155 gr. in 9mm

[porthos]

i have a sig 210 (american made) and just got a NOE 155 gr mold. never loaded for a 9mm. no load data listed that i can find. any help??

[pettypace]

Lyman 45th Edition lists loads for the Lyman 158 grain 358311. "Suggested starting" loads are 3.0 grains of Bullseye, 3.0 grains of Red Dot, 3.5 grains of Unique, and 3.6 grains of Herco. "Accuracy load" is 3.0 grains of Bullseye for 869 f/s.

They only list a generic "Maximum Overall Length (with bullet)" of 1.169 inches. There's no OAL specific to this bullet given.

[tazman]

The Hodgdon data center now lists charges for bullet weights up to 160 grains for most of their suitable pistol powders. They don't list 155 rain boolits specifically.
155 falls about halfway between 147 and 160 so you could easily do some interpolation to get a working charge.
Just start low and work up using a chrono to get where you need to be.

[pworley1]

I would suggest that you try some dummy loads to find the correct seating length needed for your pistol before you decide on a load. If you have to seat shorter than the length given for the load you want to use, the pressure will be increased and your load will need to be adjusted accordingly.

[gwpercle]

I would suggest that you try some dummy loads to find the correct seating length needed for your pistol before you decide on a load. If you have to seat shorter than the length given for the load you want to use, the pressure will be increased and your load will need to be adjusted accordingly.

:goodpost:
I was able to load my first 9mm's with Lyman #358477 - 150 gr. - SWC ... by first making dummy rounds that would hand cycle . After that the starting loads were set at 3.0 grs Bullseye and 3.5 grs. Unique . The starting loads cycled the action and accuracy was good ...so I stopped there .
I still find 150 gr. boolits a little heavy and prefer the 124 gr. TC best ... feeds better than the SWC but at the time the only boolits I had was the 358477 .
Gary

[porthos]

well, i have a sig 210. read somewhere that the heavy bullets shoot better. have only shot jacketed so far.

[Frank V]

Try some 147gr factories & see how they shoot. That may give you an idea.
Much heavier bullets could buldge the case when properly seated as they are longer & the 9mm case isn’t all that long.
Good shooting!

[Bigslug]

Hopefully somebody with a copy of Sixguns by Keith close to hand reads this and chimes in.

When I read the book a few years back, I noted that the language was not direct on the point, but Elmer related the load info from some of his disciples that were using his hollowpoint .38 SWC in the 9mm with good results on varmints. I could only infer that he was talking about the HP'd version of the 358429, which typically comes in at something like 160 grains. As I recall, the velocities he was getting pretty much duplicated the much-discussed .38 "FBI load" of about 15-20 years later

[pettypace]

Hopefully somebody with a copy of Sixguns by Keith close to hand reads this and chimes in.

When I read the book a few years back, I noted that the language was not direct on the point, but Elmer related the load info from some of his disciples that were using his hollowpoint .38 SWC in the 9mm with good results on varmints. I could only infer that he was talking about the HP'd version of the 358429, which typically comes in at something like 160 grains. As I recall, the velocities he was getting pretty much duplicated the much-discussed .38 "FBI load" of about 15-20 years later

Maybe this:

"Many hand loaders have used the Keith 160 grain hollow point in all three of these auto pistol cartridges and some of the 160 grain Keith hollow base bullets. They seat all bands down in the case friction tight and use three grains of Bullseye in the 9 mm. Luger and claim perfect functioning and excellent small game killing. The same bullets have been used in the Super .38 with 5 grains of Unique with excellent results, the Keith bullet cutting a full caliber hole in solid form and expanding well in hollow point." (from Sixguns by Keith, page 278.)

Keith doesn't mention velocity in this paragraph, but Lyman claims 869 f/s for 3 grains of Bullseye with the 358311 (post #2 above). Just about the same as the FBI Load from a 4" revolver.

[mnewcomb59]

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/reloading-heavy-bullets-in-9mm-luger/99514

I rarely shoot 158s but I have made some super quiet rifle loads with 2.9gr Titegroup and the Lee 158-rf. They are just as quiet as cowboy action ammo except they are going around 950 fps not 600 fps. I also have made some full power 158s with Power Pistol. 950 fps in a handgun and 17+1

[scattershot]

Will these .38 Special bullets chamber in a 9? Or do you have to severely resize them? Seems like they would fit so far down into the case that they would distort it.

[lotech]

For years I've used the 150 grain roundnose Lyman .38 Special design #358212 for the 9mm cartridge. I size the ww alloy bullets to 358". I load with 3 grs. Bullseye, muzzle velocity is 870 from a 5" Beretta. Chambers and functions perfectly in a Beretta, a Sig P226, and a Walther P4 and it's an accurate load.

[MT Gianni]

I am of the opinion that when you get over 150 gr in the 9mm you are almost to the velocity of a 38 special.