Load help 9mm 115 Bullseye Xtreme

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I loaded up some 9mm with Bullseye 4.2gr OAL 1.140 Xtreme plated bullet
Bullets are rated 1500 FPS max. .355
The brass was really dirty black on 3/4 of the case, had a couple FTF and FTE
Running a G17 and Sub2k
Should I up the powder charge, or lower the OAL
Thanks for any help.

[JustaShooter]

It does sound like low pressure (except for the FTF) and your OAL does seem a bit long. I don't know enough about the plated bullets to be sure but it looks like you are very near max load for bullseye (for cast anyway) so I'd start with OAL and see how it goes, then maybe bump the powder charge a nudge.

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I think with the thicker plating and .355 vs .356 plating on top of 1500 FPS limit I should load these more like FMJ than lead.
As normal things never work like I hope, and I didn't get to shoot any today.
Sucks living in town and having to drive 10 miles or more to get in the country to be able to shoot.

I'd like to hear what data people are loading 9mm and bullseye with.
It's what I have and all I could find so I have a bunch of it on hand.

[JustaShooter]

Have you asked the bullet manufacturer if they have load data? Some do and are willing to provide it if you ask.

I don't load Bullseye in 9mm so all I can do is provide published data (I have several loading manuals), if that helps.

[45Automatic]

Lower the oal, leave the charge alone.

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No I have not asked x-treme, but I bet they won't give any info due to sue happy Americans.
I'm going to test 10 of each in each gun OAL 1.100, 1.110, 1.120, and 1.130
With my google-foo I seen a post on another forum where a guy was pushing xtreme bullets to 1600 FPS but not with BE.

[jabeatty]

No I have not asked x-treme, but I bet they won't give any info due to sue happy Americans.
I'm going to test 10 of each in each gun OAL 1.100, 1.110, 1.120, and 1.130
With my google-foo I seen a post on another forum where a guy was pushing xtreme bullets to 1600 FPS but not with BE.

Here's what Xtreme has posted on their site:

Load Info:
- Our Copper Plated Bullets can be run at mid-range jacketed velocities or higher end lead velocities. We do not recommend velocities over 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and only a light taper crimp.

Any velocities over 1200 FPS we recommend either our Heavy Plate Concave Base or Hollow Point products for superior accuracy. We do not recommend velocities over 1500 FPS (Feet Per Second) and only a light taper crimp.

- All of our Hard Cast Lead Bullets are approximately 18 on Brinell, our Cowboy lead bullets are approximately 15 on Brinell.

Not much to work with...

[JustaShooter]

Not much to work with...

Sure isn't - and with the powder charge already at the top of the range for cast we are back to starting with tweaking the OAL as the primary method of dealing with the problem.

Questions and uncertainty about loading plated bullets seem to be more and more common. I sure wish a powder manufacturer or someone like Lyman would do the work to publish good reloading data for plated bullets. The average handloader just doesn't have the means to work up safe, effective loads without better guidance.

[mreising]

I have used Rainier plated bullets in the past and they always recommended using lead bullet load data for their bullets. YMMV.

[Sevens]

Two big myths that my experience seems to have dispelled. First is the myth that people are suing ANYONE because of load data or suggestions on handloading. If anyone can show a citation of anything in the hemisphere, any manner of proof of any instance on this, it'll be the first I've EVER seen. It's another on the list of "everyone always says it...cause everyone always says it" Is there any truth behind it, even a little bit?

Secondly... plated bullets don't need to be handled with kid gloves. Matter of fact, my experience has VIVIDLY shown me that the only thing "dangerous" that you can ever do with plated bullets (outside of shooting yourself in the foot) is to baby these things. Too light and you can & will stick one in a bore because they offer far more resistance than lead. Treat them like a lead slug and give them a light load and you'll end up with a bore obstruction.

When you push them TOO hard, their performance goes in to the toilet and you find that they need to be tamed to work well, but they aren't "dangerous." They aren't going to blow up if you push them too fast and you won't leave a 3-foot crater where they land. They simply work poorly. And when used in a revolver, they tend to want to "walk" and jump crimp if you run them too harshly, and you can't address that with a more firm roll crimp (as you would with a cannelured jacketed bullet or a lead slug with a crimp groove) as a firm roll crimp WILL cut through the plating on most plated bullets. Cut the plating and the plating separates in flight. Again -- not dangerous, just makes for awful bullet performance.

The cheapest, thinnest plating I've ever found on plated bullets come from a bullet that is long, long, LONG out of production, and what may have been -THE- first ever commercially marketed plated bullet. That company folded and reappeared as Ranier. It's been my experience that Ranier and Frontier are the thinnest plated on the market, but still completely serviceable. I've found that Berry's goes one step thicker and that Xtreme and PowerBond are thicker still than Berry's. And this doesn't even address Berry's relatively new "thick plate" bullets, which are awesome. (don't confuse "thick plate" with "double struck")

My bottom line: treat a quality plated bullet as if it's a jacketed bullet, especially in a semi-auto pistol round that does -NOT- impart a roll crimp. And keep the Lee FCD out of the picture, too. You would not typically EVER make a 9mm handload that runs a 115 grain bullet at 1,500 FPS, so the velocity rating for these slugs isn't even part of the equation at this point. My '05 Alliant printed guide says a max load of Bullseye under a 115gr FMJ is 5.0 grains when loaded to 1.12" minimum. In their 4-inch barrel, it showed 1,180 FPS and 31,000 PSI.

If I were at your bench, I would set my COAL by comparing the profile of MY loaded round with a factory 115gr FMJ. Each is different. Grab a PMC, American Eagle, Blazer Brass, WWB, Magtech, UMC, whatever. Load the round so the external shape is similar to give you the best chance at feeding. Start at your 4.2gr, a fine number as it follows the cardinal rule of reducing a max load. YES! Internal space variations do matter to pressure, especially in a high pressure and tiny space round such as the 9mm. (far less in .45, for example) But you are starting well below max.

If the 4.2gr loads you already made fit your magazine and feed reliably, then that COAL works for me. Evidence shows us that it is light.

So, make 20 rounds with a 4.5 charge, 20 more rounds with a 4.8 charge. Somewhere in there, you'll find exactly what you want, and Alliant says 5.0 grains is safe.

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I checked the barrel after every round in all of my test rounds. Don't want to blow anything up!
I checked some Blazer and Remington ammo, Blazer is 1.140, and Rem is 1.100
As for load data, my Hornady book starts at 3.9/1000 4.2/1050 4.4/1100 4.6/1150 in red
All at 1.100 OAL
Might I add that the Hornady book kinda sucks. Very limited info.
I use a friends Lyman 49th but he is out of town this week.
I'm also getting the rounds that I reload down to 2 or 3
9x19, .308, and trying to do away with .223

[Sevens]

I'm also getting the rounds that I reload down to 2 or 3
9x19, .308, and trying to do away with .223

That's no way to go forth in life, bro. I'm doing 16... and that's just handgun.

[jbkoehrsen]

I've been loading and shooting 115gr Berry's plated 9mm bullets for several years using Bullseye powder, and have found 4.4gr of Bullseye to be a satisfactory and reliable load.