#357446 121 gr TC design...OK?

[FN in MT]

I roll my eyes at the "Whats the Best...fill in the blank" threads...but here I go with one.

I've got a 4 cav Lyman #356402 the trunctated cone design thats dropping them at 120 grains. All of them are nice and round and mic out at .358" across the cavities.

What I'm looking for is a 9mm cast boolit that I can use in several SIG 226's as I'm going to load for three friends now that my 1050 is set up and I have the time to burn.

Is this a decent design known for accuracy and reliability? Any input would be appreciated. Is there a BETTER design I should be looking at?

I know I should get some loads done and do some TESTING, but sometimes someone else out there has ALREADY done the work and can save me some time.

FN in MT

[runfiverun]

that 4 cav you have sounds good to me the 356 one.
it don't work or what?

[MT Gianni]

I like it in the CZ 75 and it did OK in a Taurus Millenium Pro and as well as anything worked in a Ruger P-89. I get slightly better accuracy with the RN 358242 but the difference is hardly measurable most days.

[fecmech]

My only suggestion would be the Lee 120 TC which is just less "pointy" than the 356402 and the only advantage being a 6 cavity that is lighter to cast with. My personal opinion is that the TC's,Lyman,RCBS and Lee are about the most accurate .35 cal pistol bullets going. They were very accurate in my 9's,and are extremely accurate out of all my .38/.357 revolvers and lever guns and hold the accuracy all the way to the 200 yd gong.

[GabbyM]

As far as I know the Lyman 402 is as good a feeding and shooting bullet as you can get in a 9mm case. I use the 122 grain TC Saeco bullet and it has a little more meplate for punch than the Lyman. I’ve a half dozen or so 9mm boolits and no more accurate than my 9x19mm auto pistols are I can’t tell any difference between any of them.

If you want to blow larger holes. Look up top of the page for the Balisti-Cast advertisement and get the US Air Force bullet. H&G #309 aka B.C. #909.
I have a load with VV powder pushing a Magma 147 gr FP at 1147 fps but it does not shoot to point of aim and it needs a heavy recoil spring. So that’s basically a washout.
The Air Force bullet which was produced by Hornady for several yeas as there 124gr fmj-fp will blast a hole in ballistic clay twice the size of a 45 acp round with 230gr rn ammo. Plus penetrate deeper. Not sure but I think Hornady has stopped making the 124-fmj-fp. In favor of that they sell a tmj bullet not much different that the Lyman 402 with a small meplat. For target the Lyman 402 is as good and better than most. For blasting holes in critters the Ballisti-Cast 909 is the round I’d take into the mountains to off Taliban.
http://www.ballisti-cast.com/Bullet%20Designs%20Page%203.htm

This Lee 125 grain rnfp bullet designed for revolvers makes a great 9x19mm bullet.
Good size meplat and the crimp grove is in the right place for proper COL for 9mm magazines and chambers. The Lee six cavity molds will poor out boolits for a low start up cost. Lee 122gr TC in a six cavity with conventional lube grove is another good one as it's similar to the Saeco or magma design.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=1727


As for accuracy I've given up on 9mm for fun. Picked up some 38 Special revolvers that will drill holes at 25 yards. Only accurate pistols are fun.


My daughters new 1952 production year Model 15.
Will shoot 1 inch groups at 25 yards as opposed to the 9mm 3 inch at fifty feet.
Just depends on what you like to play with. Plastic 9mms are not going to be in short supply. These old Smiths are seemingly a dime a dozen now but give it ten years and you’ll regret not having picked one up. Most of the good ones will stay in the family and only the junk will be for sale.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=4900

[rintinglen]

the 356-402 TC will work as well as anything else--I get a tiny bit more accuracy from my older 358-242 RN, but truth to tell, it gets most of its use simply because I have it in a 4 cavity and only have a 2 cavity 356-402.

My 1938 Luger prefers the TC, My Sig P-6, S&W M-39-2, Star Firestar, and Kahr CW9 all seemingly could care less. The Sig and the Kahr shoot the RN slightly better than the TC. Excepting the Luger, they all seem to be equally reliable with either boolit. I don't see a clear winner.

[FN in MT]

Good information Gentleman Thank You.

These are destined for nothing but paper and steel, glad to hear it's a good design. I have simply never cast or loaded for the 9mm. Always got it for free from work or military contacts.

Doubly nice to hear as my 4 cavity mould drops these guys out as soon as you open the handles...very easy to turn out a mess of bullets in a short time. A situation I really like.

FN in MT

[GabbyM]

Rintinglen:
What do you rate the possibility of your RN bullets being slightly better due to the stem in your seat die being profiled for a round nose bullet. Thus yielding a little better concentricity of the loaded round. Also if you are using one of the common expander balls they will not reach down into the case as deep as the #356402 or the Saeco 122gr TC bullets seat. A Lyman M die will expand deeper.

[bob208]

the story i got is the tc was designed by george luger for his luger pistol. it worked great for both feed and accuracy. it just ran afoul of the genivea convention. that flat nose is what did it in.
i have used the rcbs tc in my luger, highpower, star. and astra. it feeds and shoots good in all of them. i also used it in .38 spl. in my ruger s-six it shot good and was easy to load with speed loaders.