9mm long and short line loads

I inherited a government model series 70 colt in 9 mm. I just took it to a local smith for a new trigger, trigger job, and slide to frame fit up. (Old school guy did great work for a low price btw). It shoots so much better now that I'm going to have him install adjustable sights too.

Well I figure why not monkey around a bit a find a load that will be competition worthy. I may never actually shoot it In a match, but who knows?

Anyone have input on a nice soft short line load and a tight 50 yd load?

Nope, not really. I have been searching a long time for that nice soft short line load. None of the loads I found work as good as my snappy 50 yd load (6.4 gr power pistol and 115gr HAP) I have tried a lot of different loads. There are two or three that work but the hot load works better. I will post a link here as soon as I find it about the trials I did.

LenV
This has most of the info.  https://www.bullseyeforum.net/t5860-9mm-bullseye-loads?highlight=9mm+loads

Lightfoot,
I have your recipes, will post them in a couple weeks when I get back home! They use WSF and 115gr bullets (HAP or XTP for long line and whatever cheapest 115FMJ you can find for short line).
Whats the twist rate on your Colt barrel btw?

I just shot a personal best (278) in a leg match with my Beretta M9 this past weekend using two new loads: Hornady 115 HAP with 6.4 gr. Power Pistol for the long line and a Hornady 147 gr. FMJ with 4.0 Power Pistol for the short line. I know that using the heavier bullet weight on the short line seems counterintuitive, but I've found it to be less "snappy" than the 115 or 124 grain bullets, accurate enough (shot a 98-5 in TF), and functions reliably.

Bill Treanor wrote:I just shot a personal best (278) in a leg match with my Beretta M9 this past weekend using two new loads: Hornady 115 HAP with 6.4 gr. Power Pistol for the long line and a Hornady 147 gr. FMJ with 4.0 Power Pistol for the short line. I know that using the heavier bullet weight on the short line seems counterintuitive, but I've found it to be less "snappy" than the 115 or 124 grain bullets, accurate enough (shot a 98-5 in TF), and functions reliably.

barrel twist?

I'm not sure. I know that it's a KKM barrel and the gun was built by David Sams. Hope that helps.

Probably the old 1:32

If he's shooting 147gr loads then it's gotta be one of the newer faster twist KKM barrels.  Just speculation of course.  I have bad luck with 9mm. 

I agree that it is probably a faster twist. I heard that the 32 twist will put the 147 in sideways at 25 yards.

It seems like the general consensus that the heavier bullets make good reduced power short line loads? I though reduced 115 loads felt pretty good, but recoil is the enemy...

I've had a lot of trouble finding a "not too snappy" load for 9mm that shoots where you call the shots (sort of like a good .45).  I have been shooting a 90 gr. Sierra JHP at around 1250 fps that is very accurate at 25 yds.  Can't wait to see what it will do at 50 yds.  I have tried the load in both a Range Officer and a XDM Competition with very different twist rates.  Hold tight groups at 25 yds. and this is a low recoiling load.  I shot a 99 with it the other day on timed fire in a match.  I'm happy.

I have been experimenting with fast twist barrels (10 and 12 twist) in 9mm for a couple of years.  The objective was/is a soft shooting CF gun that mimics the ballistics and recoil of the 38 Special wadcutter load.  I have used one 12 twist barrel and 2 10 twist barrels, all fitted to 1911s in 9mm.  I am getting good short line accuracy in these guns with the Magnus 147gr #403 bullet over 2.3gr Bullseye.  (This load is way below anything in any manual, so use it at your own risk.)  It functions the guns reliably with no weight on the slide and an 8 pound recoil spring.  For 50 yds I don't yet have a good cast bullet load, but the 147gr Hornady XTP gives me 1.4" to 2.5" 10-shot groups (depending on which gun/barrel) using 2.5gr Bullseye.  The factory 38 Special 148gr wadcutter load gives 700fps, and the above XTP load I have chronographed at 730fps.  Don't expect these loads to give good accuracy in standard 16 twist 9mm barrels...the long bullets need more twist.

I have a KC built 9MM with 1-32 twist KKM barrel.  115gr HAP, 5.4gr WSF great load a little stiff for the short line.  I was working on a 115gr PENN SWC and 4.0 of WSF for the short line.

Still looking for a very soft shooting gun so, I am in the process of having KC put together a .38 Super 1-10 fast twist barrel for this gun.  Can't wait!

- Dave

I have been using 4.0 WSF and a 124 fmj in a 1:16 barrel with good results. Good eic short line load, could probably be reduced a little more if you use plated. Be prepared to change recoil springs from your 1100 fps long line load.

It took a couple of years experimenting (with a little frustration) but I had good results using Bullseye or AA#2 with Penn 115 grain LSWC's for the shortline. I use Starline brass only, sorted to length and bullets within .5 grain. The primers were CCI. 

My gun preferred them loaded long (top edge of lube groove is just visible). Taper crimp was .376" measured at the case mouth. 

Best group measured 3/4"x 3/4" at 25 yards. (BE) AA#2 looked the same for 8 shots with two flyers opening the group to 1 3/8".  This load works pretty well for our indoor pistol league, 25 yard matches but at 50 yards I'd just as well throw rocks.

Pistol is a Kart barreled (1:16) RRA built by Matt Gish with a frame mount. Nine lb Wolf recoil spring with 1 coil clipped off. 

I had the same results as Len with Power Pistol, loud, flashy and very snappy. Sierra 8115's using W231 showed some promise at the short line.

In my PPC loads I push a 123gr TC or a fast 115gr XTP in a 1/24 Ray Pulver barrel. I use VV N330 for both. 4,7 for the 123gr and 5,6gr for the 115gr.