coal conundrum

[cleardatum]

i've got some vv n340 laying around, and wanted to load some 9x19. vhita vuouri's coal is 1.142 with the hornady 115 grain xtp. seems quite long to me. a similar load in hornady's manual (with n350) shows a coal of 1.075- more typical for 9mm. i assembled them last night (test batch of 20), and they don't look right at 1.142. any ideas? experiences with vv's data? i know how touchy 9 is about coal...

 

[Twoboxer]

I've always let my pistol determine the working COL.

Once a couple of dummy loads pass a manual cycle test, I'll load up 5 rounds each at different powder charges, working up through a range, with the range adjusted as/if necessary for how my COL deviates from the "book".

A test run of 20 loads may be asking for 15 extra cartridges to disassemble.

 

[cleardatum]

I've always let my pistol determine the working COL.

Once a couple of dummy loads pass a manual cycle test, I'll load up 5 rounds each at different powder charges, working up through a range, with the range adjusted as/if necessary for how my COL deviates from the "book".

A test run of 20 loads may be asking for 15 extra cartridges to disassemble.

or twenty! :lol: thanks for the input. i do appreciate it.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

At 1.142" there is not much bearing serface inside the case with a 115 gr. XTP?
1.060" COL sounds more like proper seating depth to me. My Hornady load manual is not handy or I would look it up.
I prefer the 124 gr. XTP for that reason. More bullet in the case makes for a more durable cartridge in semiauto pistols. Although I have shot the 90 gr. XTP and had no feeding issues and found them to be very accurate in my guns.

 

[cleardatum]

hornady shows 1.075 in their manual for the 115 grain xtp, fwiw. i do like to have more "engagement".

 

[mikld]

Hornady bullets? Use Hornady data...

 

[cleardatum]

the hornady manual doesn't show a load for n340, the vhita vouori does, and specifies the hornady 115 grain xtp @ 1.142, which is why i went with their load- everything matches. i would much rather go with 1.075, and may split the difference. it would be compressed at the shorter coal (not a big deal). not trying to start anything, just explaining myself.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

The Hornady XTP/HAP 9mm bullet load lengths when using either 115gr or 124gr weight bullets should be around 1.070" to 1.075" long. This allows the round to fit in just about any 9mm pistol without ending up into the rifling.

The Viht given length of 1.142" is grossly over length for the bullet profile and would be into the rifling and subject to major bullet setback in every 9mm semi-auto I can think of without having a chamber relieved and lengthened, something some guys shooting 9mm Major have done in order to get more powder into the case.

Using the length restriction of 1.070" to 1.075" with a 115gr XTP, I would probably start with a load around 4.8gr to 5.0gr with Viht N340 and give myself a limit of 5.4grs at first. This of course can be adjusted after a thorough chronograph session.

Those are fairly strong loads, more mid range to possible max, so approach them as such.

 

[mikld]

the hornady manual doesn't show a load for n340, the vhita vouori does, and specifies the hornady 115 grain xtp @ 1.142, which is why i went with their load- everything matches. i would much rather go with 1.075, and may split the difference. it would be compressed at the shorter coal (not a big deal). not trying to start anything, just explaining myself.

OAL is bullet and brass specific (for new reloaders, but my pistols tell me what length they like). I doesn't matter what powder you are using, the bullet seating depth does not differ with a different powder, so use the OAL suggested by the bullet manufacturer...