First Time Casting Need Information.

[drw]

I cast a Saeco 377 9mm bullet which measures .365 using a micrometer. I slugged my barrel using a bullet cast from the same mold with pure lead. The Lone Wolf barrel measures .356 using pure lead.

I have a Lyman 4500 with sizing dies .357 and .356. Which die should I use to lube the bullets???

Thank you.

[Larry Gibson]

Are you sure the cast bullets are dropping at .365? Is the mould supposed to cast that big?

Larry Gibson

[drw]

Are you sure the cast bullets are dropping at .365? Is the mould supposed to cast that big?

Larry Gibson

I checked and it is .357 Sorry for the error.

[HangFireW8]

You need to slug your barrel with a lead (not alloy) slug to find the answer to your question.

Generally speaking you need .001" larger boolits than your groove diameter, but .002" is good too as long as it feeds and chambers.

HF

[DLCTEX]

I would go with .357 and see if it chambers ok.

[runfiverun]

definitely the 357.

[Cherokee]

Try the 357 first and see how that works. My 9's are very happy with 356.

[Larry Gibson]

I shot .356 for years in 9mm's w/o problems but use .357 most often these days for no other reason than it is closer to the "as cast" diameter of ,y cast bullets. Go with the 357 if that's what your bullets drop at. Good soft lube like the NRA 50/50 or BAC and load them over Bullseye. That always works for me.

Larry Gibson

[TES]

just checked plated vs cast and was getting .353 PL and 356 cast poly coat. .353 that's not good for a Double struck right?

[ku4hx]

I shot .356 for years in 9mm's w/o problems but use .357 most often these days

Now that's and interesting tidbit of heresy. I've had exactly the same experience with .356 working without problems: insignificant leading if any could be seen at all, no tumbling and accuracy always quite good. Guns: 1970s vintage BHP, Glocks and Rugers.

Now days I shoot .357 because my two most oft used molds (Lee 120 grain TC and 125 grain RN) as-cast diameters are .357. .358 works well ostensively, but my dies are "jacketed-ready" and thereby squeeze boolits down to .357. I just go with what works with the least amount of finagling.

[ku4hx]

just checked plated vs cast and was getting .353 PL and 356 cast poly coat. .353 that's not good for a Double struck right?

I'd hazard a guess your .353" bullets were not struck correctly if they were sold as 9mm; .002" off "norm" is a little on the high side. I have some Remington (advertised/marked) .357" JHP bullets that range from .3562" - .3565" for the sample I checked.

I can speak only to my Berry's double struck plated bullets, but they mic .356" and .357" as advertised.