9mm and Lee 358-125-rf

[Uncle Jimbo]

Any one using the Lee 358-125-rf sized to .356 in a 9mm. I have load data for this bullet weight. Just wondered if any has had success with it.

[Thumbcocker]

Works very well in several 9 mm. I size to .358. OAL need to be tweaked for feeding but other than that very good general purpose .357 9mm boolit.

[reddog81]

I've used it before. It was accurate when lubed with LLA, however the leading was terrible after 20 rounds. Once I switch to powder coat I tried again but this time the powder coat added some thickness to the ogive which caused the bullet to hang up in throat/leade. On that bullet you will notice that the bullet is pretty thick right in front of the crimp groove. This is what would cause the problem. I could try and seat the bullet deeper but it was getting close to an OAL of 1.00 inch which is really short so I gave up.

I am planning on revisiting this eventually and will probably send my 9mm barrels off to have a throat job done so that I can use this bullet. My mold is a 6 cavity and it drops bullets really well.

I was sizing to .357. Maybe sizing to .356 would work better. A harder alloy might also work better. The original alloy I was using was not very hard and 9mm is a high pressure round so that could have contributed to the leading I originally experienced.

[BNE]

I have done it and like it. I sized it down to 0.356 and it works well with a Berretta 92 and a Glock.

[Ricochet]

I just got one today, and plan to try it in .38 Super as well as in 9mm and .38 Special. My .38 Super has an unusually tight chamber, leade and bore due to being nickel plated after it was made to tight 9mm specifications, so at .356" it is .001" oversize for the leade. .358" boolits shave on the step the case mouth headspaces on. If they drop at .360" they should work without sizing in all of my 9s and in my Colt Official Police with .355" chamber mouths and .354" groove diameter.

[Jal5]

I use it in my 9 mm S&W shield and its my favorite for that gun.

[Floydster]

I use this bullet in my CZ 75 and my 38 Super Witness, I powder coat and size to .357.

[Bula]

I use it but size to .358. Browning HP and 2 Glocks (lone wolf barrels), they shoot great.

[swmass]

deleted.

[Landshark9025]

I dunno. It's ok, I guess. As long you don't flinch or shiver in the freezing Florida cold. :kidding:

159284

[Jal5]

Nice shooting Shark!

[Landshark9025]

Thanks. There's a lot of potential in that bullet, I think. I tried it about a year ago and had great accuracy but it leaded due to using too soft alloy. As in, after 15-20 rounds range day was over. I didn't spend much time on it at that time. This recent attempt above was with a fairly rich alloy of about 4% antimony and 1.5% tin, lubed with Ben's Red.

Leading was minimal after 10 rounds each at six different charge weights for a total of 60 rounds. Polygonal barrel. No degradation in accuracy and unless you put a light in the chamber after cleaning, I doubt you would have seen it. This picture was the best from the load work up with it.

I like this bullet with traditional lube as the way the lube groove is, it holds a lot and holds it well. I also like it as it is good for 38SPL so I can cast a bunch and just size as needed for whichever gun.

Also did well with PC. And at the risk of hijacking the thread..... just FOR ME on THAT DAY with THIS GUN and THESE POWDER workups, PC wasn't as accurate. It wasn't bad by any means, just not as good. Of course, there was no leading with that. I'll fiddle with PC as well over time just for curiosity and to see if I can get them both to shoot equally well. If the goal was a "good enough load for steel", I'd do PC and call it done. But I like to fiddle.

NOTE: PC alloy was about 97/1/2- basically straight range scrap and tin. Has tested at 10 on a Cabine Tree tester.

[6622729]

Any one using the Lee 358-125-rf sized to .356 in a 9mm. I have load data for this bullet weight. Just wondered if any has had success with it.

Love this bullet. Cast from wheel weight alloy, water dropped and no sizing. Lubed with 45/45/10 and shot in KKM barrel in Glock 19 Gen 4. It looks good in the case and shoots well.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am definitely going to work up a load for this bullet. I do love it in my 38 spl. Heading out to the reloading room when I'm done here.

[leadhead]

The trick is to size to .358 for the 9mm. Anything under and your looking to
get leading. You also have to make sure the case doesn't swage the bullet
down to a smaller size. Keep it .358 and your golden.
Denny

[Jal5]

I size to 357 with little to no leading

[farmerjim]

I powder coat or Hi-Tek it and size to .357 for all my 9mm's. I had to send my m&p 9 off to Doug Guy because the throat was too tight to chamber the 357 boolit.I got it back and just got to shoot it and it does fantastic. I size it to .359 and load it in my 38's, .357 mag's and even a few in my .357 Max. It is an all round good Boolit.

[FergusonTO35]

I need some advice on loading this slug in 9mm. My boolits are sized to .357 and lubed with Tac-X. I find that when they go into the Lee seat and crimp die, the crimp ring in the die seems to be catching the boolit and trying to size it down. This creates a big scuff mark on the bottom of the ogive near the case mouth, and also causes the OAL to be all over the place. I can adjust the die to just seat the boolit, which works fine. Then, if I run the cartridge through my dedicated Lee taper crimp die the same thing happens. Any suggestions here? I like this boolit but I really don't want to shoot it like this. I notice this does not happen when I load the boolit unsized in .38 Special and .357.

[farmerjim]

Remove the sizer ring from the die with a punch.

[Jal5]

I seat and crimp separately. Just removing the bell on the mouth slightly.

[mdi]

I use that bullet in 3, 9mm, 3, .38 Specials, and 1, .357 Magnum. I just size the bullet for the gun it will be loaded for; .357" for two of the 9mms, .358" for the .38 Specials and .357 Mag. and one of the 9mms gets .358"+ (old Tokerev with .358"groove diameter...). Minimal to no leading if sized properly and a decent lube (I use Caranuba Red and 45-45-10).

[FergusonTO35]

I suppose I will have to experiment with getting just the right amount of crimp on the boolit. I've always been a member of the crimp the snot out of it camp.

[tazman]

I use a Lee FCD for the crimp as a fourth step after seating. With my particular die, I don't get the scrape you mentioned doing it this way. My FCD doesn't size down my brass/boolits or touch the case with the sizing ring unless something is unusually oversize or the brass is super thick.
I usually size my boolits to .358 for the 9mm but often load them as cast if they are under .360. My Beretta 92FS will feed almost anything.
Adjusting the crimp with the FCD is a piece of cake. Very easy to set up. It also insures that the cartridges will all fit in my pistols.

[Traffer]

I have a newly purchased Norinco 213 in 9x19. I was considering a Lee 358-150-1R. What do you folks think about a 150 grain slug at 358 in the Norinco?

[Shiloh]

Mine are sized at .358. If a .356 sized boils work worth a darn, I wouldn't even use the 125 RF. I need .358 diameter. Most 9mm boils molds drop too small for me.

Shiloh

[tazman]

I have a newly purchased Norinco 213 in 9x19. I was considering a Lee 358-150-1R. What do you folks think about a 150 grain slug at 358 in the Norinco?

I like the idea a lot, just not that boolit and mold. I tried it and had accuracy issues and space issues because it seats so deeply into the case because of that short nose.
NOE 358-155-tc(ELCO) has a hollow point option for 147 grains and was designed for the 9mm from the start.
It is the second most accurate boolit in my 9mm pistols, the first being the NOE 358-135-FN.
Both drop from the molds at .358 with range scrap for me.

[mdi]

I have a newly purchased Norinco 213 in 9x19. I was considering a Lee 358-150-1R. What do you folks think about a 150 grain slug at 358 in the Norinco?
For a new caster I'd suggest starting with a tried and true bullet. For 9mm, I'd choose a 124-125 gr. round nose or truncated cone. Lee as 4 molds that fit this need; a 125 gr RNFP, a 125 gr. RN 2r TL, a 124 gr, TC TL, and a 125 RN 2r. The bullet you mentioned is "normally" for .38 revolvers and has a rather blunt ogive, needing deep seating for a semi-auto...

[Traffer]

For a new caster I'd suggest starting with a tried and true bullet. For 9mm, I'd choose a 124-125 gr. round nose or truncated cone. Lee as 4 molds that fit this need; a 125 gr RNFP, a 125 gr. RN 2r TL, a 124 gr, TC TL, and a 125 RN 2r. The bullet you mentioned is "normally" for .38 revolvers and has a rather blunt ogive, needing deep seating for a semi-auto...
Thanks that reply is very helpful. I will be checking those out. I took my Norinco out today for the FIRST TIME. i mean first time. I had never shot a pistol before...ever. It was the opening day of the public range here. I took a 22 revolver, a 22 single shot rifle, a 22 semi auto rifle, The Norinco, and a 16ga with slugs. BY FAR the 9mm was the most fun. I am going to have to start reloading quick. Before my wife catches me spending all of our savings on 9mm ammo. lol.

[Landshark9025]

I would recommend staying away from the tumble lube versions. You can tumble lube a traditionally grooved bullet if that is your bag and there have been too many threads on leading in 9mm that were traced to Lee TL designs. The 356-120TC and the TL356-124TC are very similar, but the latter has been cited many times as a problem child. The former is a good solid bullet that feeds well and can be shot economically.

[Traffer]

Another question from a beginner. I have not yet started reloading 9MM. I have a Norinco 213 and have heard that the chrome lined barrel tends to lead up. I have also read that using a .358 slug helps to keep leading from happening. I have found an older (don't know if they still make them) Lee 358-117-1R for sale. I am tempted to purchase it for my first go-to mold. It says (among others) 9MM on the box. Any thoughts on this? Think I should go to a heavier bullet as my go to plinker?

[RedHawk357Mag]

I loaded some of these yesterday. I was kind of wondering if I could pull it off. My results were pretty good or actually better than I expected. My bullets are COWW plus 2 percent lubbed with Randy Rat, sized .359". Got a start load from Lyman 4th edition of 4.4 Unique. I went five test rnds at 1.015". I think the book called for 1.005". Anyways the round plunked for me. Fired five rnds in the back stop at ten yards at near about 2 inches with no keyhole nor malfunctions with a 2 and 3 rd loaded mags. Cleanest Unique load I have ever seen. I gotta get a pin Guage on that carbide crimp die and a micro on a pulled bullet too see exactly what diameter of bullet is actually going into the chamber.

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