MP 132

MP1 132 is a pulled powder packaged and sold by American Reloading.
It is listed as “Similar to” IMR Target, a discontinued powder made by the borg Hodgdon. IMR Target was aimed squarely at Alliant Bullseye.2

The inset screenshot is from this Shooting Sports USA article, well worth reading. The IMR Target in the middle pile looks exactly like the MP 132 I received.

approach

This was my first attempt to work up usable3 loads with pulled powder. So do your due diligence rather than relying on my newbie reports. “Start low, go slow” as they say.

Since Midway powders are pulled/overstock/surplus or vary from spec they are not always available. So you might work up loads only to have it disappear forever. The balancing act is to get enough to have a good supply if you like it but not a dump truck full in case you don’t. I bought 5lbs that, based on the calibers I reload and my middling requirements, will power about 8,500 cartridges.

I based the below on Alliant’s load data for BE and Hodgdon’s RLDC data for IMR Target, erring on the side of lighter throws. Alliant only gives max loads, so my starting loads below were Alliant max minus 10%. I paid attention to Alliant’s min OAL data where it differed from my usual practice.

  • I put the BE load data into the Ballistics Swiss Knife calculator. I first plugged in the test barrel length Alliant used and compared against their FPS data.^1 Then I put my actual barrel length into BSK to populate the estimated FPS field below.

data from the range

Caliber Projectile OAL Powder Powder gr. Barrel est. FPS Chrono FPS Chrono FPE
9mm MEDEF 124 FMJ 1.15 MP 132 4.5gr 5.5” 1169 1169.1 376
9mm MEDEF 124 FMJ 1.15 MP 132 4.7gr 5.5” 1210 1194 393
9mm MEDEF 124 FMJ 1.15 MP 132 4.8gr 5.5” 1229 1209.3 403
9mm Berry’s 147gr RN 1.16 MP 132 3.7gr 5.5” 1007 1001.7 328
9mm Berry’s 147gr RN 1.16 MP 132 3.9gr 5.5” 1036 1017.3 338
9mm Berry’s 147gr RN 1.16 MP 132 4.0gr 5.5” 1051 1034.6 349
.40 S&W Berry’s 180gr RNFP 1.125 MP 132 4.9gr 5.0” 1013 1013.1 410
.40 S&W Berry’s 180gr RNFP 1.125 MP 132 5.1gr 5.0” 1026 1046.2 437
.40 S&W Berry’s 180gr RNFP 1.125 MP 132 5.2gr 5.0” 1033 1048.8 440
.40 S&W Berry’s 180gr RNFP 1.125 MP 132 5.3gr 5.0” 1039 1062.3 451
.40 S&W Berry’s 180gr RNFP 1.125 MP 132 5.4gr 5.0” 1046 1067.7 456
.38 Special4 158gr Berry’s HP 1.43 MP 132 3.0gr 16.5” 899 724.3 184
.38 Special 158gr Berry’s HP 1.43 MP 132 3.2gr 16.5” 933 770.7 208
.38 Special 158gr Berry’s HP 1.43 MP 132 3.4gr 16.5” 967 840.4 248
.38 Special 158gr Berry’s HP 1.43 MP 132 3.6gr 16.5” 1000 894.2 280

Srsly: do not take my word (or anyone else’s) on matters of reloading. Get some manuals, start with light charges and work up, etc. You are responsible for your own loads as I am mine.

Also see the BSK reloading calculator announced in this reddit thread.

  1. MP = Midwest Powders, the in-house brand for AR. ↩

  2. Hence the name. They also had IMR Red to complete with IMR Red Dot, etc. ↩

  3. My intent is to make range ammo that functions reliably in all the sidearms/longarms I own. This will preserve pricier retail canister powder (about twice the price) for more critical uses like taking out zombies in the upcoming apocalypse. I am not chasing max velocity or chasing competition-level accuracy. My spinal cord damage causes tremor and thereby restricts my effective range to self-defense distances. ↩

  4. .38 Special standard pressure. ↩