Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 9 mm Steyr with .356 | 124gr | LEE Mold 356-124-2R bullet and 21 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star, Hodgdon TrailBoss and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 68% | 17,390 psi | 89% | 1007 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,708 psi | 80% | 974 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant Herco | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,708 psi | 85% | 1030 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant UNIQUE² | <<locked>> | 68% | 17,187 psi | 88% | 1043 fps | 95.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,331 psi | 83% | 981 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 64% | 17,506 psi | 89% | 896 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 10,718 psi | 55% | 814 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 68% | 16,563 psi | 85% | 984 fps | 99.4% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 68% | 16,288 psi | 83% | 1014 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 64% | 17,158 psi | 88% | 984 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 9,340 psi | 48% | 797 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20² | <<locked>> | 72% | 17,637 psi | 90% | 1070 fps | 98.1% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 68% | 17,202 psi | 88% | 1001 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 17,477 psi | 89% | 1030 fps | 87.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 64% | 17,579 psi | 90% | 1014 fps | 99.5% |
| Somchem MS200² | <<locked>> | 64% | 16,911 psi | 86% | 1007 fps | 96.5% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star | <<locked>> | 92% | 17,709 psi | 90% | 948 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 64% | 17,448 psi | 89% | 1040 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 15,592 psi | 80% | 984 fps | 94.8% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 17,231 psi | 88% | 1053 fps | 89.3% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 68% | 16,708 psi | 85% | 1007 fps | 98.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,677 psi | 70% | 922 fps | 97.9% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,750 psi | 70% | 928 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Herco*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,413 psi | 48% | 814 fps | 85.7% |
| Alliant UNIQUE*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,213 psi | 67% | 938 fps | 91.9% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 8,862 psi | 45% | 787 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,780 psi | 81% | 866 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss*² | 2.2 gr | 60% | 4,337 psi | 22% | 561 fps | 91.6% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,082 psi | 67% | 902 fps | 97.5% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,662 psi | 65% | 932 fps | 99.9% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,563 psi | 79% | 951 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14*² | 2.4 gr | 64% | 4,264 psi | 22% | 568 fps | 85.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 11,908 psi | 61% | 919 fps | 92.6% |
| SNPE Vectan A0*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,314 psi | 68% | 902 fps | 91.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 15,708 psi | 80% | 988 fps | 85.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,374 psi | 79% | 965 fps | 98.7% |
| Somchem MS200*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,852 psi | 76% | 958 fps | 94.7% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 3 gr | 60% | 7,644 psi | 39% | 719 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,113 psi | 77% | 988 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,619 psi | 70% | 935 fps | 92.8% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 14,721 psi | 75% | 991 fps | 86.3% |
| Winchester AutoComp ² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,053 psi | 67% | 915 fps | 96.4% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 21 powders for 9 mm Steyr loaded with the .356 | 124gr | LEE Mold 356-124-2R. ReloadSwiss RS 20 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,070 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 797 fps to 1,070 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 5 of the 21 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (135 MPa), the top charges use 48–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star, Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for 9 mm Steyr with the .356 | 124gr | LEE Mold 356-124-2R they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2, Vihtavuori N340, Vihtavuori N350 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate Solo 1250, Alliant BE-86, Alliant Herco stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.