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Thread: A day at the range: Some questions

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    A day at the range: Some questions

    I am a newbie but have been reloading 9mm for a little while now, once I found a mix that worked I stuck with it.

    A month ago we moved, so now I have a new range and new shops to deal with. I'll take the shop first; I usually use Geco 124grn FMJ round nose and they are just dandy! The shop only had 124grn FMJ HP, but I figured it wouldn't make much difference? Same powder, seating just a little further down and away we go...

    Well, the recoil is noticeably harsher, bordering on unpleasant. AND it shook my red dot loose! I switched back to the round nose and it went back to usual. Can bullet shape have so much effect? I tried both rested on paper and they are both grouping nicely, but I didn't have a chrono with me. Maybe next time?

    Next the range. I am used to a 25m stand for pistols only, one end for gongs, the other for paper, each stand separated by a screen.
    The new range has it's own gongs at different ranges and a running boar at 50m. You can also put targets out wherever you want. You can use any calibre rifle, pistol or shotgun at any target and there are no separations between stands.
    The downside of this is my ejected shells scattered far and wide, not that it matters much to me, I tend to shoot midweek when I'm the only one there. However, out of the hundred rounds I fired I only recovered 93, on the plus side I emptied the casings bin and got nearly 100 9mm shells and a decent number of .223 plus various others I don't recognize.

    So, back to the 9mm. Any advice?

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    The bullet shape can affect the seating depth and the crimp. IME a strong crimp can put pressures up and this can increas felt recoil. A deeper seating will increase pressures too. Can you chrono?
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    Also, there may be a bit of a longer bearing surface- so more initial resistance to the movement. Or a thicker jacket.

    The recoil you feel is the pressure pushing on the back of the case. Anything that resists the expansion of the gas will push that up.

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    Have you checked the primers in the fired cases for signs of over pressure? Flattening and enlarged firing pin strike. Sounds to me that you may have compressed your powder charge if you seated the bullet in deeper. That will certainly increase the pressure. I only used 115 gn rn in the olden days when I had my 9 mil.
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    Thanks all! I barely crimp at all, but the seating is deeper through necessity as the ogive was just catching the rifling at the round nose setting. I will get my very near gauge out when I do some loading later.

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    What are you putting in them?

    Also, check the bullet diameter between the two with a micrometer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Beard View Post
    What are you putting in them?

    Also, check the bullet diameter between the two with a micrometer.
    Round nose 8.99mm, HP 9.01mm nominal. I am using 5.2grn Vectran BA9 and there is no compacting of the powder. I will head back to the range with a chrono in the next couple of days as I am not happy firing 9mm in my home indoor range.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tinbum View Post
    Round nose 8.99mm, HP 9.01mm nominal. I am using 5.2grn Vectran BA9 and there is no compacting of the powder. I will head back to the range with a chrono in the next couple of days as I am not happy firing 9mm in my home indoor range.
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    I'd drop the charge a bit to 4.5 grains on the hollow points and leave it there if it feels okay. The FMJs look slightly undersize which will reduce their pressure a fair bit in jacketed.

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    Since last we spoke I bought more powder, but they were out of my usual and I got something different.

    Quelle Horreur!

    I have gone from Vectan BA9 (tiny grains) to Vectan A1 (big flakes). The shop assured me this burns cleaner and suggested just 3.7gr behind the 124g FMJ. This corresponds with near the upper limit of what the chart says, which is what I used with the BA9 also.

    I loaded ten to try tomorrow, I have a new brass catcher to test too, so two birds and all that.

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    Military brass is designed to eject forcefully and randomly in order to go down the collar of the person shooting on your right and thus randomise their score. Anyone who has ever fired the SLR on the century range will attest to this.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DesG View Post
    Military brass is designed to eject forcefully and randomly in order to go down the collar of the person shooting on your right and thus randomise their score. Anyone who has ever fired the SLR on the century range will attest to this.
    Innit tho!? My favoured lane is the extreme left for the permanent 25m gongs, there are no lane dividers so everyone else is liberally sprayed with hot brass.
    Unfortunately this kit brings out the Arnie in everyone who tries it, so it was a brass catcher or become a social leopard

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    Quote Originally Posted by DesG View Post
    Military brass is designed to eject forcefully and randomly in order to go down the collar of the person shooting on your right and thus randomise their score. Anyone who has ever fired the SLR on the century range will attest to this.
    when in forces i got screamed at by a marine as i was shooting at the end on the right........i shoot left handed
    the lad to my left was ejecting his spent cases into my face and head lol......it never bothered me or my score but the marine wasnt happy about it and told us to stop

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    last time I was on the range in Switzerland there was a guy shooting his Luger, there was a tremendous amount of sparks coming out of the barrel, almost like a mini dragons breath , apparently he had a load of magnum primers to get rid of and used them on his 9mm
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    Quote Originally Posted by DesG View Post
    Military brass is designed to eject forcefully and randomly in order to go down the collar of the person shooting on your right and thus randomise their score. Anyone who has ever fired the SLR on the century range will attest to this.
    in my experience, pistol range boxes are designed to bounce the cases down the back of your neck (or cleavage for the ladies )
    You Cannot Reason People Out of Something They Were Not Reasoned Into
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