9mm 124 gr. and bullseye

[awaveritt]

Will start casting for my 9mm CZ75 tomorrow using Lee TL356-124-2R double cavity mould. I have lots of Alliant Bullseye on hand and would like your advice on suitable loads for that combination. Thanks.

[Wally]

I use 3.5 grains in my 9mm Taurus 99AF...1,100 FPS muzzle velocity

[bobthenailer]

ive had good luck with 3.8 gr of BE with several bullets and pistols with that load.

[Larry Gibson]

My CZ75 loves Lee's 356-120-TC over 4 gr Bullseye. I use Javelina lube and get no leading and excellent accuracy. If you are using LLA suggest you try 3, 3.5 and 4 gr with your Lee bullet checking for functioning, accuracy and no leading.

Larry Gibson

[TonyT]

The 2005 Alliant reloaders guide lists a maximum load of 4.9 gr. Bullseye with the 124 gr lead bullet in 99 at 1165 fps and 32100 psi. It appears a bit hot to me. I never loaded 124 gr lead bullets in a 9mm since I was concerned about barrel leading at those velocities. I used to load a 147 gr. lead bullet with 3.3 to 3.5 gr. W-231 (3.5 gr was the max in a WW manual).

[awaveritt]

It appears a bit hot to me. I never loaded 124 gr lead bullets in a 9mm since I was concerned about barrel leading at those velocities.

TonyT,
My goal for loading the 124gr is to find a load that is just fast enough to cycle the action reliably yet give decent accuracy and be an economical round for the range.

I'm mulling over what alloy would be best for this bullet with respect to leading. I do plan to slug my barrel but for now I'm just going to cast a couple hundred before making any decision to size. I have pure stick-on WW and pure clip on WW so I'm still a little uncertain about whether to use pure clip-on or try some kind of combination of the two.

Anyone know what kind of velocity I could expect with 3.5 gr of Bullseye for this bullet.

[Wally]

I get about 1,100 FPS with it and 3.5 of Bullseye

[jonk]

FWIW, I load 158gr SWC in my 9mm (yes!) with 2.5 gr of bullseye; 147 gr rn with 3 gr; and 124 gr with 3.5. All operate fine and don't lead.

[awaveritt]

FWIW, I load 158gr SWC in my 9mm (yes!) with 2.5 gr of bullseye;


Jonk. That is very interesting and brings me to another question I've wondered about. What would be good compromises for bullet designs that would work in both a 38 revolver and 9mm pistol? If the barrels slugged close, I might could even size 'em the same. Anyone else done this?

[Jack Stanley]

I did some loading for a Beretta nine that slugs out a little over .357" . I size the bullets at .358" and just tried three point three and three point five of Bullseye . the heavier load leaded some but brushed out easy and still had good accuracy for twenty rounds .

I'm thinking about three point four grains and see if the leading stops . I hope the accuracy stays because a full magazine of the hotter load was great . I was using a H&G mold that loks like the Lyman cone point style

Jack

[mike in co]

The 2005 Alliant reloaders guide lists a maximum load of 4.9 gr. Bullseye with the 124 gr lead bullet in 99 at 1165 fps and 32100 psi. It appears a bit hot to me. I never loaded 124 gr lead bullets in a 9mm since I was concerned about barrel leading at those velocities. I used to load a 147 gr. lead bullet with 3.3 to 3.5 gr. W-231 (3.5 gr was the max in a WW manual).



so the 1300/1200 fps i get with 135's in my cz's with no leading would be of no interest to you ?

that was in a 9x21..a hot 9mm.

i curently shoot the group buy 135's a bit slower ...around 1000 fps.

lube, size, hardness can control leading...not limited by velocity alone.

mike in co

[TonyT]

mike in co,
While I do cast bullets for the rifle calibers for the psitol calibers where I shoot a lot more I prefer to puchase.

[Wally]

If you enjoy plinking steel cans with your 9mm..use the Lee 105 SWC bullet and 3.5 grains of Bullseye---it works superbly for such shooting. Size the bullet to as large as you can that will allow it to chamber easily--I size to .358".

[rwt101]

Does anyone have an OAL recommendation? I just started to reload 9mm cast and am using bullseye at 4.0 gr and an oal of 1.150. I have only loaded 10 and they seem pretty good. Just wondering on the OAl.
Bob T

[ChuckS1]

I have a CZ-75 pre-B that I brought back from Germany in 1990. I use 3.2 grains of Bullseye and a 124 grain cast bullet.

[bundyloco]

Are you guys using straight Wheel Weights air dropped? I'm going to start casting some 124grs and would like to use Bullseye as that is what I have the most of.

I have not slugged my barrel, but it is an S&W M&P9.

[Jack Stanley]

The alloy I was using was range scrap and let it air cool . The bullets are the H&G number seven style with the single lube groove filled with Javalina type Alox . Sized at .358" and seated to the front of the forward band it works pretty well with three point four grains of Bullseye . When I get a chance to use the pistol again I may try another powder but this is the only mold I got for that cartridge . Feeds , functions and shoots good , don't know what velocity it might be though .

Jack

[awaveritt]

Bundyloco,
I am using 60/40 clipon/stickon ww with 2% tin, aircooled unsized at .3565. No leading in CZ .355 barrel. I haven't chrongraphed it either but is a perfect inexpensive plinking round. Feeds and cycles great.

[Phat Man Mike]

I've sized down some 158 R/N boolits and put 3.9 grains of T/G under them and shot them out of my carbine!! worked fine and had no leading. I use the LEE T/L molds for that and my TZ-75 pistol . with no fouling yet. have loaded some as high as 4.6 gr of T/G seems my TZ needs a little more kick to cycle good though :)

[walnutred]

For a while I've been using 3.5 gns of Bullseye for several ctgs. In 9x19 I load it under a 124gn RN sized to .358. In 38 Special I load it under either a 148gn DEWC or a 125 gn SWC, sized .358. In 9x18 I load it under the Lee Makarov bullet unsized.

Now I'm loading for a 9x19 carbine so I'll be boosting the load a little out of curiosity.

[ChuckS1]

I have a CZ-75 pre-B that I brought back from Germany in 1990. I use 3.2 grains of Bullseye and a 124 grain cast bullet.

Gotta amend this load recommendation. I loaded some Lyman 358242 125 grain boolits sized at .357 with 3.6 grains of Bullseye. Wow, what a difference from the commercial .355 bullets I've been shooting. With the Bar-Sto barrel, it shoots well into the 10 ring of an NRA B-8 target at 25 yards, meaning less than 2 1/2 inches, off a rest.

[docjim]

I would not use the stick on wheel weights for pistol bullets. It is virtually pure lead & better left for black powder shooting. I have been using clipon wheelweight alloy lubed w/ Alox getting excellent results in my 9mm & 38 Special +P loads (under 1250fps).. I recently found that by quenching the lead it was much harder & I could load for greater velocity. Heat your cast bullets at 450f for 1 hr minimum & drop in Icewater with towel at bottom..Dropping them in icewater from the mold works but is inconsistent... The quenching makes them harder than linotype alloy according to what I have read, but I don't have a hardness tester so cannot verify. I cannot stress enough to avoid stickon weights for smokeless loading though unless you need to soften some linotype or have the Antimony to add as it is just too soft for that pressure. DOC

[Kaiser Mike]

I ve bad luck with my autoloaders and that mold. Have lots of hang ups in my beretta and shield.
That being said, its amazing for my smith model 10 38spl. 15 yards 1 ragged hole.

[Kaiser Mike]

Agree. Stick ons are only good to make harder alloys softer. 45acp and similar can do that. PC the bullets and you can still get your velocity up. They could do well in front stuffers tho.

[Kaiser Mike]

Agree. Stick ons are only good to make harder alloys softer. 45acp and similar can do that. PC the bullets and you can still get your velocity up. They could do well in front stuffers tho.

[marek313]

Jonk. That is very interesting and brings me to another question I've wondered about. What would be good compromises for bullet designs that would work in both a 38 revolver and 9mm pistol? If the barrels slugged close, I might could even size 'em the same. Anyone else done this?

Thats exactly what I do with Lee 356-125-2R and it works great. I PC and size to about .3575 and shoot that in both 9mm and my Ruger GP100 MC. You need to be able to chamber that size in your 9mm though so if your throat is tight you might need to get that throat reamed. I had Doug here do that on my Canik TP9 SFX and now it shoots .3575 better then ever.
I also shoot the same bullet in 38S over 5gr of HP38. Its a boarder line +P load depending on manual you look at but its very accurate. Lighter loads didnt obtrude properly and even though I didnt have leading because I powder coat, accuracy was poor. This is my favorite and go to 38S load and I like it better then 158SWC, 148DEWC, 158RNFP which I also have and cast for my GP100.
Good luck.

[asmith80]

I'm using 4.2 gr. Bullseye behind an MP 359-125 hollow point. It gets around 1100 FPS, which makes power factor (if you worry about that) plus a little extra. Even at that velocity recoil is soft and accuracy is great