Best beginner powder for 9mm Luger

I'm partial to Unique and Power Pistol.

I took the Hi Power and Norinco Uzi out the other day and had a ball. The lot of ammo I loaded up was about 50/50 between the two powders. I think it was 250 rounds all together.

Looking back at my load notes, I was using Speer 4062 125 grain round nose lead bullets motivated by 4.5 to 4.8 grains of Unique or 5 grains of Power Pistol with CCI 550 primers. I also had a box loaded up of Lee .358" 105 grain semi wadcutters sized to .356" packed on top of 4.4 grains of Unique with Winchester SPM primers. The brass was mixed head stamps.

Between those two powders, you have quite a few options. The only reason Unique might beat out Power Pistol is the fact that it's the village bicycle of reloading. It will load into just about anything.
 
mikld said:
I would suggest (and mebbe I'm alone in this) that you consider learning safe reloading habits/methods rather than choose components by "if I make a mistake". Use the powder that best suits your intended purpose with the bullet of your choice, and learn how to reload it safely.

I check every powder charge in every case I reload. I visually inspect every case before I seat a bullet. And there are other "tricks" to safe powder charging; my sized/primed cases are sitting in one reloading block on the bench and as each one is charged, it is set in another reloading block. Then before I seat the bulets I pick up the block and either use a Mini-Maglight or bright desk lamp, look in every case. There's a bunch of methods/quirks to making sure only one powder charge gets in each case, an I'm sure some will be added (flip-flop cases, powder check dies, etc.)...
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I don't think any one is suggesting that bulky powders are a replacement for safe practices. They're just one more layer of safety. There's no way I would take the time to set aside all my charged cases and look in them with a flashlight. I want a powder I can see on the press, before I seat the bullet. I don't handle my brass 2, 3, 4 times before I'm done. I put a case in my Lee Classic turret and 4 pulls later it's a finished round. I wouldn't use a powder I couldn't check "on the press".
 
I like 231 and also use Power Pistol (PP). PP gives great performance in upper level loads but has a lot of flash and is loud. 231 does does not have the same flash and bang but gives good performance. 231 would be good to start with and you can branch out after you get some experience.
 
Just an update....

Went to the local Bass Pro and got my first reloading stuff. The only powder they had in stock (from all your suggestions) was W231. Bought a pound of that, just to start out with. They did have some small pistol primers too, so I bought 500 of them.

Also bought a Lee hand primer. (I intend to deprime, then clean brass, reprime, then finish reloading on whatever press I end up with) Could not help it....had to reprime one 9mm case. :) Little Lee primer deal set a new primer, flush. Dropped that empty into the Glock and it popped like it should. :D

Did notice something odd after that trial though. Noticed that the newly shot primer had backed out, just a tad, after shooting it. I've not noticed that with new factory brass. Is this common for reloaded brass?
 
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What happens when you fire a "normal" round (primer, powder, bullet) is that when the primer is ignited, it backs out of the case slightly. But then the force of the powder burning and expelling the bullet pushes the case backwards, re-seating the spent primer.
 
I put a case in my Lee Classic turret and 4 pulls later it's a finished round. I wouldn't use a powder I couldn't check "on the press".
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Me too Brian. With .380/9mm (or even .32 Special) cases I find I can see pretty much any charge just by leaning forward a bit or parking myself right up next to the press (I use a tripod Lee Press Stand) but every charge I throw for .38/.357 requires a bit more straining/stretching to see inside the case. Most times I pull the case out, check the charge visually and put the bullet in place off the press, just to save the back. It is amazing how much time that little step costs me. Better than not checking though.

I really need to break down and rig up a light/mirror setup like some other folks have.
 
Unique would be great if it could be found. Agreed with the above members on W231 but don't rule out WSF or Winchester Super Field. Works great, can also be used in shotgun loads (if you ever wish to reload 00 buckshot) and can be used with 115gr, 124gr and 147gr. Based upon powder load data and the Winchester Ballistics App - I'm pretty confident they use this same powder in their 'target' white box value ammo.

All the above are good charges, but read the load data that came with your dies and start with the starting load and watch the OAL - this is very important and do not over taper. If you seat the bullet too deep it will raise pressures and this is most important on never exceed loads. Do the dummy round test and make a primer less round and see if it goes 'plink' and seats / spins freely in the chamber. Lee Load Data calls for the max OAL to be min OAL with WSF and although it is a long bullet, it will fire accurately. The majority of threads I read state that depending on powder burn rate - google that for hodgdon - the faster burning powders should be reserved for small caliber semi-auto, medium fast for revolver or semi-auto heavier calibers (.40+), and slow for rifle in general theory. Sometimes some cross over like H110 is a handgun powder but it also is the recommended powder for subsonic 300 AAC Blackout due to the type of powder.

Read this link for some really helpful info - http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=481170

Read, read, read and make a dummy round, then make your first ten with the powder load of your choice, weigh one or two of them for the powder to ensure accurate and consistent charges, check Min OAL and above all - if they pass the barrel depth and spin test - GO SHOOT EM!

Have fun and practice firearms safety - we don't have 'guns' in our house - those are for the kids. Grown Ups have firearms and we teach respect from the beginning for guns and for firearms differently.
 
Flake powders like Power Pistol and Blue Dot will give excellent case-fill/load density. In Blue Dot's case, some loads will even be compressed. Unfortunately, the lower density of flake powders do very little in regards to preventing bullet set-back. There are sphericals (ball type) like AA#7 that can give load density up to 100% and because the powder is so dense. 100% load density would prevent set-back.

In reality, any spherical that gives at least 50% case-fill can be used where a double-charge, that will hopefully never happen, will overflow the case, or give case-fill too high to be able to seat a bullet.

Universal type powders can be used to load all handgun cartridges, but the best one available is not a flake powder, it's a very dense ball powder called Ramshot True Blue. It will give excellent accuracy in 9mm and the .40 S&W and many others from medium to factory level type velocity. Because of its physical size and very high density, it meters much better than any flake powder can and better than a lot of sphericals. For the reloader starting out, or someone that wants to load everything with a single powder, there are none better than True Blue and it's one of the most pressure stable powders while giving excellent ballistic uniformity. In some cases, it excels. I even use it for short barrel .357 Magnum loads, gotten the best accuracy with it and the .40 S&W cartridge as well as target grade accuracy in 9mm and that's but a few of its potential uses. ;)
 
Flysubcompact - Something commonly available and tried and true
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You canot buy most of the powders mentioned except in one pound containers when lucky. Since that is not enough to justify mail order and a HAZMAT fee, you should use whatever you can find locally for which you can find a load published by the powder manufacturer. Worry about the credibility of I-read-it-on-the-internet later.

Powders that are popular, very applicable to 9mm, often hopelessly backordered; are Unique, W231/HP38, Power Pistol, Bullseye, Accurate #5, HS-6, Universal, and Titegroup. Sleepers to consider and possibly more accessible are Green Dot and Accurate #7. There are several others with loads listed in the Lee book.

I am working off a two year old stash of 8 pounds of Power Pistol, but one that gave excellent results is Titegroup, which I will buy again when the opportunity arises. Any of the hard-to-get powders I listed would be worth grabbing, if I ever saw them in larger than one pound containers on line. I would buy a one pounder in a store, if it was a powder I hadn't tried before.
 
I have had great results with Blue Dot, AA#5, AA#7, 800X, V105, and Longshot. I read a lot of good things about Power Pistol. Now days, you may have to use what you can find.

Whether loading single stage or progressive, I visually inspect each and every case for a good primer seat, and proper powder drop. The powders I use will overflow if double charged.
 
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When I started reloading, one of the first thing I did was to overload work up 9mm with 90, 115, 124, and 147 gr bullets with Bullseye, Unique, Power Pistol, Blue Dot, 2400, 3N37, HS-6, AA#5, 800X, H110, and LIL'GUN.

I stored the results for each combination in EXCEL. That was dumb. It should be in lab book notes format, like Ackley's overload work ups in his books on handloading.

In AA#5 and 115 gr I kept working up, past a hole blown in the case over the feed ramp. That was dumb. I blew the extractor and mag bottom plate out of the gun, and I had to wait for parts from Kel-Tec before resuming testing.

Anyway, most those powders have too low a speed x density product to get a beginner into an overload problem. If I were to get my kids started loading 9mm, of those powders I would not give them any 3N37, HS-6, nor any AA#5. If they accidentally put too much of those powders in a 9mm, they might hurt themselves or the gun.
 
I have taken 3N37 pretty far

I started using it in 1995 to make "Major Nine" (as it was referred to in that time).

I worked with 115g, 124g, 135g, 147g, and 151g choices.
I shot (and still shoot) them using (mostly) one hard-fit Nowlin-barreled EAA Witness (thank you Mr. Bob Cogan) and one stock Witness.
I have developed certain loads that demanded special techniques to settle the charge enough to seat a bullet.

But I still recommend Alliant Power Pistol as the powder for 9x19.
 
i have only loaded 1000 rounds of 9mm. still very new, but in my town here, supply is very limited. looked for days for something and found HODGDONS "TiteGroup". it has worked well for me, even as a beginner, so if you cantt find anything else, it'll work. it is pretty smoky on the lower end of the charges. but anything over 3.8 grains has been fine. i cycle reliabily as low as 3.4, but it's too smoky and dirty that low. i'm keeping my eyes peeled for some hp38, pistol power, or unique. hoping to find something better soon. ive shot it all the way from 3.3 up to 4.4 and ive found a nice medium at 3.9gr with 125gr roundball using cci#500. so i have nothing to compare it to, but i haven't had any problems with the "titiegroup" except cleanliness, and i have had, well, some tite groups........
 
Lots of good choices and recommendations in this thread.

For me, I load 124g JHP's the most. And the recipe I settled on is 6.1g AA5. Works flawlessly; burns clean; and has good pop.

I also load 115g's with W231 (HP38) sometime. But I can't remember the grains and I don't have my load data with me here at work :p
 
I started with PowerPistol its good for 9mm and 40sw.
PowerPistol meters well it fills case pretty good. Unique fills cases a bit more but doesnt meter as good and is a little dirtier than PowerPistol. PowerPistol is pretty stable as far as pressure goes hard to double charge,wont spike in pressure and is not temperature sensitive.
 
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