Anyone shooting 158 grn boolits in 9mm?

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I was just experimenting tonight with my Lee 358-158 RF boolit. Just for the heck of it, I seated it in a 9mm case so that the boolit was just touching the lands. My COL turned out to be 1.100". I put this dummy round in the magazine and it fed just fine in my Sig P228. Anyone have any idea what kind of charge to start with using titegroup or w231? These boolits will be sized to .358 (barel slugged at .3565"). I figured on reducing the 147 grn lead bullet data by 20% and working up from there. Any advice wold definately be appreciated. Thanks!

[Intel6]

I have shot that very bullet in a few 9mm's and it shot well. I had to size it to 0.356" to get it to work but it shoot fine. I used WST for my powder so I can't help with the TG or 231.

Neal in AZ

[JIMinPHX]

The 125-grain version of that boolit works well in many 9-irons, but I never managed to jam a 158-grain slug into a Luger case & still have enough room for a safe & useful powder charge. Also, most 9mm brass is only straight walled on the inside for about 5/16". After that, it tapers in. If you try to seat deeper than 5/16" you will either get a bulge in your case or a necked down boolit or both. Even 147 grain factory bullets that were designed for the 9mm are hard to seat deep enough in some brands of brass. Most of the reloading manuals don't even list loading data past 125 grain. I think that the Lee book goes a little further, but still not to 158-grain.

Good luck with that. Let us know how you make out. If you do find a way to make it work, I'd be interested in finding out how you did it.

[cabezaverde]

There is an article on this topic at Beartooth bullets:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/18

[TCLouis]

No matter what the AOL of that boolit might be what gets important is how much case volume does it take up.
Case volume/pressure relationship gets more important the smaller thevolume is.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Thanks for the input guys. I have a buddy that ran some quickload numbers. I think it is gonna be a go! I am starting off cautiously, as I think my first couple loads may be squibs...but I think I can get this to work. I will keep you all informed. Thanks!

[cabezaverde]

Please do.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

OK fellas...here are the results. I used a COL of 1.08" for all 3 my loads (10 rds each...5 to test cycling reliabilty and 5 for accuracy). This seated the bullet just barely touching the lands. A little concerned, I started with a mild load of 2.3 grains HP-38 (same as Win 231 in case you don't know). This load did not cycle the pistol at all. Stovepipe city! Primers looked just fine...no other excessive pressure signs. My next load was 2.5 grains. A little better here, but not quite enough oomph to cycle it yet. No pressure signs here either. Finally, 2.7 grains cycled the gun reliably with still no pressure signs. I would not be afraid to even bump it up another .2-.3 grains. Were they accurate? Well I shot this 5 shot group after I shot the initial 5 to test functionality. I shot this group at 10 yards, without my glasses...LOL! Probably couldn't do much better with my glasses! Leading was non-existant. One pass with the bore brush left the bore shiny and clean. In case you can't read the writing on the target:

11/1/09
9mm
Boolit: Lee 358-158 RF
Sized to .358" ( my Sig slugs at .3565")
Lars Carnauba Red lube
HP-38/Win 231 at 2.7 grains
COL: 1.080"
Distance: 10yds
5 shots
Sig Sauer P228

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh119/kage1339/9mmLee358-158RF021.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh119/kage1339/9mmLee358-158RF022.jpg

WARNING: This is not published load data. Experiment at your own risks. All firearms are different. Individual results may vary.

Good Luck!

[JIMinPHX]

I have the 125-grain version of that boolit. I had thought that they were the same except for the length. I now see from your pictures that the 158 has a broader nose. That would make the 158 slightly shorter than I had expected, which is a good thing in this instance. If you happen to have a pair of calipers laying around your bench when you have some of those boolits out sometime, would you mind measuring their length for me? I'd like to see just how much longer than the 125 they really are. The 125 measures .544" long. I have the flat base version, not the bevel base.

Thanks,
Jim

PS
nice shooting, by the way...

[tackstrp]

seems like extra work to shoot holes in paper. but i am biased to lighter weight bullets. For self defense, in a 9 mm . maybe I would agree

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

It really wasn't extra work. It is actually less work now. One mold, 3 calibers (9mm, 38 spl, 357 mag)...all sized to .358"...can't beat that. I think the heavier boolit pushed to a lower velocity is the key to real accuracy here. I may be wrong, but it shot really well for me...better than any light (124 grn and under) boolit I have shot in my Sig. I think that being 1.5 to 2 thousandths over groove diameter is key in 9mm too. I will do some more testing and post more results when I get the time. Jim, I will PM you the length of those boolits when I get home from work today.

[smlekid]

I have been experimenting with some 158 TLRN Lee boolits in my 9mm (a M213 Tokagypt) I'm using 4grs of Locally produced AP100 (a touch faster than Win 540)
it shot pretty well my barrel is .357 boolit .358 Federal cases
this is benched at 10m

[jlucht01]

seems like extra work to shoot holes in paper. but i am biased to lighter weight bullets. For self defense, in a 9 mm . maybe I would agree

In Michigan it is not a recommended practice to load your own boolits\bullets for self-defense. There was a case here where someone was accused for making hot loads for killing someone. (They were trying to prove premeditated murder).

Spend the cash and buy a box of hornady personal protection rounds. Might save ya a couple years in the slammer.

[OutHuntn84]

Rather be judged by 12 than carried by 8.

[jlucht01]

Rather be carried by 8 then married to a 400lb felon named bubba.....

[OutHuntn84]

LMAO maybe so.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Rather be carried by 8 then married to a 400lb felon named bubba.....

Fer sure!