Help me choose my first bullet mold. (9mm)

[CGC]

I have been lurking on this forum for some time and have gathered about 60# of wheel weights. I just went through the 34 pages of the powder coat sticky, and that has really motivated me to finally dive in to start rolling my own.

I have several 9mm pistols that I like to plink and practice SD drills with. I want to know what weight and bullet style/configuration you guys have had the best luck with.

I use 147 Federal HST for larger pistol M&P and 124gr. HST for my smaller Kahr pistols for SD, if this will helps.

I dont mind mind buying and crying once for a really good mold. I understand Lee's are ok but heard there are better.

I know I still have to slug out my pistols but I just want your advice on what molds you recommend and have worked for you.

[RobS]

Due to 9mm bores being all over the place regards to diameter and barrel throats ranging from longer throats to short abrupt, you would be best served with a custom mold that will let you seat the boolit to a "normal" for weight COAL for feeding issues but yet function. Since you are working with a variety of handguns, the design needs to be capable of feeding so probably a round flat point as most custom/semi custom mold makers can do this. Also I would make sure that very little to no full boolit diameter extends from the case mouth when seated at desired COAL. Next would be to get yourself a mold that will cast large enough to size down; nothing worse than a cast boolit that is undersized. I would shoot for a .359" as cast diameter unless you know all your barrel groove diameters and can go smaller.

[RobS]

Check out Accurate Molds as there are several in Tom's catalog that may give you some ideas.

http://www.accuratemolds.com/catalog.php?page=3

[jmort]

This is one I asked Tom to add. I have been using it. My expectation is that it will be effective.
http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=35-135D-D.png

[CGC]

Alright guys thanks a lot.

Jmort,

I looked at the website and the design you suggested, I see they have other configurations for 135 such as the 35-135B and the 135C. Any particular reason why you suggest the 135D? Just curious.

[pete501]

6 gang lee mold for me means high volume of shooting. I shoot the 120gr truncated cone with no feeding issue in glock springfield ruger and taurus. I won't waist time powder coating as it takes time away from shooting. Velocities in the 9 and gas checks don't make sense to me. Plain base for me.

The key to happiness is to keep your standards low.

[tazman]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...2m928v6kimle06
This one gives me my best accuracy in 2 different pistols and feed through everything I have tried it in.
It also splits the difference between the 2 bullet weights you mentioned. It serves as an excellent all around boolit. Also, NOE molds are excellent.

[jmort]

"Any particular reason why you suggest the 135D?"

I like Ranch Dog designs. According to Michael,

"This is a great 9mm Luger bullet. Most people don't seem to want a gas checked 9mm bullet but I consider it a must. Not because of velocity but because the 9mm Luger is a high pressure cartridge (35.0 KPSI) and to take advantage of it, you need to load to it or all you have is a 380 Auto...

When I went to design the bullet, something in the 147-grain lead just wasn't working and optimum was at 135-grains. I have no doubt in the ability of the bullet in self defense shooting. I have killed a number of "man" size feral hogs with shots through the rib cage, behind the shoulder and the bullet does what it was intended to do."

[CGC]

Jmort, Gotcha!

The molds from NOE look nice.

Pete, how do you lube your boolits?

[Jupiter7]

Can of worms with which mold for 9mm. I still actively use 3 different molds but if forced to pick just one it'd be the 356242 122grn RN. I use a NOE version and powdecoat. These are the easiest to load and shoot and work in every gun I've used it in. Also drops large enough for for 38/357.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product...1m3dp6gtj4ojc4
For inspiration:

[pete501]

I use the 450 lyman lubrisizer or RCBS Lube A Matic with 356 sizing die. I lube with home made bees wax (bees wax, paraffin, STP Oil treatment and ATF) lube. I started out with tumble lube bullets with liquid alox before I made the investment in a lubrisizer, they worked too.

[EDK]

Post divorce I joined the local gun club to have a place to shoot. I found so much 9mm brass left that I ended up with a GLOCK 17 plus conversion kit and dies for the DILLON 550B. I didn't have sizer dies for 9mm for the STAR or a boolit mould...bought a LEE 120 TC and 357 push through sizer. I'm using too much BEN'S LIQUID LUBE..you can see it...with a coat before sizing and another afterwards. No leading showing in GLOCK factory barrels in Models 17 and 26 with 4.4 of HP38. I previously tried BERRYS plated bullets, powder coated, and commercial cast with an aftercoat of BENS.
Next move is a NOE mould...probably the 135 grain RANCH DOG mentioned above. I've had good luck with RD designs in 44 AND they show this mould in stock.
Thanks for the info guys.

[Dragonheart]

As far as molds I believe in only buying what I know is going to last, so that for me is either steel or brass molds. Both the brass and steel are easy to care for, but the brass will never rust.
I also want production as I shoot a lot, so that also means 4 cavity molds. A 4 cavity steel mold is a lot lighter than brass, but my brass molds produce a better looking bullet, due to the smoother finish in the cavities and lockup. As far as the steel molds the Saeco Molds are a lot lighter than the Lyman. My Saeco molds also produce a better looking bullet than my Lyman molds. RCBS doesn't make 4 cavity molds, so I don't consider those, although I do have some old RCBS molds, which work well. You have a lot of choices in 9mm so look for one that feeds well and is accurate.

My main 9mm mold is a Saeco #115, which produces a round nose bullet, which weighs out at 125 grains after powder coating. I have Ransom Rest tested loads that will consistently group under 2" at 25 yards with this bullet. This bullet feeds well in all my 9mm handguns which include: Sig, Glock, S&W, Kimber, HK and Walther.

My other 9mm mold is a NOE brass mold #358-128, which is a flat point tapered cone bullet. I have yet to test this bullet for accuracy, but have high hopes from developing other loads with this type of bullet configuration. This bullet weighs out at 133 grains after powder coating.

[NavyVet1959]

The following photo of a loaded 9x19 round feeds and chambers perfectly in my Taurus PT-92 and PT-99, but will not chamber in my CZ-75B Compact. It is loaded to pretty close to the SAAMI max OAL. If you have multiple firearms of the same caliber, you either end up with different loadings for all of them or you try to find something that works with all of them. Sometimes though, a particular bullet profile loaded to a certain length might chamber in a particular firearm, but it will not reliably feed. For example, I have one M1911 that can reliably feed an *empty* case. For all my other M1911s though, they tend to be a bit more picky.

[CGC]

I have mainly been shooting Winchester 115gr. FMJ ammo that comes in a white box. They have been flawless in several pistols.

I recently loaded some of Berry's plated 124gr. RN with WSF. They performed very well with a S&W M&P and a Glock 19.

So it would seem that the obvious choice maybe a RN mold like you guys suggested.

So many different styles, just wondering why one would choose a SWC or FP over a RN. I understand where Jmort is coming from since it seems he wants something he could hunt with.

Jupiter, those Boolits are nice!! Did you tumble or spray them?

[Dragonheart]

I have mainly been shooting Winchester 115gr. FMJ ammo that comes in a white box. They have been flawless in several pistols.

I recently loaded some of Berry's plated 124gr. RN with WSF. They performed very well with a S&W M&P and a Glock 19.

So it would seem that the obvious choice maybe a RN mold like you guys suggested.

So many different styles, just wondering why one would choose a SWC or FP over a RN. I understand where Jmort is coming from since it seems he wants something he could hunt with.

Jupiter, those Boolits are nice!! Did you tumble or spray them?

Unless you are interested in developing a target load I can see no reason to choose a SWC over a round nose. If a round doesn't feed well then it makes little difference how it performs. WSF was one of the powders that gave me under 2" groups using the Saeco #115 bullet.

Since Jupiter's bullets have the bases coated I would have to say he tumble coated and they do look good.

[frnkeore]

If you like the heavy 9mm's, you might want to read through this thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...539-Elco-tc-hp

I designed the bullet to match the SAAMI 9x19 throat. You can get it in a 5 cav brass blocks.

Frank