New to reloading newer to casting

[kelli]

I got into reloading over the past several months, would be doing more of it if I could find primers.

I’ve been lurking on this forum reading for several weeks, id like to get into casting - I used to make cast jewelry, so it seems like it’s not much different.

Can anyone recommend a good 9mm hollow point mold that’s not out of stock? Can’t find anything hollow point on eBay.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Welcome to the mad house, can't help with a mold recommendation

Cheers
BA

[kevin c]

Welcome!

While he seems to be sold out right now, I do highly recommend MP molds, who sells both solids and HP molds.

What's your planned use for cast bullets? For plinking and practice ammo, and for the ease of learning, an inexpensive aluminum multiple cavity mold for solid bullets might be a good option, with the more expensive and technically more complicated hp mold to be picked up later (it's great that you have metal casting experience, but I'm not sure how much carries directly over to bullet casting).

[sigep1764]

Call NOE. They will usually run what you want. The Elco mold for 9mm has been very good to me.

[Burnt Fingers]

Stop shopping eBay. Chances are you're going to overpay.

I have both NOE and MP hollow point molds. I MUCH prefer the system that MP uses. For me it's much faster in operation.

There are some group buys that MIGHT go active soon.

I do like the NOE ELCO bullet. https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/355-9mm/358-155-tc-as5/

[oley55]

Stop shopping eBay. Chances are you're going to overpay.

I have both NOE and MP hollow point molds. I MUCH prefer the system that MP uses. For me it's much faster in operation.

There are some group buys that MIGHT go active soon.

I do like the NOE ELCO bullet. https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/355-9mm/358-155-tc-as5/

there are always exceptions. There is a seller (bjboydent) on evilbay who sells brand new MP molds for only a few bucks more than Miha. Right now no hollow points in 9mm. I bought a NIB 452-200 RF mold for $95 as opposed to Miha's $86, in stock and immediately available for a few more bucks. Brass HP molds for $152 vs Miha"s $128. Just saying there are some legitimate venders if you are careful.

[kelli]

Stop shopping eBay. Chances are you're going to overpay.

I have both NOE and MP hollow point molds. I MUCH prefer the system that MP uses. For me it's much faster in operation.

There are some group buys that MIGHT go active soon.

I do like the NOE ELCO bullet. https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/355-9mm/358-155-tc-as5/

Probably not a bad idea to stop shopping ebay, which is one of the reasons google led me to this forum. Just starting out I didn’t know where else to look, especially because most of the items I bought for reloading were out of stock on the manufacturers and resellers sites, but they are in stock on eBay.
I get there’s an ammo/reloading components/equipment shortage right now, but when I can buy the same thing on eBay or GB those sites became my goto.

For training or plinking I can get plenty of j-word 9mm for cheap enough to not be worth making my own, but HPs are selling at a premium, and they don’t come in any of those pretty powder coated colors, so I thought I might try casting some and coating them if I could find a mold.

[Conditor22]

Welcome to castboolits,

If you are new to casting, I'd suggest starting with something like the lee 356-125 2R, a basic round nose boolit.

I personally don't see the big advantage to HP molds, with good shot placement and the right alloy regular lead boolits will get the job done (and have been doing so for over 100 years)

I would be very careful buying used mold on ebay, many people are unloading junk. IF the seller doesn't have a good rating and a return policy --- avoid them.

This is a tough time to get into casting and reloading with the new person in the Whitehouse, over 7 million new gun owners last year, law enforcement, and military stockpiling munitions, AND Remington going bankrupt this created the shortage.

On the plus side, RCBS's parent company bought Remington's ammunition manufacturing plant and they now are running 4 crews 24-7.

Last week I got lucky and bought a case (5 bricks/ 5000) of Remington 7-1/2 LA Small bench rest primers for $252.44 shipped. Best price I've seen in a long time.

When you do get a mold & dies and get into 9MM reloading do more research on loading 9MM. 9MM has a tapered case that needs to be expanded to except boolits. people tend to downsize the boolit either in the seating or crimping process then end up with a boolit that is too small, leads the barrel, and is inaccurate.

[gwpercle]

My favorite 9mm / .357 mould is an NOE but it's not a hollow point .
NOE # 358 - 124 - TC GC , a 124 grain cast truncated cone that drops from the mould at .358" (wheelweight / soft lead 50-50) .
I didn't want to bother with hollow points so I had this mould made for a gas check ... cast from a soft alloy and use the gas check to drive them 1,000 + fps .
Sized .357 I load them in 9mm Luger and 38 Super . Size to .358" I load them in 38 special , 38 special +P and 357 magnum .
The bullet will flatten out without a HP and the GC keeps the leading at bay .
It's a shame most enventory is out of stock ... place an order and they will catch up soon I'm sure .

Welcome to the addiction ... Nice to have new member .
Gary

[charlie b]

IMHO, as a beginner it would be best to not start with a HP mold. Unless you can find a NEW Lee mold I would go to Accurate, MP, NOE, etc to see what they have. A 125gn RN or TC would be my recommendation for first starting out.

You also need to decide about lube/coating. Lubesizer, pan lube, tumble lube or powder coat.

[JoeJames]

I have not been casting terribly long, and probably cannot add much, but there is a free book available in PDF format on the internet that has helped me a great deal. Almost as much as advice on here when I had done enough casting to begin to know what questions to ask. The book is
From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide For Handgunners. Google it and download it. Here is the url which I think will work: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_textonly2.pdf

[kelli]

I'm reading that book now.

I got into reloading because of the ammo shortage, given the cost of supplies it certainly hasn't saved me any money. I'd like to get back into training at the range every month again.

Anyway, what I ended up loading was things I couldn't buy - like Lehigh Defense Chaos Bullets for my 5.56 defense carbine, and SP varmint cartridges.

There's plenty of store bought FMJ in 9mm around if one feels like spending the money, so I thought I might like to cast for it. Aren't there moulds with pins where you can cast different nose profiles?

[Wayne Smith]

No, there are molds with pins that allow you to cast different nose hp's. That's different than nose profile. Mia Previk (MP Molds) makes molds with interchangeable pins that allow this easily. You simply put a different HP pin in the mold.

Given the current cost profiles you will pay just as much for a Lee mold as for an NOE or MP mold, and get infinitely better quality with the latter. Mia has been accused of making jewelry, his brass molds are so pretty!

You also need to research lead alloys and what is available to you there as well. You haven't posted your location, but Rotometals ships nationally. You can click their icon at the top of the page to go to their website. If you are reading Glen's book you will have enough information to order intelligentially. Other, more local, resources may take some creativity to find.

[725]

Welcome to the board. There is a learning curve with all this stuff. Hang in there and you will be rewarded, mightily. Fun & useful stuff. Personally, I'd skip the hollow point and go for a good solid. YMMV. Good luck.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP>>>

Can anyone recommend a good 9mm hollow point mold that’s not out of stock? Can’t find anything hollow point on eBay.


Welcome to castboolits,

If you are new to casting, I'd suggest starting with something like the lee 356-125 2R, a basic round nose boolit.

I personally don't see the big advantage to HP molds, with good shot placement and the right alloy regular lead boolits will get the job done (and have been doing so for over 100 years)

SNIP>>>
Kelli,
Welcome to the forum.
I agree with Conditor22 about no big advantage to HP molds, especially if you are comparing them to Factory ammo with jacketed HP. A homecast boolit hits very different than a Factory Jacketed bullet. A factory jacketed bullet needs a hollow point for better expansion, due to the hard copper or brass jacket. A well thought out handloaded homecast boolit with large meplat that was cast with a fairly soft alloy, will cause more trama to the meat/muslce than most factory HP ammo, because a factory HP bullet often fragments. A projectile that stays together will deliver more trama.

Also, using a HP mold can be troublesome to operate compared to the simplicity of a non-HP mold...which is important to the frustration factor of being a beginning caster.

[oley55]

As others have mentioned, starting out with HPs seems like the perfect recipe for frustration or outright failure. I am way new to casting and continue to struggle to get my percentage of keepers much higher than 60% (on a good day). I can not imagine what my cull rate would be if I were casting HPs.

My limited perspective on casting bullets goes something like; why did I wait so long to start casting?, wow this is way more complicated than I ever imagined!, man I have a long way to go before I'm ready to try anything more difficult than solid pistol type bullets, man casting bullets can get expensive, and finally back to the beginning why did I wait so long?