The same loads that work in pistols also work well in an AR9.

I'm partial to 6.0 grs True Blue with a 115 gr RN at 1.10 OAL.

Same load that works so well in my CZ 85.

This is probably going to be my USPSA PCC load.



Here's my USPSA handgun load through the PCC

Nice group AJE.

To OP, you will have so much fun shooting your AR 9 you will probably burn through some pistol ammo as well as what you load.

I have found that 500 rounds is not enough for a range session.

Kind of a double edge here, since the question is basic 9mm ammo, while for match shooting, I run a 9 major in unlimited, so just run my 9mm carbines in 9 major to keep them shooting flat as well (++P 9mm sub machine gun ammo).

So for a basic 9mm load, would look into something like True blue, since it a spherical powder, meters very well, and does have a clean burn. With the burn rate of the powder, will do well in both a pistol and carbine length barrel. So in say a 5" barrel pistol, looking at 1150'ish speeds, while in a 16" barrel, speeds around 1400fps isntead.  There are some other powders like Titegroup, but its not the cleanest of burning powder instead.

On the other hand, if you want to step up to 9mm major with the rig spring and buffered correctly, then HS6 burn rate of powder is the ticket for the longer 16" barrel, and will be able to push the 115gr bullet out of the carbine rig at plus 1800fps isntead.

As for recoil of the two different loads with the gun set up for the load at hand, not really a difference in felt recoil since the felt recoil of the AR9 is really just the reciprocation of the bolt mass itself. Hence once you have the bolt in check for the loads, felt recoil is pretty much same/same across the board.

So the faster the bullet, the flatter it will shoot, and the less you end up play hold over across the course when some of the targets are 100yards or more.