Trouble Figuring out load data for 9 mm

[Guest bsdtux]

Hello everyone, 

 

  I stepping into reloading for the first time and already I am a little confused. I am trying to reload my 9 mm using Hodgdon's universal clays technology powder and Remington 9mm 155 gr (DIA .355) bullets. When looking at http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp , I saw that the closest thing would be 115 Gr LRN (DIA .356)  Hodgon Universal with a starting load of 4.0 and Max of 4.5 with a COL of 1.1. In my Lyman book I get only loads for 115 Gr JHP with a starting load of 4.7 and Max of 5.3 with a OAL of 1.090. On the front of the Bottle of Hodgdon it has 9mm 115 GR GDHP 5.0 charge and COL of 1.125. 

 

Can someone help me make sense of this? Which one should I follow? and is COL the same as OAL? Sorry for what may seem like a silly question I am just trying to keep from hurting myself or someone else at the range because I over powered or under powered the round. 

 

One last thing my book seems to have a Starting OAL for 9mm of 1.169 which when using a caliper on a factory load that is the exact measurement that I get. So is that safe to assume that correlates to factory sizes? 

 

 

[Caster]

155g is awful heavy for 9x19. Certainly doable. Subgun and can shooters run heavy weight stuff all the time. Problem is, 9mm is very sensitive to seating depth. Seating too deep can cause pressures to skyrocket FAST and it don't take as much as some may think. To get bullets over 147g to feed from a magazine, many times you have to seat them pretty deep. This can get you I trouble quick.

The reason you're not finding a lot of data is for this very reason. Data producers have to figure in a safety margin or as I call it, "They have to calculate the moron factor."

If I were going to attempt to shoot heavy weights in 9mm, I would make some dummy cartridges and first find what's the max length my magazines will hold and not bind. Cartridge overall length max is really more of a guideline. Many guns will feed cartridges seated longer than listed max. I'd slowly work back from there until I found reliability and accuracy.

For obvious reasons, I'm going pass on giving powder charge opinions.

[Guest bsdtux]

155g is awful heavy for 9x19. Certainly doable. Subgun and can shooters run heavy weight stuff all the time. Problem is, 9mm is very sensitive to seating depth. Seating too deep can cause pressures to skyrocket FAST and it don't take as much as some may think. To get bullets over 147g to feed from a magazine, many times you have to seat them pretty deep. This can get you I trouble quick.

The reason you're not finding a lot of data is for this very reason. Data producers have to figure in a safety margin or as I call it, "They have to calculate the moron factor."

If I were going to attempt to shoot heavy weights in 9mm, I would make some dummy cartridges and first find what's the max length my magazines will hold and not bind. Cartridge overall length max is really more of a guideline. Many guns will feed cartridges seated longer than listed max. I'd slowly work back from there until I found reliability and accuracy.

For obvious reasons, I'm going pass on giving powder charge opinions.

 

Wow I just noticed I made a bad typo. I am using 115 gr. Not sure why I typed 155 gr. That was my fault. Also I was able to discover that COL and OAL are practically the same terms. 

[chances R]

Wow I just noticed I made a bad typo. I am using 115 gr. Not sure why I typed 155 gr. That was my fault. Also I was able to discover that COL and OAL are practically the same terms. 

 

That's why you have to be very, very, careful with internet data. Also, there are usually differences in all manuals.  When you get two to match, I feel a lot better.  The load on the bottle will work, can't tell you if it will work in YOUR gun though.  The OAL is, I believe, at max.  In general, the shorter you go with a load, the higher the pressure becomes.........and the 9mm can be unforgiving. 

[Guest bsdtux]

That's why you have to be very, very, careful with internet data. Also, there are usually differences in all manuals.  When you get two to match, I feel a lot better.  The load on the bottle will work, can't tell you if it will work in YOUR gun though.  The OAL is, I believe, at max.  In general, the shorter you go with a load, the higher the pressure becomes.........and the 9mm can be unforgiving. 

 

Thanks guys. After looking for load data on Hodgdon's and Alliant I think I am going to load 10 rounds with 4.5 gr, and 10 rounds with 4.6 gr and 10 rounds with 4.7gr  and an OAL of 1.100. this seems to be the safest configuration that I can find.