9mm powder

[MangoFett]

looking for low flash, low smoke 9mm powder. I only have experiance with unique, universal and wsf powder so far. Id tolerate flash over smoke though, cant stand the smoke when at the range.

And recommendations?

Shooting 135 blue bullets

 

[MadDuner]

I switched to TiteGroup - but cannot honestly tell you if it smokes less than some others.
It’s less sooty than Unique....

 

[roostercogburn98]

Titegroup is good but dirtier than others. I seem to remember liking CFE pistol at one point. I use Autocomp in another caliber and it is pretty clean. I messed up and bought like 12 pounds just for 9mm so trying to shoot through it to try something else

 

[MangoFett]

I would take smoke over soot, there's nothing like shooting a mag and your gun looking like you just shot a few hundred rounds of junk ammo.

I'll have to look at tightgroup for sure. That and cfe pistol seem to be what a lot of people use.

 

[MadDuner]

I need to try CFE pistol and see if I like it.
Of course being the cheap bastage I am.... TiteGroup goes a long way!

 

[Kadams1563]

N320

cleanest and softest shooting powder

 

[Steel head]

WSF is my favorite 9mm powder.

 

[mcfred]

I haven't explored many 9x19 powders, but Accurate No. 5 has served me well. Since it's a ball powder, it meters extremely well in Dillon 550 and RCBS Uniflow powder measures.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I also like AA No.5

 

[Alabusa]

BE-86 is low flash and virtually smoke free. It is all I use for 9mm. It would be worth your consideration.

 

[gigamortis]

For IDPA and USPSA with 135s, the hot ticket for powder is Alliant Sport Pistol. Its low flash, only half as dirty and much cooler burning as Titegroup. It doesn't have any pressure spikes on the high end in the summer like Titegroup can when loaded near max. Load data for me is 0.2 grains more powder than Titegroup for the same power factor. Sport Pistol flows like water in a powder measure without the static cling of Titegroup.

 

[MangoFett]

For IDPA and USPSA with 135s, the hot ticket for powder is Alliant Sport Pistol. Its low flash, only half as dirty and much cooler burning as Titegroup. It doesn't have any pressure spikes on the high end in the summer like Titegroup can when loaded near max. Load data for me is 0.2 grains more powder than Titegroup for the same power factor. Sport Pistol flows like water in a powder measure without the static cling of Titegroup.

Power factor aside, since I don't have to load to one, would sport pistol still be the powder you'd recommend?

 

[Penguins]

Bullseye isn't bad, but I found that N320 was the least smoky powder for me, using coated bullets. TG and Clays were both WAY too smoky.

 

[davere]

N320. It also shoots very soft.

 

[MangoFett]

Picked up 2lbs of n320 and power pistol today to mess around with.

 

[LongRange65]

Another vote for N320. Clean, soft shooting. Little pricier but worth it.

 

[Ankeny]

N320 followed by Winchester 244.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've always been a fan of bullseye.

 

[Sirshredalot]

Power pistol is all i currently run in 9mm.

Its clean and not much smoke, but is flashy in low light....higher charge weights give better case fill and can get very good velocity.

Ive got a pound of cfepistol to try though.

Shred

 

[gigamortis]

Power factor aside, since I don't have to load to one, would sport pistol still be the powder you'd recommend?

Yes. I've already worked up and shot loads with Titegroup, WST, Clays, BE-86, Universal Clays. Out of all of those, Sport Pistol is the cleanest low flash powder I've tried so far.

 

[Shoots 700's]

I have been using N340 lately and really like it for full power loads.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

I have always been stuck on Unique for 9mm...in higher pressure loads it is as clean as any of the others I have tried. If you run it on idle it's smokey and dirty....running 124 gr. plated hollow points (Berry's Bullets) at around 5 gr. of Unique I can generally run a whole box and wipe the gun off with a rag and put it back in the holster.

VooDoo

 

[bunsen27]

I've recently been introduced to Ramshot True Blue and rather like it for full power to almost +P loadings.

Ramshot – Hodgdon Powder Company

www.ramshot.com

 

[sinister]

WSF has almost no flash.

Flash retardants come at a price. Less flash, more smoke.

 

[respiegel]

I've been really happy with CFE Pistol in everything that I've tried it in, it was sold out locally so i've loaded up some BE-86 to see what the fuss is about

 

[Nimothy]

+1 on cfe I used to just load everything with 231 but the jug finally went dry, I gave it a try. It does pretty well and meters sooooooo good. I thought 231 was good but this stuff .04gr on my variances across 10 rounds. And it didn’t creep up like other do throughout a 200 round session. I’ll stick with it for ease of use alone.

 

[clcustom1911]

Power Pistol and AutoComp are my go-to for 9mm. I've never noticed any smoke, both burn pretty clean. I've never really shot them at night, so I can't comment on flash. Not noticeable during the day though.

 

[mercervillerental]

Another vote for N320 with N340 being a close 2nd for me. I also use Power Pistol but definitely has more flash and bang by comparison

 

[1500varmint]

My daughter won't shoot with me if I'm using Titegroup loads!

I've tried several powders and my current favorite is Winchester 231. Measures well and not a smoke monster...

 

[iukamedic]

231 is my go to.

 

[abn31c]

After years of WSF, I finally tried N320.
Like gettin laid for the first time all over again.

 

[AZgeek]

3N37 is the shit for amped up loads. Clean, no crazy pressure spikes.

 

[Sirshredalot]

After years of WSF, I finally tried N320.
Like gettin laid for the first time all over again.

Inaccurate and snappy?

 

[Baer45]

Another vote for N320 with N340 being a close 2nd for me. I also use Power Pistol but definitely has more flash and bang by comparison
[/QUOTE

i use those powders for 9mm just like you do!vv340 is unsurpassed for 9mm Suppresors and power Pistol is a killer in 38Super!

 

[MtnCreek]

I don't know what a blue bullet is.

Loading jacketed and wanting good velocity, ramshot silhouette.

 

[powdahound76]

HP-38. Same as Win 231.

I have several lbs of it so its what I run. Also for my 200gr SWC .45 loads.

Will maybe try CFE pistol after its out, but thats gonna take a bit.....

 

[Jimichanga]

N320 with coated bullets. Done.

 

[Gustav7]

N320 with coated bullets. Done.

Any experience running N320 with light .38 loads? Like 650-700fps out of a 5.5" barrel light

I've been using TItegroup and Clays for both .38 and 9mm and while Clays is nice as a light .38 load, it lacks in standard 9mm loads.

 

[Jimichanga]

Any experience running N320 with light .38 loads? Like 650-700fps out of a 5.5" barrel light

I've been using TItegroup and Clays for both .38 and 9mm and while Clays is nice as a light .38 load, it lacks in standard 9mm loads.

Sorry, I have no idea. I only reload 9mm.

 

[Team RCBS & Bushnell]

I've ran a lot of Titegroup for minor in USPSA 9mm and really dig it, it's acceptable for dirt, and I always ran plated bullets and that combo had pretty low smoke. If I was looking to go even cleaner and lower smoke I'd bite the $ bullet and go with N320. Both powders are great for plinking and low recoil.

WM

 

[Disfunctional_Engineer]

Unique has never been very clean for me. I never really saw it "clean up" as some mentioned. Maybe I didn't drive it hard enough.

Titegroup is okay, I never got good accuracy from it for some reason. Lots of others swear by it. I gave mine to a buddy to use in a shotgun.

Bullseye shot a significant amount better and is definitely cleaner than Unique. Not that it's hard IME.

My preferred powder for longer barrels is Blue Dot. In a 4" hand gun it has the same velocity as Titegroup but loaded in a 16" carbine there was +140FPS. I will say it's certainly not very low flash in a hand gun. It's one of the slower powders you can run in 9mm due to the case capacity.

I've got a ton of Power Pistol, loaded some up but the jury's still out since I haven't been to the range a ton lately.

 

[steve123]

So N320 seems to be the #1 powder for 9mm miner loads? Low flash, clean burning, and is great for polymer bullets?! Right now I'm using 147 polymer.

Getting ready to make a 4th of July order today so speak up quick please if there are any negatives other than price.

 

[abn31c]

So N320 seems to be the #1 powder for 9mm miner loads? Low flash, clean burning, and is great for polymer bullets?! Right now I'm using 147 polymer.

Getting ready to make a 4th of July order today so speak up quick please if there are any negatives other than price.

I switched to Sport Pistol. It seems a bit better with coated bullets and just as clean. No issue with N320, but I got SP for 180 bucks a jug.
SP meters a bit better also.
.02

 

[Gustav7]

Another vote for Sport Pistol. Used to shoot unique or blue dot, switched and did 10lbs of TiteGroup to save money. Switched to sport pistol a few thousand ago and I’m not sure I’ll try anything else.

Not sure there’s a 9mm powder that’s better suited to my needs. Noticeably cleaner than TG and I prefer the recoil impulse it has with my 125’s

 

[steve123]

Thanks, I'll go check price and availability for SP.

 

[Kadams1563]

Thanks, I'll go check price and availability for SP.

I was just doing the same. It’s cheaper then N320 but N320 is in stock lol.

I have 8lbs of N320 but SP sounds like it’s a good powder.

I only shoot 145 coated bullets now and run them in everything from hand guns, PCC’s, suppressed.

 

[steve123]

I lucked out because a local guy sold his bullet business and I got 12,000 coated 147's and 124's for $26 a 500 box!

 

[abn31c]

I lucked out because a local guy sold his bullet business and I got 12,000 coated 147's and 124's for $26 a 500 box!

If yer shooting coated, SP was designed for these. Watch for a sale @ Brunos. It's great stuff for what you got.

 

[steve123]

If yer shooting coated, SP was designed for these. Watch for a sale @ Brunos. It's great stuff for what you got.

I just made my order of 10 pounds through them but only got the hazmat free. Darn taxes and shipping though.....

 

[abn31c]

I just made my order of 10 pounds through them but only got the hazmat free. Darn taxes and shipping though.....

I was shooting Brass Monkey 150's with 3.2 gr. SP. I just got load of 127 Monkey truncated cone, 3.5 and 3.6 of SP seems to be the spot in my 2011.
Good luck...