load date 9mm 125 fp

[danny123]

Any one have data on loading 125 grain FP truncated cast bullet using Bullseye or Unique ? This is a bullet from Precision Bullets and looks very nice.

[versifier]

Welcome to the Guide.

Use jacketed data.

[runfiverun]

start and work up, same weight jacketed.
welcome.

[kyhareraiser]

hey there danny 123 ,i have a load for the 9mm using cast bullets . i have shot several thru a kel-tec p-11 ,did'nt want to lead up a S&W barrell ya know . i use 4.2 grain of bullseye ,and works the action well and accuracy was outstanding

[trumpetshooter]

I use the same load. I got it from "Mike" at Mastercast Bullets. I use it in a Smith and Wesson 9VE 4" barrel. Shoots straight. Cycles 100%.

[versifier]

Again I have to say this for the benefit of the many new to loading who will read this and similar posts, and I'll be blunt about it:

Only a complete idiot uses any new load without starting at START and working up from there. Anyone with some experience will say, "Of course you have to work the load up!" But, someone new to the hobby may not realize that, or understand why it is so important.

I'm not trying to jump on anyone's case here,
I am just pointing out the "Pet Load Fallacy" and how it can get a newby into big trouble. There are no safe shortcuts. "Pet" loads are best used for comparison, as in: "Yeah, my gun likes that bullet, too, but with a grain more (or less) of the same powder the groups tighten right up. Hmmmm. Interesting." First you do the tests, then you make the comparisons with other peoples' loads based on actual data from your gun. Never assume that just because a "pet" load is below what your manuals say is MAX that it is safe to start there.

You may find after working it up that the load you were interested in works great in your gun, but just because a given load performs well in mine does not mean that it will in yours. If, AFTER working up from START to the charge level of the "pet" load you find similar results, that's great. Or you might find that a greater or lesser charge is much more accurate and functions perfectly well. Unfortunately, far too many new loaders think that by starting with some else's "pet" load they are going to save all kinds of time and components by skipping ahead. Usually they are OK, though not often do they find their own gun's most accurate load. What they do not take into account however is that each individual firearm has its own MAX levels for each powder/bullet combination which might fall anywhere on the charge table between START and MAX.

Many "book loads" are worked up using universal receivers which, while handy for doing pressure measurements, have little or no relation to the actual guns we use out here in the real world, and there are also differences in brass, primers, bullets, and powder lots that are impossible to duplicate. High pressure signs are extremely difficult to notice in handguns, and sometimes do not appear at all before the gun turns to shrapnel. Any semi auto action performs at optimum within a certain pressure envelope - too low and there are function problems, too high and there is markedly increased wear on the firearm and the danger of KABOOM. I will whenever possible choose a combination for a semi auto pistol that has its best accuracy at the lower end of the charge table. The target, the game, or the mugger won't notice a difference of a few hundred feet per second, but the pistol will over time and will stand up much better and last through many more thousands of rounds before retirement. If I feel I need more energy, I will go to a more powerful cartridge, e.g. from a 9mm up to a .357Sig (same bullet, more power behind it).

The load just mentioned in the previous post is very close to "book max", and while the use of cast bullets lowers the chamber pressure slightly, the round itself and many firearms that are chambered for it have been around since well before WWII, and for many of them it is way beyond safe levels. While a Glock or similar modern pistol may digest it without a hiccup, you may find a very expensive Luger or P38 spitting parts after trying it.

The other common misconception is that the load that someone with a gun of the same make, model, and chambering does best with will be best in yours. I have done tests with identical firearms with consecutive serial numbers and found them to each prefer completely different powder/bullet combinations. It's another one of those things that seems like it ought to make sense, but under actual tests doesn't work.