Nice workup. Great accuracy.
Nice workup. Great accuracy.
That's nice!
If a 41 won't stop it, I wouldn't bet my life on a 44.
Here is my limited experience with 9mm. I started with the Lee 6 cavity 122gr TC using range scrap. Molten lead was poured into the cavity, opened the sprue plate, and dropped my bullets. If I took a break, I set the mold under the lead pot. My bullet weights varied. Months past and I had a MP 2 cavity 125gr brass mold using .22lr lead, Molten lead was poured onto my sprue plate and spiraled into the cavity, opened the sprue plate, and dropped my bullets. If I took a break, I set the mold on a hot plate. The weights were almost all the same.
There has never been a round that frustrated me with cast as much as the 9mm. Of course, I find a lot of things frustrating about the 9mm. Such as the good old 4.0-4.5gr Red Dot over a 115gr FMJ filling the case to the point that it's technically a slightly compressed load. I have to load them beyond OAL just to keep pressures down - which is surprisingly the most accurate FMJ load I have. However, I also see the same thing with 4.0gr of Unique and the 120gr 358402 - which is below the starting load for the Lyman Manual. I'm not sure if powder has just gotten fluffier over the years, or the powder is fluffy enough that tamping it down with the boolits makes little difference in the load. Either way, it always makes me nervous when I see that. Though it does specify Winchester Brass - which actually has a lower volume than the Federal brass I typically use.
I've worked up loads before with the MP-125 HP, as well as the 358402, Lee 105gr SWC, and the 358242. I'd say for everyday plinking the 358402 is probably my go-to, as I don't have to change anything other than the Auto-Disk plate for switching between 115gr FMJ for my AR9s and the 120gr 358402 for my pistols. As the resulting OAL is exactly where it needs to be without fiddling with dies. However, to my distress, I have always experienced leading with anything in the 9mm. Just switching over to PC my boolits, so we'll see how that goes.
In short, I'd take any win I could get with the 9mm and cast. I've never shot the 125-2R, but that group certainly looks like a win to me. If it works well, I'd take it!
JDGabbard's Feedback Thread
Jdgabbard's very own boolit boxes pattern!
GOA and FPC have done more in the last decade than your NRA has done in it's entire existence... Support the ones that actually do something for you.
Jd:
Do you have a chronograph to check the velocities of your loads? That will tell you if your loads are above safe pressures.
If a 41 won't stop it, I wouldn't bet my life on a 44.
No, I do not. Though I’ve considered buying one for years. I’ve always relied on published data, observations while loading and shooting, as well as anecdotal information such as felt recoil. So far so good. But I’ve always had concerns over Red Dot and Unique loadings at given OALs. Loading a bit long works for pistols, and at published OAL for PCCs since since my longer OALs are too long and engage the rifling upon chambering.
JDGabbard's Feedback Thread
Jdgabbard's very own boolit boxes pattern!
GOA and FPC have done more in the last decade than your NRA has done in it's entire existence... Support the ones that actually do something for you.
So the mold I was using was a Lee 356-120-TC with tumble lube grooves. It appears Lee does not catalog that mold any more. They have replaced it with a 356-120-tc with regular lube grooves
I believe it’s designed for the .38 special. Not really knowing what I was doing at the time ordered it. However, I was able to get it to work well with powder coating. I could not get it to work well with out leading while tumble lubing. I was working up loads with bullseye and unique. I’m at the hospital at the moment so I can’t comment what the charge weight was.
I believe I made a thread about it here on cast boolits
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by michael.birdsley; 12-08-2022 at 11:54 AM.
Excellent groups! I have not cast much for nine either but have purchased cast bullets and achieved ok accuracy . I have had the best accuracy with 145 grain bullets. I have not done a lot of load development but got some good loads with sport pistol powder in my smith 929 revolver. I have some glocks, springfields, and 1 cz I need to work with and may try some 231 as it always seems to produce decent groups
Just starting to cast for 9mm got a brand new 130 gr 8 cavity RP no lube grove aluminum mold from MP.
Any one know what the boolit jump distance is that works good for the 9 ❓ thanks.
Last edited by Mandoair; 12-10-2022 at 09:07 PM.
I cast 9mm for 4 Glocks and never have had any problems. I cast 120gr that Erik hollowpointed for me and a 125gr RN. Both molds are LEE molds. Maybe I'm lucky but never had any problems with cast in a 9mm. I size .356 diameter.
Every firearm is a rule unto it’s self. 9mm is pressure sensitive to seating depth. When you start comparing published data you will find data sets using the same components with a published starting load in one data set listed as a maximum load in another data set with the bullet seated deep. With a minimal powder charge, work out the OAL your pistol is agreeable with. Once you settle on an OAL, re-visit published data and you will have a better idea of what may be close to what you are doing.
I know that didn’t answer your question but it is all I’ve got.
Willie
Thanks for the feedback on 9mm seating depths. I have done the math and know the “0” clearance col for my given bullet rmr p fn 147 gr It is 1.130 ~ which is where I inadvertently started my tests. My next batch of tests are at col 1.100 1.110 1.115 still only > around.020. Seems tight but better than an interference fit on -.??? Thanks. Reed
I only see variations when I don’t keep all the cases the same length per batch. I noticed in western load data some 147gr 9mm are as long as 1.167. I pushed one in to the ogive and got 1.036 col seems short and a long way in at least the powder wouldn’t be shaking around in there.
Last edited by Mandoair; 12-12-2022 at 02:09 AM.
Folks, this is all just math and observation. What is the bore/groove diameter? How long is the boolit? This leads to how deep and wide the expander needs to go into the case. Does the chamber support these measurements? If it fits in the chamber, it works, with good lube and proper powder load. Start at the bottom of load data and move up to functioning first, then accuracy. If it requires short loading, then it requires short powder.
My vote goes with powder coating.
I wish I could get the Lee 105 swc to feed, but neither my G26 or Taurus 92 will do that. And I've tried and tried.
I've relegated that boolit to revolver loads and my Rossi lever gun.
Last edited by Charlie Horse; 12-12-2022 at 09:39 AM.
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 |