Lee 358-158-RF in 9mm ???

[Boolseye]

Yeah, you’re right. The boolit will be where it will be. There was a lot of boolit in the case with those 158 SWCs, and I recall them being pretty mild with light loads of BE. I had a buddy who was concerned about pressures with those loads, but they never posed a problem for me. It may be different with the RFs.

[Landshark9025]

Hoping someone posts up some target photos. I'd like to see what level of accuracy you get.

[warf73]

Any traction on 158's? I've got the 358-150-1R mold that I use exclusively in my 357mag. Gave it a thought about maybe loading up a few for grins in the 9mm. The 356-124-2R is my go to mold as of now.

[Lloyd Smale]

only problem with lead in a can is fouling due to lube. Pc bullets should work just as well as jacketed. On this fourm youll find guys that (me included) have shot MANY cast bullets through cans without problems. Keep in mind that cans have pressure limits depending on design and id bet most of that is just like glock saying no lead. It comes from the fact they don't want ANY handloads put through there cans because of the liability of some idiot shooting way over pressure ammo. If anything lead bullets produce less pressures at the same velocitys as jacketed bullets and if some as impossible as one going cockeye through a can could even happen a jacked bullet would do more damage then a cast bullet. Just make sure if your shooting lead you clean your can often. But then you should be doing that even with jacketed.

I have always been told by my suppressor manufacturer that you should never put lead bullets through the can. I would suppose powder coated would be included in that too. If you are going subsonic to run them through a can, I would check with your manufacturer. If not using a can, it is an interesting experiment.

[marek313]

I have some test round loaded with 2.7-3.0gr of HP38 so now I'm just waiting for weather to warm up so i can go shoot these. I was going to go with TiteGroup but i think slower HP38 would be better as it wont spike as much as TG would. Probably not a round that would chamber in every 9mm but seems to cycle fine in my p320 but then again i havent found anything that doesnt work in this gun.
I need sun and warm weather now!!! I cant be indoors anymore. I need to get out and

[Boolseye]

Yah, SIGs-They’re good that way

[Soundguy]

what are you sizing those .358's to?

[marek313]

what are you sizing those .358's to?

.3575 for both my GP100 MC and p320.

Now I'm waiting for new brake calipers for my truck as my old ones started locking up. Ahh

I have these 9s loaded as well as new to me saeco #68 200gr SWCs for my FNX45 but I cant go and try those right now. I hate waiting

[Pumpkinheaver]

I messed around with the Lee 158RNFP in 9mm a few years ago, thought they might be good for pin match loads. I have lost the data at this point but from what I remember I used Bullseye and HS-6. They shot grest from my Ruger P95dc but I never could get them to feed from my Glocks.
I eventually gave up on the project and went back to using 147s for pins.

[KVO]

Mihec 360-640, 155gr solid, 145gr HP. 4.2gr CFE Pistol and solid boolit averages 954 fps out of a Sig 2022 (~3.9"bbl)

Same boolit loaded for .357 and 9mm

I previously tried the NOE 360-160 WFN but there was just too much bearing surface toward the nose, had to seat deep enough to clear the throats in some barrels that the brass bulged and would not consistently chamber. Haven't tried the 158gr Lee but heavy bullets in 9mm auto pistols will work with the correct bullet design.

[Soundguy]

Mihec 360-640, 155gr solid, 145gr HP. 4.2gr CFE Pistol and solid boolit averages 954 fps out of a Sig 2022 (~3.9"bbl)

Same boolit loaded for .357 and 9mm

I previously tried the NOE 360-160 WFN but there was just too much bearing surface toward the nose, had to seat deep enough to clear the throats in some barrels that the brass bulged and would not consistently chamber. Haven't tried the 158gr Lee but heavy bullets in 9mm auto pistols will work with the correct bullet design.

what did you size them at?

[KVO]

Sized at 0.358", for everything 9mm. Might be able to use a more blunt ogive design with @ .357", but I try to keep 9mm boolits as fat as I can. Steeply tapered noses make it easier to work with.

[Soundguy]

Sized at 0.358", for everything 9mm. Might be able to use a more blunt ogive design with @ .357", but I try to keep 9mm boolits as fat as I can. Steeply tapered noses make it easier to work with.

.358 even for the 9mm.. must have good throats?

[KVO]

Here is a bearing surface comparison between the MP 360-640 and the NOE 360-160 WFN after coating and sizing to .358". For this series of pictures the respective projectiles are touching the micometer faces right at the start of the bearing surface. Both boolits are within 3gr weight of each other when cast of the same alloy. My real purpose in sizing big for 9mm is to fight swaging the base. Even with a big expander (I use a cut down RCBS .357 cast expander .358"x.356") I've found that thick 9mm brass wants to spring back and smush boolit bases. If I start bigger then there is some buffer room if they lose a thou or two when seating. I prefer to go the route of fitting my boolits to the throat, rather than cut the throats to the boolit.

[KVO]

Having never worked with the Lee 158 RF, I have always been curious about the dimensions as I have never seen a print of that design posted. Would someone with this mold be willing to post a similar photo showing bearing surface length and annotate meplat diameter?

[Tom W.]

I found out tonight that I'm going to have to send my barrel to Doug Guy before the CZ will chamber one of the Lee 158 RF. It will chamber, but I have a major fight with trying to extract a dummy round.

Seems like I've been down this road before.

[Petander]

I just loaded a handful of those using new Sako brass. Waiting for a HT -package from Down Under. Can hardly sleep from the excitement of soon being able to coat some 120 lbs of those boolits.

I have fired thousands of those 158:s in 9mm through cans, especially carbines, during the last ten,fifteen years. Usually VV N320. Always sized .358 by now... coated may work smaller...?

Attachment 217362

Also did a test cast for a Lyman 145 RN that I've had for years but have never tried until now. Soon coating like a madman.

[Bullwolf]

Having never worked with the Lee 158 RF, I have always been curious about the dimensions as I have never seen a print of that design posted. Would someone with this mold be willing to post a similar photo showing bearing surface length and annotate meplat diameter?

I use the Bevel Based Lee 358-158-RF boolit in 38/357, but not in 9mm.

From Lee Precision 368-158-RF #90303:
http://leeprecision.net/support/inde...gth-dimensions

Bullet's Overall Length in inches = .630

Distance from Crimp Groove, to the nose of the bullet = .360

Ballistic Coefficient = 160

Lee 358-158-RF model


My Lee 358-158-RF mould drops at .360 with my hard Tin rich alloy.
I size it at .3585 for 38/357

I could not find the meplat diameter from Lee or anyplace else.
Measured meplat diameter to the best of my ability = .311

My best attempt at taking a picture like yours.


Lee 358-158-RF (sized to .3585) and loaded in 38 Special case
Alongside an "as cast" example.


Hope that helps out some.


- Bullwolf

[JBinMN]

I've shot the Lee 158 gr. SWC in 9mm–it works. Not brilliantly but OK.
I would think the RF version will be similar. It will work in 9mm, as a relatively slow thumper. 2.5-3 grains of BE was what I was using. There is actually 158 gr. data to be found in some of the older manuals, I believe it maxed out at 3.5 gr. BE.

I have plenty of BE...., plus Red and Green Dot. I load mostly for handguns...

I recall getting good functioning in my p226. This was the Lee TL358-158 SWC. Like you, I did it just to do it.

Yeah, you’re right. The boolit will be where it will be. There was a lot of boolit in the case with those 158 SWCs, and I recall them being pretty mild with light loads of BE. I had a buddy who was concerned about pressures with those loads, but they never posed a problem for me. It may be different with the RFs.

Maybe could be considered a little bit of a sidetrack/hijack, but both of the fellers above may be interested in this data using Red Dot that I did last year. Shot out of an SR9. Accuracy was pretty good & no signs of issues. I do not remember if there was any feed issues, but I don't think there was on the SWC. ight be more info there if ya read it. Flat faced WCs (147gr) were a bit of a feed issue, IIRC, but worked as well regarding shooting.

Chrony data located here in this post(#37):
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post4187098

In this topic:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...mm-147gr-158gr

Posted only in the interest of helping out others. Not to distract from the OP here.


Might be some info in that other topic as well, that could be used by others here , in regard to using heavier boolits in a 9MM, if anyone wants to check it out.

[Petander]

Need to get a modern digital caliper.

For heavy cast in 9mm, also the 158 grain Lyman (in the middle in the pic) has worked for me. (EDIT:that is an older version of the same Lee, I just found the package ) Because up here suppressors have been legal and easy to purchase for decades, I have developed a heavy cast subsonic load for quite a few calibers including 45-70. And because commercial subsonic pistol ammo is not subsonic in most 9mm carbines there's the need to roll your own anyway.

Wide meplat 160 grain under 1000fps. N320. That Lyman (EDIT: Not Lyman but Older Lee 158!!! ) in the middle cast 156 for me.Attachment 217367