Help with powder selection (9mm / 44mag)

[SicSTi]

Looking for help with some choices. New to reloading and obviously every website give you the "My **** is the best, all the others suck" advertisements. What I'm looking for is people results with various powders with my goals in mind:

1) 9mm will be for accurate target shooting / 3gun / USPSA - Accurate with light loads for reduced recoil. Have brass, will be using CCI primers, and looking at trying both 124 / 147 plated bullets from Xtremebullets.com (Shot from a M&P Pro Series 5")

2) 44mag will be loaded with 240gr Hornady XTPs for deer hunting. Again CCI primers. (Shot from a Henry BigBoy)

I know there will be trial and error with powder grains, bullet weights, etc... just looking for a good starting point based off others results combined with cross referencing Lymans / Hornady manuals.

Thanks for any helpful info.

 

[billybob44]

Unique will work for both, if only ONE powder wanted??

You CAN use Unique for both calibers.. No-NOT the BEST for both loads, but is ONE powder that you can use for both.

I like HS-6 for most of my 9MM loads.

For your .44 Mag. 240gr. XTP's it is hard to beat WW-296/H-110, or a good stout load of 2400...Bill.

 

[maverick18]

I use 3.1 grains titegroup under a 115gr LRN that measure 118gr with my alloy. My wife really likes shooting my shield with that load. I find it a bit light compared to factory loads but cycles both my shield and full size M&P flawlessly.

 

[Broom_jm]

Power Pistol (or whatever pistol powder you can get) for 9mm.

BB44 nailed it for 44RM.

 

[rvb]

1) 9mm will be for ... / 3gun / USPSA -

titegroup or n320 w/ 147s.

-rvb

 

[midget]

I second the h110 for the 44mag.

 

[spencer rifle]

Clays for 9mm - economical, clean, reliable.

 

[45fan]

You CAN use Unique for both calibers.. No-NOT the BEST for both loads, but is ONE powder that you can use for both.

I like HS-6 for most of my 9MM loads.

For your .44 Mag. 240gr. XTP's it is hard to beat WW-296/H-110, or a good stout load of 2400...Bill.

While not THE powder for 44 Mag loads, I have worked with HS-6 in 44 Mag, and had some pretty good results. It wont get quite the velocity that H-110 or 2400 will get, but still puts plenty of steam behind a bullet in the 44 Mag to put deer down.

I have yet to try it in 9mm, but have looked at it with interest. Usually my go to for the majority of auto pistol loads is Universal Clays. It is great in 9mm, and I typically load either a cast lead RN, or a plated Berry's RN in 124gr in 9mm, and accuracy, recoil, and cleanliness all seem to do very well for me. If you are looking for a single powder, UC will also work in 44 Mag, though you will be giving up quite a bit of velocity over some of the slower powders that are better suited to the big magnum revolver cartridges.

 

[Water63]

Here is a link to a very helpful site.

9 mm Load Data - Handloads.Com

I like the H110 and or the Win 296 for the 44 mag also.

 

[SicSTi]

I'm not worried about using the same powder for both. Want to get the best results I can at a decent price

 

[SicSTi]

Thinking about picking up some of those 225gr FTX Hornady uses in the lever gun ammo and give that a try too. I've always used 240gr xtps but I'm starting to reload so I want to experiment

 

[Water63]

The 225FTX use a shorter case length look up the data on those bullets. Trim length of 1.255 and OAL 1.645 I run 20.5 of H110 that is just under the 20.6 max load by the Hornady 8th addition manual rifle data. Devastating on deer!!

 

[45fan]

I'm not worried about using the same powder for both. Want to get the best results I can at a decent price

Best results and decent price kinda dont go hand in hand with the 44. It is cheaper than paying for factory ammo for hunting, but large doses of powder seem to eat though the powder much faster than the mid-range loads will. I have burnt much more H-110 than I have other powders, and been loading with it for probably half the time.

 

[Water63]

Best results and decent price kinda dont go hand in hand with the 44. It is cheaper than paying for factory ammo for hunting, but large doses of powder seem to eat though the powder much faster than the mid-range loads will. I have burnt much more H-110 than I have other powders, and been loading with it for probably half the time.

^^^^^^^ True^^^^^^
H110 doesn't go very far in magnum loads but you are not going to be shooting hunting loads like target loads either.

 

[8th SPS USAF]

I use TG for 9mm 115/124-125/135/147. For my suppressor I use 3 grns 124-125/147

 

[djones]

I have zero 9mm experience so I won't comment there.

On the 44 mag I have reloaded several hundred rounds this year for carbine and revolver. Since you are a beginner make sure you are careful with H110, it does not like to be downloaded. I have used 2400 and lil gun with great results. I prefer lilgun in my pistol caliber carbine loads. It is the most accurate and gives good velocity.

I save the 2400 for my Ruger super blackhawk.

Good of luck and have fun reloading and hunting.

 

[Leo]

For the .44 magnum, esp with a heavy bullet, you need a good slow powder. 2400, 4227, 296, 110 all are good at the .44 MAG. My favorite is AA #9. Dirty, smoky, needs a lot of powder. But fills the case, makes very accurate rounds that slap the Ram silhouette targets off the stand at 200 yards like you hit them with a 12 pound sledge. NONE of the powders above are a good choice for the 9mm.

Lots of good suggestions above, Titegroup, AA #5, Universal Clays, etc. have been in multiple thousands of my 9mm reloads for the last 30 years.

They are two seperate applications that are better served with two different propellants. A proper powder will really bring out the ballistic superiority of the .44 in your rifle lengh barrel.

 

[04FXSTS]

I like 2400 for my magnum loads over H-110 because as mentioned the H-110 doesn't like to be downloaded. Another reason I like 2400 better is Alliant recommends standard primers but Hodgdon recommends magnum primers for H-110. This way I don't have to keep two different primers. Jim.

 

[SicSTi]

Good info guys. Thanks and keep it coming. I haven't decided on powders yet, but ordered my bullets last night as well as a Dillon 550B press with more accessories than I can count. Can't wait. Picking up some CCI primers tonight and then when I get my Lyman / Hornady books and can x-reference all the stuff you guys have been telling me, I'll buy a assortment of powders and get to trying out some loads.

 

[billybob44]

You are well on your way....

Sounds like you are going in the right direction..

"Picking up some CCI primers tonight "

Here's another suggestion..Get these:Winchester Large Pistol Primers #7

And then you can load your .44's with H-110, or 2400 with one primer..Bill