9MM Lee Recipe too Hot?

[aprayinbear]

What do you guys think?

I just bought a Witness P 9mm full size pistol. I have several hundred loaded cb rounds left from an old Ruger 89 I used to shoot. On my first trip to the range I found that the gun shot right where I aimed using Federal FMJ and with my cb reloads.

So here's my question. When I reviewed my reload notebook, I saw that I had loaded my cb rounds over 4.7 grains of Bullseye. When I looked on the internet I saw that most folks were using far less Bullseye for 9mm. So I checked my Lee data and sure enough Lee suggests 4.7 as a starting load and 4.9 as a max. for the 125 gr cb. I hand measure every round so I know my loads are pretty consistent.

So what do you think. Is 4.7 too hot for the gun?

Also, I just picked up a Lee TL356-124-TC mold to use for plinking and informal target shooting. I have lots of Bullseye, so I will probably continue with the same powder. Do you have any favorite Bullseye load for the Lee mold? Also, do you size from that mold. I loaded a few dummy rounds and they chambered perfectly, so my thought was to leave them alone.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Shoot Safe, Shoot often, Shoot Tens!

[beex215]

for me i always find the lee data to be on the high side. i was using unique and they suggested 5.3 to start i think. i used 4 to test.

[bobthenailer]

Most people i know use about 4.0 to 4.5 gr of BE in there 9mm loads with 125 gr cast bullets ! remember that seating depth is different with every bullet design, even in the same weight so be careful as pressures can rase dramaticly.

[Larry Gibson]

4 gr of Bullseye over any cast 115 - 125 gr bullet is my standard load. Lee's data is from other "sources". While 4 gr is not "hot" it is a well balanced load that has funtioned every 9mm handgun and subgun I have used it in. With good cast bullets it is always quite accurate too.

Larry Gibson

[paul h]

Not a 9mm mold perse, I got one of Lee's 105 gr swc molds for both 357 and 9mm and found that the 105 shot very well out of my ruger 9mm, sized .357".

While I can't say if that load is too hot for your gun, I can say it's generally a good idea to listen to that little voice in your head when you question whether or not a load is too hot. Better to disasemble those loads than have them disasemble your gun!

[DustBowel]

I have a Lee 105g and want to use it in my P95 but am have a hard time finding load data. I do have HS-6 and Universal. Can anyone help?

Les

[garym1a2]

If you want hot loads in 9mm slower powders(Unique, WSF) are better. If you want pleasent target loads 4gr of BE or less will be good.

What do you guys think?

I just bought a Witness P 9mm full size pistol. I have several hundred loaded cb rounds left from an old Ruger 89 I used to shoot. On my first trip to the range I found that the gun shot right where I aimed using Federal FMJ and with my cb reloads.

So here's my question. When I reviewed my reload notebook, I saw that I had loaded my cb rounds over 4.7 grains of Bullseye. When I looked on the internet I saw that most folks were using far less Bullseye for 9mm. So I checked my Lee data and sure enough Lee suggests 4.7 as a starting load and 4.9 as a max. for the 125 gr cb. I hand measure every round so I know my loads are pretty consistent.

So what do you think. Is 4.7 too hot for the gun?

Also, I just picked up a Lee TL356-124-TC mold to use for plinking and informal target shooting. I have lots of Bullseye, so I will probably continue with the same powder. Do you have any favorite Bullseye load for the Lee mold? Also, do you size from that mold. I loaded a few dummy rounds and they chambered perfectly, so my thought was to leave them alone.

Thanks for your thoughts!
Shoot Safe, Shoot often, Shoot Tens!

[big dale]

I like some of the thoughts that Paul H brought up. My personal favorite load for 9mm cast boolits is 4 grains of Red Dot that Ken Waters used in some of his Pet Loads. That said that stuff about listening to the little voice in your head makes me think of some of Dean Grinell's advice about dropping the magazine before firins some loads that might be too hot. That always makes me think a little while. He ruined a set of custom stocks for a pistol just before he started doing that.

If I need more power than a 9mm, I can always haul out a 44 Magnum...it might be a better tool for a job.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[fecmech]

The Alliant Powder Guide lists 4.9 Bullseye as max with a 125 gr lead bullet so I don't think you are in any danger at 4.7 as far as pressure is concerned. That said from a practical standpoint I have my doubts that BE at a max loading in the 9MM with cast would be an accurate lead free load. They also list 4.9 grs with a 125 jacketed bullet and I don't think that would be any problem but I think it's a pretty violent start for a plain based bullet in that little case.

[oldreloader]

I sent Alliant an email about lead bullet loads. This is the response from Ben Ammonette for 9MM.
9mm Luger

115 gr lead bullet
Bullseye start 4 grs max 4.5 grs
Unique start 4.5 max 5 grs
Power Pistol start 5 grs max 5.5 grs

115 gr jacketed bullet
Bullseye start 4 grs max 4.5 grs
Unique start 4.5 grs max 5.5 grs
Power Pistol start 5.9 grs max 6.3 grs

124/125 gr lead
Bullseye start 3.8 grs max 4.3 grs
Unique start 4 grs max 4.5 grs
Power Pistol start 4.8 grs max 5.3 grs

124/125 gr jacketed
Bullseye start 3.9 grs max 4.3 grs
Unique start 4.5 grs max 5 grs
Power Pistol start 5 grs max 5.5 grs

147 gr lead
Bullseye start 2.8 grs max 3.3 grs
Unique start 3.2 grs max 3.6 grs
Power Pistol start 4 grs max 4.5 grs

147 gr jacketed
Unique start 4 grs max 4.5 grs
Power Pistol start 4.5 grs max 5 grs

Note: Start with the minimum charge wt. Reload just a few and be sure they will properly cycle the action of your pistol before reloading a quantity.

[Shiloh]

So what do you think. Is 4.7 too hot for the gun?

I think so. I'd start at 3.6 or 3.7 and work up from there.
I stopped at 4.0 when loading the 9mm with Bullseye. I went to Unique, then AA #5
Begin at the given start load.

Shiloh

[fecmech]

124/125 gr lead
Bullseye start 3.8 grs max 4.3 grs

That's quite a download from their 2005 powder guide of 4.9 BE and their old Unique max was 5.5 grs which is a 1 full grain download.

[GunFun]

This is just what I was looking for. What is the listed COL for the TL356-124-TC? My local store has not had the lee manual in stock for a while, and didn't today.

And while we are at it, have you found an optimum other than the book COL?

Please don't reply with a link to the nice sticky about how to slug your barrel and find your own best fit. I have read that and will be doing it. I just wanted to be aware of any consensus. I plan to make ammo which will run in any gun rather than optimize it solely for one.

Thanks