9mm Luger and load data?

[Fortkevin2]

Hi guys,
I'm new to reloading 9mm Luger and casting bullets in general. I have cast quite a few .356 dia 124 gr TC bullets from a Lee 6 Cavity mold I bought. The bullets have been lubed with LLA lube and sized then lubed again to .356 dia.

I have looked in Lee's reloading manual and it's not showing any load data for the 124 grain lead bullets, just 125 grain jacketed bullets. Would it be safe to use this data for these lead bullets? The material used to cast them was straight clip on wheel weights.



I have alliant Red Dot, Bullseye, Blue Dot and Unique. What do you recommend for these weight bullets? I will be shooting them out of a CM9 and a S&W 909.

I have several pounds of Red dot so if I could use that up, that would be great. It shows a starting load with a 125 grain bullet to be at 4.3 grains and a max at 4.6 grains.

From what I have read also, the biggest thing when reloading 9mm is to make sure they are the minimum overall length to keep pressure's down and them feeding in the pistols.

Sorry if I sound ignorant or my terminology is wrong. I'm still learning here!

[buyobuyo]

Yes, you can use 125gr data with a 124gr bullet. If you weigh your bullets on your powder scale you will find that most likely they don't weigh 124gr. All the mold makers base their weight off a particular alloy and if you use something different the weight will be different. Lyman uses Lyman #2 alloy, and I think Lee uses 20:1.

As for loading data, I like a "125gr" bullet over 4.0gr Unique loaded as long as your gun will handle.

[parisite]

If you want to use your Red Dot up that will be fine.

4.5gr is max but 4.0 works very well.

[Fortkevin2]

Thanks for the info so far. I loaded up 200 of these today usinf 4.0 grains of.red dot. They cycled the CM9 and the S&W 909 just fine and seemed lighter recoil than factory loads.

What should the overal length be minimum? They are currently 1.15. Does seem to look right but they function in both.guns just fine.

http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv350/Fortkevin2/IMAG0416.jpg

[big dale]

4 grains of Red Dot and a 125 grain cast boolit has been my standard load for 9mm since the mid 70's. I stole it from one of Ken Waters Pet Loads articles and have been using it ever since. I see that many others shoot it a little hotter, but I don't care as it does what I want it to do. It worked fine with my old Hi Power and my current box of Glocks. I size them to 357 unless I use them in my old Blackhawk convertable...it is happier with 358.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[MtGun44]

Actually, with any boolit, FIT is the biggest issue. Most 9mms need .357 or .358 diameter
to shoot accurately and not lead.

Bill

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I used to load the 9mm a lot, for years. My load was 8.2 gr Blue Dot over a 115 jacketed bullet 1.10 COL. Shot the Beretta 92. Blue Dot is real clean, worked for all but night matches where Blue Dot had too much muzzle flash. Used 6.5 gr Herco for night shooting. Did cast boolits for the 9mm back then. Let us know how you do.

[Alan]

I like 3.9 w/ 122gr cast. I started at 3.7 grains and went up .1 at a time until the slide would JUST lock back on an empty mag. 3.7 wouldn't do it consistently, 3.8 would, and 3.9 tightened the groups up. at 4.1 the groups started opening up again.

red dot is my goto powder for accuracy in 9mm and .45 auto.

[robertbank]

I have a spread sheet of loads I have used in my 9MM guns. PM with your email address and I can send it to you. If I were you I would size your boolits .357. In all my 9MM guns accuracy improved and leading was non existent.

Take Care

Bob

[garym1a2]

I would start with slow powders first. I like WSF a lot for 9MM. Unique would probally also be very good as both are very cast boolit friendly. I have never had luck with TL type lube process.

[theperfessor]

I use 7.0 Blue Dot behind any bullet from 120 to 135 grs in my HiPower. My gun also likes lead bullets sized to .357-.358, smaller sizes leaded a lot. That's the biggest problem with 9mm, the bore sizes are all over the place. MtGun44 has a sticky in this section regarding setting up a 9mm for lead bullets, it's a good read and worth paying attention to IMHO.

[N1YDP]

i have a hi-point 9mm carbine that i want to load for.i am casting lead wheel weights with a lee 124gr.rn mold.what should i start with for a load?

[robertbank]

4.1gr of 231 will work well in your HiPoint.

Take Care

Bob

[N1YDP]

thanks

[6bg6ga]

I'm going to do a favor for my wifes cousin and load him up some 9mm for his Springfield 1911 in 9mm. I have some 125 grain round nose that I cast and I was wondering about overall length. Since I do not own a 9mm as of yet I am posing this question to those here in the know. My only reloading book is a Lyman 46th edition which lists a 356402 @ 121 grain with 4.3 grains of Unique at 973fps. The OAL listed is 1.110 Does anyone have a suggested OAL for the 125 grain round nose?

[robertbank]

1.11 should cycle just fine.

Take Care

Bob

[rintinglen]

Lyman suggests 1.065 for their 122 grain RN. They list a start load of 4.0 grains of Unique and a Max of 5.0 grains. 4.4 worked well for me from a Sig P-6/225.

[Pistol Pete 45acp]

Lyman suggests 1.065 for their 122 grain RN. They list a start load of 4.0 grains of Unique and a Max of 5.0 grains. 4.4 worked well for me from a Sig P-6/225.

rintinglen, I will nominate you for super coolist dude of 2014. I just happen to own a P6 and wanted a load for it, BROTHER, you drilled it for me. I spent all of 45 seconds confirming your info (not sayin, just sayin) and presto I have a worked load. WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!. Now I have a ? Beein that the P6 is German Police and Military and along with the weird hooked hammer (yes I know why its hooked, lol) it has a tremendous recoil spring. I have an 11yo daughter who hates the P6 due to the hammerin recoil. If I lighten up the spring for her will this load of 4.4gn of Unique make this pistol run so fast it jams an has cycling probs?

[FergusonTO35]

Friend, you may well find that your boolits need no sizing at all. My Lee 356-120-TC drops 'em at .357 perfectly with range scrap. Hint: if your boolits seat straight with a little resistance they are probably the perfect size. Most lead boolits will seat deeper than jacketed. Mine are just right at around 1.053. I bet if you try 3.5 grains Bullseye with 'em you will be very happy!