9MM Defense reloads

This section is not intended to say what is good for bad self defense. You can get that from all the dudes on YouTube doing gel block, meat target, etc to form better opinion. The reason this section is called Defense Loads, is because the bullet is classified as defense category. This is a test for accuracy and velocity only. But mostly velocity, as accuracy varies a lot more than velocity in different guns. If its more FPS here vs another powder, its likely same in your gun. For example powder A is 1300 FPS here, and powder B is 1200 FPS. In your gun, its going to be similar pattern, A is probably higher than B. Maybe not by 100, but you get it. Accuracy will vary. Its not a test to say what load works better in what application. We have a section coming with flash tests at night to help correlate more data for your decision making process. This site is designed to help people with "starting points" so they can make what they want, saving time and money. Not to say what is better in what application. You decide that.

Lets use some powders..

What does same bullet do with some of the popular powders behind it? Of note: 2 shots in each group were taken from a few YARDS behind line, to get chrono reading. I blacked out these 2 shots, or 1 shot on most groups to show you. Its not in main grouping because of Red Dot height. You move closer or back..it changes point of impact up or down..noticeably.

This is using an xdM OSP 4.5"

I included Sport Pistol just to show that even "fast" burning 9MM powders can make good loads that have energy behind them. These are ~100 grain bullets

Hard to call a winner. Perhaps the BE-86 overall, or the Blue Dot, the CFE and the W572 aint bad either.

Power Pistol...that load is hot, way over book. 1440 FPS average, and these are generally 8 shot groups.

On right, that is one of my plinking loads. Montana Gold 95 Grain HP, using IMR RED 4.6 grains. 1.080. Thats 10 shots.

I eliminated the Accurate No7 because it fills the case a lot, like the Blue Dot. I had to back down the Blue Dot from 9.0 grains to 8.5 grains, because the bullet would not seat to desired OAL at 9.0 grains and required too much pressure. Even using 8.5 grains, it required "extra" pressure to compress the powder to get OAL I wanted.

I can affirm, that the sweet spot "powders" for 90-124 grain 9 MM Bullets are:

Power Pistol
BE-86
WIN 572

CFE Pistol
AutoComp

Silhouette
True Blue
Accurate No5
VVN330

VVN340

All those offer good velocity, and can fit most bullets in this range without compression of powder much.

Out of all those, I would take Silhouette if I had to pick one, even though it didnt win here. BE86 probably did.

147 Grain Hornady XTP

25 yards

This is 2 different shooters for perspective and consistency check. 25 yards, XDM OSP 4.5" (same gun in both shooters hands, same loads)

This is 4.6 Grains N340 1.1 OAL 147 XTPS

147 Grain Nosler CC

25 Yards

This is 2 different shooters for perspective and consistency check. 25 yards, XDM OSP 4.5" (same gun in both shooters hands, same loads) This is 4.0 Grains N340 1.08 OAL 147 Custom Competition

Of note here...these bullets hit the lands at 1.085, even though the load data said it would go way longer. Don't trust load data, verify yourself in your gun. This is also why we lowered the charge down to 4.0, because its literally 60k shorter or so OAL than load data saying max of like 4.4 grains.

147 Grain Speer Gold Dot

25 yards

This is 2 different shooters for perspective and consistency check. 25 yards, XDM OSP 4.5" (same gun in both shooters hands, same loads)This is 4.5 Grains N330 1.130 OAL 147 Gold Dot

I think we found the accurate load, this is basically 2" groups or so. So you want a KING load? You are looking at it. The Hornady XTP was real good too. We like the XTP bullets better than Gold Dot, however.

Looks like this XDM is sighted in NUTS accurate at 25 yards