Temp 60ish
Humidity 79%
Overcast
Elevation 1100ft
Barrel 5" factory
New Starline brass
Win LP primer
OAL 1.250
Hornady XTP 180 gr
I started with 13.4 and worked up in .02 gr increments to 14.0
13.4 & 13.6 were pretty erratic and I must have deleted the data but I recall velocities were low and ES & SD were high for #9
13.8 gr #9
Average velocity 1140
ES 29
SD 9
14.0 gr #9
Average velocity 1157
ES 21
SD 7
Hornady XTP 200 gr
12.4 gr #9
Average velocity 1094
ES 20
SD 6
12.6 gr #9
Average Velocity 1089
ES 21
SD 7
12.8 gr #9
Average velocity 1099
ES 20
SD 6
*One split case.
This tells me #9 works Best when compressed but is just a bit to slow for my barrel. Adding more powder, getting closer to the Hornady manual max loads, resulted in just burning more powder with insignificant velocity increase. Perhaps a good match grade barrel would improve those numbers but the accuracy wasn't bad.
50 yard target, sand bag rest, Hornady 180 gr. 40 rounds
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/fltbed/20151015_112902-1_zpsgyd47vvw.jpg)
50 yard target, sand bag rest, Hornady 200 gr 20 rounds 12.6-12.8 gr
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/fltbed/20151015_113035-1_zpsifitibsa.jpg)
20 yard target, off hand, Hornady 200 gr 8 rounds 12.4 gr
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/fltbed/20151009_151006_zpsje2tucde.jpg)
Jeff
fltbed, Thanks for your range data. Your results are very much like what I have experienced, never got to the claimed velocities with AA#9 neither the older microspheres or the newer flattened ball formulations. It's not a bad powder it just takes so much to get the velocities up there. 8)
I agree. If my 6" Glock 40 ever shows up, I'll revisit #9 but for now, I'm working with Blue Dot, Power Pistol, BE-86 and eventually, Longshot. We'll see.
It is really hard to beat blue dot and longshot.
I loaded a good bit of #9 with 175 grain SWC a few years back. 14.7 grains gave me 1331 fps from a 1911, 1294 fps from a Witness full size and 1243 from a Glock 29. No pressure signs at all.
But, dang those were expensive rounds when Blue Dot would nip at the heals with 50% less powder.