102 grain RN and 9mm Luger

[22lover]

Can anyone recommend a good plinking load with this 102 grain RN Lee boolit using Bullseye powder?

Closest I can find in my Lee reloading manual is a 95 grain FMJ @ 5.4 gr starting load. Alliant website doesn't have any load recipes for a boolit this light.

Thanks,

Bill

[Recluse]

After reading your question, I walked out to my reloading shop and started going through my notes. Seems that I haven't had all that good of luck with fast powders and light boolit combinations in my autoloaders.

I like that 102RN a lot--load it in my .380s, which is what I originally bought the mould for. But after I got to doing some experimenting with my 105SWC in 9mm (after seeing an other-worldly group shot by Clodhopper), I did some fiddling with the 102RN for my 9mm guns (Taurus, Sig Sauer, Browning (FN) Hi-Power). Had no feeding problems, but about the quickest powder I had good accuracy with was AA#2. Every single one of my Bullseye loads had a lot of flyers and keyholes--and with all three pistols.

According to my notes, I started with 4.1 Bullseye and did loads all the way up to 5.3. The higher velocity loads gave me better accuracy, but they weren't what I'd consider plinking loads. It's also been my experience that 9mm is notoriously inconsistent with weaker/lower-velocity lead boolit loads and that consistent accuracy is difficult at best.

I got better accuracy and cycling with those light boolits using a bit slower powders. I know some folks have used W231 (HP38) with amazing success, and I'm dabbling a bit with Unique with good success, and am about to test a few loads with AA#5.

I'd start at the low end with the Bullseye and load up fifteen or so, then up the charge .2 grains, load another ten or fifteen, etc until you got up to around 4.8 or so--then go shoot. Keep your targets and take notes as to how the gun performs and how the loads do.

:coffee:

[22lover]

Recluse, thanks for the info! I'll load a few with around 4.1 gr and see how they perform. I was afraid that the 102gr might have some problems in 9mm so I'll experiment with your info.

Thanks again,

Bill

[tomf52]

Shot some Lee 105 SWC's recently with 3.3 gr of 700X and Felix lube sized to .358 out of my Custom II Kimber 5". Accuracy was outstanding with NO leading.

[Recluse]

Recluse, thanks for the info! I'll load a few with around 4.1 gr and see how they perform. I was afraid that the 102gr might have some problems in 9mm so I'll experiment with your info.

Thanks again,

Bill

Bill, I'm experimenting with some new lube I mixed up last week, and one of the boolits I'm playing with is the 102RN in 9mm. Leading doesn't bother me (too much) as much as inconsistent accuracy. So I'm going to press a little harder for a good shooting load with that boolit. I have one for .380ACP. Now I'd like one for 9mm.

Think I'm going to experiment with slightly slower powders such as 231 and Unique and may do a few loads--if possible--with some AA#5.

Will let you know how it goes.

:coffee: