I've been doing a lot of searching and research, but I haven't found any satisfactory answers, or if I did I didn't realize it because of information overload.
Anyways, I'm reloading 9mm luger cast and my boolits, which are big enough before loading, are getting sized down during the loading process.
I will try to be as detailed as possible here:
My 9mm gun's barrel slugs out to .355". It's a polygonal barrel, by the way.
Using Lee's 9mm luger 356-125-2R round nose in a 6 cavity.
Pure clip on wheel weights, nothing added, air cooled. Tested 12bhn with Lee tester.
Bullets as cast are anywhere from .357" to .360", usually slightly oblong.
I do not size my bullets, from what I understand they are plenty big enough for my barrel.
So far I've only used Lee liquid alox lube, as soon as weather permits I will be trying Rooster jacket lube as well.
Loading these up on a loadmaster with lee's 4 carbide die set.
At first, my pulled bullets were coming out at .355" or .354". I figured out that the carbide ring in the FCD die wasn't helping, so I knocked it out so that it's only a normal taper crimp die.
Then, I found out that my brass was sizing my bullets down as well. I found that I could raise my sizing/depriming die up some so that it only sizes about half of the case. Now my pulled bullets measure .356" & .357", and they still chamber, although they don't fall out cleanly, but I don't struggle to pull them out of the chamber, so I figure they will fire and cycle fine.
This may be big enough, but I haven't been able to test that yet.
What are my options to further reduce the undersizeing that is still going on in my reloading process?
I know I could try water dropping my bullets (which gets me about 21bhn). But I'm not sure that would help with my accuracy.
What are my options as far as expanding my cases a little bigger? I've heard of getting bigger bushings and using the Lyman 'M' dies.
Where can I get other bushing sizes and what size should I try?
Are the lyman m dies adjustable so that I can expand the cases just right? Or are they stuck to a set amount? I guess I don't understand what their advantage is regarding this problem.
Thanks in advance.
[edit] I thought I should add that I'm only wanting 25 yard paper plate accuracy with minimal or no leading and easy cleanup.