Help with Ransom Rest group?

I agree that velocity seems low. Hodgdon lists their start charge as 4.5 with a MV of 1135 and OAL of 1.125.

Bob Marvel shot these...115 on right.

Thanks guys!  Will go there next!

If I recall, the XD 5.25 has a 1:10 twist. it may like 147 gr bullets also.

jlow, thanks for the information on your gun and load.  Which Zero JHP are you using, the RNHP or the Conical HP?

jlow wrote:BE Mike – I agree with what you have said.  What you say about 5 shot groups is correct.  It gives you a trend that you should not take for granted but follow up on and confirm one way or the other.  Basically good loads will not give you a bad group, but bad loads may give you a good looking group.

One thing I intend to do is to shoot some high quality factory ammo to access the potential of the pistol.  Would appreciate any suggestion of brand - Atlanta Arms 115 gr JHP?

The two vertical group with low side dispersion is also interesting because they were the ones with lowest MV SDev.  At least in precision rifle, we commonly find the most precise groups most frequently (but not always) have the lowest MV SDev.

I had good luck with Atlanta Arms when I had a Kidd Beretta. I never could quite match the groups with my reloads, but my loads shot well within the 10 ring at 50 yards. Barrel twist makes a difference in what ammo the 9mm likes.
Here is some chronograph results I got way back when and this is the load I used. I "borrowed" the load data from another bullseye shooter:
Beretta 92FS Kidd Custom, Atlanta Arms 115 gr. Factory  1238fps
Reload, 6.2 gr. Power Pistol, Starline, Rem. Primer             1263fps
                                                                                               1246

jlow, Zero has two 115 JHPs.  Here is the other one:  

http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RZD&Product_Code=R135-A&Category_Code=ZBJ-9MM

They call it "NEW" but they've been selling them for at least a couple years.


And they also have two 125 JHPs. RNHP and JHP-conical.

jlow wrote:

Thanks for the chrono data – those are really cooking, way past max load for at least TG and also for Power Pistol?  I was talking to another bullseye shooter at the range on Friday and he also told me my gun would likely shoot better on the hotter side which is where I am going.

I can't answer for B E Mike, but Hornady's load data has a max load of 6.7 grains of Power Pistol with their 115 grain bullets.

I've used 6.5 grains of PP with Zero's 115 JHP-conical. It runs a wee over 1300 fps from my 5" Kart barrel, and is very accurate (50-shots at 1.48" at 25 yards) with that load.

I did not see it when I brought mine.  Mine is not the "new" JHP.

As for the PP load.  Alliance do list 6.7 gr for 115gr Speer, but the listed MV is only 1,212 not 1,263 fps, thus my comment.

I do appreciate the recipes but I am one of those reloaders who do not believe in jumping from powder to powder until I exhaust my options for a powder I am using.

For example, when I was doing load development for my SIG MPX, every other reloader told me to switch out of TG but I managed to get a load that shot 1.5".

Don't get me wrong, I do not believe in banging my head against the wall when something obviously does not work, so switching is always a GREAT option, but only after I carefully do my due diligence with what I have.

jlow wrote:

As for the PP load.  Alliance do list 6.7 gr for 115gr Speer, but the listed MV is only 1,212 not 1,263 fps, thus my comment.

That might be simply due to barrel length. Most loading manuals use a 4" barrel for 9mm, many shooter here use a 5" barrel.

It could be but at least even in rifles, a 1" increase in barrel length only leads to a 25fps increase in MV.  Regardless, I was just surprised.