I did some 9mm Pressure data today, I have a 9mm loading project coming up that I needed to get some data on.
I thought I would post this for you guys, but warning, it is severely limited in scope, especially concerning powders used. A few years ago I converted all my 9mm Loads to two powders, Vihtavuori 3N38 for bullets from 115 to 147 gr and Vihtavuori 3N37 for 90 gr or less bullets. That is it. There is some short data on older loads with Bullseye before I went exclusively to the Vihtavuori powders. I received far more consistent results, higher velocity, lower pressures with the V Powders. Pretty much the same as when I converted most of the 45 ACP to Winchester WSF.
Of Very Particular interest to me is the 125 and 115 gr CEB Gen II Solids……….. I did not wish to load a 1000 or more rounds and pressures be over max. I also have a few 115 Lehigh Extremes that I work with as well. Today I tested some of the other bullets I have been buying in bulk as well, 124 Sig Sierra and 115 Winchester HP. I was very pleased with the outcome. I started with the 125 Solids at 6.9/V-3N38, and ended up dropping it to 6.6/V-3N38 for little less pressure, and plenty good velocity.
I re-tested some of my 90 Raptor loads, they are still OVER MAX Pressures. Fortunately there are not so many of those left, and the next time I load the Raptors I am dropping from 7.5 to 7.2 gr of V-3N37, hopefully get the pressures down to +P anyway.
One other Note worthy of mention. When loading these type bullets, or most any 9mm bullets I use nothing but NEW brass, 90% of the time that is New Starline. When "reloading" 9mm brass with carbide dies, it squeezes the case down too much for my OCD, when loading any bullet, there is an unsightly BULGE, no matter how hard I try, no matter any scenario, a big ugly ass BULGE in my ammo. My OCD will not allow that. Recently I gave @BatteryOaksBilly 2000 pieces of sized, and prepped 9mm brass from Evergreen, it was carbide sized and bulged when loaded. Now, I did learn a trick from one of the guys here, Redding makes a standard steel die, that does not squeeze the case so much at the top, almost eliminating the bulge, but you have to lube, but that is well worth it to me to eliminate the bullet bulge. One of my own B&Ms had a bullet bulge in the first case design, I could not abide by the bulge, I redesigned the case completely to eliminate that, which was a big deal, new reamer, new design, new dies, the works........... I will not have a bullet bulge in my ammo! Not in this life. So, for most all my 9mm work, it is NEW STARLINE Brass only. Recently took delivery of 1100 of the 125 CEB Gen II Solids and 1600 115 Gen II Solids, along with those, 3000 pieces of nice shiny NEW STARLINE brass to go with them. Just FYI.
I de boxed all these to put in my bullet jars, much less of a foot print on the shelf.
