Anyone have any experience with HS-6 in 9mm?

[Jamie Jackson]

In an effort to expand my options I picked up a pound of Hodgdon HS-6 over at Proneshooter in West Knoxville.

While powder is being more readily available, I don't want to get caught up short when the next round of shortages hit...like after the upcoming Presidential election... :down:

 

Hodgdon lists the burn rate at 42, between AA5 and Winchester Autocomp powder. (There sure is a lot of variation in burn rate charts! :shrug: ).

link:https://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Burn%20Rates%20-%202014-2015.pdf

 

I plan to load 9mm lead bullets in 147 gr and our own powder coated cast 9mm bullets that weigh right at 130 grs. For the 130 gr I generally extrapolate off of data for 124 gr plated bullets and have done quite well thus far using Green Dot, Unique, AA#2, American Select and Winchester 231.

 

HS-6, from what I have found online, seems to be the same powder as the older Winchester 540 fwiw. (from Hodgdon's website:"HS-6 is identical to Winchester's discontinued 540".)

 

HS-6, from the Hodgdon load data site list the 9mm 130 gr plated bullet at 5.9-6.5 grs...that should be a pretty full 9mm case, if not a compressed load.

 

Have any of you had experience with this powder in 9mm?

 

I will also be loading some .38 spl and probably some .357 with this as well...so please chime in on these as well.

 

I will start at a 10% reduction and work up and chronograph my work as is my norm. But I always appreciate the knowledge and experience of the handloaders found here.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or shared experiences.

Edited October 29, 2015 by prag

[DWARREN123]

HS-6 is one of my favorite powders for 9mm. Makes some warm loads and works well. Pretty clean and accurate.

Most of my loads are 124gr JHP or Flat Point.

[Jamie Jackson]

Thank you DWARREN.

What powder charge range do get the best results with? If you don't mind me asking.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have shot a lot of HS-6 and have nothing but great things to say.

[Grunt67]

I've used it in 9 & 40.

5.5 grs. in 9 w/ Horn. XTP 124 grs.

7.8 grs. in 40 w/ Horn. XTP 155 grs.

 

Works fine for me. No chrono info available tho.

[DWARREN123]

I like 6.5gr under Hornady 124gr XTPs. 6.8gr is good but a little stout.

Any thing from the Hodgdon reloading data center will work, depends on what you want and your firearm. 

[Jamie Jackson]

Thanks for the info folks.

 

I hope to have some loads chronoed by midweek and see how they run.

 

As far as what I'm looking for, hoping to achieve? Reliability & essentially match grade accuracy in a practice ammo that is close in recoil and POA/POI to my carry ammo...

My main carry ammo is Black Hills 9mm +P using a Gold Dot 124 gr bullet.

[Jamie Jackson]

Very nice powder!

 

It meters very well through my Dillon powder measure.

 

We chronoed several loads today and especially like the 6.5 gr loading. It ran 1219 fps with a 130 gr RN Powder Coated 9mm bullet in my Glock 19 and 1309 fps through Brasil's G 34.

 

It has a very nice recoil impulse to it. I've fired many rounds with a more harsh recoil impulse and 100 fps less velocity in the same bullet weight.

 

I think this powder has the potential to make some quality self-defense rounds...for those "just in case" times that may be down the road.

 

Thanks for the guidance and input folks! :up:

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you can find it Vihtavouri has some amazing powders. Most people assume 147 grain bullets are subsonic but VV has a standard pressure recipe to push 147's to 1,200 fps. I carried it for a while because it was a stout little loud. It is 6.8 grains of 3N38 and should give you 1,200 fps. I chronographed my load of 6.7 grains and it was right under 1,200 fps so it is a legit load.

[Jamie Jackson]

A 147 gr 9mm at 1200 fps sounds pretty darn good to me!

 

Were these some of your own cast bullets Dolo?

 

We were discussing casting some hollowpoints and powder coating them...still in the "thinking/discussing" stages at this point.

 

I'll be on the lookout for some VV3N38. A quick search and it looks like a favored powder for high velocity 9mm's. Sweet!