.358 boolits in a 9mm

[gzig5]

Will I need to size the bullets to .356 or can they be used as cast if they come out at .358/.359? I just picked up my new 9mm and want to get some bullets loaded to try it out. New caliber for me but I've been reloading for 30+ years. I will be ordering a proper mold, but I have a couple 38 Special molds on hand and would like to get going. I've got a LEE 358 105gr SWC and an Ideal 358250 which is a 155gr RN. I'll start with the lee but the 155 might be a fun subsonic load. I'd appreciate suggestions on what a good general purpose bullet would be, ie RN, truncated cone, SWC, and weight? I'm leaning towards a 124/125 truncated cone or RN. Pistol is a Canik TP9SFx. I will likely be powder coating them. I still need to get dies, sizers, and plate for the Hornady L&L and will post a WTT/WTB for that stuff before I go to a supplier.

[CoolHandMoss]

125-135 grain round nose flat point is well liked in the 9mm.

[243winxb]

My Lee 356-120-TC 2 cavity just came today. Going to cast some tomorrow. Mostly for grandson. I have avoided 9mm for 50+ years. Real bad time to start loading/shooting 9mm.

Just need now, guns, dies, brass. Have primers.

[John McCorkle]

Load test rounds with several iterations of boolit size, boolit seating depth, and do the 'plunk' test to make sure it chambers correctly in that particular barrel.

I have several 9mms and they are all a bit different. Some are ok with longer leade on the throat...some very little....nearly all do just fine with boolits sized to .357. a couple I found do not chamber a boolit sized .358 in all brass....the case walls are thicker on some brass than others....most all my barrels like the .357 sizing.

See what your mold throws at, and experiment

May I suggest powder coating for them....it's been a good option for 9mm imho

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[WebMonkey]

my answer:

if you have any trouble, it would come from the .358 projectile keeping the case mouth a little large.
so chambering may be an issue.
that said, if you are using a 'factory crimp die', it will 'squeeze' the case mouth as well as the projectile down to the diameter of the factory crimp die.


pushing a lead bullet sized .358 down a 9mm barrel would not be a serious issue.

[Finster101]

I size to .358 for 9mm and have had no problems. Some guys report a chambering issue with certain pistols.

[P Flados]

For now, you Lee mold should work for some initial cast bullet testing and could possibly work out to be a generally good bullet for target shooting.

A lot of people are jumping into casting for the 9mm right now and I have been posting the same stuff over and over. It sounds like your Lee mold is the same one as I discussed over at http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...loading-for-it

If you find that you can get your gun to work ok with cast, I would strongly suggest getting a Lee 6 cav. The 9mm does not need anything better than a Lee and with a 9mm the volume output of a 6 cav is worth it.

If you go straight to the Lee site, you can do a "notify me when back in stock". The Lee 120 gr or 124 gr TCs are good choices with the 120 probably just a little more popular.

[Win94ae]

That is what I did, just today.



Yes, I sized them to .356".

I'll load up a bunch to test further.

[gwpercle]

The Lee 358-105-SWC and the Lee 356-120-TC both sized to .357 and conventionally lubed have been the winners in four 9mm pistols . Be sure and flare/expand the case mouth (NOE M-die shaped expander works best ) and start the boolits in straight .
The 9mm with cast boolits can be a stinker ... but don't throw in the towel ... getting seating depth correct is the trickiest part . .358 might be too large for some pistols ... just have to try .
Gary

[Edward]

Will I need to size the bullets to .356 or can they be used as cast if they come out at .358/.359? I just picked up my new 9mm and want to get some bullets loaded to try it out. New caliber for me but I've been reloading for 30+ years. I will be ordering a proper mold, but I have a couple 38 Special molds on hand and would like to get going. I've got a LEE 358 105gr SWC and an Ideal 358250 which is a 155gr RN. I'll start with the lee but the 155 might be a fun subsonic load. I'd appreciate suggestions on what a good general purpose bullet would be, ie RN, truncated cone, SWC, and weight? I'm leaning towards a 124/125 truncated cone or RN. Pistol is a Canik TP9SFx. I will likely be powder coating them. I still need to get dies, sizers, and plate for the Hornady L&L and will post a WTT/WTB for that stuff before I go to a supplier.

I size 356 /never as cast ,I have a 6 cav TC 120 gr /a 4 cav brass RN 120 gr and depending on alloy weight/diameter varies 362 - 357 so nope I size on a Lyman 450 lube/sizer 356 an size then PC and size again /I got the time/Ed

[fcvan]

I stopped sizing smaller than .358 in 1985, has worked in every 9mm I own or have owned, including carbines. The only time I had a failure was a few years ago when I tried a .357 sizer in a Glock 22 with a 9mm Lone Wolf drop in barrel, keyholed at 15 yards. I traded that die away to a member here who wanted it. .358 for me!

[ioon44]

I use 130 gr bullets sized to .360" in my Walther PPQ. Really depends on what the chamber will accept.

[AndyC]

Just be aware that the 9mm case is tapered inside, the diameter getting smaller the deeper you go - push the longer 155gr bullet deeper and you will start to see the case bulging. Just a heads-up.

[Sghinds]

Cast a few bullets. Take one and lube it really well. Take a wooden dowel and use it to knock one of the bullets down the barrel and measure it. .358 might work and it might be too big. My Beretta 92FS has a .357 barrel, so I size mine to .358.

[suburban redneck]

I would suggest slugging your barrel first, I used an egg sinker weight-rubber mallet and wood dowel. My Beretta is at .3555 and mine likes 356-.357=max size any bigger and I need to make adjustments. My S&W is picky and needs to be .356-.3565=max which is where my Lee sizing die is at after polishing up. Be sure to polish inside lee sizing dies to prevent scratched bullets or gas check smear. I PC my 120 tc's PB and all 125-135gr RN HP PB/BB no checks on these and they are excellent. CoolHandMoss is right on with the 9mm weight range of 125-135 and that is exactly where I am at.
*NOTE after powder coating, the bullets get .001-.002 of coat and that little bit can make for seating depth changes do to nose profiles -rare but can present itself ( TC dont seem to be as effected). I use lee 356 120tc 125rn (MP,NOE,HP-FP=124-135+gr and all work excellent. I played with seating depths before I pc's bullets to see what differences may arise. The only issues I get with my nines is with certain molds designed for a 357/38 bullet then the nose profile forces deep seating. Just things to consider.
Happy casting

[oldsalt444]

The S&W 52 is a 38 Spl. autoloader target gun with a .355 barrel. However, it uses full wadcutters seated flush with the case mouth. If S&W does it, then there must be something to it. BTW, the 52 back in the day was a top notch accurate bullseye gun. The point is that .358 cast or swaged bullets will work very well in a .355 bore. Use them with confidence.

[fredj338]

I have never had to size 0.358" to get accuracy across a bunch of diff 9mm, including all my stock Glocks. I size everything, mostly 0.356" but have tried 0.357", didnt seem to help accuracy with coated lead.

[mvozz]

About a year ago I started casting for 9mm because it was fun looking for a projectile that would work just in case the zombie apocalypse materialized and I couldn't get any projectiles. I ended up with a NOE 135gr HP mould based on a video from Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson. Just playing with a few 9s I found that 356 was my best size, they didn't seem to like 357 or 358. Trying to find a round that would work for my wife and I both, I found that I had to seat deep to work in her 9 and that depth would feed fine in all of mine. I even discovered a mould I got from a guy a couple of years ago that I had never used, he just wanted to get rid of it (120gr TC Lyman). I cast some of those and once again our 9s liked 356. Now that the zombie apocalypse is here I have plenty of projectiles and laugh at the guy I work with that told me I was just plain stupid for casting and reloading for 9mm.

[243winxb]

My new Lee 356-120-TC mold bullets drops @ .358" to .3591" Oval. Alloy WW & Linotype.

[CoolHandMoss]

My new Lee 356-120-TC mold bullets drops @ .358" to .3591" Oval. Alloy WW & Linotype.

Maybe I need some lino. I can't find an alloy that will drop over .356 out of my lee molds. I'm about to lap one of them.