Casting for .380

[45 Shooter]

I'm starting to look into casting for my .380. I'd really like to cast for my 9mm next but i'm reading alot of issues on the 9mm. Would casting for the .380 be any easier on a newbie like me rather than jumping into the 9mm next? I think I need more learnin' before I try out the 9mm.

If it helps the gun they'll be fired from is a Sig Sauer P238. I love shootin' that little thing.

[ku4hx]

Are you worried about the actual casting process or "known" 9mm leading and tumbling issues?

Unless you're casting very large or oddly shaped boolits, generally casting is casting. The actual casting differences between a 90 grain 380 boolit and a 120 grain 9mm boolit will be very slight if there are any at all. Of course that assumes no equipment problems.

If you're worried about bore leading, then yeah you may have problems; you may not.

It all depends on what you want to do and how much time, energy and effort you're willing to expend. The most rewarding things in life are seldom the easiest in my experience.

If your 380 ACP gun is your passion, go with boolits for it. Passions, like miseries, love company.

[w5pv]

I use 102 grain cast from wheel weights over titegroup or 700x in my keltec 380 fuctions well and accuracy is as god as I can shoot.Hit pretty well at about 35 yards on a 4" stell plate target.The 380 doesn't have the power for me have to reset the target plates.Don't know if they keyhole or not but I don't think they do.

[a.squibload]

I have 2 Lee 9mm molds for swage cores, tried the smaller one
for the Ruger LCP, with 50/50 they come out at 110 gns.
Using a .357 sizer die in the LAM, no leading.

Getting a few failures to come to battery (close slide all the way),
tip of nose hanging at the top of the barrel. Same in a friend's LCP.
Might be too soft, will try straight WWs.
I've been loading them at a good OAL for the magazine, maybe they're
a bit too long?

Anyway they shoot pretty good considering the 2" barrel!

[Land Owner]

I regularly feed a Blue and SST pair of Walther PPK 380's with a Ranch Dog 6-cavity TL358-100-RF (http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/bin/TL358100RF/bullet/sketch.jpg) mould. The truncated round nose 50/50 (+/-) Lead/WW 104 gr. bullet easily slides into battery and 5.0 gr. of IMR 700X sends it 15 yards into hardened steel tractor discs with a satisfying "ping".

Ranch Dog (http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/) no longer makes these moulds
If you are interested in one of these designs, it is important that you express your interest directly to Lee Precision. Lee Precision has indicated that they are open to adding these molds to there product line but due to current distributor orders it will not be possible until 2014G

[45 Shooter]

The leading issue is what i'm concerned about, not the casting part, I got that down fairly decent. I just read alot of horror stories about lead casting and the 9mm round in general. I do love that micro .380 and factory loads are crazy priced so i'm thinking i'll go with the .380 next while I continue to learn up on the 9mm.

[Ed_Shot]

I use the Lee 356-102-1R for .380 they drop at .360 and 103.5 gr. I size to .358 and use White Label 2500+ lube. Unique 3.0 gr. works fine for me. I load for an LCP and a Colt Mustang. The Colt has a tighter chamber than the LCP so I keep the COAL to .955 ~ .960 for .380 with this boolit (Lyman spec is .960). This boolit prepped the same way shoots fine in 9MM but I prefer 120-125 gr. sized .358. I may be just lucky but I've never had a leading issue however I have followed a lot of good advice gotten here. If you're successful with .380 loads I'll bet you have success with 9MM also.

[fcvan]

I've cast and shot for .380 and 9mm for over 25 years. The only time I have had leading or accuracy issues was when I sized smaller than .358 diameter. In the .380 I've used the Lee 356-102 1R and the 358-105 SWC with great success. I have also used both of those boolits in the 9mm weapons I've owned over the years, I've use the 105 SWC in 9mm more than the 102 1R because it prints nice holes in targets. If you are going to start casting for the .380 you might as well try that one. You're hooked, you'll be loading the 105 SWC in 9mm inside of a week :)

When you do start loading for the 9mm, pay attention to expanding your cases so they don't re-size the boolits smaller during the seat and crimp stage. Some folks swear by harder alloy for the 9mm. I started casting for the 9mm using range lead from work where all they fired was 38 special hollow based wadcutters, pretty soft stuff. I lube with a Lyman 450 using White Label BAC and sizing to .358 and that works well for me.

[Iron Mike Golf]

45 Shooter, I cast for my P238 using Mihec's 93 gr HP. I size to .358 and have use White Label BAC and Carnauba Red with good result.

You may very find some headstamps of brass want to crumple when expanding. This occurs for me at a point below where the boolit base ends up. Many times, it is slight and does not affect chambering. Once in a while, the slide will need a thumb assist with those. For jacketed loads, I use a Lee FCD in bulge buster mode. For cast, I use the barrel to gauge and any rounds that have any resistance going into the chamber get a partial trip into the FCD (just deep enough to iron out the partial crumple). I don't get enough leading to affect accuracy and what little I do get comes out with a few passes using a dry bore brush. This is with 92-4-4 water dropped alloy.

You might find the P238 a bit sensitive to COL, depending on boolit nose profile. My gun wants those boolits seated at 0.926. Power Pistol, HP-38, and HS-6 all work well for me.

[NoZombies]

With my Sig P238, I can't chamber a round with a bullet sized .358, so I have to size them smaller My barrel slugs at .355, and even when sized at .357 I was having problems, so now I size at .356 for the P238.