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spur0701
10-08-2008, 09:10 PM
Need a load for 125 g cast RN 9mm (from a Lee 356-125-2R) using Unique. I used the search function but was getting too many hits that were false positives. Have looked through some manuals but have only found loads using Unique with 125 J-word bullets. Any help is greatly appreciated as I am something of a noob.....;-)

GrizzLeeBear
10-09-2008, 03:35 PM
You can use the 125 j-word data. Start out at the low end of the listed loads and work your way up. You will probably get slightly higher velocity and slightly less pressure with the cast boolits. Keep an eye out for leading in the barrel as you go up.
Have you slugged the bore? Many 9mm have "fat" bores. They can be anywhere from .355 to .358. If you shoot .355 sized boolits in a .358 bore you WILL get leading. Size your boolits .001 larger than what your bore slugs and things will be much better. If your bore is on the large size, make some dummy rounds with the sized boolits and test them to see if they will chamber and feed properly before loading a large number of them.

bobthenailer
10-09-2008, 07:27 PM
you may not get the cast to shoot quite as good as jacketed bullets in th 9mm or 38 super ive tried for years! different alloys . sizeing dia 4 different moulds, ect , ive found .357 works best in my 9mm and 2 / 38 supers . it my be a thing with them but ive never read a magizine article where any one got jacketed bullet accuracy with lead in 9mm 0r 38 super, the best ive gotten was 2 1/4 inches 25 shot group at 25 yards ive easly beaten this with a 45 acp

GrizzLeeBear
10-10-2008, 02:38 PM
....ive never read a magizine article where any one got jacketed bullet accuracy with lead in 9mm 0r 38 super, the best ive gotten was 2 1/4 inches 25 shot group at 25 yards ive easly beaten this with a 45 acp

Ya, the 9mm has several things going against it for cast boolit accuracy, higher pressure, small case and the design of most guns its chambered for. However, for the things its mostly used for (defensive shooting, IDPA, plinking. etc) 2" - 3" groups at 25 yds. is more than adequate. Not going to find many Bullseye or silhouette shooter using the 9. Although, I once watched a silhouette shooter knock down 20 out of 40 targets in Field Pistol with a borrowed Kahr.

spur0701
10-13-2008, 03:45 AM
Yeah, I've been reading some postings saying the same regarding wringing accuracy from 9mm, especially twist rates. I'm looking for a general plinking load, I've got a number of different 9mms to feed.....but some of the manuals I've checked are giving loads for Unique ranging from 4.1 g to 6.1 g.

trail troll
10-15-2008, 02:32 PM
Thats the load I just set up for my Hi-Point carbine. The key is to water quench the bullets. I am water quenching range scrap and getting good results with minimal leading. The 9mm operates at fairly robust pressures so the heads have to be pretty hard. My first attemps with air cooled heads was more like buckshot groups. I have tried some at 4.8 which seems like it may be better as the case are cleaner. They must be sealing the chamber better. The boolit is a Lee 120 TC no-tumble lube, but it casts out at 124. Also size big, I'm at 357 and may go up to 358.

Good Luck

Bill

NickSS
10-16-2008, 06:43 AM
5 gr of Unique with a 120 gr TC boolit is what I mostly shoot in my 9mm pistols. It funtions the half dozen pistols in that caliber that I own and shoots about as good as hard ball factory ammo does in several of them. My baby desert eagle definately does not like that load though as it shoots groups about twice the size of my other handguns. My Taurus PT99 loves them and shoots them very well usually under 2 inch 10 shot groups at 25 yards.