9mm Luger Test Data – Three Starting Pet Loads

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9mm Luger Test Data – Three Starting Pet Loads to get started loading 9mm today.

I Finally got a chance to get out this weekend and get up to the mountain to play around for awhile. I didn’t have much time to spend, but I was able to get the Chronograph out and test a few pet loads in 9mm Luger that have been sitting in my Ammo box for quite awhile. Reloading is a large interest for myself, not just for the savings or the ability to develop my own loads, but for the general science that comes along with it.

In total, I had three loads that I had not documented so far and was able to test out a few 9 shot groups and record the numbers. My hope is that this sort of information will soon be able to go into the Load Data section of Bullet-Blog, along with many of the other tests and pet loads I have put together recently. I used three(3) different bullets, brass, and powder and have logged the results of testing the cartridges below. I also tested these on the Bullet-Blog Diamond Pattern 8.5×11 Printable Target. This is a target I custom created for testing and siting in Pistol Cartridges at distances of 7-25 yards and is available for free download. Unfortunately, I completely spaced taking a picture of the the targets from the test groups which is kind of a bummer, but oh well. I will make a note of it next time.

About Bullet-Blog Test Groups

You will notice in most test groups, many people use only a 5 shot test group and generate their data from these numbers as well as recording vital information like the components that were used in the load. While this should be sufficient for most, I like to take things a bit further than most if anything for the sake of having a full data set for each load I work up.

Amongst the Data I generally collect are the followng:

• Time & Date
• Location & Elevation
• Wind Speed & Wind Chill (both from Start Time and Stop)
• Weather Conditions (Sunny, Overcast, Raining, etc)
• Humidity/Dew Point
• Brass Type & Condition
• Powder Manufacturer & Charge
• Primer Manufacturer & Type
• Bullet Manufacturer, Type with Ogive & Base info & Section Density
• Overall Length (OAL)
• Standard Deviation
• Coefficient of Variation
• Extreme Spread
• A minimum of a 9 shot test group.

All of this data, while not always 100% necessary, paints a much more accurate representation of the cartridge performance for the conditions it was fired in. Since I do not have an indoor test facility at my disposal currently, and given many folks do their target/practice shooting outdoors, I like to record the largest amount of information as I feel it provides more long term value when I choose to revisit a load or work up to a MAX load for a specific combination of components.

Many of the loads you will see me put on Bullet-Blog in the near future are tested under multiple conditions and throughout different times of the year, to give a more accurate representation of how the cartridge performs under different circumstances. I will soon link these together to create an overall log of how the particular load develops as well as recording notes on conditions and general thoughts.

The 9mm Luger Test Data

Alright, so onto the test data. I have listed the three 9mm Luger loads I tested below, in the order I tested them along with the conditions and test results. It should be noted that the 3 loads tested were all starting loads taken from a Professional Reloading Manual or manufacturer website. I do not have MAX test data for these loads, as I have not personally worked up these loads for the gun they were tested in. When in question, please refer to your Reloading Manual or other trusted source of load data for safe max loadings.

WARNING: Loading firearm cartridges beyond MAX load data can result in serious injury or death to the operator of the firearm and others. Always use extreme caution when reloading ammunition and only use Load Data obtained from trusted and reputable resources.
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9mm Luger Test Data – Load #1

Details
Powder: Alliant Power Pistol, 6.0gr Primer: Winchester WSP Small Pistol Primers Brass: Once Fired, Federal Premium Bullet: Berry’s Plated, 115gr FMJ RN OAL: 1.165″ Test Firearm: Ruger SR9 Barrel Length: 4.14″ Twist: 1:10″ Test Groups: 1 Group Count: 9					Weather Conditions: Clear, Sunny Elevation: 2590 feet Start Time: 4:47pm Temp: 53.8 ° F Wind Speed: 0-4mpg, small breeze. Wind Chill: N/A End Time: 5:03pm Temp: 53.7 ° F Wind Speed: No Change Wind Chill: N/A
TEST GROUP 1 (listed in FPS)
1184	1122	1125	1164	1153	1184	1184	1166	1175
TEST RESULTS
High	Low	Average	Standard Deviation		Extreme Spread		Coefficient of Variation
1184	1122	1153	25.99		62		2.60
Load Data Notes:
This is a mildly snappy load, but still completely controllable and comfortable to shoot. There is still some headroom with this combination of components and this cartridge could be increased to be a little more potent without much more powder.

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[accordion title=’9mm Pistol Load Data #2′]

 9mm Luger Test Data – Load #2

Details
Powder: Alliant Power Pistol, 6.0gr Primer: Winchester WSP Small Pistol Primers Brass: Once Fired, Federal Premium Bullet: Berry’s Plated, 115gr FMJ RN OAL: 1.165″ Test Firearm: Ruger SR9 Barrel Length: 4.14″ Twist: 1:10″ Test Groups: 1 Group Count: 9					Weather Conditions: Clear, Sunny Elevation: 2590 feet Start Time: 4:47pm Temp: 53.8 ° F Wind Speed: 0-4mpg, small breeze. Wind Chill: N/A End Time: 5:03pm Temp: 53.7 ° F Wind Speed: No Change Wind Chill: N/A
TEST GROUP 1 (listed in FPS)
1184	1122	1125	1164	1153	1184	1184	1166	1175
Test Results
High	Low	Average	Standard Deviation		Extreme Spread		Coefficient of Variation
1184	1122	1153	25.99		62		2.60
TEST GROUP 2 (listed in FPS)
976	964	1009	986	953	967	970	975	976
High	Low	Average	Standard Deviation		Extreme Spread		Coefficient of Variation
1009	953	981	16.90		56		1.69
Load Data Notes:
This was a somewhat anemic load and was a little disappointing. This would make a good practice load with the XTP projectiles, although there is very little headroom for increasing the powder charge with the large grain N320, so would not make a great Powder/Projectile combination for self defense. The powder seemed to burn very clean, especially compared to using other light loads from powders such as Hodgdon Titegroup. The second test group was somewhat better than the first in terms of Standard Deviation and Extreme Spread, although not to an impressive degree. I was having trouble with Static in the powder measure with the N320 which was causing somewhat erratic charges, having to cycle the powder charge several dozen times before it would measure accurately within +/- 0.1 grains.

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[accordion title=’9mm Pistol Load Data #3′]

9mm Luger Test Data – Load #3

9mm Luger Test Data – Load #1
Powder: Titegroup, 3.8gr Primer: CCI No. 500 Small Pistol Primers Brass: Once Fired, Federal Premium Bullet: Xtreme 124gr FMJ RN OAL: 1.150″ Test Firearm: Ruger SR9 Barrel Length: 4.14″ Twist: 1:10″ Test Groups: 1 Group Count: 11					Weather Conditions: Clear, Sunny Elevation: 2590 feet Start Time: 5:35pm Temp: 53.3 ° F Wind Speed: 0-4mpg, small breeze. Wind Chill: N/A End Time: 5:47pm Temp: NO CHANGE Wind Speed: No Change Wind Chill: N/A
TEST GROUP 1 (listed in FPS)
977	965	988	978	953	955	978	962	976	989	959
TEST RESULTS
High	Low	Average	Standard Deviation		Extreme Spread		Coefficient of Variation
989	953	970	12		36		1.20
Load Data Notes:
This is one of my favorite pet loads for plinking. It’s incredibly economical (about 1500+ loads per 1lb of Powder) and a breeze to shoot. I’ve fired about 300 of these from my SR9 pistol and had no feeding/ejection problems so far. It is a very light load with super light recoil which makes it very fun for plinking around. This is a great load for someone just starting out or for those that are recoil sensitive. One problem with this load is that because it is such a light load (3.8gr Titegroup) it does not burn the powder well. I noticed significant unburned powder sprinkling around when I was testing these. I may consider reworking this load to 4.0gr in the future.

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Conclusion

The first and third loads are pretty standard and if you have ever shot 9mm Luger will be good cartridges for plinking and recreational use. The second cartridge was me playing around with using VihtaVuori N320 under a Hornady Hollow Point, which was less than exciting in the end and I will probably not continue with this load. Powders like Power Pistol and HP38 offer much better value when loaded for 9mm Self Defense rounds. The Speer Nickel plated brass performed flawlessly however, just as you would expect and since they were such light loads, I will be reloading these again for another round of testing. As soon as time allows, I will finish putting together the Load Data section of the website and start adding this information there for others to use. This section will also be open for users to input their own load data and save it in the library. More on that to come soon.

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