HS-6

[sixgunluv]

Frankly,

HS-6 is my go to powder for 9mm with all bullet weights using moderate to near max charges.

 

[black mamba]

HS6 is one of the most economical powders for medium heavy loads in 44 mag and Ruger 45 Colt. It will give you all but the last 75-100 fps of the H110 loads while using about 40% less powder. Very accurate as well.

 

[Clark]

Waketurb007 I have some HS-6 that I was going to try in 9mm with 115 gn LRN and 40 180 gn Berrys Plated FP
.. I am a little concerned about the narrow range from the min to max load with this powder. Have any of you used it with these bullet combinations? If so how did it perform for you?

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
Hodgdon max: 115 gr., 1.125", 7 gr. HS-6, 1234 fps

MY P11 overload work up test test data: 115 gr., 1.168", 10.8 pierce RP primer, 11.2 gr. pierce WSPM, 11.5 bulged case

The case web is 0.16" thick and the P11 and PF9 have feed ramp intrusion for a 0.19" making for 0.03" if thin unsupported case wall.
Some other 9mm pistols I have measured/tested:
So the following are all in needle measurements:
Glock 19: 0.190"
Star M43 0.165"
CZ52 Czech aftermarket barrel 0.145"
Tokarev Chinese 9mm barrel 0.160"
Beretta 92 0.163"
kel-tec P11 0.190"
kel-tec PF9 0.190"
S&W 659 0.183"
Star BM 0.215"
Star Super B 0.193"

What does it all mean?
The Star BM would get a case bulge at a lower powder charge compared to the Kel-tec P11.

 

[Real Gun]

Range Yesterday
Yesterday I went to the range with my Smith 686+ 3" bbl.

Shot (60) 158 LSWC's. 8.2gns HS-6.
Shot (50) 158 PSWC's. 8.6gns HS-6.
Shot (40) 158 JHP's. 9.0gns HS-6.

So yeah, it was an HS-6 day - that's all I shot. And yeah, I like HS-6.

I was shooting 11.0 gr with coated 158 LSWC and will rachet back down to 10.0 gr for short barrel, now using 300-MP for the more powerful loads in the bigger guns.

Load references for 158 lead are all over the scale for HS-6. The lightest is probably Hodgdon's own data, perhaps laboring under the trade's notion that lead cannot be driven faster than 1150 fps, which we know is not correct, depending upon context. Cast boolit folks are on their own with some help from Lyman.