Lee microband OAL question

[Grumpa72]

I recently started using Lee's 9mm microband mold and Rooster Jacket as a tumble lube. However, the seating depth of the cast bullet has me baffled. The part is TL356-124-2R from Lee's web site at: http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1239807291.4736=/html/catalog/bullmol2.html

Should I be setting the bullet so that all of the microbands are in or touching the case? I am loading for a Sig P226 in 9mm, using Win 231, and I have used an OAL of 1.14 for my other lead bullets in the past. However, if I seat this new casting to that length, one of the microbands is exposed as well as part of the first groove. Does anyone have experience with this type of bullet? I recognize that each gun is different but, with the microband and groove exposed, the competed round sits well in my barrel. I pulled the barrel out and used it as a seating guide. I just don't know how much of this new bullet to seat.

Any opinions or comments?

thank you,
Gary

[markinalpine]

...and hand cycle them to see if they feed, chamber, and eject. I pull the recoil spring from my pistol, and cycle rounds with no primer or powder, when I'm trying out new bullets or boolits with significantly different nose profiles. For example, I don't bother doing this with jacketed round nose bullets, I know my pistols like them. :mrgreen:
Good luck,
Mark :coffee:

[putteral]

I use the TL-124-TC and I seat them to the first grove which works out at about 1.066. Feeds fine in all my 9's.

[Bladebu1]

1.169" is saami max for length
I run it a bit shorter but not much
If you start out at this size you may find it may feed better
I noticed if I ran them a touch short the may cant( angled) feed part of the way in the chamber

[Shiloh]

...and hand cycle them to see if they feed, chamber, and eject. I pull the recoil spring from my pistol, and cycle rounds with no primer or powder, when I'm trying out new bullets or boolits with significantly different nose profiles. For example, I don't bother doing this with jacketed round nose bullets, I know my pistols like them. :mrgreen:
Good luck,
Mark :coffee:

+1 to Markinalpine.
This is the way to do it.

Different lengths for different pistols. See what works. Chamber length will dictate. Feeding and ejection of a live round is also and indicator. To long may or may not chamber, and may or may not engrave the boolit. High pressures can result if it is shoved in beyond the throat. I like to keep between the two OAL measurments.

Shiloh

[Grumpa72]

...and hand cycle them to see if they feed, chamber, and eject. I pull the recoil spring from my pistol, and cycle rounds with no primer or powder, when I'm trying out new bullets or boolits with significantly different nose profiles.
Mark :coffee:


Making up dummy rounds is the way I learned and I do this for my .45 acp, normal (non-microbanded) 9mm, and .40 S&W. I just didn't know if all or most of the microbands were supposed to be hidden. Before I could make up the dummy rounds for the new bullet, I needed to know that.

Thank you all for your comments.

Gary