Hunting Loads for the Ruger Redhawk.44 Magnum

Mitchell s Mausers - The End Is Near! Hunting Loads for the Ruger Redhawk.44 Magnum February 2013 No. 282 Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER $5.99 02 7 25274 01240 4 Display until 03/07/2013 Printed in USA $5.99 U.S./Canada

AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL February 2013 Volume 48, Number 1 ISSN 0017-7393 Issue No. 282 8 12 Custom Cast Bullet Loads Reloader s Press - Dave Scovill.405 WCF Bullets & Brass - Brian Pearce 18 22 Before the.44 Magnum (Part 2) From the Hip - Brian Pearce Mitchell s Mausers Mike s Shootin Shack - Mike Venturino 30 Handloading the.44 Magnum Hunting Loads for the Ruger Redhawk Stan Trzoniec Page 50... 16 Ramshot Silhouette Propellant Profiles - R.H. VanDenburg, Jr. 24 28 10mm Automatic - On the Way to Something Big Cartridge Board - Gil Sengel Mustang Pocketlite Pistol Pointers - Charles E. Petty 34 The Exact Amount of Powder Testing Powder Dispensers John Barsness 40 The Handloader s Historical Library Blasts from the Past Terry Wieland Page 40... 46 The 35-Shot Group Exploring Subtle Changes in Powder Charges John Haviland 50 Pearce Loads the 9mm Luger New bullets and powders improve performance. Brian Pearce 4 Background Photo: 2012 Vic Schendel

On the cover... This issue s cover centerpiece is a stainless Ruger Redhawk.44 Magnum scoped with a Leupold 2.5-8x32 variable. Photo by Stan Trzoniec. Inset photo is Colt s new Mustang Pocketlite.380 Auto by Charles E. Petty. Issue No. 282 February 2013 58 Page 70... Standard Loads The Benefits of Simplification Mike Venturino 68 2012 Master Index 70 Page 58... In with the Old In Range - Terry Wieland AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL Publisher/President Don Polacek Publishing Consultant Mark Harris Editor in Chief Dave Scovill Associate Editor Lee J. Hoots Managing Editor Roberta Scovill Assisting Editor Al Miller Senior Art Director Gerald Hudson Production Director Becky Pinkley Contributing Editors John Haviland Ron Spomer Brian Pearce Stan Trzoniec Charles E. Petty R.H. VanDenburg, Jr. Clair Rees Mike Venturino Gil Sengel Ken Waters Terry Wieland Advertising Advertising Director - Stefanie Ramsey stefanie@riflemag.com Advertising Representative - Tom Bowman bowman.t@sbcglobal.net Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810 Circulation Circulation Manager Luree McCann circ@riflemag.com Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810 www.riflemagazine.com Handloader (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bimonthly by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, Pres ident), 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301 (also publisher of Rifle magazine). Tele phone: (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions single issue, $5.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues, $39.00. Foreign and Canada single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $29.00; 12 issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10 weeks for first issue. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved. Change of address: Please give six weeks notice. Send both the old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader Magazine, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Handloader, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Wolfe Publishing Co. 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A Prescott, AZ 86301 Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124 Polacek Publishing Corporation Publisher of Handloader is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of published loading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance and payment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts. 6 Background Photo: 2012 Vic Schendel

CARTRIDGE BOARD Those who follow this column know that with only one exception new rounds have never been covered. This is simply because our purpose is cartridge history. A new offering has no history, unless its ballistics duplicate a well-established round something that is becoming more common for some reason. The lone exception to the rule appeared 20 years ago in Handloader No. 160. The cartridge was the.40 Smith & Wesson. It was announced at the 1990 SHOT Show amid much more hype and howling than was usual for such things. The new round was billed as the answer to all conceivable self-defense and law-enforcement needs. Thinking that pronouncement might be somewhat premature, as well as exaggerated just a bit, a gun was rounded up and fired. In writing the column, I thought that, if nothing else, it would be interesting reading years later when the 24 www.handloadermagazine.com 10MM AUTOMATIC ON THE WAY TO SOMETHING BIG by Gil Sengel E Cartridge Dimensions A - Overall Length -------------1.260 B - Case Length -----------------.992 C - Length to Neck----------------NA D - Length to Shoulder-----------NA excitement died down provided the cartridge lasted that long. Well, the.40 S&W did last and became somewhat of a success. In fact, it is probably the most used auto pistol round of American law enforcement. There were, however, several stops along the way. First off, the.40 S&W uses a.400- inch bullet diameter, making it F B A H E - Rim Diameter ----------------.425 F - Head Diameter --------------.425 G - Shoulder Diameter -----------NA H - Neck Diameter --------------.423 I - Shoulder Angle ----------------NA 39.2 caliber given.004 inch deep rifling. The earliest such cartridge was probably the.41 Long Colt, introduced about 1877. Originally using a.401-inch, outside-lubed bullet, this was later changed to hollowbase inside lubed of some.387 inch diameter. Accuracy was not improved by the change. Next came the.38 WCF (.38-40). Introduced in 1880 in the 1873 Winchester lever-action rifle, it later appeared in revolvers. The cartridge was probably developed much earlier as a Winchester handgun round before the company dropped its plans to market such guns. Despite the name, the bullet measures.401 inch. A lot later (1961) came the.401 Herter Powermag using a bullet of.400 to.403 inch, depending upon reference. Most shooters have never heard of the round, which was sold by the mail order firm Herters, Inc. of Waseca, Minnesota. A single-action revolver and ammunition for it were reported to be made in Germany. Herter s handloading data from 1970 indicates performance just below the later.41 S&W Magnum, which was not overly popular either.

26 www.handloadermagazine.com Deprime Without A Press! Hand-held depriming tool Fits cartridges with normal flash holes from.20 cal. to.300 ultra mag,.460 Weatherby and.45-100 Machined from aluminum and hardened steel No dies or shell holders needed New improved pin design Black ceramic finish 541-401-1835 115 Airport Road Lebanon, OR 97355 harveydeprimer.com POLYSONIC BULLET TREATMENT Ultrasound Electrostatic Embedment Hexagonal Boron Nitride (HBN) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micron particles Send your bullets for treatment: SIERRA, BARNES, BERGER, HORNADY, LAPUA, NOSLER, REMINGTON, WINCHESTER, SPEER, NORMA, etc. 25100: Box of 100@.15=$15.00 +$5 s/h=$20.00 25500: Box of 500@.075=$37.50 +$8 s/h=$45.50 25110: Lot of 1000@.05=$50.00 +$10 s/h=$60.00 25401: 1 gallon Polysonic Fluid $38.95+$11.05 s/h=$50.00 RyDol Products, Inc. 5609 Orphan Ln. Shelbyville, KY 40065 Rydol.com or 877-727-7912 info@rydol.com Rampro AmmoCheck Universal Reloader Gauge Precisely measure all of the following: Seated bullet concentricity Seated bullet length Neck thickness variation Cartridge trimmed length Cartridge ovality and distortion Bullet diameter and length Perform all these measurements with one system from.22 Hornet to 470 Nitro Express. As featured in Dec 2009 Handloader magazine Complete system, nothing more to buy! Includes a highly accurate digital indicator with LCD readout and.0005 inch resolution. Complete with two precision fixtures for measuring all of the above. Used by serious handloaders and competitive shooters who demand consistent accuracy. Shouldn t you? Engineered and manufactured in the USA of precision machined components. Complete system includes gauge stand, digital indicator, indicator tips, cartridge measuring fixture, concentricity fixture, cartridge centering locater, calibration standards, mounting hardware and instructions. Includes free.220 and.300 cal. pilots with over 20 diameters available and in stock. $349 complete, shipped postpaid Rampro Corp. - 3113 W. Hampden Ave. Sheridan, CO 80110 www.ramproco.com All these cartridges were intended for revolvers. None were military, because black powder required bullets of.45 caliber or larger. When smokeless repeating rifles came on the scene, the use for the military handgun contracted to mostly a symbol of rank. Fighting was to be done with rifles and machine guns. Pistol cartridges shrank to underpowered.30- to.35-caliber numbers fired in semiautomatic arms. The U.S. was heading down this same path when it came to its senses. In March 1904 Frankford Arsenal was ordered to start development of a semiautomatic pistol cartridge. Frankford didn t do much developing, because Winchester was already making such for an experimental Colt pistol. This cartridge would become the.45 ACP. After the U.S. Army adopted the Model 1911 Colt, the company offered it to foreign militaries. Nobody was interested. They liked their little guns. In America, things developed differently and we learned much. Pistols firing the.45 ACP are now as common as wet dirt. Hunters have.41 and.44 magnums, plus heavily loaded.45 Colts and beyond. The big revolvers are fine for animals. However, anyone today choosing a revolver for the other part of personal protection, if it is honestly believed the gun may be fired in such use, obviously (to use an old Western witticism), Ain t never rode that horse before! It is true U.S. police and many citizens jumped on the.357 Magnum just before World War II. Muzzle blast and recoil caused it to be washed away by the tide of High Plains Reboring & Barrels, L.L.C. Offering Button and Cut-Rifled Barrels. Most calibers and twist rates. Contact: Norman Johnson Phone: 701-448-9188 E-Mail: nrjonsn@westriv.com 243 14th Avenue NW - Turtle Lake, ND 58575

high-capacity 9x19mm autoloaders starting in the late 1960s. The 9mm, however, was not all it was made out to be. Soon, demand for a more powerful loading of the 9mm became overwhelming. Velocity and pressure were raised slightly in loadings titled +P and +P+. Bullet weight was also dropped, allowing rather large velocity increases in some instances. Pistol reliability became a significant (though seldom reported) consideration. So did gun damage, often called extra wear. It was into this circus in 1983 that a new round called the 10mm Automatic was thrown. Originally made from.30 Remington rifle cases cut to.992 inch length, it fired a.400-inch bullet. This meant bore diameter was about.392 inch (10mm is.393 inch close enough). Several people are given credit for the 10mm concept, ammunition and semiautomatic pistol design. The late Jeff Cooper is probably most recognized. Norma did the load development and supplied the first ammunition. The new offering compared rather closely to the.41 S&W Magnum revolver round. Therein lies the problem. First factory loads drove a 200- grain jacketed bullet 1,200 fps from a 5-inch barrel, giving 638 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of energy. That s roughly 50 percent greater than the 350 to 400 ft-lbs or so of standard.45 ACP rounds. And let us not forget that the majority of citizens and cops think the biggest ACP round kicks too much. To get these numbers, maximum average pressure was set at 37,500 psi (transducer). The.357 Magnum is 35,000 psi; the.44 Magnum, 36,000 psi. That s hard on moving machinery! What were these people thinking? Another Norma load used a 170- grain jacketed hollowpoint at 1,300 fps muzzle speed (635 ftlbs). Midrange trajectory over 100 yards was listed at 3.2 inches. Some writers hunted deer, wild boar and talked of even larger an- be continued...) February-March 2013 www.handloadermagazine.com 27 imals. Handloads were reported that pushed 170-grain slugs 50 to 75 fps faster than the factory load. The original gun for the 10mm Auto, the Bren Ten, was sold by an outfit known as Dornhaus & Dixon. Difficulty in getting guns produced and pistol reliability problems caused it to close down after a couple of years. In 1986 Colt produced a 1911-type gun called the Delta Elite. Most folks had little interest in such a powerful autoloader, because powerful revolvers for hunting were everywhere and their accuracy was better. A few rounds in an enclosed space, such as an indoor range, ended the home protection idea due to muzzle blast. The 10mm Auto would have faded away had not the FBI been looking for a gun-and-ammo-fix for problems caused by equal helpings of bad luck and bad judgment. This led to adoption of a 10mm Auto pistol in 1989, but firing a load pushing a 180-grain bullet at only 950 fps. Its 360 ft-lbs of energy was nearly the same as standard 9mm loads and less than +P rounds. While there is more to this than just numbers on paper, it was 9mm performance (or lack of it) that supposedly caused the FBI s problems in the first place. Currently 10mm Auto ammunition is available from Winchester, Remington, Federal and Hornady using 175- to 180-grain bullets at speeds from 1,130 to 1,290 fps. Hornady offers a 155-grain slug doing 1,265 fps, and a CCI Blazer 200-grain load generates 1,050 fps. Cor-Bon lists eight loads from 115 grains at 1,650 fps to 200 grains showing 1,125 fps, which offer 10 to over 35 percent more energy than.45 ACP standard loads. Many less guns are chambered in 10mm Auto today than in the round s heyday of the 1990s. Still, if one needs a full-size pistol having this much power, here it is. That s just not for most people. Something far more generally suitable, however, was coming. (To VICKERMAN Inline Seating Die GMW, Inc. Tel: 509-382-4159 www.gmwvickerman.com Thompson Center Arms Company Encore & Contender/G2 Barrels & Bellm Custom TC Parts Mike Bellm s TCs Custom Barrel Work & Parts Since 1979 Tel: 1-970-314-9901 www.bellmtcs.com

Pearce Loads the 9mm Luger Brian Pearce The 9mm Luger was developed by Georg Luger and first offered in the now famous Luger toggle top pistol around 1902, then adopted by the German Navy in 1904 and the German Army in 1908 (thus the 9mm/08 or 9mm/P08 barrel marking found on many vintage service pistols). It is also commonly known as the 9mm Parabellum and 9x19mm. Throughout Europe its popularity quickly spread, but in the U.S. it would be decades before pistols became readily available, with the primary exception of wartime souvenirs. Today it has become the most widely used military handgun cartridge in the world, usually referred to as the 9mm NATO. 50 www.handloadermagazine.com

New bullets and powders improve performance. With the exception of early truncated cone ammunition, most surplus and newly manufactured 9mm ammunition through the 1970s featured full-metal-jacket roundnose bullets that provided little shock, minimal wound channels and in general developed an extremely poor reputation as a military, defensive or hunting cartridge and load. Commercial 9mm ammunition began to change in the 1960s as the now-defunct Super Vel began offering a 90-grain JHP (and other lightweight loads) at around 1,400 fps, and by 1979 Winchester Ammunition developed the 115-grain Silvertip JHP. This significantly changed the outlook of the cartridge and police agencies began to adopt it. In 1985 the U.S. military officially adopted the Beretta M9 (Model 92F) pistol and 9mm Luger cartridge that conformed to NATO standardization. This announcement created a furor in the civilian market that seemingly mushroomed over - night. Any quality 9mm pistol with a high magazine capacity, such as the Glock Model 17, Beretta Model 92, Browning Hi-Power, Smith & Wesson Model 59, etc., were in high demand. Even Hollywood capitalized on high-capacity 9mm pistols, which soon became unofficially known as wonder nines. With all the new interest in this cartridge during the 1980s, ammunition companies became serious about developing new bullets and loads to enhance terminal perform - the evolution of 9mm ammunition and guns with compacts and subcompacts, such as the Kimber Solo, Ruger LC9, etc., becoming especially popular for home defense and personal carry. American manufacturers have been leaders in developing premium 9mm bullets for match shooting and expanding bullets suitable for defense, most of which are readily available to handloaders. Traditional ball profile bullets are still offered, which is important when handloading for many vintage pistols. For example, most modern 9mm pistols from quality manufacturers will reliably feed a variety of bullet profiles while some older guns will not. In these instances the roundnose ball ammunition becomes important to keep vintage guns working. One of the test guns used to crossreference some of the accompanying data was a Walther P38, which absolutely would not feed any bullet profile other than a roundnose with any degree of reliability. Even the Hornady 125-grain HAP, an FMJ design that features a small, flat point, would not feed. Several hollowpoint designs from Hornady, Speer and Sierra as well as factory loads from Federal, Winchester and Remington would hit the feed ramp and stop more often than was reasonable. Even if cartridges chambered, bullets would often become deep seated, potentially raising pressures to dangerous levels due to the reduced powder space. On the other hand, when stoked with roundnose 115- and 124-grain bullets from Speer and Hornady, the Walther functioned flawlessly. Industry pressure limits for the 9mm are standardized at 35,000 psi, while +P loads are 38,500 psi. Some companies are marketing +P+ ammunition, for which there is currently no industry specifications. Companies that offer such loads are establishing their own pressure standards, and the conance and better meet the demands of law enforcement and civilians. It has been interesting to watch February-March 2013 www.handloadermagazine.com 51

1 Table I 9mm Luger Handload Data 2 4 A variety of pistols were used for testing: (1) Kimber Team Match II, (2) Glock Model 17, (3) Browning Hi-Power, (4) Walther P38 and (5) Beretta 92F. sumer should determine if these are safe in a given gun. Space will not allow a complete discussion of guns suitable for +P loads, so standard pressure loads that are suitable for all guns in good operating condition will be discussed here. If it is +P performance you are seeking with select powder/bullet combinations, some loads duplicate and even exceed factory loaded +P velocities without exceeding pressure guidelines. Surplus military cases should generally be avoided, because primers are generally crimped in place, so a decapping die or manually operated rod is required to remove primers, followed by the removal (usually swaging or cutting) of the crimp. These problems are time-consuming but minor. There are other problems that can surface, however, that will cause frustration in developing reliable, accurate and safe handloads. Some cases feature primer pockets that are slightly oversized, so primers are not held as firmly as In 1985, the U.S. military adopted the Beretta M9 9mm Luger for service, which helped spawn great interest in the cartridge. 52 9mm Luger 5 3 overall loaded bullet powder charge velocity length (grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) 90 Hornady HP-XTP 700-X 4.2 1,142 1.070 4.6 1,288 Bullseye 4.4 1,238 5.5 1,434 Universal 4.5 1,144 5.3 1,385 VV-N330 4.6 1,121 5.8 1,392 VV-N340 4.7 1,052 6.1 1,395 W-231 4.7 1,168 5.6 1,395 AA-2 5.0 1,274 5.8 1,391 Power Pistol 5.6 1,184 6.8 1,420 7.2 1,474 AutoComp 5.7 1,233 6.6 1,450 6.8 1,498 AA-5 6.5 1,207 7.0 1,334 HS-6 6.5 1,228 7.2 1,364 Longshot 5.5 1,191 6.0 1,271 6.5 1,372 7.0 1,459 Titegroup 4.0 1,130 5.0 1,376 Zip 4.2 1,108 5.2 1,345 Silhouette 5.5 1,020 6.8 1,435 90 Sierra JHP Longshot 5.5 1,180 1.010 7.0 1,465 Titegroup 4.0 1,138 5.0 1,385 Zip 4.2 1,114 5.2 1,355 Silhouette 5.5 1,029 6.8 1,444 AutoComp 5.5 1,218 5.9 1,329 6.2 1,402 AA-2 4.0 1,107 5.2 1,398 115 Barnes XPB Longshot 4.5 1,065 1.125 5.0 1,141 5.5 1,234 6.0 1,311 AutoComp 5.1 1,218 5.5 1,274 5.8 1,341 Power Pistol 4.8 1,100 5.3 1,142 5.8 1,190 6.3 1,247 6.8 1,293 (Continued on page 54)

The 9mm Luger traditionally has been loaded with roundnose FMJs (left), a poor choice for hunting or defense purposes. When stoked with jacketed hollowpoints (right), its effectiveness is increased. they should be. Military cases also vary in thickness and capacity, which often leads to excess pressure when compared to the same load assembled in commercial cases. In one experiment, wherein identical loads were assembled in commercial and surplus military cases, the military case produced 161 fps greater velocity than in a commercial case, and pressure was clearly excessive. Commercial cases also vary significantly in capacity that, due to the short powder column, will change pressures, sometimes substantially. This may not be important when using starting loads, but when using maximum powder charges, it can put an otherwise safe load at excess pressure levels. One lab reports this figure to be in excess of 10,000 psi. To develop the accompanying data, Starline Brass (1-800-280-6660) was used exclusively. These quality cases have proven to produce less pressure than many others. A Kimber Model 1911 Team Match II 9mm was used to develop and establish velocities of the accompanying data. The Kimber pistol is, in essence, a full-featured gun at a production gun price. The Team Match II is a full (Government) size target pistol with a When handloading commercial cast 9mm bullets with a diameter of.356 inch, the shank must generally be seated inside the case or chambering problems might result. 5-inch barrel, stainless steel construction and fitted with a fully adjustable rear sight and dovetailed front. A few standard features include lowered and angled ejection port, steel magazine well, serrated slide, Chip McCormick-style grip safety, hammer and match grade February-March 2013 www.handloadermagazine.com 53

Table I 54 www.handloadermagazine.com (... continued from page 52) 9mm Luger Handload Data overall loaded bullet powder charge velocity length (grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) 115 Barnes XPB AA-7 7.0 1,087 1.125 7.5 1,149 8.0 1,220 8.6 1,283 SR-4756 5.4 1,225 5.9 1,269 6.4 1,319 115 Hornady HP-XTP Bullseye 3.9 1,090 1.075 4.6 1,217 Universal 4.0 1,053 4.5 1,161 W-231 4.1 1,017 4.7 1,145 AA-2 4.3 1,035 5.1 1,189 AutoComp 4.7 1,068 5.5 1,252 5.8 1,295 VV-N350 4.9 1,072 5.7 1,224 Power Pistol 4.8 1,036 6.4 1,256 6.7 1,308 VV-3N37 5.0 976 6.8 1,326 SR-4756 5.2 1,141 6.1 1,297 6.4 1,348 HS-6 5.7 1,066 6.4 1,207 AA-7 7.0 1,106 7.4 1,152 7.8 1,211 8.2 1,268 8.6 1,323 AA-5 6.0 1,079 6.4 1,146 6.8 1,220 Longshot 5.0 1,119 5.6 1,205 6.2 1,292 Blue Dot 7.7 1,326 8.7 1,426 Titegroup 4.0 1,129 5.0 1,318 115 Speer Gold Dot HP AA-5 6.0 1,066 1.125 6.4 1,135 6.8 1,218 Longshot 5.0 1,115 5.6 1,201 6.2 1,281 Blue Dot 7.7 1,333 8.7 1,414 Titegroup 4.0 1,118 5.0 1,302 Power Pistol 4.8 1,022 6.3 1,262 6.8 1,342 VV-3N37 6.0 1,178 (Continued...) Table I 9mm Luger Handload Data (... continued) overall loaded bullet powder charge velocity length (grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) 115 Speer Gold Dot HP W-3N37 6.8 1,314 1.125 SR-4756 5.0 1,092 6.5 1,348 AA-7 7.0 1,099 7.5 1,157 8.0 1,236 8.6 1,298 115 Nosler JHP Longshot 5.0 1,122 1.115 5.6 1,211 6.2 1,301 Blue Dot 7.7 1,339 8.2 1,395 8.7 1,422 Power Pistol 4.8 1,008 6.8 1,334 124 Hornady HP-XTP Unique 4.0 1,027 1.060 6.0 1,353 Herco 4.0 917 4.8 1,064 AutoComp 4.2 964 4.4 1,017 4.7 1,070 4.9 1,122 VV-N350 4.4 970 5.2 1,128 Power Pistol 4.3 944 4.7 997 5.0 1,066 5.3 1,133 5.7 1,194 SR-4756 4.1 942 5.5 1,195 HS-6 5.1 947 5.9 1,109 Blue Dot 4.8 840 6.1 1,069 8.0 1,337 AA-7 6.2 1,013 6.6 1,047 6.9 1,090 7.2 1,133 7.6 1,175 7.9 1,211 8.5 1,286 9.0 1,337 AA-9 9.0 1,095 9.7 1,172 AA-5 5.5 1,023 6.5 1,185 VV-3N37 5.5 1,122 6.5 1,269 True Blue 5.0 958 6.3 1,152 Silhouette 5.0 1,122 6.0 1,254 Longshot 5.0 1,128 5.5 1,204 6.0 1,271 124 Speer Gold Dot HP AA-9 9.0 1,084 1.120 (Continued...)

Table I 9mm Luger Handload Data (... continued) overall loaded bullet powder charge velocity length (grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) 124 Speer Gold Dot HP AA-9 9.7 1,165 1.120 AA-5 5.5 1,011 6.0 1,120 6.5 1,192 VV-3N37 5.5 1,102 6.5 1,263 True Blue 5.0 942 6.3 1,141 Silhouette 5.0 1,101 6.0 1,239 Longshot 5.0 1,116 5.5 1,185 6.0 1,263 Power Pistol 5.0 1,105 6.5 1,302 AutoComp 4.0 933 4.5 1,015 5.0 1,142 SR4756 4.0 907 5.5 1,226 125 Sierra FMJ AA-7 8.0 1,238 1.135 9.0 1,344 AA-5 5.5 1,015 6.5 1,172 Power Pistol 5.0 1,079 6.0 1,231 AutoComp 4.5 1,037 5.0 1,147 Longshot 5.5 1,193 6.0 1,259 147 Hornady HPBT-XTP AutoComp 3.5 838 1.100 4.1 959 VV-N350 3.6 823 4.6 1,015 Power Pistol 3.5 783 4.8 1,010 5.1 1,063 SR-4756 3.4 777 4.5 999 4.9 1,071 HS-6 4.1 767 5.3 1,032 Blue Dot 4.2 753 5.7 1,027 AA-7 5.0 791 6.0 956 6.3 1,015 6.7 1,068 VV-3N37 4.2 879 5.0 1,023 AA-5 4.5 851 5.0 931 5.5 1,001 Longshot 3.5 829 4.0 900 4.4 979 4.8 1,049 800-X 3.5 797 4.3 948 (Continued on page 56) 9mm Luger trigger, ambidextrous safety, flat mainspring housing, match barrel, 30 lpi front strap checkering, and... you get the idea. The precision fit slide, frame, barrel, etc., is remarkable, all of which contributes to outstanding accuracy and reliability. The trigger pull broke cleanly at just over 4 pounds. With many handloads the Kimber would chew the center out of targets at 25 Maximum case length for the 9mm is.754 inch. Maximum overall cartridge length is 1.169 inches, which if exceeded, may cause feeding problems. yards, leaving nothing more than a ragged hole, and other than a few starting loads that failed to develop enough pressure to push the slide back, there were no malfunctions throughout the tests. Maximum powder charges should be approached with caution, as slight changes in components, even lot number variations, may result in notable differences in pressures and velocities. A powder measure designed to uniformly throw small charges, such as the Redding Competition Model 10X, will prove especially valuable when loading this cartridge. Bullet seating should be approached with the usual cautions. Due to the 9mm s minute powder capacity and short case, changes in bullet seating depth will dramatically change pressures and velocities. For example, tests have shown that when seating a bullet just.040 inch deeper (about the thickness of 10 sheets of this magazine), pressures jump by 6,000 psi. Like most rimless autoloading pistol cartridges, the 9mm headspaces on the case mouth, so a taper crimp is required, which should be performed as a separate step after bullets are seated. Maximum industry case mouth diameter is.3800 inch, but After seating bullets they should be taper crimped in place. February-March 2013 www.handloadermagazine.com 55

Table I (Continued from page 55) 9mm Luger Handload Data overall loaded bullet powder charge velocity length (grains) (grains) (fps) (inches) 147 Hornady HPBT-XTP Titegroup 3.2 934 1.100 3.5 985 3.8 1,029 True Blue 5.0 945 5.7 1,036 Silhouette 4.0 898 5.0 1,056 Unique 3.5 949 4.0 1,018 4.5 1,078 147 Speer TMJ-FN Blue Dot 5.0 944 1.130 6.0 1,077 Power Pistol 4.2 933 4.6 1,000 5.0 1,052 AA-7 6.0 954 6.5 1,018 6.9 1,070 AutoComp 3.5 842 4.0 939 4.3 1,014 Blue Dot 5.0 940 6.0 1,081 Longshot 4.0 879 4.4 965 4.8 1,036 124 Oregon Trail cast RN Red Dot 3.0 1,005 1.045 4.0 1,139 Titegroup 2.2 742 2.8 930 Power Pistol 3.8 907 4.8 1,099 AutoComp 3.8 981 4.5 1,116 AA-2 3.0 936 3.5 1,030 Notes: A 5-inch barreled Kimber Model 1911 Team Match II was used to shoot all loads in Starline cases with Winchester Small Pistol primers. SAAMI minimum cartridge overall length: 1.000 inch; maximum cartridge overall length: 1.169 inches; maximum case length:.754 inch; trim to length:.744 inch. Be Alert Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data. Table II 9mm Luger 9mm Luger Factory Load Performance advertised actual load velocity velocity (grains) (fps) (fps) 95 Buffalo Bore +P+ Barnes TAC 1,550 1,549 115 Black Hills JHP +P 1,300 1,329 115 Buffalo Bore +P JHP 1,400 1,443 115 Hornady XTP 1,155 1,162 124 Black Hills JHP +P 1,250 1,304 124 Blazer 124 FMJ 1,090 1,112 124 Buffalo Bore JHP +P 1,300 1,360 124 Federal American Eagle FMJ 1,150 1,166 124 Hornady XTP 1,110 1,133 124 Winchester FMJ 1,140 1,149 147 Winchester PDX1 Elite 1,000 995 Notes: All loads fired from a 5-inch barreled Kimber Model 1911 Team Match II. U.S.-based ammunition companies that are members of SAAMI apply a crimp that measures between.369 to.370 inch, the dimension used to assemble loads listed herein. This not only serves to keep bullets in place and aid in uniform powder ignition, but it also facilitates smooth cartridge feeding. Many powders offered admirable performance. That said, some were cleaner burning and more accurate, others were flash suppressed and still others provided more velocity. This explains why different shooters prefer different powders, as they seek different performance features. Some of the more outstanding powders for all bullet weights included Alliant Power Pistol, Blue Dot, Hodgdon Longshot, AutoComp, Titegroup, Accurate No. 7 and No. 5, Western Powders Silhouette, Vihtauori 3N37 and IMR-4756. Several other powders gave excellent results with specific bullets or bullet weights. The only FMJ roundnose bullet listed is the 125-grain Sierra. Both the Hornady 115-grain FMJ and Speer 124-grain TMJ roundnose were tried with excellent Win a FREE hunting handgun! Try this exciting new sport and you will become a better handgun shooter. You will shoot at animal-shaped metal targets from 25 to 200 yards. Any target or hunting handgun is all that is needed. Classes for both Centerfire and.22 Rimfire handguns with Scoped or Open sights. For more information and to find a range near you offering Practical Hunter Silhouette contact us at: www.ihmsa.org or call us at 801-733-8423 56 www.handloadermagazine.com

results, but due to space limitations and to avoid redundancy, that data was not included. It is suggested to use the Hornady 115- grain XTP data and the Speer 124- grain GDHP data, respectively, and seat bullets as outlined. Velocities, for all practical purposes, will be the same. When using the Oregon Trail Laser Cast 124-grain roundnose, due to its full-caliber,.356-inch shank, it should be seated to an overall length of 1.045 inches. If the shank is seated too far out of the case, it contacts the leade and prevents the cartridge from fully chambering. Due to this rather deep-seating depth, powder charges must be used as outlined and cannot be interchanged with bullets that seat to a longer overall cartridge length. Q uinetics C ORPORATION Made in the U.S.A. Quinetics NEW ULTIMATE MODEL with NEW TWIST Chuck Assembly! Phone/Fax: 830-693-0237 www.quineticscorp.com Wineland Walnut Claro and English Walnut Gun Stock In control of the process Blanks from tree to finished blank! Highly Figured and Plain Grain 9009 River Road, Chico, CA 95928 Tel: 530-345-4012 Fax: 530-345-0990 www.wineland-walnut.com winelandwalnut@hotmail.com Many handloads tested proved capable of outstanding accuracy, such as this five-shot group at 25 yards. Many of the loads were crossreferenced in several guns for safety and function, including the Kimber Model 1911 Team Match II, Browning Hi-Power, Glock Model 17, Beretta 92F and Walther P38. Select loads were tried in a Glock Model 19, Kimber Solo and Ruger LC9. Most loads functioned reliably in all guns, but as pre - viously indicated, some starting loads lacked sufficient pressure to reliably cycle the slide. It will prove beneficial to thoroughly test loads for reliability in a given gun before loading any quantity of ammunition. With new bullets and powders, traditional 9mm Luger performance is easily surpassed through handloading. Just follow the rec - ipes exactly as outlined. February-March 2013 www.handloadermagazine.com 57

I N D E X t o V o l u m e 4 7 Issue Numbers 276 to 281 February 2012 to January 2013 BALLISTICS Rifle Bullet Stability.................No. 281, p. 52 BLACK POWDER Quest for the Perfect BPCR Silhouette Bullet.........................No. 281, p. 30 CARTRIDGE BOARD.222 Remington Magnum, The Strange Story of the.....................no. 281, p. 16.240 Weatherby Magnum............No. 276, p. 16.280 Ross, The Controversial.........No. 278, p. 18.38 WCF Really What It Appears?....No. 280, p. 26.455 Webley Automatic..............No. 279, p. 16.505 Gibbs.......................No. 277, p. 30 CAST BULLETS Loading Lead in the.44 Magnum......No. 278, p. 30 Quest for the Perfect BPCR Silhouette Bullet.........................No. 281, p. 30 Thompson Cast Bullets, Ray C.........No. 278, p. 62 COMPONENTS Cutting Edge Bullets................No. 280, p. 44 Getting Down to Cases..............No. 276, p. 38 Modern Powders in Two Old 8x57s....No. 280, p. 32 West Kansas Bonded...............No. 279, p. 56 FROM THE HIP Battle of the.45 Colt Bulge...........No. 276, p. 26 Before the.44 Magnum (Part 1).......No. 281, p. 20 Improving Sixguns with Brownells Pro-Springs....................No. 277, p. 24 Pancake Holsters..................No. 278, p. 28 Priming and Pressures..............No. 279, p. 18 Springs for the Colt SAA.............No. 280, p. 30 GENERAL Handloaders Weights and Measures...No. 277, p. 68 Investigating Reilly.................No. 277, p. 32 Original Kimber Model 84, The........No. 280, p. 54 Smokeless Rifle Case Design.........No. 277, p. 44 HANDGUNS/LOADS Big Iron..........................No. 278, p. 48 Colt s Big Eight SAAs...............No. 280, p. 48 Crimping Pistol and Revolver Cartridges..No. 281, p. 38 Latest 1911s, The................No. 276, p. 32 Loading Lead in the.44 Magnum......No. 278, p. 30 Matching Old Roundnose Factory Revolver Loads..................No. 278, p. 40 More and More 1911s..............No. 280, p. 38 New Frontier SAA.45 Col............No. 279, p. 30 Old Is New, The...................No. 277, p. 58 Remington Enhanced Model 1911 R1...No. 277, p. 50 Ruger LCR.38 Special..............No. 276, p. 72 Smith & Wesson Governor...........No. 281, p. 66 Special Cartridges in Magnum Chambers......................No. 280, p. 66 Thompson Cast Bullets, Ray C.........No. 278, p. 62.44 Smith & Wesson Russian.........No. 277, p. 38 IN RANGE Long and the Short of It, The.........No. 279, p. 74 Nothing to Fear but Fearlessness......No. 281, p. 78 Shots and Shells...................No. 277, p. 82 Slugging It Out....................No. 278, p. 78 Swedish Invasion (III), The...........No. 280, p. 78 Thunderbolts of Jupiter.............No. 276, p. 82 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT West Kansas Bonded...............No. 279, p. 56 INSIDE PRODUCT NEWS Brass Wizard.....................No. 278, p. 73 Fusion Bullets for Reloaders..........No. 278, p. 71 Lyman Turbo Sonic Ultrasonic Case Cleaner........................No. 278, p. 70 SPDTools for S&W Revolvers, SIG Sauer Pistols...................No. 278, p. 71 LOADING TECHNIQUES Chamber Pressure Revelations........No. 281, p. 46 Crimping Pistol and Revolver Cartridges..No. 281, p. 38 Oddballs Made Easy................No. 279, p. 60 LOADING TOOLS Redding Dual Ring Carbide Dies.......No. 277, p. 64 MIKE S SHOOTIN SHACK Case Trimming....................No. 276, p. 24 Colt SAA Stocks...................No. 280, p. 20 Colt s Pocket Pistols................No. 277, p. 28 Custom Mould Suppliers for BPCR Silhouette......................No. 281, p. 12 Dip or Dump?.....................No. 279, p. 22 New Type of Shooting Event, A........No. 278, p. 16 PISTOL POINTERS Compact Versus Full Size: The Cost of Small.......................No. 278, p. 26 How Do You Define Accuracy?........No. 279, p. 28 Mystery of the.380 ACP, The.........No. 276, p. 30 Quiet Time.......................No. 280, p. 16 Ruger SR22 and More about Accuracy..No. 281, p. 24 S&W M&P22, The.................No. 277, p. 16 PRODUCT TESTS MTM Case-Gard Shooting Gear.......No. 281, p. 72 Meister s X-Ring Rubber Bullets.......No. 277, p. 76 PROPELLANT PROFILES Accurate Nitro 100 NF..............No. 279, p. 24 Alliant Power Pistol.................No. 281, p. 28 Alliant Reloder 19..................No. 280, p. 24 Alliant s AR-Comp..................No. 276, p. 20 Alliant s Black MZ..................No. 277, p. 20 Hodgdon s CFE 223...............No. 278, p. 22 READER RESEARCH Hollowpoint Bullets Without a Mould... and Hollowbase Too...........No. 279, p. 68 RELOADER S PRESS Bullets and Pressures Part Two.......No. 280, p. 8 Canister Powders...................No. 278, p. 8 Case Trimming.....................No. 281, p. 8 Herrett, Steve......................No. 279, p. 8 Mysterious.44s, The................No. 276, p. 8.45 Colt Issues.....................No. 277, p. 8 RIFLE LOADS Investigating the Lever Revolution.....No. 276, p. 46 Modern Powders in Two Old 8x57s....No. 280, p. 32 Modernizing Two Old.40s...........No. 276, p. 64 Oddballs Made Easy................No. 279, p. 60 Original Kimber Model 84, The........No. 280, p. 54 Pair of.25-06s, A..................No. 279, p. 36 Price of Smooth, The...............No. 280, p. 60 6mm PPC........................No. 278, p. 56 6mm Remington...................No. 278, p. 34.257 Weatherby Magnum............No. 276, p. 56 SHOTSHELLS/SHOTGUN LOADS Handloading Shotshells for Turkeys....No. 281, p. 60 Ultralight 20-Gauge Loads...........No. 279, p. 44 AUTHORS Barsness, John Modernizing Two Old.40s, No. 276, p. 64; Smokeless Rifle Case Design, No. 277, p. 44; 6mm PPC, No. 278, p. 56; A Pair of.25-06s, No. 279, p. 36; Modern Powders in Two Old 8x57s, No. 280, p. 32; Rifle Bullet Stability, No. 281, p. 52. Haviland, John.257 Weatherby Magnum, No. 276, p. 56; The Old Is New, No. 277, p. 58; Loading Lead in the.44 Magnum, No. 278, p. 30; Cutting Edge Bullets, No. 280, p. 44; Handloading Shotshells for Turkeys, No. 281, p. 60. Pearce, Brian Ruger LCR.38 Special, No. 276, p. 72; Remington Enhanced Model 1911 R1, No. 277, p. 50; Ray C. Thompson Cast Bullets, No. 278, p. 62; New Frontier SAA.45 Colt, No. 279, p. 30; Special Cartridges in Magnum Chambers, No. 280, p. 66; Crimping Pistol and Revolver Cartridges, No. 281, p. 38. From the Hip appears in issues 276 through 281. Petty, Charles E. The Latest 1911s, No. 276, p. 32; Redding Dual Ring Carbide Dies, No. 277, p. 64; More and More 1911s, p. 280, p. 38; Smith & Wesson Governor, No. 281, p. 66. Pistol Pointers appears in issues 276 through 281. Rees, Clair Inside Product News appears in issue 278. Scovill, Dave Reloader s Press appears in issues 276 through 281. Sengel, Gil Handloaders Weights and Measures, No. 277, p. 68; Ultralight 20-Gauge Loads, No. 279, p. 44. Cartridge Board appears in issues 276 through 281. Simpson, Layne The Original Kimber Model 84, No. 280, p. 54. Smith, Roger Hollowpoint Bullets Without a Mould... and Hollowbase Too, No. 279, p. 68. Trzoniec, Stan 6mm Remington, No. 278, p. 34. VanDenburg, Jr., R.H. Propellant Profiles appears in issues 276 through 281. Venturino, Mike Investigating the Lever Revolution, No. 276, p. 46;.44 Smith & Wesson Russian, No. 277, p. 38; Matching Old Roundnose Factory Revolver Loads, No. 278, p. 40; Oddballs Made Easy, No. 279, p. 60; Colt s Big Eight SAAs, No. 280, p. 48; Quest for the Perfect BPCR Silhouette Bullet, No. 281, p. 30. Mike s Shootin Shack appears in issues 276 through 281. Wieland, Terry Getting Down to Cases, No. 276, p. 38; Investigating Reilly, No. 277, p. 32; Big Iron, No. 278, p. 48; West Kansas Bonded, No. 279, p. 56; The Price of Smooth, No. 280, p. 60; Chamber Pressure Revelations, No. 281, p. 46. In Range appears in issues 276 through 281. NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA Moose, Woodland Caribou & Black Bear Hunts Book now for 2013 & 2014 Tel/Fax: (877) 751-1681 dean.wheeler@nf.sympatico.ca www.biggamecanada.com P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0 Quality hand-cast bullets for reloaders, competitors & recreational shooters! Extensive selection of pistol, rifle, big bore & paper-patched bullets. Website: www.montanabulletworks.com 7730 Hesper Rd. Billings, MT 59106 Tel: 406-655-8163 68 www.handloadermagazine.com