I use 4gr of 231 with 147gr bullets. I would bump it up to at least 4.5gr personally.

Do you not have a manual to reference? I use 4.2 under my 124gr so I concur that you probably need a larger charge

Sierra does not make lead bullets and only lists jacketed bullets, so you should use lead bullet data instead of jacketed bullet data.

Lyman 49 is a great reloading manual that has cast and jacketed bullet data. Use lead data for plated bullets.

Page 321 they show data for a cast 120 gr CN. Bullet slightly heavier, will get you close.

With W-231 the starting load is 2.9 grs with 4.4 grs as max.

I would continue to work up watching for pressure signs.

What are you using for an OAL?

I'm loading Berry's 115gr with 4.6gr of W231 with a AOL of 1.135.

I've been using 4.6 gr of WW231 behind a 115 gr jacketed bullet as my standard 9mm load for a very long time, I'll average around 1090 fps out of a 5" bbl in my Beretta Model 92, standard deviation runs around 14-15 using Winchester small pistol primers. I've got some 115 gr plated bullets, I haven't loaded them yet, but plan to load them at the same charge.

HP-38 and W-231 are the same powder packaged by different folks,exactly the same

That is what I have heard. I just want to load a few and verify before I buy an 8lb jug and start mass production.

Not close to my books right now but I'll share some experience with you. Sierra's 9mm bullets are long. There are two numbers you need to concern yourself with. One is overall length. Oal or Coal as its called is important to feed. Two and more importantly is seating depth. Seating depth has everything to do with pressure.

When loading 9mm for my Glocks, Sierra's oal on two bullets. 115 and 124 grain I believe are the bullets. (Wizzo feel free to fact check my numbers) It's necessary to lower oal from Sierra's suggested. Sierra's oal is so long it won't chamber in factory Glock barrels.

Stand same weight Sierra bullet next to bullet you're using, you'll see height difference. Imagine seating depth difference ?

I will reference Sierra data when working a new load just like working the other 10 plus sources I have available in published text, powder company websites and the power of Google. Sierra's data is propriety to Sierra bullets.

From here I could expand into theory and fill a page. In the end I will have said your looking for plated data in wrong manual. Lyman 49 is good, so is Lee 2nd Edition, though harder to use because Lee doesn't list exact bullet used for suggested oal. Lyman does. I have and use both.

Hodgdons website is one resource most rely on when using 231. 231 is a good powder and if you never buy anything but 231 for 9mm you'd be fine. My go to 9mm powders are VihtaVouri 3N37 and 3N38. My load data comes directly from VihtaVouri manual and website. I'll reference Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, Barnes, Lee, Lyman, LaPua an Speer manuals. I'll check half a dozen web sources. When the boiling is all done, all that's happened is confirmed VihtaVouri data and possibly found the sweet spot. VihtaVouri manual btw has Ranier bullet oal data which crosses to Barry because both are almost identical product.

We hear it said often Sierra data is too conservative.. Not been my experience when seating to same depth as Sierra bullets. Note, I said depth, not height. Oal isn't same as seating depth. I mentioned before and repeating again. Lower seating depth is why Sierra lists lower charge weights.

I load a lot of Sierra, especially in 9mm and soon .38 super. Sierra makes an excellent match bullet. Just remember.

Brand X bullet, Brand X manual.

Generic lead, plated, and jacketed requires you match seating depth to like bullet. Generic manuals such as Lee and Lyman are best suited.

Bottom line, you need more data. No such thing as having too much data.

One last note, mimicking factory oal is smart. You have a known feedable oal. Just be mindful of seating depth, regardless bullet your using. Seating depth is seating depth is seating depth all day and all night long. Deeper the bullet, higher the pressure.

Worried about seating an unknown bullet too deep without a cartridge to mimick ? Missouri Bullet Company recommends seating a bullet no deeper than 1/32nd of an inch from case mouth to bottom of ogive. Ogive is the point bullet starts to curve coming off straight bearing surface.

I've used 4.4 to 4.6 with Rainier plated 115's. Can't recall all the stats but my last batch was 4.4 gr 231 under a Rainier 115 JHP. Win primer. Avg FPS is at 1100. This is in a stock Glock 17. Very accurate load but I can't recall COAL right now. Up yur charge a bit.

I did properly re-size the cases before loading so its probably just the low powder charge.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will be grabbing a Lyman 49 and work up from the 4.0 grain load I last used.

Now I just need some more time off work

I've got a lot of reloading manuals.

But I go here as often as not when working up a load, or checking data.

In a 115 gr. 9mm, Hodgdon shows two loads for Win 231. They list 4.3 to 4.8 for a LRN, and 4.7 to 5.1 for a Gold Dot (which, BTW is also a plated bullet).

I'm nearly identical except 4.6 gr of W231.

No problems in a S&W 5906, P-38, Beretta PX-4, or G17