Best spherical powder for 9mm

I've had good success with N340, but have bought a dillon to load 9mm. From what I read cylindrical powders do not meter well as well as spherical powders. Any suggestions for good 50 yard accuracy? I typically use hornady 115 gr xtp bullets.

I like Titegroup for 9mm the best.

Titegroup is a great powder for 9mm, it also flows very consistently through the Dillon powder measure.

KEEP USING THE VV340.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF RANSOM REST TESTING USING VV320,330 AND 340. ALL LOADED ON DILLON RL1050'S. WITH  THE 115GR XTP GROUPS WERE AROUND A INCH AT 50 YDS WITH ALL VV POWDERS.  DON'T LOOK FOR AN ANSWER TO A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT EXIST. LOAD AWAY AND SQUEEEZE THE TRIGGER . JP

The reason non-spherical powders don’t meter well on a Dillon is the design if the Dillon powder measure. Replace it with a case activated Hornady or RCBS Uniflow ( both sell kits to convert ) . Both also have Powder thru expander and their expanders are also better than the Dillon.

JIMPGOV wrote:KEEP USING THE VV340.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF RANSOM REST TESTING USING VV320,330 AND 340. ALL LOADED ON DILLON RL1050'S. WITH  THE 115GR XTP GROUPS WERE AROUND A INCH AT 50 YDS WITH ALL VV POWDERS.  DON'T LOOK FOR AN ANSWER TO A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT EXIST. LOAD AWAY AND SQUEEEZE THE TRIGGER . JP

Agreed.

Let your ammunition tell you what works and what doesn't. It has the final say.

Try Alliant sport pistol.

My number one choice is Power Pistol. My most accurate load is 6.4gr PP and the 115gr XTP or Zero bullet.

Len

I am curious, when trying to research powder characteristics I see several types of powder, Ball, Flake, Flattened, Stick, Extruded, and Spherical. Quite a few charts from various manufacturers comparing some (but NEVER ALL) of these types by name.  On Wikipedia I found this:  

"Ball propellant is a form of nitrocellulose used in small arms cartridges. It has been trademarked as Ball Powder by Olin Corporation and marketed as spherical powder by Hodgdon Powder Company."


I am guessing there is some kind of overlap among all the terms, or perhaps different terms for similar powder?


I use a Dillon for reloading 32 ACP and 32 Long and have found good consistency with extremely small charges with Bullseye, 231, and 310. I recently started using Sport Pistol for 38 special, and it also is very consistent.  I don't know which of the aforementioned groups these fall into though?

+1 Alliant Sport Pistol

Another vote for Titegroup.

Len, what is the max load in power pistol with the zero 115? Thanks

LenV wrote:My number one choice is Power Pistol. 
Len

Bob Marvel targets. 6.1 Power Pistol.

bruce martindale wrote:Len, what is the max load in power pistol with the zero 115? Thanks

Lyman 50th edition lists 6.5gr as the maximum load. It also has it listed as the potentially most accurate load. That is with the 115 XTP but I have found the loads work for both. I settled on 6.4 because that is what my Lee hopper throws.

Len

Thanks for all the great replies, I really appreciate it.

I'd add to the mix A7.  Otherwise I have no issues metering PP, or N340 on Dillon XL650s.

However I'm curious about comment by Wobbley about using Hornady's Powder measures.  Especially since per request of Mr. Rick Koskela (Mr. Bulletfeeder), I designed and manufactured funnels for Hornady.  I'm interested to try it by myself and would appreciate additional information. 

Lee powder measures are superb.

I also like expander plugs that are as deep as the bullet bearing surface is long, a la Jerry Keefer.

PhotoEscape wrote:I'd add to the mix A7.  Otherwise I have no issues metering PP, or N340 on Dillon XL650s.

However I'm curious about comment by Wobbley about using Hornady's Powder measures.  Especially since per request of Mr. Rick Koskela (Mr. Bulletfeeder), I designed and manufactured funnels for Hornady.  I'm interested to try it by myself and would appreciate additional information. 

I’d be VERY interested in your expanders for my Hornady. Let me know options available. Don’t forget that RCBS makes a similar setup for the Uniflow.

Rotary drum measures seem to do better in handling powder. The Dillon measure is based on the Star progressive press powder measure. But when they enlarged it to throw rifle sized charges, the mechanism became cranky. The tolerances seem to promote leakage of very fine powder and the measuring chamber doesn’t seem to fill consistently with coarser powder. Why this is precisely is a mystery, but is there. It may be the easier manufacturing of making a fitted round hole, but I’m guessing. All I know is that with care, I can get almost any powder to be within 0.2 grains, stick, ball, or flake, big or small. Not with the Dillon.

I prepare my Dillon powder measure before installing them - years ago I got advice from seasoned reloader Mr. Robert (Bob) DuBois witch I follow religiously.  I remove plastic hopper and polish drop area to mirror finish.  I'm sanding and polishing powder bars, inserts, and inside off powder measure powder bar housing - all surfaces that relate to moving powder.  I use 600-800 gr sand paper and then polishing compounds.  I replace Dillon powder adjuster bolts with my own to eliminate backlash, and Dillon fail safety bracket with my own to eliminate flexing in inconsistent powder bar return.  These gives me improved accuracy of powder drop to be in +/- 0.04 grains with most powders.

I have problem though with flake type powders, like Unique.  These powders fill powder bar cavities very inconsistently due to their shape, and no matter what I do (I tried adding weight on top of the powder fill, and even introduced vibration, and few other crazy things) I have quite substantial variations, something in 0.3 - 0.5 grains.  That is what I want to try Hornady's powder measure.  So if anyone has experience with using Hornady Powder Measure on Dillon's press - please share your experience.

To Wobbley and others interested in LNL funnels - I have them for 45ACP/45Colt, 10mm/40S&W, 9mm/38(everything including from 380ACP to 357M).  These are being sold by Mr. Bulletfeeder, Uniquetek, and myself via eBay or directly.  Fill free to PM me.
AP

JIMPGOV wrote:KEEP USING THE VV340.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF RANSOM REST TESTING USING VV320,330 AND 340. ALL LOADED ON DILLON RL1050'S. WITH  THE 115GR XTP GROUPS WERE AROUND A INCH AT 50 YDS WITH ALL VV POWDERS.  

Im gonna give vv320 a try on your recommendation.

I see many recommending Titegroup and know its a popular powder choice. I like shooting with it myself. However in my ransom rest testing with it, it doesnt do so well and is coming in dead last out of the handful of powders Ive tested so far. Ive even tested this twice now with different components hoping for better results. The odd part is it doesnt seem to evenly spread over the shot group size like anything else Ive tested. Instead I'll get like 50-60% of the shots to go thorough a half inch hole and the others just jump out with a perimeter around 2-3", nothing in between. Ive chonoed each shot on a labradar and ensured its not a case of velocity being different. Anyway thats my testing results on it.

Power Pistol has grouped the best out of the handful of powders Ive tested so far. CFE is a near match and I think is much smoother. WSF seems to be grouping well but I still need to test that one further.

I've done exhaustive grouping experiments with BE-86, Titegroup and CFE on a Hyskore rest a couple years ago.  CFE performed the best, BE-86 second and Titegroup a close third.    I've got 30 rounds of each, 3 different charge weights of each powder ready to run through a chrono for 10 rounds per cell.  I should have the raw data sometime this week.  Winchester range brass loaded with 115 HAP's, 1.120 COL.

Good to hear about the CFE. I'll put BE-86 on my list to try

Wondering if photoescape has email address?
I have interest in your powder funnels for Dillion and your adjuster bolts for powder measure.
Please email me at stephjake1107@gmail.com
Thanks Jake