favorite 9mm load using Unique and 115 gr jacketed bullet

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Rod Snell

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I've used Unique for various things for decades, but do not use it for pistol cartridges in a Dillon.
Why?
Ball powders meter so much more uniformly through progressive presses, and I need to get consistent power factors for IDPA and USPSA.
Maybe that's why powders like HP38 and Titegroup are so popular for 9mm in competition?
 

MBB

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I use Unique for almost every caliber/guage that I own and I love it. I have not used Bullseye or Titegroup yet, although I hear good things about them.

The reason I'm asking is because there are big differencs between recipes for the 115gr jacketed bullet among the reloading manuals. The load I think I've settle on is above max in the Hornady book but below max according to Alliant. There are no signs of excess pressure, but the load is much stouter than WWB loads. I'm curious of the loads others use, how much they use them, and any signs of accelerated gun wear or casings giving out faster than usual so I can compare that to my load. I don't remember what that load was, but I'm thinking it's around 5.7 - 6.0 grs. I'll have to check my notes when I get home.
 

Rod Snell

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I looked back at my notes from the 80's for Unique.
I was using 5.1gr in 9mm 115 fmj and 6.4 in .45 200gr lead SWC.
Your numbers sound like +P.
I wouldn't mind shooting them in my Paraord TACFIVE, but I'd think twice before making them a steady diet in some guns.
 

MBB

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I looked back at my notes from the 80's for Unique.
I was using 5.1gr in 9mm 115 fmj and 6.4 in .45 200gr lead SWC.
Your numbers sound like +P.
I wouldn't mind shooting them in my Paraord TACFIVE, but I'd think twice before making them a steady diet in some guns.

Thank you. That's exactly the kind of information I'm looking for!
 

sabot_round

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I use Unique for almost every caliber/guage that I own and I love it. I have not used Bullseye or Titegroup yet, although I hear good things about them.

The reason I'm asking is because there are big differencs between recipes for the 115gr jacketed bullet among the reloading manuals. The load I think I've settle on is above max in the Hornady book but below max according to Alliant. There are no signs of excess pressure, but the load is much stouter than WWB loads. I'm curious of the loads others use, how much they use them, and any signs of accelerated gun wear or casings giving out faster than usual so I can compare that to my load. I don't remember what that load was, but I'm thinking it's around 5.7 - 6.0 grs. I'll have to check my notes when I get home.

What edition # Hornady book are you using?
 

MBB

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What edition # Hornady book are you using?

7th. If I remember correctly, it doesn't even list a load using Unique for the 115gr, but it lists Unique for the 125gr and the 100gr. The 100gr shows 5.7grs of Unique as max, and since you're not supposed to subsitute charges for lighter bullets in heavier bullets (but the reverse is OK), then 5.7grs is over max for the 115gr. Again, I don't have the book in front of me, but I think the 125gr had a max of 5.0grs. Linearlly interpolating between the loads (which is very accurate on other bullet weights of same caliber using Unique) says 5.3grs for a 115gr bullet is max.

I've used 6.0grs of Unique (as Dustin mentioned earlier, Alliant lists 6.3grs as max) through the M92 and M&Pc and the casings showed no signs of excess pressure, but it felt like a VERY hot load. 5.7grs, on the other hand, didn't feel as bad. 5.3grs felt very light, even compared to the "anemic" WWB 9mm loads.

That's where I am.
 

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