optimum load data for lee 124 gr lead round nose??

[andrew00perez]

im new to this site it has been very useful for me over the few years i have been reloading ..
i decided to take the plung into casting and i am exited to start i have already casted over 1000 of these loads lee tumble lube 124 gr LRN .
when i started loading i was told "if you are one to like to experment and not follow directions this is not for you"
that being said i have 2 lymen books that i use all the time for reffrence and have never straiged from this book when it came to oal and powder loads i might have flucated 5 or 10% but have never just loaded and bullet to any old load and have been trying to follow what the book says to be the best possible load ex. in the lyman books for every load it says this powder at this grain is the best possiblty for an accurate load that is what i would start with. and wiggle my loads around it that area.

my real question is what is the best load for my new bullet i have not picked a powder yet since i will be loading alot of these rounds in the future i would like to buy the powder that best fits my bullet since i need more powder any how.

also i have 3 9mm guns that i will be loading for the tarus 24/7, the kahr p9, and a S&W sigma
also how do i decide what is my optimum OAL??
thanks in advance for everyones help.

[Jr.]

This is a complicated question to answer because most reloaders have their certain prejudice towards which powder they believe to be the best, now that being said I will expose mine; if this is just a load for plinking it doesn't really matter that much which powder you use at about 20 yards different loads and different bullet weights all hit generally in the same place. Best to inventory what you have or what is available in your area and start there. Now if you are looking for competition accuracy I'm sure someone more knowledgeable on the subject with be along shortly to lend a hand.

[sandman228]

not saying this is what you should or shouldn't do,its just what I use . I cast a lee 124 lrn and a lee 124 gr tc bullet for my 9mm I use 6 gr of bluedot shoots great out of my sr9c and my sons p9500. its pretty close to a compressed load, in fact I expand case mouth before I powder charge cases because theres so much powder in them it sticks to expander die . again this is just what I do take from it what you choose. in the past ive also used power pistol and 231 or hp38 in 9mm loads I cant remember exactly what for powder charge but that data shouldn't be hard to find. the bluedot load was a load developed for a 9mm carbine rifle by a fellow reloader from another forum . I loaded and tried it when I had my hipoint 9mm carbine , I sold the carbine still had ammo left so I tried it in a handgun 1 day liked it been loading it ever since .

[.5mv^2]

I'd make a dummy round and make sure the OAL fits all of your guns and is off the rifling.

When you start loading, fire the bullet in all of your guns and inspect the ejected brass.

I have one 9mm that is in the "book" safe range but flattens the primers and swells the brass in one of my guns. Obviously for some reason the pressure is too high in that weapon.

[gray wolf]

I think you have a lot more considerations at this point than just picking a powder.
Complicated by the fact that your are trying to load for three pistols.

[Larry Gibson]

I've found 4 gr of Bullseye to be my "optimum load" with 115 - 125 gr cast bullets in the 9mm P cartridge. Has worked for me in a lot of different pistols and a few sub guns.

Larry Gibson

[captaint]

You might start by loading up a few dummy rounds (no powder or primer) and test for chambering in your three guns. You could begin by looking in one of your manuals for an estimated OAL and see how it goes. Make sure the rounds fully chamber in all the guns and then load up a few and go shooting. One step at a time. Be conservative. Mike

[andrew00perez]

excuse my my ignorance but how i know if im on the rifling and what am i looking for when i got to inspect my brass during the "testing" phase?

i have only ran my re loads in my taurus 24/7 and as far as fell to feed, fail to eject, or stove pipes i have never had any issues with any lenth or powder amount i have shot reddot with OAL with anything from 1.110 to 1.160 and charged with anything from 3.6 to 4.2

[Boolseye]

My go-to load for a 128 gr. HP is 3.5 gr. BE. Bring it up a couple tenths for your 124–safe and cycles the action.

[Cherokee]

excuse my my ignorance but how i know if im on the rifling and what am i looking for when i got to inspect my brass during the "testing" phase?

i have only ran my re loads in my taurus 24/7 and as far as fell to feed, fail to eject, or stove pipes i have never had any issues with any lenth or powder amount i have shot reddot with OAL with anything from 1.110 to 1.160 and charged with anything from 3.6 to 4.2

If the rounds fully seat in the chamber and will then fall out when barrel is upended, then you are not on the rifling. Do this with barrel out of the gun. As for the fired brass, measure the case and see if the case head (near the extractor cut) has expanded beyond specs (see your load maual for case specs). Sounds like your 24/7 is very forgiving. Have you shot the loads in the othr two 9's ? If not, do the "plunk test" I described and see if they should work. I like HS6, 231 and WST for 9mm. Blue dot also works but is better for heay boolits.