Help with LEE TL356-124-TC 9mm Luger Titegroup load data

[Mleon]

Hi I just purchased a Lee TL356-124-TC 9mm Luger mold and want to load with Tite-group. How many grains and what is OAL? I cant seem to find data for tite-group and this mold. Thanks for your help!:veryconfu

[tazman]

OAL is about 1.02-1.03 depending on your particular chamber.
According to the Hodgdon data site, the max charge for Titegroup is 4.0 grains with the start weight at 3.6 grains.

[Mleon]

Thanks for the reply. How did you come up with that OLA? From experience? I only get a round nose from Hodgdon. The mold is truncated cone

[tazman]

I have a file that gives the dimensions of Lee boolits with overall length and length from top to the first lube groove.
The Hodgdon site shows data for a 125 grain lead conical nose which is a tc style boolit. You can safely use data for a heavier boolit since the pressures will be slightly less. Besides, 1 grain isn't going to make much difference.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

As you gain experience you will be able to extrapolate data from other loads of heavier or lighter boolits with the same powder to "come up with" a good starting point for you particular boolit. Sometimes you just have to do that because it would be tough for powder and bullet manufacturers to run pressure tests for every single boolit (or bullet) and powder combination out there. Welcome to the forum!

[JBinMN]

While I was typing my post, the folks(s) above gave some good advice & it is basically what I provided in my post... Up to you ( any reader) to make your own decisions on what one might use for load data. I recommend doing the research yourself, keep notes for future reference & do not exceed load data or use any internet load data unless you fully understand it is AT YOUR OWN RISK!.
;)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/steve4102/45seatingpossibilitiesx.jpg~original

Make a couple/few "dummy rounds" without much taper crimp. Just enough to hold the boolit, but allow it to move if pushed with some effort, & start around 1.07 -1.10 OAL for the 9MM boolit ya mentioned in your OP, & then keep checking the "plunk test" in YOUR pistols chamber by seating the dummy round(s)until you see one of the two middle results in the illustration above( not mine), with your own round.
Then, if ya want, taper crimp the dummy round to meet that "specification" & you have basically the Maximum OAL that will fit your chamber without hitting the lands & grooves(rifling). {Note- When ya first start to do this... Keep looking at the "nose" of the boolit to make sure you are not indenting it with the lands & grooves. If ya do, start over with a new unmarked boolit & begin at an OAL where it is NOT marked to find the "Max." OAL for THAT pistol.}

That is not necessarily the "right" OAL, but it is the "Max. OAL" that will fit the chamber of that pistol & not be engaging the lands & grooves( rifling). You still should try to find the correct load data for whatever bullet/boolit you use. In this case though, you have established a "Max. OAL" (for THAT pistol) to remember & a round to be that "gauge" for ya so ya don't forget. You can mark that round in some way to remember, or keep a notebook to record that length.

Now, the next thing , even before you look for specific load data is to try to feed that dummy round from the magazine to the chamber.

If it works, great... If not then you need to take another "dummy round" you make & keep reducing the OAL from the MAX OAL dummy round you have until you find one that will feed. Hopefully this will not take to much. Just go in small increments until ya find the "feed" max OAL.

Once you have found the "chamber" OAL by the plunk for THAT pistol, & the "feed" OAL for THAT pistol, you can now work on the actual, maximum "working & safe" OAL for the load data for that boolit in THAT pistol.

Now, referencing the Lyman Cast Bullet Manual 4th Edition , page 248, you would find there are 2 boolits that are very close to your boolit. One is the RCBS #9mm 124gr. CN[<close to a TC] (10-1 alloy) recommended at an OAL of 1.050" & the other is the Lyman #356402 [< close, or a TC] 120gr.(#2 alloy) , which is recommended at an OAL of 1.110".
Looking at the load data for those 2 boolits, the Titegroup Suggested starting load is 3.4 grains for the RCBS( 124gr) and 3.3 gr. for the Lyman 120gr. boolit. The Max for Titegroup using the RCBS 124gr. is 3.8 gr. & the Max. for the Lyman 120gr. is 3.7 gr. of Titegroup.

[ So, "I" would say the range for "me" was , 3.1 - 3.2 gr. Titegroup to Start & 3.5 - 3.6 for "Max". "I" try to stay just below Max. as explained a bit more below]

Now , I have given ya the data that "I" would use to find the load data + OAL, etc. for the Lee 120grTC or the Lee 124gr. TC boolits ( I load both, but different powders.) for the 9mm pistols "I" use to shoot these type boolits.

You should use your own research to verify & find the correct load data for YOUR boolit(s) & YOUR pstol(s) .

Once I have established that I am using a safe OAL( longer is better that too short, IMO, since you are not "compressing & making "more" pressure(s) by being "at" or longer.) & one that will feed the pistol, I will usually reduce the Suggested Start load by a couple or at least a tenth of that ( 3.3 "suggested start" would then be 3.1 or 3.2 gr. & then work up from there looking for signs of over-pressure & if I have a chronograph( I do & suggest everyone to have one to do this sort of thing.), looking for velocities that may start to exceed the recommended velocities for any particular load from Start to Max. Suggested load. (Not everyone is using the same pistol/ test setup as the load data that is used... Sometimes it is a shorter barrel & sometimes a longer one, etc..)
I would also be looking for accuracy at each step of the "ladder" of grains as I work up the load(s) for accuracy for THAT pistol & components of THAT round.
I also do not exceed Max. Suggested loads, although some do & I try to stay below them by about 0.10 gr.s just to be safe. YMMV on that of course. I do what I do, you do what You do.
;)

I only posted in that I hope that I could help out another here at CB.GL forum,
&
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USE OF ANY DATA I HAVE OFFERED. ANY USE OF THE DATA I HAVE SHARED IS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

G'Luck in your endeavors!
:)

P.S. - Be sure to go look at: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?337910-CB-load-data-online-sources , and book mark it for future reference. It will come in handy for these sorts of research. As well, if ya do not have it, for around $25, and a good investment, get the Lyman Cast Bullet Manual 4th Ed. for your "IN Hand" use for the future reloading adventures. ;)
;)

[Mleon]

Thank you so much that was very helpful

[JBinMN]

Thank you so much that was very helpful

You are Welcome! & glad I might be of some help. I am sure the others were helpful as well.
:)

G'Luck! & be safe!
:)