Heavy bullet in 9mm?

[leadhead]

Hey guys.... Anyone use the Lee 358-150 RN in there 9mm pistols?
I just ordered this mold in 6 cavity. What say you?
leadhead

[Polymath]

I was trying 148 SWC in 9mm but they would not chamber, so I pulled them all and used a 124 TC boolet.
They fit in the Lyman go-no-go block but failed to chamber in the firearm, go figure? The RN might be better.
You have to watch you don't compress the powder when using longer boolets. That was my biggest worry.
P.S. The 9mm is not a true straight wall case but tapers so it gets tighter the farther you seat it. Sometime bugles the case.
Also beware of 9mm cases with a shelf inside.
Good luck

[Tripplebeards]

Nope I just use the 124TC boolit. Chambers and shoots flawless.

[GBertolet]

I have had success using the Lyman 358311, 158 gr RN bullet in the 9mm. The 9mm has a tapered case that gets smaller internally towards the bottom. This is why the 147 gr 9mm bullets are of boattail design. This is for clearance, allowing the bullet to be sufficiently seated, within the max OAL, without bulging the case.

For my 158 gr bullet, I used a SWC, 45 cal, punch for my lyman sizer, with the bullet base up in the press. This punch swaged a boattail, which gave me clearance. This worked fine, and shot very well, but was a PITA to do for any large volume of bullets. You may not want to go to all this effort.

[trapper9260]

I use the 147 gr in 9mm also 357 and 38 spl.

[leadhead]

I wanted the 147 gr but I sure as hell am not going to pay $90 for a 2 cavity mold.
That's why I got the 6 cavity for $50. I've seen where other people have used this
bullet with good results. We shall see. So, who here shoots this bullet in there 9mm
pistols?
leadhead

[Hick]

I have used the lee 358-150 RN in my 9 mm's. I size them, then powder coat, then size again. In my Walther P1 I had feeding problems-- turned out the bullets were rubbing in the single stack magazine. In my Taurus 92 (double stack mag) they feed and shoot fine.

[leadhead]

Thank You Hick. I'll have to figure out what powder to use and how much.
It was hard finding a load for my buddy's 147 gr cast load. But, will see.
leadhead

[Soundguy]

I wanted the 147 gr but I sure as hell am not going to pay $90 for a 2 cavity mold.
That's why I got the 6 cavity for $50. I've seen where other people have used this
bullet with good results. We shall see. So, who here shoots this bullet in there 9mm
pistols?
leadhead

I shoot 147 grn hardish lead in 9mm. Chambers fine. It's a swc fn

[leadhead]

OK, that's good, but where do you buy them?
leadhead

[Kosh75287]

I use polymer-coated 147 gr. TCs in all my 9s. Driven to a velocity of 975 f/s or greater, they have the same momentum as a 125 gr. projectile at 1150 f/s, and certainly incapacitate small game & varmints (rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, oppossum) VERY well. Usually a through & through wound and DRT.
If all you intend to do is punch paper, the 150 gr. LRN mold should work just fine. I think it needs a sharp shoulder at the driving band and a wide, flat nose for use on game or as a defensive pistol projectile. Just out of curiosity, what sources are you using for loading data?

[barnetmill]

In a 9 mm I would if I have a choice i will only use lead for paper punching and a round nose design will more often give better functioning. I found that generic hollow points such as winchester white box work well enough for game and function is reliable. I am just not shooting so much game with the nine that I need to rely on cast to make it economical. One box of it will last a long time.

[joebaja]

I have run that bullet in 9mm. It has a fat nose, so to get it ti chamber reliably I had to seat down to 1.07. I got good results with Power Pistol and Blue Dot. Titegroup didn't work for me. Couldn't get enough velocity without getting to charges that seemed to be in the danger zone.

[leadhead]

I shoot all cast bullets on the range and have found the 147 gr seems to be more accurate than the 125 gr.
We shoot at 15 yards at a 8" steel swinger. I've been loading a 125 gr cast with 3.8 grs of Win 231 powder
and it seems to work alright, but the 147's are more accurate, hence me wanting the 150 gr mold.
I would never use cast as a defensive load. I use Federal HST 124 gr for that.
leadhead

[murf205]

If they ever get caught up with their orders, Magnus Bullets cast a 147 semi pointed/flat nose boolit that shoots lights out in my Ruger SR9 with Blue Dot. They were relatively inexpensive last time I checked and I bought a box of 500 on a whim, glad I did. Midsouth Shooters Supply carried them when available. A friend of mine says they anchor pigs with authority. As far as using them for defense, I'm afraid they penetrate too deeply and hence a danger to innocent bystanders. They will penetrate completely through a medium sized boar hog.

[leadhead]

joebaja.... Do you think 231 or Red Dot would work with this bullet?
leadhead

[Soundguy]

OK, that's good, but where do you buy them?
leadhead

I cast my own.. but graffs sells some MBC that look near identical to the ones I cast.. and they are in stock too. ( perhaps they have a different ogive angle.. but otherwise look very similar.

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/10656

[murf205]

That mold looks just like the Magnus boolit. It's probably a Magma mold that a lot of commercial casters use. The Grafs boolit would be an easy way to find out if buying a mold is a worthwhile venture.

[Soundguy]

I think mine is a 356637. Looks very very similar.

[lotech]

I'm not familiar with the Lee 150 RN style, but for years have used the Lyman #358212, an obsolete .38 Special 150 RN design sized to .358" as my only 9mm load. I've tried many 9mm cast bullets (at least a dozen) over the last thirty+ years and this one has been the most accurate. I use Bullseye powder and it functions perfectly in my Beretta, Sig, and Walther P4.

[joebaja]

joebaja.... Do you think 231 or Red Dot would work with this bullet?
leadhead

I haven't used Red Dot, or 231 with this particular bullet, but I have had decent results with 231 with other heavies.

[leadhead]

Yes, I used 231 with 147gr cast before... no reason it won't work with the 150gr.
leadhead

[marlin39a]

I used the NOE 358-155 before. Sized .357. Worked well in a 9 Shield and SR9.

[leadhead]

I used the NOE 358-155 before. Sized .357. Worked well in a 9 Shield and SR9.

Yes, but what load did you use?
leadhead

[Stopsign32v]

Why are we wanting to run heavy bullets again? I could see a benefit in PCC but idk about pistols

[fredj338]

I have run 165gr bullets in 9mm for minor loads. The are only going about 800fps so very quiet report & enough mass to cycle most pistols, stupid soft recoil. The 150 Lee will work too, OAL may be an issue because of the short & round ogive. I used RedDot & WST for my loads. No data obviously, so I went with 147gr starting data.

[megasupermagnum]

Why are we wanting to run heavy bullets again? I could see a benefit in PCC but idk about pistols

I don't know what advantage a heavy bullet would have in a carbine, other than if they happen to shoot better. They offer a lot more in pistols. Especially in competitions that require a power factor. It is a skewed system strongly favoring heavy bullets.

[Stopsign32v]

I don't know what advantage a heavy bullet would have in a carbine, other than if they happen to shoot better. They offer a lot more in pistols. Especially in competitions that require a power factor. It is a skewed system strongly favoring heavy bullets.

More velocity, acceptable penetration, expansion, energy, and holds bolt closed longer. I'm sure there's more but that's 5 good reasons.

[megasupermagnum]

More velocity, acceptable penetration, expansion, energy, and holds bolt closed longer. I'm sure there's more but that's 5 good reasons.

None of those things are good attributes for a competition pistol. A heavier bullet allows a lower recoiling load at the same power factor. It's as simple as that.

[Stopsign32v]

None of those things are good attributes for a competition pistol. A heavier bullet allows a lower recoiling load at the same power factor. It's as simple as that.

What?

You said


I don't know what advantage a heavy bullet would have in a carbine, other than if they happen to shoot better.

so I said


More velocity, acceptable penetration, expansion, energy, and holds bolt closed longer. I'm sure there's more but that's 5 good reasons.

[megasupermagnum]

Thanks for letting me know. I don't shoot much for pistol carbines. I was only trying to answer your quesiton too.

[leadhead]

I just wanted a heavier bullet because it's more accurate in my Taurus G2c pistol.
I shot 147gr and they were more accurate than the 125gr. Simple as that.
leadhead

[outdoorfan]

Nothing wrong with a heavier bullet if it meets you needs or desires.

But, I wanted to add this. The heavier bullet is not needed for massive straight line penetration, at least in the case of a flat-nosed hardcast.

I like the MP 125 grain rf, which casts at 135 in the flatnosed configuration. At 20 bhn, and with a healthy dose of blue dot, it went through I think 12 1-gallon milk jugs and kept going.

Neither here nor there, but I thought I'd add that info.

[leadhead]

How deep did you have to seat the Lee 358-150 gr bullet?
I think it's going to be pretty deep in the case.
leadhead

[leadhead]

Well, I cast some bullets up this morning. I guess I'll have to scrap this idea as the bullet is to long.
I had to seat it down where it took up over half the case. Guess I'll go back to my 125 gr.
leadhead

[sigep1764]

The Elco Boolit is designed specifically for 9mm cases to run heavy boolits with a narrow nose. They can be had as a 155 grain flat nose or a 147 grain hollow point. NOE has the mold. Lots of folks on here using them. Ive cast over 20000 of them, only boolit I use in 9mm now.

[Kosh75287]

I have only loaded the one projectile that I mentioned, I haven't loaded any other heavy-for-caliber projectiles in 9 mm, but I've loaded BUCKETS of those. Bullseye/Red Dot powders & ones with similar burning rates work "okay", but not optimally with them. Velocities are low, even at max. charge weights. Medium burning rate propellants like Unique, Herco, BE-86 & AA#5 give about the best function and velocities. I could not get enough Blue Dot under the bullets (w/o compressing it) to get good function. In one of my 9mm pistols, I broke 1000 f/s with AA#5, at 0.1 gr. under max.

[Hanzy4200]

I've never gone past the 147 gr size. I can't see 150 being much different.

[leadhead]

I don't have a 147 gr mold. A buddy of mine gave me 100 of his cast 147's to try.
I'd be happy with a 147 gr mold, but I'm not paying $90 for one. That's why I
tried the Lee 150 gr. It's not going to work in my gun.
leadhead