NOE 124 grain TC hollow-point?

[exile]

My search for an available hollow-point mold for the 9mm continues. I like the TC design, and would like a hollow-point mold that can be used in the 9mm, .357 Sig, and .357 magnum. According to the NOE website, this one drops at .358 and can be had with a gas check. Unfortunately, the pictures on the website are all solids, not hollow-points.

Does anyone have experience with this particular mold? Does it drop large enough to be used in .357 magnum? Is the nose short enough for .357 Sig? Can anyone post a picture of the boolit in hollow-point form? Will NOE make one mold to someone's specifications? Will a .359 bullet (if I can find one) size to .356 in a Lee push through sizer?

Sorry to be a pest, this will be (when I make a decision) my first custom mold and I have many questions.

Thanks.

exile

P.S., I searched the forum to the best of my ability, and could not find answers to these questions.

[tazman]

I have the NOE 358-115-rf in a hollowpoint 4 cavity mold. It drops at .359-360 using range scrap and is easily sized to whatever you need. It feeds flawlessly and accuracy is good in my Beretta barrel(I size to .358).
I haven't tested it to see if it expands or not since I was getting it to use as a middleweight boolit. The weight as a hollow point comes out at 109 grains for me. I haven't used the flat point pins yet.
This mold casts faster than my NOE 5 cavity mold.
I also have the 358-135-fn. It drops at .358-359.
Personally I have no need for a gas check design but I won't be shooting this boolit in a 357 mag or 357sig where that feature would be useful.
I question whether the nose on a TC would have enough metal to properly support a hollow point during expansion, but you never know. It might just work great.

[dkf]

I looked at the 124 TC the nose with the step is a little too long for .357sig. The 128gr and 135gr RF look good for .357sig and will work in 9mm and .357mag. In .357sig and 9mm you usually want to size to .357" or 358".(what I do) If the mold drops .359" that sounds ok unsized for the .357mag. The 128 and 135 RF molds are out of stock but Swede is fitting a run in after while as per my request.

[tazman]

I really love that NOE 135 fn design. It is the most accurate boolit I have for my 9mm.

[exile]

Thanks guys. I looked at the 135 grain hollow-point, taxman, do you have any issues with bulging of the case with the 135 grain boolit? I have heard that this can be an issue with heavier boolits with a flat base? But these are out of stock? I wish someone would run a group buy for a 9mm mold!

exile

[dkf]

The 135gr RF has a small bevel base on it so it should work fine in 9mm. It would be nice to get some samples though to make some dummy rounds.

I figure within the next month NOE should have the RF molds back in stock. On 10/24 Swede said he it add those two molds to the list to be ran for stock.

[exile]

The 135 grain looks good, but I don't know that I remember seeing load data for that weight boolit?

exile

[dkf]

I have never run across any cast bullet data for .357sig. I usually just pick the closest to same length jacketed bullet. Reduce the starting load of the jacketed data by .2 or .3gr and work up. I use the Accurate 35-147S (drops 151gr) and I used slightly reduced 147gr jacketed data. Educated guesses can be par for the course.

[exile]

That is an interesting boolit. Am I right in thinking that Accurate does not make hollow-point molds?

exile

[dkf]

No Accurate does not do HP molds or bullet diameters smaller than .30 cal.

[tazman]

Sorry but I mistyped earlier. I have the fn not the rf style from NOE.
My NOE 358-135-FN mold is a plain base mold without a bevel. I didn't get the hollow point setup but now wish I had.
Due to the design of the boolit, there is less than .250 of the boolit inside the case. I have little if any noticeable bulge. This part depends on the specific brand of the case. With this boolit there is no more lead inside the case than with a 120-125 grain TC design.
I have sent some samples of these to several people on the site who loved them and ended up purchasing the mold. It feeds and shoots well in many different 9mm pistols.
The Lyman 4th edition cast bullet handbook has load data for a Saeco 140 grain boolit that can be used provided you begin with the start loads and work your way up.
Accurate Arms powder manufacturers has load data for some cast bullets on their web site for the 357SIG.
It also works well in my 38 special/357 mag with appropriate loads.

[exile]

That is great information, tazman, thank you. If I went with this boolit, I would probably get a 4 cavity aluminum mold, hollow-point, with a bevel base. Is your mold brass or aluminum? Do you have a preference one way or another? I love the look of a brass mold, but weight might be an issue and I would get a two cavity mold in brass, that is if NOE makes any more.

exile

[tazman]

I have the 135 in a 5 cavity aluminum mold and it works really well. I have no experience with brass molds.
I have a different NOE aluminum mold in 4 cavity with hollow point pins and it works even better than my 5 cavity so far at least.
Both molds are head and shoulders better than Lee unless you happen to get one of the perfect ones.
I am going to be casting with the 135fn in just about 10 minutes. I have the lead almost hot enough now. I just need to wait for the mold to get up to temp.

[Dale53]

exile;
Regarding the question, "Brass or Aluminum" - I can help you there. I have both aluminum and brass moulds (along with LOTS of iron ones). When talking about an NOE mould, either will work well. Aluminum may be a bit easier to use. The real question to answer is "How many cavities". If you want a four cavity HOLLOW POINT mould, then I would definitely go with aluminum. Hollow point moulds require considerably more manipulation than solid base moulds. You pour, strike the sprue off, then turn the entire mould upside down and open to drop the bullets off the hollow point pins. That extra manipulation can become VERY tiring if your mould is heavy (as a four cavity brass or iron will be).

So, I would recommend an aluminum mould if you are planning on a four cavity mould. I can handle a four cavity iron or brass mould for solid base bullets but find it too tiring to try to use a four cavity hollow point mould. If using brass, I limit myself to two cavities. Aluminum, I would get as many cavities as I could.

NOE aluminum moulds are excellent quality (better than any amount of money would buy you just a few years ago-manufacturers simply couldn't make the quality that NOE, Mihec, and Accurate turn out routinely these days).

Just a thought or two,
Dale53

[dkf]

The 135 FN is a very good 9mm bullet. Won't work for .357sig though.

[exile]

This is such great information guys, thank you. As I said in another thread, a friend brought a couple of Mihec brass molds when he came for a visit, they were works of art, but I will definitely go with an aluminum mold.

exile

[dkf]

Most of my molds are brass but I have aluminum molds. I like to cast pretty fast and the aluminum molds are actually better for a faster pace. I have to keep reminding myself to slow down with the brass molds.

[exile]

Any opinions as to whether this 135 grain hp can be safely pushed fast enough in a 9mm case to expand when cast from straight wheel weights?

The mold that I would want (four cavity aluminum, hp, bb,) is currently out of stock. Assuming that I try to purchase one after Christmas, what do I do? Place an order? E-mail NOE and ask them to make one? Wait for them to make one on their own? I have never purchased a custom mold before, so I don't want to step on anyone's toes?

My feeling is that if I wait for a group buy, no one but me is going to want a bevel-base mold, and in the heavier weight I really want a bevel base. I also don't want to wait a year. When the group buys come up I never have the money anyway.

Any thoughts? Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to all. Stay safe in your travels.

exile

[tazman]

My records show that I am getting 1075fps with the 135 fp in my Beretta barreled Taurus pt92(5 inch). I don't know if that is enough to expand that alloy or not.
I haven't done expansion tests with cast hollow points and don't have the correct alloy for that anyway. My range scrap is too soft and when I water drop it is too hard.
Here is a picture of 3 of the NOE 135 fp loaded. As you can see there is almost no case bulge when the boolits are sized .358.
122919The cases mic at .379-.380 at the case mouth and .381-.382 at where the base of the boolit is located. The OAL is 1.110.

[exile]

Great pictures and information. Thanks. I probably don't need a bevel base, but all my molds are and since they offer them that way, I might as well. I never push my nine millimeter loads real fast, 1075 fps. is plenty for me. A Taurus 92 with a Beretta barrel? Quite an interesting story there, I'll bet. Hope you have a blessed holiday.

exile

[exile]

Great pictures and information. Thanks. I probably don't need a bevel base, but all my molds are and since they offer them that way, I might as well. I never push my nine millimeter loads real fast, 1075 fps. is plenty for me. A Taurus 92 with a Beretta barrel? Quite an interesting story there, I'll bet. Hope you have a blessed holiday.

exile

[tazman]

The Taurus barrel had rifling that was too narrow and shallow to do a good job of gripping cast boolits. The rifling on the Berreta barrel was much deeper. Since the Taurus pt92 was based on the Beretta 92/m9, the barrels will interchange. For me it was a simple drop in replacement. My group size dropped 50% with that simple change. The pistol is very accurate now.
As DKF said, the 135 fp probably won't work for the 357sig because the nose is just a few thousandths too long. In some ways that would depend on if it would fit into your magazine. The 135 rf has a shorter nose and should work just fine.
Since I will probably never shoot a 357sig, what works for me isn't going to matter much. That 135 rf should do a good job in all the cartridges you mentioned.

[exile]

I want to ask again if anyone has a picture of the NOE 124 grain TC boolit in hollow-point form? The reason I ask is because the pictures of this boolit on the NOE website are all solid boolits. I was going to wait until after Christmas to decide which mold to buy, but now there is the sale to consider. Add to that the fact that the 135 grain fn is out of stock. Sorry to be a pest, and thanks again for your help.

exile

[340six]

I want to ask again if anyone has a picture of the NOE 124 grain TC boolit in hollow-point form? The reason I ask is because the pictures of this boolit on the NOE website are all solid boolits. I was going to wait until after Christmas to decide which mold to buy, but now there is the sale to consider. Add to that the fact that the 135 grain fn is out of stock. Sorry to be a pest, and thanks again for your help.

exile
Same here no pics of it as a HP says Comes with HP, FN and cup point pins whats a cup pin?

[mold maker]

Take a chance and save the bucks. You'll be happy. NOE will do you right if not satisfied.
I have 8 NOE molds and am tickled with every one of them.

[340six]

Looking at it it looks like the RCBS 124 CN profile copy made into a HP?

Note I see someone above posted they had a sale I did not see any NOE sale.
so just went and grabbed one this morning as did not see any sale on the site???
BTW) I Bought one in brass before my 1st post in this thread. So was kinda wondering if anyone had a pic of them as HP's
Plans are to see if the HP or deeper cups shoot better than FP's out the Ruger 5" wheel gun in 9mm as looks like this and the RCBS have more bearing surface than the Lyman 356204's and about the same as the 358242 Lyman round nose have maybe more
I am assuming that these are 125 as a flat point and wonder what they are as HP's and Cups? with say a #2 mix

[Jupiter7]

Looking at it it looks like the RCBS 124 CN profile copy made into a HP?

Note I see someone above posted they had a sale I did not see any NOE sale.
so just went and grabbed one this morning as did not see any sale on the site???
BTW) I Bought one in brass before my 1st post in this thread. So was kinda wondering if anyone had a pic of them as HP's
Plans are to see if the HP or deeper cups shoot better than FP's out the Ruger 5" wheel gun in 9mm as looks like this and the RCBS have more bearing surface than the Lyman 356204's and about the same as the 358242 Lyman round nose have maybe more
I am assuming that these are 125 as a flat point and wonder what they are as HP's and Cups? with say a #2 mix

I have this boolit from NOE, but not Hp. You are correct, it is a close clone to the RCbS 124cn boolit. I had to play around with seating depth to figure it out for sure but the 1.050-ish+OAL is where I ended up after plunk testing in all my 9's. at 1.07 they start to stick in my tightest chamber. Mine with range scrap/Lino mix and after powder coat weigh 127grs +/- .5. They mic at .359. And I size to .358. I like the bullet a lot, but jury is still out if it'll replace the 358242 clone I have from NOE. I got it mainly as a competition bullet figuring that a flat surface may do better impacting it's energy on steel. Have only run about 20 loaded rounds so far with unique(terrible results). Loaded 100 with easy load of 3.6grs bullseye at 1.055 and can't wait to ring them out.

Sorry I can't help on the HP front, but I'd gander the HP is around 5grs of bullet weight and if driven above 1000fps with proper pistol caliber alloy they will expand moderately.

[340six]

I was gonna use the RCBS 124 CN info from the RCBS cast book as it is close to the Lyman 358242 that i have that comes at at 128grains
Was wondering how many grains the Cup pr HP would take out? As now way that at amount would lower to lower changes to 115 grains range.
I have had best luck with Red Dot and WW231 in the 115 RCBS, 90 grain 356242, as the 125 grain 358242
{ie} Plan is to just use same loads i have with this 124 as the 358242 in Red Dot as i think the burn rate is just right for the weight and speed. It may not be the cleanest load but does work well and I have a keg plus of it lol