best 9mm bullet

[Floydster]

I have two CZ 75 9mm pistols and would like to start casting for them and was thinking of getting the Lee 356-120-TC.
Can anyone tell me what size this bullet drops at using 50/50 lead and wheel weights with a splash of tin. I want to size them to .357 if possible.
Thanks for input.
Floydster

[Doby45]

I think if I remember correctly mine drop right at .360 with 50/50 WW

[deltaenterprizes]

My choice is a 147 gr RN for more surface area on the driving bands to grip the rifling.

[Larry Gibson]

That has become my favorite bullet for the 9mm. It performs extremely well in my CZ75 and numerous other 9mm handguns and subguns. I use it over 4 gr Bullseye BTW. I size them wih a .358 sizer that just barely touches the bullets in a spot or two. My .357 H die just touches most of the bullet. I have a 6 cavity mould and use any reasonable alloy available from range lead + tin to WWs + 2% tin.

Larry Gibson

[thegreatdane]

Great boolit. Mine's dropping .357-8 IIRC and I'm sizing .356

[Cherokee]

From my WW+tin alloy, mine drop at .357-.358 which I size to .356 for my .355 barrels in 9MM and 38 Super. Bullet does very well in my guns.

[Floydster]

Thanks guys for your replys, very much appreciated.
My CZ's bores run .356- and my 38 Super Elite Match bore is .356+, so I was thinking of sizing to .357 for both guns and try it.
I plan on tumble lubing also, I have had good luck with the TL bullets from Lee for my .357 mag and 45 ACP. I am using the 45/45/10 lube.
Thoughts?
Thanks, Floydster

[GabbyM]

Don't get the TL bullet but rather the standard lube grove bullet.

Plus for the TC bullet most die set expander plugs do not reach deep enough into the case. Lyman M die gets close. 9x19mm cases are strong enough to swag your bullets down. Which I suspect may be why some people have bad luck with the thin banded TL bullets.
I’m assuming the Lee TC bullet seats to about the same depth as the Saeco #377 that I have.

[bobthenailer]

i have 2 -38 supers with match barrels and 3- 9mms i use bullets sized to 0.357 for all .
I have found that the TC bullet is more accurate than the RN unless you go with a heavy RN
I have the saeco #384 -122g rn , #377- 122 gr tc and the #929 -145 gr swc, in all of my pistols the #929 is the most accurate with the #377 second and the #384 last.

[MtGun44]

Great design, the 356-120 TC, I shoot it at .357 or .358 in all my 9mms, works great.

Bill

[chris in va]

My CZ likes the Lee 358-125-RF sized to 358. It keyholed on five other types of boolits, including the two TC versions.

Has to be seated deep though with a reduced powder charge. Maximum OAL that will chamber is 1.01.

The CZ is unique, having a very tight, short leade. It was hell trying to find the right mold.

[Floydster]

chris, I know the CZ's have very short tight leads, however I never experienced keyholing using other cast bullets, such as MBC 124 gr. RN.

I was looking at the 358-125-RF, I really like the design of the bullet, I'm kind of at a standstill on which one to try now.

[Doby45]

That 125-RF is an absolute great boolit. It is my primary 38SPC boolit as well as a very good 9mm boolit.

[glowe]

Great design, the 356-120 TC, I shoot it at .357 or .358 in all my 9mms, works great.

Bill
If the mold is 356, How do you size them to .357 or .358. I guess the mold drop them larger and you size them smaller.
Greg

[crabo]

If the mold is 356, How do you size them to .357 or .358. I guess the mold drop them larger and you size them smaller.
Greg

yep, yep

[UBER7MM]

How about the 356402? Lyman's version of the 356-120 TC.

[MtGun44]

Never tried 356402. 356-120-TC worked extremely well in 2 cav, so I bought a
6 cav.

Love it, and yes - it drops about .359 diam with wwt alloy for me, size to .357 or .358.

Highly recommend this one for 9mm.

Bill

[Christorbust]

I (and my CZ) like the Mihec 125-358, and the Mihec 380 group buy. The 125 has a much better tapered nose for the CZ so I didn't have to struggle with OAL. The ~90gr 380 boolit is just a ton of fun to shoot, and uses less lead!

I had some difficulty with the lee TL356-124-2R OAL for what is worth (settled around 1.095 I think?)

[brettb75]

I have been seating the lee 356-124 TL to 1.1 and not getting very good accuracy at all so i think ill reduce charge a little and try 1.095. Im not using a CZ though. Just trying to find a decent plinking load for subcompacts. Kel tecs and such. I know not to expect MOA but id like to be able to roll cans at

[mdi]

I have a Lee mold for a 125 gr. RNFP bullet. I use this bullet in 9mm, .38 Special and .357 Magnum. I've used regular lube (Canauba Red) or 45-45-10, and I just size it according to which gun I am going to shoot it in...

[tazman]

My favorite boolit for 9mm is the NOE 360-135-fn. It functiond perfectly and is extremely accurate.

[marlin39a]

How about the 356402? Lyman's version of the 356-120 TC.

I love the 356402. Sized .357 and lubed with Carnauba Red. 4.2 grs of HP-38.

[jmort]

Ranch Dog 135 grain

[sigep1764]

I could never get my lee 120tc mold to drop bigger than 356 and need 358 for my CZ. I got a 359 120B mold from Accurate and it works great. It drops about 359 or 360 at 125 grains. Size to 358, load to1.065, and 3.2 grains red dot. Im also a big fan of the NOE Elco mold. 147 hp or 155 solid. It is designed for tight 9mm throats. Tazman and i love ours.

[tazman]

I could never get my lee 120tc mold to drop bigger than 356 and need 358 for my CZ. I got a 359 120B mold from Accurate and it works great. It drops about 359 or 360 at 125 grains. Size to 358, load to1.065, and 3.2 grains red dot. Im also a big fan of the NOE Elco mold. 147 hp or 155 solid. It is designed for tight 9mm throats. Tazman and i love ours.

Very true that. The Elco is my second most favorite for the 9mm.

[toallmy]

Wile you are discussing a 9 mm mold , could I ask if anyone has had a lee 356-120 tc 6 cav mold block milled , I mean the top of the blocks cut down to make a flat base lighter bullet with more case capacity. I read a couple days ago wear a fellow was going to get a 45 lee 6 cavity cut down by Buckshot .

[jmort]

For sure you could do it, but if you have the $$$ to do that, why not just get Tom/Accurate to make a mold exactly as you want it.

[tazman]

Wile you are discussing a 9 mm mold , could I ask if anyone has had a lee 356-120 tc 6 cav mold block milled , I mean the top of the blocks cut down to make a flat base lighter bullet with more case capacity. I read a couple days ago wear a fellow was going to get a 45 lee 6 cavity cut down by Buckshot .

Rather than take a chance on ruining a perfectly functional mold, I would look at a different manufacturer and get precisely the weight and boolit type you want. Lots of different mold makers out there with excellent products.

[toallmy]

Ok was worth a thought . I have been planning on visiting Tom's website he is making one I am interested in for a 45 .

[bigjake]

I purchased the lee tumble lube .356-124-TC and with straight up WW material and water dropped them. they dropped out small. I tried pushing then thru .357 die and it did'nt do squat. I loaded a couple 100 and they fell down the barrel. I gave them to a buddy to blast away.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The best bullet for 9mm or any caliber for that matter is the one that works the best for you and the gun that you are shooting it out of. That includes grouping /accuracy, ease of casting, and dependability. Other criteria exist for many people and varies with their personal needs and preferences. Ideas differ and that is OK. LLS

[mdi]

Ok was worth a thought . I have been planning on visiting Tom's website he is making one I am interested in for a 45 . I've done it. I have a Lee mold for 45 cal TC with bevel base. Being a life long machinist/mechanic I was able to remove metal from the top of the mold, enough to remove most of the bevel. I did it by hand with files (draw filing and checking/turning often) and emery cloth on a flat surface. It took a long tome but I was able to get a flat top with no gaps between the top and the sprue plate. Took about 10-12 gr off the bullet's weight too...

[gwpercle]

I have the Lee 356-124-TC , standard lube groove, in a 2 cavity mould. It drops with that 50/50 mix at .3575 , easily sizes to .357. What appears to be a bevel base is actually so small it does not cause any problems in lubing with my Lyman 450. I like this one in 9mm .
Gary

[toallmy]

Thank you for posting , my thinking was due to chamber and position of the lube grove I can not seat to a longer over all length . Well the beveled base is not touching the rifling so it is not necessary , just make loading easy .if I can get the top of the mold cut about to the end of the beveled base it could be a nice little flat base 6 cavity roughly 110 gr or so . I could gain a little more power capacity . But I would hate to ruin a good casting mold .

[wv109323]

I am with sigep1764. I tried the Lee 356-124 TC mold. It dropped right at .356 with my alloy. My CZ 75 barrel is .3565. Bullet did not fit the bore and the bullets tumbled.
I went with the Lee 358-125 RNFP mold and sized to .3582. I have not tried this bullet after I reamed my chamber but feel it should work.
I had to have the chamber reamed because bullets larger than .356 hit the rifling. The original CZ chamber had no leade with the rifling extended all the way to the chamber.

[tazman]

I am with sigep1764. I tried the Lee 356-124 TC mold. It dropped right at .356 with my alloy. My CZ 75 barrel is .3565. Bullet did not fit the bore and the bullets tumbled.
I went with the Lee 358-125 RNFP mold and sized to .3582. I have not tried this bullet after I reamed my chamber but feel it should work.
I had to have the chamber reamed because bullets larger than .356 hit the rifling. The original CZ chamber had no leade with the rifling extended all the way to the chamber.

That kind of thing is why I like the NOE 358-135-FN so well. There is only about .25in of the boolit inside the case so there is no seating depth problem to worry about and the nose is rebated slightly so it rides inside the rifling rather than hitting it.
It feed better and shoots more accurately than any other boolit I have tried. The NOE 358-155TC(ELCO) is a very close second.

[dudel]

There is no "best" boolit, any more than there is a "best" powder. There are only favorites, and what works well in mine; may not work well in yours. Likewise, one of my least favorites may work best in your gun.

That said, I'm partial to all the Lee TC designs. I have them in 9mm, .45, and will soon add ones in .40. They are available in TL and conventional lube grooves. I tend to favor the TL designs; but both designs can be TLed and both work great (in my guns). YMMV, but I think the Lee TC molds would be a good starting point.

[MtGun44]

Alloy will change casting size. I get .359 with WW alloy plus a little tin, air cooled. Not
sure why people insist that they need hard alloys for 9mm, all of mine do just fine with
AC WWts, running 10-12 BHN. I cannot recommend tumble lube, too many have reported
poor results in 9mm, and got good results with the conventional lube design and NRA
50-50 lube. Lube is important, 9mm is not the place to test your first batch of homebrew
special lube, it seems, based on all the failures.

This may help:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121737-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm

[Hardcast416taylor]

How about the 356402? Lyman's version of the 356-120 TC.


Yessir I do. 50/50 + a small amount of tin in the 20 lb. pot alloy mix. I size them .357" with good results.Robert

[rjathon]

I could never get my lee 120tc mold to drop bigger than 356 and need 358 for my CZ. I got a 359 120B mold from Accurate and it works great. It drops about 359 or 360 at 125 grains. Size to 358, load to1.065, and 3.2 grains red dot. Im also a big fan of the NOE Elco mold. 147 hp or 155 solid. It is designed for tight 9mm throats. Tazman and i love ours.

Powder coating would be a great way to get your undersized Lee 120 TC up to the right size. It adds close to .004".

[zomby woof]

I've had extremely good results with the LEE 356-120, also good results with the 358-150. Results were not so good with the LEE 356-125

[Beef15]

I like the Lee 356120 alright, but with COWW it only dropped .3555, almost perfectly round. I hogged it out with grinding compound to drop smallest diameter of .3585, no where near round, size to .358.

Seating depth suffered for the effort though, COAL now about 1.03 if memory serves to keep it out of the lands, but it shoots pretty well.

Been longing for the Arsenal TC or NOE 155, just struggle with spending money.

[sigep1764]

Dont think of it as spending money. I like the phrase "Expense of Enjoyment". The more you enjoy it, is it really an expense? Or just investing in your enjoyment?

[badbob454]

lee trunicated cone non tl design

[6622729]

I'm using the Lee molds TC 124gr and RN 125gr. Both have been easy to mold and excellent shooters. I shoot them as cast in a Glock 19 with 45/45/10 lube.

[lotech]

I've tried many cast bullet designs and weights over the last twenty-five years in several 9mm handguns. Though I've mentioned it elsewhere on this forum previously, the best (most accurate) design I've found to date is the obsolete Lyman #358212 plain base RN, about 147-150 grains WW alloy, sized to .358". It shoots very well in a Walther P4, a Sig P226, and a Beretta.

This is a .38 Special design; it shoots reasonably well in .38 Special but I've never found it to be an outstanding performer for that cartridge.

Someone mentioned the SAECO #377. This was one of the first bullets I tried in the 9mm in the late 80s. Like two or three other SAECO 9mm designs I used years ago, it cast undersized bullets for the 9mm. However, with this bullet I found that if you're going to shoot undersized bullets, use a linotype mix or at least something harder than WW. Accuracy can be surprisingly good with such an oddball combination and the bullet can be driven relatively fast, as I recall.

[EDK]

The 356 120 TC lube groove boolit in my year old LEE six cavity runs .358+. I'm running it through my 358 STAR and cleaning up the band's. Works great on GLOCK #17, 26 and 34 with KKM or STORM LAKE barrels.
I have a desire to get another mould, but not sure what. I've seen some 147 grain boolits that I like. BUT why mess with a load I've used successfully. 5K without problems is a good recommendation. I'm using 4.0 of PROMO and shot in several guns.

[Shiloh]

Different guns, different boolits.
Just like pet loads.

Shiloh

[toallmy]

Here is a perfect example of the best bullet , I have always loaded in batches single stage so flat base seating has not been a problem . Recently I have planned to have a beveled base mold machined to a flat base . But I just started playing with a progressive loader so now I think the beveled base may be more useful . Just goes to show me I'm going to have to try them all .