Who else is using Lee 6-cavity 9mm RN TL molds - Need successful recipies!!!

[Rottboy]

Need some advise and help from those in the know. Have had my Lee 6 cavity mold (124 gr. RN tumble lube) for the past two months and still making only test batches. Initial problems were inaccuracy and excessive keyholing. A local reloader suggested that I change powder (from W231 to Longshot). It significantly reduced keyholing but they are still not grouping consistently. All are sized to .357 and there is next to no leading (tumble lubed). My crimp is just enough to remove belling.
Its fun to load rounds you know will be reliable and accurate. For now, have just had plain bad luck with my Lee molded 9mm lead bullets. Very frustrating!!!
Joined Cast boolits to learn more. After reading other previous posts for most of today have made some test batches increasing the OAL from the current 1.120 to 1.155. I have yet to test these at the range later in the week.
Also mold .40 S&W (175 gr. TH) and .45 acp (200 gr. SWC) using the same Lee 6 cavity tumble lube molds. These come out extremely accurate and reliable.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Am willing try your succesfull recipies.
Am loading CCL heads for use in IDPA competition with no problems but would be great if I can solve this current dilema. Help needed fellow loaders!
BTW, it was Lee Precision that suggested I join this forum to learn more about those using their products.

[vacek]

I use the truncated cone version. 3.5-3.7 g of W231 shoots very nice.

[Cloudpeak]

I've had very good luck (and hope you will, as well) with the Lee 124gr TL RN bullets out of my 6 cavity mold in three different 9mm's that I've owned. I just picked up the 125 gr RN Lee 6 cavity with a single lube groove and those bullets shoot great in both my STI 9mm and my S&W revolver. Depending on the pistol, loadings between 3.6 to 4.0 grains of W231 were very accurate. My current loading for the STI is 3.6 grains of 231 loaded to an OAL of 1.125".

Here's a 5 shot group fired at 7 yards from a bench.



Good luck!

(I've never loaded Longshot. All I use with 9mm is W231)

[Wireman134]

All this recipe talk is making me hungry. I like my boolit's to b about 97%Pb/1.5%Sn/1.5%Sb these days, Bhn around 15 water dropped. But let them cool for a while before U digest then in any firearm. Sorta like letting the brownies cool, U know

[Shiloh]

Have you slugged the bore?? Is sizing at .356 too small??

Shiloh

[Rottboy]

I use the truncated cone version. 3.5-3.7 g of W231 shoots very nice.

Used a friend's Lee 124 gr. TC TL 6-cavity mold about 6 month's ago and likewise did not find the right recipe to make them fire accurately (they keyholed a lot too!) I was loading them at 3.9 g of W231. Thought that I would have better luck with the RN mold. So far no cigar yet!

I've had very good luck (and hope you will, as well) with the Lee 124gr TL RN bullets out of my 6 cavity mold in three different 9mm's that I've owned. .....OAL of 1.125".......fired at 7 yards from a bench.Good luck!

Great grouping!!!! Its good to know the mold works! This alone will keep me going. Must find the fix. I have previously done OAL up to 1.120 but will try 1.155 (as suggested in other posts). Released the crimp to the max so hopefully this new test batch will give good results. Really like these Lee 6-cavity TL molds and have figured out tumble lube effectiveness to the extent I get zero leading in all my barrels. Appreciate the good wishes as I will need all the luck. In the meantime - back to the drawing board!!!
BTW, use 4.2 gr. W231 for all my CCL loads. This gives me an average of 131 PF which is comfortably above the IDPA SSP minimum of 125. For lead boolits it would be 4.0 gr of W231 or 5.2 gr of Longshot.

All this recipe talk ......Bhn around 15 water dropped. ...letting the brownies cool, U know

Am using WW exclusively and with my .45 and .40 TL molds, they are completely accurate. All casted boolits are water dropped. Its just this 9mm which is giving me a high level of frustration!!!!

Have you slugged the bore?? Is sizing at .356 too small?? Shiloh

Am doing .357 using a Lee sizer die. Have 4 - 9mm pistols and bores are .355 - .3558

[Rottboy]

After all the months of testing, the front pin of my Lee 9mm 124 gr. RN TL mold started to disengage after molding a couple of hundred bullets. The supplier readily sent a replacement. - exactly the same model #. This arrived June, 2010.
Since then, I am happy to report, after testing 500 rnds with various powders, keyholing in non-existent with accuracy being top notch (better than some factory rounds and some brands of CCL)!!!
The first mold was a one-off dud!!! In comparing cast bullets, the original mold had a longer and sharper profile, while the replacement mold yeilded a shorter and stubbier profile. (Evident when adjustment had to be made to seat the new bullet much lower)
Still lube, size to .357 and lube again. Re-melted all the original 9mm heads and have since casted approx. 6,500 heads. Finally, testing and frustrating results are gone. Can't wait to shoot all these accurate puppies.
A big thanks to all the guys who PM'd and posted all the great comments/suggestions/advise which has made me a better caster.
BTW, Lee Precision did render a lot of useable troubleshooting advise but, in the end, the problem wasn't the method nor reloading parameters, but the actual mold.

[awaveritt]

I use the TL-356-124-2R boolit in my CZ-75B over 3.5 gr. bullseye. Very mild leading after 100 rounds, and the round stays in a fist sized group at 7 yards offhand shooting. I've had no evidence of keyholing and the faint streaks of leading I've observed comes out with normal cleaning, no extra fuss.

My mould drops 'em at .357 using 60/40 ww/pure lead and I shoot 'em unsized with LLA. This load cycles the action flawlessly and is a fun plinking/practice round. I'm still tinkering with it, but happy so far.

[Rottboy]

..........Very mild leading after 100 rounds, and the round stays in a fist sized group at 7 yards offhand shooting. I've had no evidence of keyholing and the faint streaks of leading I've observed comes out with normal cleaning, no extra fuss.
My mould drops 'em at .357 using 60/40 ww/pure lead and I shoot 'em unsized ... cycles the action flawlessly and is a fun plinking/practice round.......

Unlike my initial 9mm Lee TL castings, must feel so good when one gets good performance from your own mold from the onset.
Last Saturday, with the latest 9mm casts, shot 250 rnds and experienced zero leading. Get the same zero leading from my Lee .40 S&W and .45 ACP molds. If there is any, it ain't noticeable even on the cotton cleaning swabs used.
Am using WW. Water drench but definitely have to size.
4.1 grns of W231 chronoed at an ave. 1067 fps for a PF of 132.
So far have fired most from my Glock 17 (w/ a Lone Wolff barrel). Should get better results with my CZ85 and P226. Am impressed with the accuracy from 25 mtrs. From a weaver stance can group 5" consistently (from a 1 second cadence). As mentioned, accuracy from this cast are more accurate than some of the factory brands and CCL projectiles. All great stuff. Happy shooting to us all!!!!

[Recluse]

Cloudpeak is one of the guys you pay attention to when it comes to 9mm boolit loads and configurations.

Me, on the other hand, would have more luck playing pick-up sticks with my butt-cheeks than ever getting a lead 9mm boolit to shoot accurately in ANY of my 9mm guns.

I'm going to try the Lee truncated cone boolit, and when IT fails to work (not being pessimistic, just realistic), I'll smelt down all the gazillions of little 9mm boolits I've cast with high hopes and simply start loading jacketed bullets for that caliber.

On a side note, good to know that Lee recommended this site.

[fecmech]

Recluse--The Lee 121 TC (with lube groove) is a very accurate bullet. I shot it in 2 Browning HP's and a Khar 9mm and 25 yd groups were in the 2-2.5" range. Best accuracy was with Longshot powder running in the 1150-1200 fps range in the BHP, that stayed under 2". Out of my K-38 using 5.1/Unique I have a 12 shot 50 yd group that is 1 7/8"! From a Rossi .357 rifle with a 30" twist it will group in the 3"-4" range at 100 yds running at 1266 fps. It is a very versatile little bullet!

PS--I did not have much luck with the TC tumble lube bullet

[Rottboy]

......PS--I did not have much luck with the TC tumble lube bullet

My first 9mm mold was in fact a Lee 6- cavilty 124 gr. TC TL. Similarly, couldn't get it to work. The boolits were forever keyholing and very inaccurate. It drove me crazy trying to find a solution. After trying the first Lee 124 gr. RN TL, I was concluding that Lee just doesn't manufacture an accurate TL mold for 9mm.
If the front guide pin in the 1st mold never dislodged, would never have figured that the mold was defective. Happy shooting!!!!!

[Phat Man Mike]

glad to see you got it all worked out!