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Thread: Some have tried to use 158gr 357 boolits in 9mm, but I'm wondering...

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Some have tried to use 158gr 357 boolits in 9mm, but I'm wondering...

    If anyone has tried to go the other way? There are case capacity issues using 158gr boolits in 9mm.

    I'm thinking specifically of using 147gr round noses for 9mm in 357 magnum. Seems a lot of folks are sizing their 9mm boolits to .358" anyway so you're generally already there size wise. Is there any load data for this?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    You may find that the 147 grain 9mm don't actually cast as .358
    - my Lyman doesn't.
    In which case you will have leading in your bore from undersize bullet.
    My answer now is powder coating it so I can use in either 9mm or 38 spl
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    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    I load 9mm bullets in 38spl and 357mag cases a lot. Just use the data for the next higher weight slug in the 38-357 load data and size your bullets .358-.359 (what ever your revolver throat slugs) I usually start in the mid three grain range with either Bullseye or TiteGroup. You have a lot of wiggle room with these rounds. Gp

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    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    ^^^^^What Artful said. Gp

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    Boolit Grand Master fredj338's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamesp81 View Post
    If anyone has tried to go the other way? There are case capacity issues using 158gr boolits in 9mm.

    I'm thinking specifically of using 147gr round noses for 9mm in 357 magnum. Seems a lot of folks are sizing their 9mm boolits to .358" anyway so you're generally already there size wise. Is there any load data for this?
    There are bullet molds out their that can throw a bullet to be used for both. Plenty of guys are running 160-165gr in 9mm. Stupid soft recoil & lower blast running minor PF, like 800fps.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Artful View Post
    You may find that the 147 grain 9mm don't actually cast as .358
    - my Lyman doesn't.
    In which case you will have leading in your bore from undersize bullet.
    My answer now is powder coating it so I can use in either 9mm or 38 spl
    I can order a mold from Accurate, NOE or a similar mold maker to redress the size problem.

  7. #7
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    I also have loaded quite a few 9mms in 357 and 38 cases. 115, 124, and 147gr. I was quite pleased with the results. I found the 147 to be very accurate. The 124s we were Lee's I cast and fired unsized. The others were commercial cast sized. 356.
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  8. #8
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    One thing that a true 9mm mold does not offer is a crimping groove. With a revolver you need to be concerned with bullet movement under recoil. You may need .359 or larger that a 9mm mold will not give you.

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    PC does add a touch of diameter, and you can set up a drill press to "bump" the nose with a rod and squish out an extra thou or two in diameter. I have shot 124 grain in 38 and it can be a very pleasant shooting bullet but those were cast by another using a TC mold in 359.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

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  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I'm pretty sure your gun won't care if the mold says 9mm or .38 caliber. As long as you've got the correct diameter you should be able to make it work. I go for the lightest crimp possible when doing something like that and there's no crimp groove.

    Theoretically 9mm has much more restrictive nose profiles, so that is one negative, but if all you're doing is putting holes in targets that doesn't matter much.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I often use the NOE 358-135-fn in both 9mm and 38 special. It drops at .358 consistently and I use it unsized and tumble lubed in both cartridges. In the 38 I do a light roll crimp into the middle of the front drive band.

  12. #12
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    Powder coated, the 356634 has done well in every 35 up through 358win.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    I have shot true 9mm (.356) out of my Ruger .357 convertible. Over half will keyhole the target at 15 yards. I have tried this on several different occasion. This is using the 9mm cylinder in a gun meant for .357.

    Now, I have used 125 grn. 9mm lead bullets that I have swaged up to .3575 with very good results.
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  14. #14
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    It's all in the diameter of the bullet being loaded. For example I have a mold that drops a 125 gr RNFP bullet that is a "9mm" or a "38 Special" or ".357 Magnum" depending on how I size it or what gun it is used in. I wouldn't hesitate to use a .358" "9mm" bullet in my 38s or 357s because I can crimp them so they won't creep under recoil.
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  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mdi View Post
    It's all in the diameter of the bullet being loaded. For example I have a mold that drops a 125 gr RNFP bullet that is a "9mm" or a "38 Special" or ".357 Magnum" depending on how I size it or what gun it is used in. I wouldn't hesitate to use a .358" "9mm" bullet in my 38s or 357s because I can crimp them so they won't creep under recoil.
    Exactly right.

  16. #16
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    I purchased a NOE 358-124-TC-GC to use in 9 mm . It drops @ .358 and with that gas check I thought it might be interesting to try in 357 magnum loads. Sized .358 and lubed and loaded over 7.5 grains of Accurate #5, tapered crimped with my 9 mm crimp die, that rascal shot a 12 shot group into 1 1/4 inches at 25 yards.....with iron sights and my old eyes.....I was impressed to say the least.
    For a 38 special +P load use 6.1 grains...it's just as accurate.
    I'm not sure why this TC design works but I'm going to do some more testing with it.
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  17. #17
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Heck, I shoot a lot of 9mm bullets out of my 35 Rem. Handi rifle. A few grs. of TiteGroup and they make great plinkers. Gp

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    http://www.shootingtimes.com/reloadi...-in-9mm-luger/ I also load the Lee 358 158 RF in 9mm over 3.5 and 4 grains of Power Pistol. OAL is 1.055 and shoot it in both an S&W Model 59 and a Taurus pt 1911 9mm. As another who has posted about this here has said, at worst one has a semi automatic 38 Special. Do a search on 9mm and 158 grain bullets.

    That said, I have two molds for this bullet, a six cavity and a two cavity. The six cavity drops a bullet which is .360 and when run through a 358 sizer, sizes a portion of the bullet nose above the crimp groove. These boolits will not chamber in either of my guns. The boolits from my two cavity mold are 356/357 above the crimp groove and 358/359 on the body below the crimp groove. When run through a 358 sizer, the portion above the crimp groove is not touched. These boolits chamber without issue.

    I do find the Lee 120 TC boolit I cast to give better accuracy overall, but the 158 is a fun boolit to shoot.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check