Cast 9mm Carbine Loads

[imdamnedifido]

I haven't found any current info about cast 9mm in carbine loads in quite sometime. I've been shooting the Lee 356-125-2R for awhile now. At 100 yds 4" is about as good as it gets. Accuracy improves I bit with the 90 gr Hornaday hp. Sadly I can get the same accuracy from Wolf 115gr steel case ammo. Just wondering if anyone has any new info.
Tks

[abunaitoo]

I have a Marlin Camp 9 that I'm looking to reload for.
Last time I shot it, I got the best results from 115gr cast.
I forget what brand ammo.
It didn't like 124gr jacket American Eagle.
I was looking at the Lee 356-120-TC.
Can't seem to find a 115gr mould.

[ioon44]

I have been shooting Hi-Tek coated cast out of my 9 mm Carbine with 118 gr SWC, 130 gr FP, 147 gr FP and 158 gr RN all sized to .3575". I shot some jacketed but found the cast shoot better.
A few loading manuals have 9 mm rifle data but is mostly the same as 9 mm pistol, the Lyman 45th has loads for the 158 gr RN in 9 mm. My cast loads shoot under 1" at 25 yards, I haven't had time to test at 100 yards yet. I started this project to use in USPSA PCC division.

[Finster101]

Lee 358-105 SWC with 4 grains of red dot work in every 9mm I own including a High Point carbine.

[GhostHawk]

4 grains of Red dot does not really care if it is a 100 grain bullet or a 158 grain.

It'll just plain work.

I have mostly been loading .358 bullets as I have a couple of 9's that need them bigger. My Hipoint Carbine is probably the least fussy of them all. It shoots everything.

The .356 124 gr 6 cavity does not shoot well in any of my 9's.
But the .358 124 gr tc sure does.

3 grains of Red Dot to 4.5, dial the power you want.

[abunaitoo]

I like the shape of the Lee 356-120-TC,
I can always open it up if needed.
Maybe I can use it in my P08 and P38.

[imdamnedifido]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. abuniatoo I saw a 115 gr mold from Noe for79.00 and an RCBS 115 gr available from Midway.
Yesterday I tried some loads from a 90 grain Lyman mold that I had. The results were very poor at 50 yards. (This mold produced 5" groups at 100 yds in a high point carbine I use to have) I also tried some 100 gr Hollow base round nose bullets from Berry's with 4 different powders and multiple charges at 50 yds. My best 4 shot group was 1 5/8" using 5.9 gr of Longshot. 5.3 gr of W231 did very well also.
Monday I will be choosing a 9mm gascheck mold from Veral Smith at LBT. Hoping to further improve accuracy. I will post results if anyone is interested.
Thanks for everyone's input

[Shingle]

Good luck I have found that gas checked boolits that are sized a tad smaller than plain base boolits give me better accuracy in all of my ar9's and camp carbine.

[mnewcomb59]

My Camp 9 loves the Ranch Dog 135 GC from NOE. Weighs 138-141 in my alloys between 2%-4% Sb. It shoots 5 shots into a half inch at 50 yards on many occasions so far with 5.3 of Power Pistol and tumble lube. A sandbagged fast 20 round magazine will always be under an inch and a half. This bullet makes my Camp 9 shoot like a good 22. Never shot groups at 100 yards but I would bet my money on this bullet being the most accurate bullet you will find.

However, I square all my bullet bases and hammer the gas checks home before I crimp them on. This is super time consuming, but I won't seat gas checks any other way since I want best accuracy. I have been looking for a plain base alternative that is accurate and hopefully the same POI as my Ranch Dog bullet at 50 yards. Today was proof of concept at 25 yards with the Lee 125-rf powder coated. Both 4.0 Titegroup and 5.7 Power Pistol shot 10 shot groups of an inch AND they were right on POA. Now I'll load some more and try them at 50. Its looking like i might get 5 shot 1" groups at 50 with both loads. 1.06" OAL

I previously tried the Lee 95-rf and it was more like 4" at 50 yards even with water dropped 4% Sb alloy and powder coating. I will try again with the stock expander because with the 38 S&W expander the neck tension was on the low side. I had a round jam up because the bullet got cockeyed so bad when it hit the feed ramp. They feed and shoot fine in my locked breech pistols, but my blowback carbine with 16# recoil spring is hard on the round.

Also tried out the 158-rf in the Camp 9 today with 2.9gr Titegroup. Range scrap and 4% Sb alloys, and .3575 and .3585 sizers. This made 4 batches of ammo. The .3585 and 3575 range scrap both shot around an inch and a half at 25. The hard shot around 3". My guess is they're both getting swaged down on the base band, but the range scrap is bumping back up and the 4% isn't. Powder coat is probably letting that magic happen because the barrel was clean. 1.07" oal. This has been accurate enough without formal testing that it has been my garden pest load for the past 3 weeks in the Camp 9 by the back door. I only think I missed once since then, and I shot the last 6 out of my 20 round mag at the range today to see what it looked like on paper. ;) It sounds like a golf club hitting rabbits, and the thump is louder than the muzzle blast, which is about like a standard 22. A shallow cup point cut in the nose opens them up to a 41 cal wadcutter in water jugs.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloading/reloading-heavy-bullets-in-9mm-luger/

[silverjay]

I run the 124 gr Mihec hollow points over 4 gr red dot. Never shot a group, just punch steel, jugs, cans,........ Always been right on.

[dverna]

It may not be the fault of your bullet or load. 4 MOA may be about as good as your carbine will shoot.

If a variety of jacketed and cast bullets will not give the accuracy you want, it is either the gun or the sights.....or you. Have another "good" shooter try the gun.