-4.5 WST. It's a nice soft load that shoots well for me. Never tried it with a BHP in matches, but I have shot it in my BHP.

Good luck

 

[Rprecision]

I have had good results with Power Pistol in .40 and other calibers.

One thing to consider with cast bullets vs. semi-auto's sometimes that don't always feed that great. Might be worth buying a small amount to test drive.

 

[Chemguy]

I've shot several thousand of the 124 gr small ball through my Glock w/ aftermarket barrel and some custom 9mm 1911s. One of my 1911s has a very tight match chamber and wouldn't chamber them. The other two 1911s and my Glock have shot them just fine.

Before I went to a progressive press I used Unique and WST. They both perform fine and were accurate. I had a little trouble getting Unique to meter, so I switched to Clays for a few thousand rounds. You should be fine with that. WST seemed to shoot cleaner.

I bought a bunch of plated rounds and switched to Titegroup. Once I ran out of the plated I used up the rest of my small ball. It is noticeable more "smokey" than Clays.






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[flyfisher117]

Thats what worries me, I have been told that the Hi-Powers are picky as to what kind of bullet they will feed reliably. Something about their style of feed ramp. Maybe I can call up MBC and see if they would be willing to do a sampler or see if I cant find someone on a forum that would be willing to sell some to try. But its not like they cost a lot.

Anyone have any cheap plated bullets they would recommend if I cant get a cast bullet to work?

I also forgot to ask is unique ball or stick? How about WST? I dont have a progressive press but I still hate throwing charges with stick powder, I cant get it to meter consistently.

 

[rookie101]

berry's makes a pretty affordable plated bullet. unique is a 'flake' I have shot thousands of berry's ad unique in competition, they work well with my glock and my kimber. I have not shot lead bullets, but I think there is some velocity you should not go over or you start to lead your barrel really fast. I suspect someone will chime in with that info. As an aside both the glock and kimber will eat anything you feed it.

 

[drglock]

I use Montana Gold 124 FMJ's with HS6 at 135 power factor and have never had problems as far knocking steel down, WST is another good powder as well.

 

[flyfisher117]

I guess Berrys are pretty cheap. For some reason I thought they were $30-$40 per 100. I'll have to see what I can get from them. Are FMJs safe to shoot? That's all I have is a load of FMJ ammo. And I wasn't going to start shooting till I had something else

 

[rookie101]

I get berry's for about $90 a thousand for 115 gr. They do have a max recommended velocity if I remember right, but I don't shoot them that fast. FMJ's are fine, friendly reminder: there is a reason you should wear safety glasses no matter what bullet you shoot.........
I like Montana gold as well, if you are willing to spring for a few thousand at a time their prices are good. Just split a box of .357 jhp's with a friend, not relevant to this thread. Do be careful to buy known quality bullets. Said friend had bought a thousand or more bullets at a price too good to be true. It was. They measured about two thousandths under, were tumbling within five yards. Can't remember brand.

 

[thespecialist]

Clays, Unique, WST, HS-6, and Bullseye have all worked great for me in 9mm using 115-124gr projectiles (both lead and plated). I've honestly quit loading those though and started using 147gr Berry's over Hodgdon Longshot with magnum primers. It's a little dirty compared to WST or one of the other cleaner burning powders, but is the most accurate combo I've found for my G17 with a LoneWolf barrel.It's also a popular combo for pushing the 9mm into "major" territory without getting into the insane pressure arena, and recoil is much nicer as well with this combo. Longshot is also referred to by a lot of guys as "Loudshot" and for good reason, people at the range keep asking me what I'm shooting out of my 45 when I have the G17 out.

As for the jackets shedding on the plated bullets, Berry's recommends them to be kept under 1200fps. Anything higher than that and they can start to shed the plating and accuracy will suffer. Also, make sure not to damage the plating when you seat and crimp the case mouth. I always recommend doing the seating and crimping in different steps with plated bullets, but lots of people have success seating and crimping at the same time.

 

[flyfisher117]

Im more worried about body parts or anyone standing behind me with FMJ's. Do they really not ricochet that bad? I got a little freaked out this summer shooting, had on my electronic muffs and I could hear the bullets ricocheting and flying off into the woods smacking trees. I was planning on glasses, I think its a range requirement here, I was just more worried about everyones safety.

Ill have to check out Berrys and see what I can find. They might have something that I like. I have considered the 147 grain bullets just havent heard enough about them, seems to be a love hate relation ship.
How hard is it to keep Berrys bullets under 1200 fps? I dont own a chrony. But I have a feeling that crimping will give me more issues than velocity.

 

[Boogie]

Your talking about 2 different styles of shooting. Steel is all about speed. In USPSA it's accuracy first then speed. You also have to meet a certain Power Factor in USPSA IIRC minor is 125 and major is 165.
For steel you want the lightest bullet/load your pistol will cycle. All you have to do is hit the steel it doesn't matter where and you don't have to knock it down but you have to be able to transition to the next target fast. In my 9mm I shot 115 gr bullets using either WST or titegroup works well

For USPSA 9mm minor I used either 135 or 147 gr bullets with the same powder just more of it.

A good choice in bullets are coated bullets. They fall in price between lead and plated. With them you don't have the lube mess you get with lead. Check out bayoubullets.net for prices and availability.

 

[flyfisher117]

I understand that they are different, I am starting with steel. Sounds like a good way for me to sharpen my shooting and meet some people. I dont feel I am quite ready for action pistol but I may go give it a try just for giggles, first time shooters get their first shoots entry fees waived.

I was under the impression that steel you were actually knocking the plates down. I questioned why guys were shooting .40's and .45's for steel (considering its supposed to be the drag racing of shooting and they have considerably more recoil) and I was told it was just so that they knew the plates would go down. Give them a little larger margin of error. Maybe the guy I was talking to was thinking of something else?

Hi Powers have a terrible factory recoil spring. I am not sure its weight but I think I would have a hard time shooting very light of loads through the gun. I have looked for other springs but I cant find any, at least in stock. I dont really want to get into changing out a bunch of parts. I know the gun isnt really meant for this kind of shooting I am just trying to work with what I have available for the time being. I am hoping to get another gun next fall, one that would be better suited and one that I can change for different shooting styles.

Could I find one bullet that will allow me to do both kinds of shooting? Even if it doesnt do either kind well at least give me the chance to get my feet wet and explore? For my first few months I dont really care if I place good, I am more worried about racing myself and improving my time/score before I worry about where I am ranking against other shooters. Maybe this is the wrong attitude, I just want to do more than shooting at paper by myself, I want to get out meet people and improve my shooting abilities.

 

[Boogie]

One round for both? Heck yeah you can. The idea when starting out is to have fun and learn. It's how I started. Get a bullet in the 125 - 130 range load it to make Power Factor and go shoot. Don't be afraid of the "Run and Gun". If you complete the match with out DQing you've done good. Everybody there will help you out that's what makes it so much fun.

I'm not sure if you know what I'm talking about when I say Power Factor. To make PF, for instance minor which is 125 you multiply the bullet weight by the velocity and divide by 1000. So, for a 125 gr bullet you would have to have a velocity of 1000 fps to achieve PF. Get a chrono or find someone who will let you shoot over theirs and build a load that will give you a PF a little higher than minimum. Say a 128 - 130 PF for a 125gr bullet. The steel targets in a USPSA do have to be knocked over and they are calibrated to the PF. You hit it and it doesn't fall it's counted as a miss.

 

[flyfisher117]

So I am looking at:
Missouri Cast Bullets
Bayou Coated Bullets
Berrys Plated Bullets
Oregon Trail Cast Bullets
Each seem to have a pro/con too me. Im a little confused as to why Bayou bullets are sized to .358 and the rest of them are .355 and .356. I like that the Bayou's can be had in the 130 grain range, but what bullet is going to be the most forgiving as far as load development. I dont have a ton of experience behind the press with pistol ammo. Im worried I will damage the plating on the Berrys but I dont want to do something else wrong and lead up the barrel to bad.

 

[Chemguy]

Thats what worries me, I have been told that the Hi-Powers are picky as to what kind of bullet they will feed reliably. Something about their style of feed ramp. Maybe I can call up MBC and see if they would be willing to do a sampler or see if I cant find someone on a forum that would be willing to sell some to try. But its not like they cost a lot.

Anyone have any cheap plated bullets they would recommend if I cant get a cast bullet to work?

I also forgot to ask is unique ball or stick? How about WST? I dont have a progressive press but I still hate throwing charges with stick powder, I cant get it to meter consistently.

I may have some setting around. If MBC wont send you a sample I will send you some if I still have any setting around. Shoot me a PM.

 

[Monmouth]

I only shoot cast 9mm bullets out of my Sig 226. Here's my load data (reference only):

- 125 grain RN (.356 diameter, lubed, sized, and ready to load) from cjn casting, NJ.
- 4 grains of Bullseye (it's cheap and I use it for 9mm, 40 S&W, .45 ACP)
- Mixed brass cases
- CCI small pistol primer

Shot thousands of these rounds and yes my gun guts are a bit dirty after a day at the range, but easy to clean (good habit to clean your gun after a shoot) and ready to go again.

I will start to powder coat my cast bullets (I will be casting them as well) and can give you an update after I blast some through my Sig and friend's Glock.

Keep in mind, many guys load up with powder puff charges in some of these types of competitions. As far as knocking plates down, no problem with a 9mm. You can ring USPSA no D zone steel from 75 yards away

 

[flyfisher117]

Thanks Chemguy, I am going to see if my cold will lift long enough to let me make a couple of phone calls todays and see about some sampler packs of bullets. Feel great except that I cant speak.

Keep us updated with your casting/coating Monmouth. Ive been looking into getting the stuff to cast bullets. My dads big into shooting sharps and loves his cowboy action shooting so maybe I can get him to go halves with me on some lead casting equipment. If not I can maybe call up his friend that casts bullets and cut a deal with him.
Im sure there will be a few guys here locally with fancy drag guns and powder poof loads but I am more worried about being a good shooter with a normal recoiling gun. Not ready for the 75 yard shots! HAHA I remember the time I tried shooting a milk jug at 180 yards. Off a rest I had my left and right figured out I just could not get the hold over dialed in.

Fishing this weekend and next then hopefully the end of the month I can ride out and check out the steel shoot.

 

[FN in MT]

117,

When You fire a cast slug out of a pistol the pressure from the powder charge pushing against the base of the bullet will push it outward, or obturate the base, thereby SEALING the bullet against the bore. In order for the base to obturate and seal properly the relationship between the pressure, the bore diameter and the hardness of the bullet needs to be in a certain range. One can have a minimal charge and an overly hard bullet and the hot powder gases will jet past the base and along the sides of the bullet and LEAD the bore. Poor bullet lube can also result in leading. Same for an UNDER SIZED slug or overly HARD slug.

Most shooters and loaders do not understand the relationship between bullet size, slug hardness, proper lube, pressure and bore or cylinder diameter. They shoot a cast slug...get leading and automatically they thing the slug is too soft. NOT usually the issue.


The issue with the 9mm and cast is that traditionally 9mm pistol barrels ran on the small side. They no longer seem to be .355"/.356" anymore. Most that I have slugged are right at .357".

A shooter buys .355" slugs, loads them in his nine and even with a standard pressure load he will get leading. He thinks the slugs are too soft...it's the FIT not the hardness. He slugs his barrel and finds out it's .357". Tough to ask a hard slug to bump up .002" to seal the bore.

I've been down the road with cast for the 9mm in a pair of SIG X-5's this past year. One a std SIG barrel, the other a Bar-Sto. Both slug at .357" with a soft lead slug, pushed through the bore, then measured with a micrometer.
I tried some .356", HARD ,commercially cast slugs and they were tumbling within 15 yds. Almost zero rifling on any recovered slugs. To say I had leading would be putting it mildly.

I finally cast my own 130 gr slugs, sized to .358" cast to a brinell hardness of 10 to 12 which is really a medium range between pure soft lead and hard. Using a fast powder like bullseye ,hoping to obturate the base and seal the bore , My leading disappeared.
Accuracy in both guns was outstanding, and leading, even under rapid fire was minimal and easily cleaned at the end of the day.

9mm can be problematic to load with the larger diameter slugs some pistols require. You taper crimp too much and you no longer have a .358" slug, it's down to .355"! Or the case appears BULGED and refuses to feed 100%.

It's a real balancing act. I had to walk away from the project a few times as my patience had worn pretty thin.

Setting up for boolits in a new 9mm

Here's a link to a good thread on exactly these issues. Probably explained better than I can. And yes they do call them selves Cast BOOLITS.

FN in MT

 

[flyfisher117]

Thanks FN Ill have to go read that over a few times. Read it once and I think a lot of the things I kept reading on the internet is what you and the write up talk about, only more thoroughly and correctly. I will probably give it a try and see what I can find out for my gun, but if its gets too troublesome Ill just stick with some plated bullets.

 

[FN in MT]

Thanks FN Ill have to go read that over a few times. Read it once and I think a lot of the things I kept reading on the internet is what you and the write up talk about, only more thoroughly and correctly. I will probably give it a try and see what I can find out for my gun, but if its gets too troublesome Ill just stick with some plated bullets.

I think plated is probably the easiest solution.

I'm still casting for everything else, but 9mm can be so problematic I may do as I have done in the past; BULK bullets from MT Gold.

FN in MT

 

[FN in MT]

Thanks FN Ill have to go read that over a few times. Read it once and I think a lot of the things I kept reading on the internet is what you and the write up talk about, only more thoroughly and correctly. I will probably give it a try and see what I can find out for my gun, but if its gets too troublesome Ill just stick with some plated bullets.

I think plated is probably the easiest solution.

I'm still casting for everything else, but 9mm can be so problematic I may do as I have done in the past; BULK bullets from MT Gold.

FN in MT

 

[steve123]

117,

When You fire a cast slug out of a pistol the pressure from the powder charge pushing against the base of the bullet will push it outward, or obturate the base, thereby SEALING the bullet against the bore. In order for the base to obturate and seal properly the relationship between the pressure, the bore diameter and the hardness of the bullet needs to be in a certain range. One can have a minimal charge and an overly hard bullet and the hot powder gases will jet past the base and along the sides of the bullet and LEAD the bore. Poor bullet lube can also result in leading. Same for an UNDER SIZED slug or overly HARD slug.

Most shooters and loaders do not understand the relationship between bullet size, slug hardness, proper lube, pressure and bore or cylinder diameter. They shoot a cast slug...get leading and automatically they thing the slug is too soft. NOT usually the issue.


The issue with the 9mm and cast is that traditionally 9mm pistol barrels ran on the small side. They no longer seem to be .355"/.356" anymore. Most that I have slugged are right at .357".

A shooter buys .355" slugs, loads them in his nine and even with a standard pressure load he will get leading. He thinks the slugs are too soft...it's the FIT not the hardness. He slugs his barrel and finds out it's .357". Tough to ask a hard slug to bump up .002" to seal the bore.

I've been down the road with cast for the 9mm in a pair of SIG X-5's this past year. One a std SIG barrel, the other a Bar-Sto. Both slug at .357" with a soft lead slug, pushed through the bore, then measured with a micrometer.
I tried some .356", HARD ,commercially cast slugs and they were tumbling within 15 yds. Almost zero rifling on any recovered slugs. To say I had leading would be putting it mildly.

I finally cast my own 130 gr slugs, sized to .358" cast to a brinell hardness of 10 to 12 which is really a medium range between pure soft lead and hard. Using a fast powder like bullseye ,hoping to obturate the base and seal the bore , My leading disappeared.
Accuracy in both guns was outstanding, and leading, even under rapid fire was minimal and easily cleaned at the end of the day.

9mm can be problematic to load with the larger diameter slugs some pistols require. You taper crimp too much and you no longer have a .358" slug, it's down to .355"! Or the case appears BULGED and refuses to feed 100%.

It's a real balancing act. I had to walk away from the project a few times as my patience had worn pretty thin.

Setting up for boolits in a new 9mm

Here's a link to a good thread on exactly these issues. Probably explained better than I can. And yes they do call them selves Cast BOOLITS.

FN in MT

Hey man, thanks for that info!

I have a Steyr M9 that was doing this with 124 lead bullets. This is the first time I've had such bad leading with conventional rifling in a pistol.

I gave up and bought some copper coated 130's which have turned out to be very accurate.

OP, I've used Clays ever since it came out. It's clean but best for lighter loads, don't push it because pressures rise quickly. I like a little heavier bullet in 9mm to push down poppers if you happen to hit em low.

 

[bruddah]

I've used Berry's 115 and 124 gr plated bullets in all of my 9mm pistols, and have used 122 gr cast truncated lead bullets in my S&W M&P and Beretta without issue.

I put the minimum charge of Bullseye behind them and they still seem to have plenty of punch to knock over the steel targets.

 

[flyfisher117]

Would Clays be ok to use with a 130 grain bullet? Found a company here locally that makes a plated 130 grain bullets.

Might be easier to give them a try since there's no shipping to deal with.

 

[Strykervet]

Rainier plated bullets aren't bad --they're a lot like the Berry's. I like the 124gr. on a low charge of 3N37 (I'd have to go look at the exact load). The 9mm and the .50 bullets use heavier plating, but I could be wrong --I know the .50 does for a fact, it's just as heavy as a jacket. I generally use an old ass Glock 17 with a 15lb. spring and it cycles great (the load I use is too light to cycle well with a 17lb spring).

The most accurate I've ever used has always been the Hornady XTP. They make a match bullet now that is the same profile but not a hollow point. Hornady makes great bullets --too bad they don't know how to load 'em as well.

 

[CMH]

Are you lead bullet guys having any trouble locating lead?

 

[steve123]

Would Clays be ok to use with a 130 grain bullet? Found a company here locally that makes a plated 130 grain bullets.

Might be easier to give them a try since there's no shipping to deal with.

Clays stays in my Dillon 550. It's the best """reduced"" load pistol powder I've tried. A semi auto won't function with reduced loads with many of the other powders because they don't generate the required pressure to operate the gun with such a light charge, not only that but other powders don't burn well and leave a mess of unburnt powder in the gun with reduced loads. I'm loading 3.2 grains behind the 130 grain plated bullets which is over book max. They are going 860 fps. If you you don't want to use reduced loads Clays is "not" for you. Also Clays doesn't work well with copper jacketed FMJ's, you'll need a slower powder.

 

[flyfisher117]

Hey thanks for the help guys! I guess since I have it I will give Clays a try. But while powder is coming back I think I will just pick up 2-3 different brands of powders and experiment. Price is right so I am going to try these local plated bullets I found. 135 grain RNFP. I dont know if they will be the most accurate but for what they will cost me its worth experimenting with. While I am at it I can keep an eye out for good prices on cast bullets to give a try.

I want to try cast bullets but living 10 hours from my reloading press and only going home 1-2 times for the next 8 months I would rather get something that will be somewhat easy for me to find a load for. When this summer rolls around I can try finding a cast bullet load, or better yet get started reloading the .357

 

[Monmouth]

Are you lead bullet guys having any trouble locating lead?

That's a loaded question I take the easy road and pay a little more so I don't have to prep: solder | lead-free solder | anodes | lead casting | Victory White Metal They will sell/deliver ready cast ingots, just have to buy a little weight

 

[Monmouth]

I think plated is probably the easiest solution.

I'm still casting for everything else, but 9mm can be so problematic I may do as I have done in the past; BULK bullets from MT Gold.

FN in MT

I really like the 115 grain MT Gold bullets. The cast boolits site is just a plethora of info and I spend days just reading old threads.

 

[Pinecone]

I hope you have a lot of Clays. As I understand it will be a while before more is available.

You need to find out about the steel shoots. Some are just hit the plate, others are knock it down. If knock it down, 9mm will need a stout load and good accuracy to do that. Others are just hits, and for that, the softest load you can get the pistol to cycle with. I am considering some lighter weight recoil springs to get good cycling with a light load.

As for .40 and .45, if you load for it, they can be as light recoiling as a 9.

For good cycling, go with a round nose. Hard cast and/or plated should be fine.

For USPSA you have to make sure you make the power factor. I have a lead bullet load I used to use for calibrating poppers. It is a 125 gr LRN at 1000 fps (perfect 125 power factor) out of my Daewoo pistol. This is with WW231.

You can use the same load for both. But you will be handicapping yourself a bit in the steel shoots if you don't need to knock the steel down. But I shot a steel shoot with .45 loaded to the old USPSA power factor.

 

[flyfisher117]

I just saw 3-4 pounds of clays on the shelf at my LGS? Ive seen it at a few shops. Not a lot but its around unless they were just sitting on it and barely pulled it out of reserves? Other than that I have 3.5 pounds at home, not a lot but should give me more rounds than I will burn up over the winter.

 

[Pinecone]

Wish I could get a couple of pounds for some steel shoot loads.

 

[flyfisher117]

Thanks for all the help all.

I have settled on 135 grain RNFP Xtreme bullets. CCI 500. And experimenting with both Clays as well as Tite Group.
I have been looking through every manual I own and every where on the internet. I cant find any published recomended min/max loads. I can find a lot of guys saying what they personally are shooting but nothing else.

Anyone have any good info for max/min? Also looking for a starting COAL info? I dont own a Gauge and I am not sure how to test for proper length other than loading chambering and inpecting bullet for signs of being pushed in further or getting stuck in riflings.

 

[flyfisher117]

Woops double tapped the reply button.

 

[former naval person]

As FN says. Take time to slug your bore. Tap a soft lead ball into your barrel from the breech end and support it with a rod from one end and drop another rod from the other and tap away until it expands to fit the bore. Then tap it out. Be sure to lightly oil your bore. Measure it and measure the intended bullets. You'll save money and grief by fitting the bullet to the bore. If you do get heavy leading, dry stroke it out with "Chore Girl" strips wrapped around a standard bore brush. (Chore Girl is the woven-into-a-ball pot scrubber made from bronze wool. Caution...they also sell it in stainless steel. Don't use it...scratches your bore. Buy it at Wal Mart or such.)

 

[Munson]

Man, this all seems like a lot of work. I've been reloading 9mm for years and I've never done any of this stuff. I shoot it in competitions and have never had an issue with anything I've reloaded for pistol. Pick up some brass from the range. take it home and clean it. throw it on the press with the powder/primer/bullet of choice...wash rinse repeat. I've had real good accuracy out of Rainer and Berry's. I started going with Berry's just cause it was a little cheaper and results were identical. I use Bullseye for my plinking rounds and Power Pistol for my more serious loads and competition loads. 124g FP with about 4.2- 4.4g of bullseye and either tula primer or cci sp primer. Man i bet i've loaded up 20K of those without a single issue other than maybe me not seating the primer deep enough on a few rounds. Pistol is easy once you get a few under your belt. Have fun and get a progressive press if you dont already have one.

 

[Hummerdawg]

Plated bullets aren't worth the hassle cost is about the same as jacketed bullets with varied results from barrel to barrel. Either shoot the Montana golds or one of the coated bullets (bayou,precision,black bullet int'l) Titegroup, N320 or Solo 1000 for powder. And your done not going to do any better than those combo's

 

[Munson]

Plated bullets aren't worth the hassle cost is about the same as jacketed bullets with varied results from barrel to barrel. Either shoot the Montana golds or one of the coated bullets (bayou,precision,black bullet int'l) Titegroup, N320 or Solo 1000 for powder. And your done not going to do any better than those combo's

I guess I'm not sure what you mean by hassle. If by hassle you mean it requires doing nothing different than any other round you load then I would agree with you. If you mean there is no observable degradation in accuracy with any other round then I agree with you. If by hassle you mean it requires more work, it is a less accurate round, or requires more attention to what you are doing...uhhh not sure where you got that information my friend. If you PREFER to shot the above mentioned projectiles, by all means knock yourself out. But dont make it out to be something that its not.

 

[Hummerdawg]

Why use a bullet that costs the same but is inaccurate in a lot of guns,plated vs jacketed, granted plated bullets do work fine in some guns but definitely not in all of them. I PREFER to shoot the bullet that is most accurate and is relatively the same price. You try jacketed vs plated bullets in a variety of guns and jacketed bullets will win the accuracy test. I get this information from shooting an ass load of pistol bullets from a variety of guns. I have watched several guns turn in to shotgun pattern shooting guns when loaded with plated bullets.

 

[flyfisher117]

If the plated don't shoot good lesson learned. Being in school I want the best bang for my buck. The plated bullets are cheap, lot cheaper than anything else I can get. I can't shoot good enough to be too worried with what is the most accurate. If it will smack a plate or shoot as good as I can on paper it will work fine.

 

[gigamortis]

I shoot Bayou Bullets in their 135gr round nose version in my CZ-75. I push them with with 3.2gr of Titegroup @1.085" COAL which gives me a 938fps 5 shot average. This is just squeaking by for minor power factor in USPSA. Titegroup, by its nature, it is one of the hotter burning pistol powders, which enables it to have very consistent ignition even in cartridge cases that have a lot of leftover case volume after assembly. ES numbers with Titegroup will be very low due to this.

One thing to watch out for with Titegroup behind uncoated cast bullets is that they will smoke like a freight train. The hot burn of Titegroup will vaporize some of the lead base of the bullet more so than other powders. It isn't a problem with coated or fully jacketed bullets, because the lead isn't exposed to the burning powder.

A word of caution with using Clays in 9mm - to make minor power factor, you will find yourself at the top of the load chart if not going over max to make minor power factor. I tried it behind some 124gr Montana Golds at minor power factor and was just starting to notice some cratering on the primers. The load was stupid soft on recoil, though. In fact, it was too soft, as my second shots on double taps were always low. The muzzle would barely flip, and the slide going back into battery would dip the muzzle down momentarily about the time I would pull the trigger for the second shot. Titegroup behind my 135 Bayous tracks very well.