.356 Sizer causing my 9mm rounds to tumble

[seanhagerty]

I am getting through with a batch of 9mm ammo that I loaded with cast boolits I molded and resized in my lee sizing die (.356") The loads tumble as close as 5 yards from the muzzle.

I used ww ingots to mold those boolits, so I am fairly certain the alloy is not too hard for the load. I have not checked with a hardness tester.

In an effort to get a consitent flight, I am considering enlarging my sizer die by 0.001" to make it .357"

Am I off base doing this?

If I decide to do this, anyone have any suggestions on how to do it with hand tools?

Sean

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Are you getting Lead fouling in the barrel ?
if not, it's probably not the size of the boolit that's your problem.
have you slugged your barrel ?

I assume you've loaded jacketed bullets and not had tumbling bullet ?
What's your load recipe ?
too hot of a load can make a boolit tumble.
you can't use "jacketed" Loads for home cast boolits.
Jon

[seanhagerty]

Its a 9mm bereta. I am getting lead flouling. I have not loaded jacketed bullets yet. That is something I should try.

I have been using 4.5 gr unique behind a 124 gr lrn boolit.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

You need to slug the barrel first.
once you know the size.
then you can adjust the sizer die .001" or .002" larger.
that should solve the problem.
Jon

[seanhagerty]

ok, ill ask. Exactly how do you slug a barrel?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

First don't use a wooden dowel
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=102629

I use a soft lead "oversized" boolit or egg shaped sinker.
coat the barrel with gun oil.
push the lead slug through the barrel using a brass (ideally) or steel (carefully) rod.
tap gently with a hammer.
There should be a lead ring sheared off if driving it from the muzzle.
if you can drive it from the chamber, there won't.
Measure the slug with a Micrometer (a venier caliper is the wrong tool for the job)
if there is an odd number of grooves, I use a strip of popcan metal wrapped around
the slug, measure with the Mic, then subtract the thickness x2.
Good Luck,
Jon

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i have a 92 FS Beretta my load 125 gr boolit sized to .357 & 3.8gr of Bullseye
this load Rocks in my 9mm

[seanhagerty]

i have a 92 FS Beretta my load 125 gr boolit sized to .357 & 3.8gr of Bullseye
this load Rocks in my 9mm

I was expecting to see mine clean up with that size boolit. Where did you get your sizer?

Sean

[arkypete]

Sean

I've got a friend that has several, 5 or 6 Browning High Powers (P-35) that he loads in quanity for. He buys cute little 130 grain SWCs in lots of 10,000 sized .358. He tried .355, .356, .357 and those sizes didn't do so well.
He's normally a pretty rational guy, shots 44 Spec. 45 ACP, 357 and 38 special so I can over look this character defect of shooting 9mms.

Jim

[870TC]

Sounds like to small a bullet. But also pull one of your bullets after you have loaded it and measure at the base of the bullet, sometimes if you seat the bullet to deep in a 9mm the inside of the case being tapered- sizes the bullet down even smaller.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Sounds like to small a bullet. But also pull one of your bullets after you have loaded it and measure at the base of the bullet, sometimes if you seat the bullet to deep in a 9mm the inside of the case being tapered- sizes the bullet down even smaller.

a big +1
plus, if you are using the Lee factory crimp die, that'll do the same thing and even more.

[btroj]

The gun is telling you something. Bullets are too small. Bet the barrel is leaded good too.

Try .358 and see if it helps.

Maybe slug the barrel?

This is a great example of a time to listen to the gun. It is telling us someing.

[ChuckS1]

FWIW, 9mm barrels are anything but... I have a T-Series BHP that only shoots well with a .357 Lyman 358242 and a CZ-75 that likes .358-sized bullets.

[leadman]

My sons Ruger P89 likes a .358" boolit.
When you slug the bore wrap masking tape around the rod you are using to center it in the bore. This way it won't mar your barrel. I usually wrap tape in 2 or 3 spots for a pistol, more for a rifle. Be sure to oil the slug well.
A caliper is adequate to measure a slug pushed thru the bore. Especially if you use the same instrument to measure the boolit after sizing.

[seanhagerty]

Thank you Leadman. I was looking for tips like that.

Sean

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I was expecting to see mine clean up with that size boolit. Where did you get your sizer?

Sean

it was on my Lyman 450 when i bought it used here

[seanhagerty]

ok, I just slugged the bore. Ouch!! I was worried to death I was going to score the inside of the bsrrel. I had a piece of 1/4" round stock covered with electrical tape from top to bottom. OK, took a bit of ompf on the hammer to get the slug through the barrel, but it went. As expected the barrel is larger than I had thought. It has measures out at 0.358" I am going to mold some boolits and see what diameter they drop at.

Thanks for all your help.

Sean