Advice for a beginner.

[Hobbsy]

Hello from a frustrated beginner.

I'd welcome any advice on the following problem. I've cast Lee 9mm .356 120gr TC boolits and powder coated them. Accuracy out of my CZ 75b and CZ 75 Sport II was abysmal. Some even keyholing at 25 yards ! So, i tried a LEE .358 125gr RF mould, again powder coated. (AOL 1.050") They simply fail to chamber.
Not sure what my next step should be. Any thoughts ? Thanks.

[ericandelaine1975]

Did you do test loads by going 1gr of powder at a time?

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[ericandelaine1975]

As far as chambering it could be you don't have it crimped enough.

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[toallmy]

Is your 356-120 mold the standard lube grove design or the tumble lube grove design ? The reason I ask is wile the 356-120 TC with standard lube grove seams to work well for a lot of members the tumble lube one seams to be a little more problematic . There is a sticky on loading cast boolits for 9mm that is well worth the time to read it . Ill try to find it and let you know where it's at .

[toallmy]

OK it's in the Forum - Classics & Stickies - Setting up for boolits in a new 9mm . A very helpful thread !

[Hobbsy]

Thanks for the reply. I think i have the standard lube version (see pic). I'll check out the sticky.

[Hobbsy]

I started at 3.5gr of Lovex DO32 (similar to accurate No2) and worked up to 4.3 gr. No appreciable difference in accuracy. I finally got some 358 to chamber but had to force the slide back to eject the round and it pulled the bullet from the brass in the process.

[44MAG#1]

Did you do test loads by going 1gr of powder at a time?

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1 grain of powder at a jump is too much of a jump working with such small powder charges. Period.

[ericandelaine1975]

1 grain of powder at a jump is too much of a jump working with such small powder charges. Period.

I've always went one gr at a time then do between the two that held the best pattern. As long as you're not exceeding the load data in a manual its safe. But to each his own. Everyone does it different.

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[Hossfly]

Do you measure to boolits or run thru a sizer after powder coating, to know what is exactly the size? You must know your bore size and the exact location of rifling to get correct col. sounds like their sticking in rifleing if when you chamber and it pulls boolit out when you go to retract and it pulls out.

[ShooterAZ]

Welcome to Cast Boolits! Here's the sticky: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...s-in-a-new-9mm If there was one piece of advice I would give to a beginner, it's stay away from 9mm They can sometimes be a bear to cast and load for.

[William Yanda]

AIR, Mr. Lee recommended dividing the span between Starting Load and Max load into 5 even increments. That seems like a logical place to start, 'specially for pistol loads with a small difference between start and max.

[44MAG#1]

I've always went one gr at a time then do between the two that held the best pattern. As long as you're not exceeding the load data in a manual its safe. But to each his own. Everyone does it different.

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Let give a couple points to your 1 grain at a time deal. Speer #14 manual lists for the 124 gr bullet and Unique. Start at 5,2 and Max at 5.8. Another powder, titegroup at start at 4 grains and max at 4.4 gr. Another PowerPistol start at 5.6 gr and max at 6.4 grain. Now if one starts at starting load and jumps 1 grain like you do they would be OVER max. In small cartridges with small charges 1 GRAIN IS TOO MUCH OF A JUMP. Maybe not in some cartridges but not a 9MM or similar cartridges. No one that I know of would ever condone any jump like that in even most small rifle cartridges that hold much more slower powder.
Take a deep breath, think a few minutes before you reply, and see if recommending a 1 grain jump sounds right.
We are talking safety here.


Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

[toallmy]

I started at 3.5gr of Lovex DO32 (similar to accurate No2) and worked up to 4.3 gr. No appreciable difference in accuracy. I finally got some 358 to chamber but had to force the slide back to eject the round and it pulled the bullet from the brass in the process.

I think you should spend a little time playing with your dies getting the feel of what the adjustment you make with them actually do to your brass and your loaded rounds . The 9 is a finicky round that can do some crazy things , like go wild with pressure if the bullet gets seated deeper in the case .
The 356-120 is a good shooting Boolit for many cast Boolit shooters , try to get them sized to .357-.358 , load to the over all length that will plunk test in your barrel with enough neck tension to keep them from being pushed deeper in the case , but not over crimped so much as to squeeze the cast boolits undersized . Then try some powder charges from the lowest load to find wear the firearm will function reliability . After getting this accomplished your almost there - then you try a slight adjustment with the powder charge to find the load your firearm seams to like the best .
I know you probably want to hurry all this up , and load some ammo but take the time to do it right pays off big time on the pleasure you get in the end . Most important thing is to be safe that little 9mm can turn into a bomb in your hand .

[ericandelaine1975]

And in a case like that i don't go one grain at a time. I'll just load everything between the two listed. I don't own nor will I ever own a 9mm. However loading is loading so I asked because he never said what grain of powder he was using or if he had done test loads.

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[44MAG#1]

And in a case like that i don't go one grain at a time. I'll just load everything between the two listed. I don't own nor will I ever own a 9mm. However loading is loading so I asked because he never said what grain of powder he was using or if he had done test loads.

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In his first post he said 9MM and listed the weight of the bullet.


Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

[ericandelaine1975]

In his first post he said 9MM and listed the weight of the bullet.


Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

Yes i got the bullet weight. It was the powder weight i was asking about.

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[44MAG#1]

Yes i got the bullet weight. It was the powder weight i was asking about.

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First clue was the 9mm caliber. One should realize that the charges are small.


Again I mean no hurt, harm, anguish or turmoil by my post I have posted on this posted subject. I am not baiting, trolling or calling out anyone. I am making a post based on my experience, knowledge and/or belief or opinion. That is all.

[toallmy]

I have found the powder charge to be the last thing to consider when loading a little 9mm's when you get to that point a .2 or .3 one way or the other gets you were your hitting what your shooting at most of the time . The fit and function generally is the hardest part with the little devils !

[reddog81]

Are you a beginning reloaded, caster, or just new to cast 9mm? What diameter were the 120 gr. bullets?

1.05 is starting to get pretty short, but you can go a little shorter assuming you are using starting charges. If the round chambers, but the bullet gets stuck when the brass is ejected that means the OAL is too long and the bullet is getting stuck in the rifling.

If you want your gun to work well with cast it will probably need a throat job done. This will allow .358 bullets seated to more normal lengths to chamber in your gun.