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Kilroy08
06-27-2012, 08:32 PM
I finally got to try out some of my first run of cast bullets.

Lee .358 105 GR SWCs sized down to .356 for 9mm. My choice of test platform wasn't the best, though. My Uzi had been feeling neglected, so I decided to take it out. I had about 4 or 5 misfeeds. It just doesn't seem to like anything that isn't vaguely ball ammo-ish. I guess it's an excuse for me to get some more molds.

I probably would have been better off with my Hi Power. It cycled the dummy rounds I made up just fine.

Anyway, the Uzi was accurate enough. I just need to adjust the sight to the right a bit more.

I had plenty of nice, neat holes in the left side of the target.

Next up, seeing how fast I can sail them out there in the .357.

paul h
06-27-2012, 08:51 PM
I've shot 100's of the 105's out of my ruger P89, great bullet for 9mm's that will feed them.

I've probably put about 1000 of them through my two 357's, but have kept the loads in the 700-1000 fps range, heck I shot about 150 of them at lunch today. Can't wait to get my blackhawk scoped and try and really dial in a load. So far I seem to be shooting them into about 1" groups at 10 yds, and ~3" at 25 yds. My offhand groups seem to be about as good as my benched groups. I've shot them unsized with tl, and sized .358" with lbt blue. Doesn't seem to matter much, nor whether I propel them with Bullseye or Unique.

Kilroy08
06-27-2012, 09:54 PM
I think this bullet has lots of fun potential. I have a gallon can full of .38 brass and I'm thinking econo-meister target loads. Say 4.0~4.3ish grains of Unique.... Lots of ammo for little money.

The camera will be coming out this weekend, might get some range shots in featuring the fruits of my labor.

I really do need to get a progressive, single stage is getting old. I'm pulling the handle faster than a geriatric casino denizen and I'm stuck at about 100 or so rounds an hour.

noylj
06-28-2012, 01:03 AM
The 105gn L-SWC is a great bullet. I shoot them as-cast and tumble lubed (LLA and Rooster Jacket) in all my 9x19s, including pre-WWII P-08s and WWII P-38s. Feeds great in all of them. It does need to be loaded rather warm for those guns.
Uzi might not like any thing BUT FMJ-RN. Can you hand-feed inert rounds? Adjust COL for the Uzi?

Rhino
06-28-2012, 06:08 AM
The 105swc is a great little pill in the .38 special and sized down for the 9mm, cuts nice neat holes in the target, you get plenty for the lb as well.

Have cast 1000's of them, plan to cast plenty more.........

bobthenailer
06-28-2012, 07:18 AM
Just a thought ! you might want to try different cast bullet size other than .356 dia ? IME most if not all 9mm's & 38 supers will be more accurate with cast bullets sized to .357 to .360 dia.
I personaly have gotten excellent accuracy with .357 dia from my guns & 3 have match barrels that slug @ .355 dia

Jal5
06-29-2012, 12:58 PM
Noylj-
I am trying them in my WWII P38 also. Care to share what kind of load you are using? I tried Bullseye but some failed to cycle the action in my gun. Not bad accuracy though.
Joe

noylj
06-30-2012, 12:39 AM
The P-08 and P-38 were built for what we would consider HOT 9x19 loads. Just as the NATO 9x19 is hotter than US commercial, German military loads were at least that hot.
The thing I found was that the 105gn bullet would function my P-08s and P-38s at what should have been comparable mild loads for 124 and 147gn bullets. In most cases, people find that these old German guns function better with heavy bullets, but that hasn't been my finding.
I load these bullets as-cast and a light tumble lube of LLA.
Bullet Mfg. Powder Powder Weight COL Accuracy Accuracy: w/o called flyers
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.9 1.010 2.100 2.100
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 2.688 0.656
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 1.125 1.125
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 2.594 1.250
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 1.469 1.469
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 3.000 3.000
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.2 1.020 4.44 4.44 (3 shots into 0.738")
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 3.9 1.010 0.800 0.800
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 4.9 1.010 6.100 6.100
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 5.4 1.010 11.000 11.000
Lee 358-105-SWC 231/HP38 5.9 1.010 11.600 11.600
Lee 358-105-SWC 452AA 4.3 1.010 2.500 2.500
Lee 358-105-SWC 452AA 4.6 1.010 4.800 4.800
Lee 358-105-SWC 452AA 4.9 1.010 3.300 3.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Blue Dot 8.6 1.010 4.100 4.100
Lee 358-105-SWC Bullseye 4.6 1.010 4.400 4.400
Lee 358-105-SWC Bullseye 5.0 1.010 8.600 8.600
Lee 358-105-SWC Bullseye 5.5 1.010 6.600 6.600
Lee 358-105-SWC Green Dot 4.9 1.010 5.000 5.000
Lee 358-105-SWC Green Dot 5.3 1.010 4.800 4.800
Lee 358-105-SWC Green Dot 5.7 1.010 5.300 5.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 5.6 1.010 3.300 3.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 5.7 1.010 2.700 2.700
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 6.1 1.010 3.900 3.900
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 6.2 1.010 2.000 2.000
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 6.4 1.010 6.300 6.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 6.5 1.010 4.800 4.800
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 6.8 1.010 2.300 2.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 7.0 1.010 4.300 4.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 7.1 1.010 3.700 3.700
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 7.5 1.010 6.000 6.000
Lee 358-105-SWC Herco 7.8 1.010 3.700 3.700
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 4.0 1.010 2.600 2.600
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 4.3 1.010 2.100 2.100
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 4.4 1.010 2.600 2.600
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 4.5 1.010 1.300 1.300
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 4.9 1.010 2.200 2.200
Lee 358-105-SWC PB 5.0 1.010 2.800 2.800
Lee 358-105-SWC Power Pistol 6.2 1.038 2.800 2.100
Lee 358-105-SWC Red Dot 4.5 1.010 3.000 3.000
Lee 358-105-SWC Red Dot 4.8 1.010 4.200 1.300
Lee 358-105-SWC Red Dot 5.1 1.010 4.700 4.700

MikeS
06-30-2012, 01:19 AM
The 105gn L-SWC is a great bullet. I shoot them as-cast and tumble lubed (LLA and Rooster Jacket) in all my 9x19s, including pre-WWII P-08s and WWII P-38s. Feeds great in all of them. It does need to be loaded rather warm for those guns.
Uzi might not like any thing BUT FMJ-RN. Can you hand-feed inert rounds? Adjust COL for the Uzi?

When you say LLA and Rooster Jacket, do you mean LLA OR Rooster Jacket, or do you do one, then the next on the same boolit? If you're doing a coat of each, which do you put on first, the LLA or the RJ? I've thought of giving my LLA lubed boolits a final coat of RJ to totally eliminate any stickiness the boolits have, but wasn't sure if the RJ would stay on the boolit once it had been coated with LLA without beading up (like water drops on a freshly waxed car).

Once I tried mixing equal parts of LLA and RJ to see if they would separate out, and see how it would shoot, etc. but when I let the mixture sit for a while it thickened up almost to the point that it might have worked out of a lube/sizer!

MtGun44
06-30-2012, 06:49 PM
Suggest you try a larger diameter if there are any accy or leading issues. Many 9mms
are unhappy with .356 boolits.

Bill

noylj
07-01-2012, 12:41 AM
MikeS:
I use one or the other. LLA has been universally good, whereas RJ is not always as completely successful in terms of accuracy and leading.
I have heard of applying LLA, letting it dry, and then applying RJ. This seems to be a good approach for those who simply can not stand a tacky bullet. My bullets are never exposed to dirt or lint, so I am completely indifferent to tacky bullets as long as they shoot tight groups.
I have never tried LLA coat then RJ coat, but as I wrote, I have certainly read about people doing so.
RJ is an emulsified wax. I "think" it is the same as the emulsified wax products made for grain-sealing fresh cut wood so it dries without splitting.
You can cut it with distilled water for a thinner coat.
Another option for the experimenters is one coat of LLA and one coat of Johnson Paste thinned with Mineral Spirits (though it might remove LLA)--or you just go with Recluse's 45/45/10 LLA/JPW/MS.

williamwaco
07-02-2012, 08:13 PM
I have sized a lot of bullets to .356.
In general, I find that they are usable but not really satisfactory.

I think you will like .357 better.