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Thread: What cast bullets loads are you using in the ar15 9mm's

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    I load normal pistol loads for my PCC. 115 and 125 grain coated cast.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris S View Post
    I have found the truncated cone design (Lyman 356402) works really well in my AR9. The rounded edge truncated cone from RCBS (9115RN) is also very good and will not deform as much when seating. These designs feed well, are accurate and easy to cast. Require no gas check and lend themselves well to the 9mm case. Just 4 grains of WW231 push them with all the authority needed.

    Chris
    thats the beauty of a 9mm ar. A few grains of powder and a cast bullet and you can shoot them as cheap as a 22 at todays prices. They even have simular recoil to a 556 so if you factored out muzzle blast youd about swear you were shooting 556s. When i take my grandkids shooting they always want me to bring an ar. Even handloaded 556 is costly to blast up. I have only 5 bricks of 22 shells and hate to even use them and have to dig for more. used to take out the smith ar22 but i ended up giving it to the son in law and if the kids blast up 22s there his not mine. When i take them out its with a 9mm ar15 or maybe a 300 bo with cast bullets.

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    I agree completely Lloyd. I have lots of guns, I think I re-load something like 20 different cartridges now. But I think I like shooting the PCC's in 9mm the most, just good fun. Nothing serious, just good plinking for everything that word can mean. I can gather 100 rounds or more of brass in just a few minutes everytime I go to the range. I'm forever amazed at how people just let it go. I have a little less than 8 pounds of 231 in my inventory and a couple hundred pounds of lead. So long as I can get primers, I'm assured lots of grins.

    Chris

  4. #24
    Boolit Man
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    I shot a lot of Lee 356-125 2R powder coated and they work well in my 9mm AR. I'm using HP38 for powder. I am also playing with a NOE 135 gr hollow point mold. I'm still working up a load but it looks to be pretty accurate.

  5. #25
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    tomme boy's Avatar
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    I have a bunch through mine as well. I am now using a mp135 fp bullet powder coated. I am running a lot higher that book loads. But I contacted SW powders and got some load info from them. I coat these bullets a different color that only run in the AR9. They would be higher than 9mm major loads but safe because of it being a blowback action. They would be a big problem shot in other guns.

  6. #26
    Boolit Mold
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    120gr powder coated cast bullets, with 3.9gr Titegroup works well in mine.

  7. #27
    Boolit Mold
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    I'm new to casting but I do have an AR9. I've shot it in Steel Challenge and USPSA and I am working on a load for Steel Challenge. I recently got a LEE TL356-95-RF. I pc'd them and sized to .356 and loaded them with 4.2gr of AA#2. Velocity was right at 1200fps with an 8" barrel. Accuracy was missing. Maybe 10" group at 50yd? Pretty bad. My bullets dropped at 97gr using range scrap lead. I will try to size some at .357 and .358 and see what happens.
    Last edited by ElGuapo; 02-10-2021 at 01:20 AM.

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
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    I add another vote for the Lyman 356402. It has a sharper taper than the Lee 120 TC and feeds in all of my 9 pistols and 8" AR. Alliant Power Pistol seems to provide the best accuracy for me.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master

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    I like my AR-9 a lot. It is just fun to shoot and with cast lead powder coated bullets the shooting is cheap. I use the Saeco 125 gr. round nose bullet powder coated and sized to .356" due to a tight throat in my barrel. I think it is the Saeco number is 323 but it is a great bullet design that feed well just like a jacketed 9mm bullet. I have tried the Lee 125 2R design but it has a longer full diameter part that stick out of the case and it gets lodged into the throat when loaded to 1.20" OAL and I am not good with that. I like my rounds to drop into the chamber and fall back out when I tip the barrel up. If I seat the Lee bullet deeper they don't seem to feed as reliably and I am afraid of pressure spikes. I load 3.9 grains of Tightgroup now and like it a lot as it throws very consistently and cycles the action well.
    Mtgrs737
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  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    My FM Products uppers eat anything I throw at them. They have generous throats. And they are accurate too.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Is anyone using the Lee 124 RN TL design?

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by ElGuapo View Post
    I'm new to casting but I do have an AR9. I've shot it in Steel Challenge and USPSA and I am working on a load for Steel Challenge. I recently got a LEE TL356-95-RF. I pc'd them and sized to .356 and loaded them with 4.2gr of AA#2. Velocity was right at 1200fps with an 8" barrel. Accuracy was missing. Maybe 10" group at 50yd? Pretty bad. My bullets dropped at 97gr using range scrap lead. I will try to size some at .357 and .358 and see what happens.
    if your not doing it already use an alloy at least 15bhn. Just feeding in an ar can damage soft bullets and in my experience harder about always shoots better in any gun. Then try 357. that size works well in about all of my 9s. Ive got one smith M&P thats tight and needs 356 to run a 100 percent but thats a rare one. Then dont judge your gun by one bullets. Just a change in bullets or weight can cut 4 inch groups at a 100 yards to 1 inch. that 95 grain bullet was actually a design for the 380 not the 9. Id try something in the 120 range. Good bullet is the rcbs 120 round nose. that bullet has been one of the most accurate 9mm bullets in all of my guns. cast it out of 15bhn or even water dropped ww and use your same powder charge. 9mm ar15 accuracy can be found. My cmmg full sized 16 inch gun will shoot many loads into an inch or close to it at a 100 yards! Even my 4.5 in psa 9mm ar15 will do that at 50 yards with a red dot.

  13. #33
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris S View Post
    I have shot many thousands of rounds of cast and PC'd rounds thru my AR9. I use 4 grains of WW 231 under any one of several 115 to 130 grain slugs I have molds for. All work well. Have to say, the truncated cone designs seem to work best.

    Chris
    Yeah, this has me re-thinking bullet design in my AR-10mm. I'm thinking truncated cone shape would work better than round. I have almost zero margin for error in terms of min OAL with my current 40 mold.

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  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by brstevns View Post
    Is anyone using the Lee 124 RN TL design?
    I have that mold. The nose profile is a bit chubby for most 9mm barrel throats. It is a good feeding and shooting boolit. You may have to seat it deeper and reduce the charge some. The 120 grain TC mold is better I think.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    No AR here but my 9mm Mech Tech likes the 124 Lee tumble lube powder coated and sized .357” with 4.1 gr. WW 231. I also use this same load in a Ruger 9mm I have. I seat and crimp it in the last groove and it always feeds.

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy Lead Freak's Avatar
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    Are you casting an alloy or just wheel weight lead? I've never been successful with any 9mm cast load. I always try to keep the pressure below the strength of the lead, but still end up with keyholeing at the target.

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    Hi Dana!
    Have been powder coating wheelweight lead dropped into water from the mould. Use 4.2 gr. WW231 (HP38 is the same stuff). It functions the action of a Mech Tech carbine and a Ruger pocket pistol I have as well as a Glock a friend shoots. Sized to .356". I guarantee that these don't keyhole. There's a spot out in the mountains around here where this friend shoots and he has an 8 gallon propane bottle set up. He could ding it pretty regularly with that carbine. It is an ungodly yardage from the spot we were shooting from. Won't even say how far it was because it would sound like a tall tale.

    I ring the 100 yard steel plate almost every time and it's about 10" in diameter.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master



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    2 friends and I just took shifts loading 2500 of the Lee 125-2R on a Square Deal for a little local subgun shoot . 4.2 gr 231, Winchester SP primers(old ones with nickel plate !) .They all went bang in a Sten, a Madsden(cool little gun !) , UZI and an AR9 upper. Our "pay" for helping out was running a few mags, as 2 of us have no full autos . Can't speak to accuracy as these guys just like to hose stuff down at short yardage . About 10 folks , good fun and a crab boil for lunch. Although not a TL boolit, these were all coated with Lee snot , pretty hard as he used mucho lino in the mix. Some 147 jacketed were loaded as well, pretty cool run through suppressors ( did not run cast through the cans)

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check