What would you choose, .356 or .357?
What would you choose, .356 or .357?
Go with .358.
357 has served me well in multiple 9mm for lubed cast boolits. For pc 356 works just as good.
“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them." the duke
I load for three different 9mm autoloaders. To satisfy all three, I've found that .358" is a good compromise. It also allows me to use the 147 grain TC cast bullets in my 38 and 357 revolvers with good accuracy. Makes life simple!
Keep your powder dry,
Scharf
I've ran into several, SCCY, H&K, S&W M&P and a Highpoint, of my friends guns I had to size to .356". If you have a specific gun, do a plunk test, but at .358" they wouldn't even chamber in the above guns. I keep hearing of guys getting.358" to chamber, but I've yet to see that gun.
Now, with my new NOE setup, I have .356, .357 and .358 to try now, so I'll be curious, but still think with the tight factory chambers, I'll have to go to .356.
.358" has worked in all of my 9MM's
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
Or use the Lee tumble lubed designs as cast. No sizing. Works great in all of my 9mm and 40 S&W which are all Glock uppers with KKM barrels.
These are 2 good threads to read. No matter what you size it at IF you over crimp your in trouble
.357 works well for most of mine except my Llama that requires .360
Setting up for boolits in a new 9mm
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post1330876
Crimping 9mm: a new thread for novices
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post1383789
You didn't mention what your barrel slugged at. This is your starting point and no one can say with any certainty what size might be best until this is known. My 9mm Ruger will shoot a Lyman .358 150gr semi wadcutter designed for 38 special/.357. And it slugged at .356. .002 to .003 over is usually best with cast lead.
Last edited by buckshotshoey; 07-30-2017 at 07:32 AM.
If interested in best accuracy and no leading, load the fattest bullet that will chamber without difficulty. This will likely be a .358", maybe even .359". I size .358" for a P226, a Beretta, and a Walther P4. All guns are more than twenty-five years old; don't know whether that makes a difference or not.
My cartridges would not chamber in a Glock 9mm (back when they only had a couple of models on the market) and more recently found they would not work in an H&K.
This. Not that I have an abundance, just a couple Glock's, a Shield, a DB9, and M&P357Sig. And ran them through a friend's RIA 9mm 1911.
If I have issues with plunking 9/10 it's the case mouth needs just a touch more crimp, not much extra room in that area with a fat bullet. Can be a bit misleading when trying to get the OAL set right initially, a sharpie is your friend.
I have loaded for a boatload of 9mm headguns. I have never found one that worked well with 356. I have never found one that didn't work well with 357. I have found a few that would not accept a cartridge loaded with a 358 diameter bullet. If it can chamber. 358 they will shoot fine.
First reload: .22 Hornet. 1956.
More at: http://reloadingtips.com/
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the
government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian."
- Henry Ford
For years in handguns (HPs, M39s, M59s, Berretta's, Astra's, Radom's, Lugers, etc.) I sized 9mm cast bullets of several designs .356 and never had a problem. I then used the 9mP loaded with cast in several subguns and found .357 and .358 worked better. For the last numerous years I've pretty much used the 356-120-TC exclusively and size it to .357 for the 9mP cartridge for use in handguns. I did run several hundred sized .357 loaded over 4 gr Bullseye (my standard 9mp through an Uzi a couple years ago and they worked fine w/o any leading. BAC is the lube btw.
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
I've been running .358
My selection of mouse guns is limited. Sig P938 and two Springfield XD pistols. One 5" and 4".
Semper Fi!
Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.
I like strange looking boolits!
NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.
Before I started powder coating I used to size all my 9mm's .358" I found this was the only way to 100% insure that there would not be any leading in the various pistols I load for.
This also worked out really well because the 124gr TC TL I cast shoots great from 38spl/.357 too. I crimp them in the last TL groove.
With the powder coating I am finding that I am able to reduce my alloy hardness to from 15bhn down to 12bhn and I "can" size .356" without any issues.
I see where a lot of guys have problems with "oversize boolits" in CZ 9mm pistols though. Just something to be aware of.
I still use them .358" in the .357 revolvers though.
Motor
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 |