What cast bullet works best in a factory Browning HiPower barrel?

[KevH]

I have MkII and MkIII Browning HiPowers. Both guns have their factory barrels. I have heard from several places that BHP's don't shoot cast bullets well. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good mold and sizing size that works well for the BHP?

Thanks!

[Thumbcocker]

Lee 125 rnfp .358

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[Outpost75]

In original FN-GP with NATO STANAG 4090 chamber the H&G #7 sized .358" with 3.5 grains of Bullseye, air cooled COWW and Lee 50-50 Alox-beeswax in the stick.

[ReloaderFred]

I've slugged a couple of Hi-Powers and both of them had .358" diameter bores. If your chambers will allow that diameter, then that would be the minimum diameter I would use, if your bores are also .358".

Hope this helps.

Fred

[GBertolet]

The two barrels I slugged were .358 also. I had to make up a special expander plug up, to keep from swaging the .358 bullets down when seating. The chambers were cut plenty big to easily accept .358 bullets. Depending on which dies you have, you may be able to adapt a 38 special expander to accomplish this.

[KevH]

Are you using bullets meant for 38 Special to get .358 or are you using some type of custom mold?

[winelover]

In my HP, I use either the RCBS 125 RN or the Lyman 120 TC..........sized to .358 if yours will chamber that diameter.

Winelover

[Petrol & Powder]

My experience with 9mm has been every pistol is an example all to its own. The 120 grain TC designs seem to be the most universal in terms of the number of pistols that will shoot it AND it's a good 9mm bullet on its own.

Size them to fit the barrel and still chamber, which generally means fatter that the nominal .355" diameter of most jacketed bullets.

Overall length is set by what will chamber AND also function in the magazine, Again, every pistol is an example to its own.

[30calflash]

In an older round hammer HP the best were 158 gr RNL with either 3.0 grs bullseye or 3.5 grs of Unique. Functioned well and wasn't too far off from the sights at 25 yards.

I used some Remington swaged 158 gr LHP's in it also, they worked but I don't have the load specs like OAL anymore. It was a while ago. Powder charges same as above.

I think they work due to lower pressure and velocity, no feeding or functioning issues with the RNL load.

[GBertolet]

I was quite fortunate to have two Lyman 9mm molds, that drop at .358. That makes things a lot easier.

[Ed_Shot]

I load for BHP and size all boolits .358. Every mold I have works just fine: Lyman 358242 (120) , 356402 and Lee 356-120-TC, 356-125-2R.

[lefty o]

my mkIII practical does fine with 115lrn .355" .

[EMC45]

I like the Lee 120gr. TC sized to .358 over Bullseye.

[gwpercle]

Be forewarned that loading cast boolits in 9mm ...any 9mm...is not a slam dunk , one size one boolit design fits all . It will take some barrel slugging , trying different boolit sizes , different seating depths and different powder charges to get it all sorted out. The 9mm Luger with cast boolits is/can be a real stinker to get worked out.
I don't have a BHP but do have a Walther P-38 . What cast boolit that has solved most of my problems is the NOE 358 - 124 - TC - GC , it's a 124 grain truncated cone boolit with a gas check .
The gas check helped in two ways , seating without deforming and 1000 fps without leading using a softish allow . 50-50 COWW and scrap lead , air cooled , sized .357 and lubed with lithium-beeswax lube . Some hate gas checks...they solve problems for me so I don't hate them .
The P-38 feeds the truncated cone design like a champ .
Good luck,
Gary

[samari46]

And not all 9mm barrels are cut for .355-.356 diameter bullets. Case in point. My Beretta 92FS has a barrel that slugs out at .357 did it a few times as at first couldn't believe it was that big. Accuracy with regular 115 and 124 grain jacketed bullets was poor to say the least. Bought a big box of Remington .357 jhp's and accuracy took a quantum leap forward. Funny thing my old West German Sig P6 (almost the same as a Sig P225) regularly outshoots the Beretta. Matter of fact it (P6) shoots anything its fed. Just recently qualified with it for a CHL permit. Frank

[Drm50]

I have a Hi-Power comp target. The only handgun I own that doesn't shoot cast. I don't know how many bullets I've tried along with sizing and powders. With cheap Win white box it's a bullseye gun.

[FergusonTO35]

I have one the last BHP's made, a 2016 with target sights. It eats the Lee 356-120-TC all day long and is as accurate as anything else. Never noticed any leading either. I size to .357 with RCBS 80008 lube and load to around 1000 fps with 3.8 grains Bullseye or HP-38.

[Petrol & Powder]

And not all 9mm barrels are cut for .355-.356 diameter bullets. Case in point. My Beretta 92FS has a barrel that slugs out at .357 did it a few times as at first couldn't believe it was that big. Accuracy with regular 115 and 124 grain jacketed bullets was poor to say the least. Bought a big box of Remington .357 jhp's and accuracy took a quantum leap forward. Funny thing my old West German Sig P6 (almost the same as a Sig P225) regularly outshoots the Beretta. Matter of fact it (P6) shoots anything its fed. Just recently qualified with it for a CHL permit. Frank

Not wishing to hijack this thread but, Yes and Yes !
My Beretta 92 requires cast bullets of .357"
AND
My SIG P6 is a great pistol.

[Paper Puncher]

I use a NOE 358-128-SWC sized .358. I have done limited testing with a Lyman 356402 sized .358 and it seemed to shoot well also. Grandson uses 3.4 and I use 3.7 gr Bullseye (3.7 meters faster on RCBS Chargemaster).

Shoots well in HP and Sig P6.

[beagle]

I've loaded and used literally thousands of Lyman's 356402 in my two High Powers. They shoot accurately and function flawlessly. I use bullets sized .3575" in in mine (because I had a custom sizer made years ago and both guns seem to like it). You'd do well to do some experimenting with OAL as the 9s are picky about OAL. FC brass and Speer brass seem to give less pressure indications with hot loads than do Rem and WW./beagle

[fecmech]

My BHP had a .357 groove barrel. It was very accurate with the Lee 120TC sized .358 and using a Lyman "M" die expander for .38 spl. The Devil is in the details when loading cast in the 9mm, read the 9mm sticky.