Advise on 9mm cast

Try 125 gr lead CN/RN/SWC with 3.8-4.0 gr of W231/HP-38 or Promo/Red Dot.

I've been shooting S&S 147 sized to .357 in my CZ phantom over 4.4 gr of HS-6 with a OAL of 1.144. Averages 910 FPS over my chronograph.

Can't say enough good things about S&S. They seem to be really good guys and Jim is great to do buisness with!

MGRAY said:

I have been loading Berrys plated 115 for my 9mm with very good results. Now with the shortage of the plated bullets, I have thought about trying some lead cast bullets. I live about 30 minutes from S & S Casting and can pick up bullets there. They have .356 in 115, 125, 147, and 160. Anybody have a good recipe to share? Thanks....Marty

Click to expand...

One of my favorite 9mm range loads is a 124gr LRN bullet over 4.0gr W231. Not too heavy a load but heavy enough to cycle the slide. Max charge on the Hodgdon site id 4.4gr so it's not near the top end of the pressure range. I'm sure you will like that load...

I shoot a 115 LRN over 4.5 grains of Unique. Soft, easy, and cheap. It's waaaaay under the minimum recommended starting charge (Lee says 5.1 grains, I think) but it still cycles the massive slide of my C9 every time.

Actually, I don't even weigh the charges any longer. One .5cc scoop (averages about 4.3 grains for me) of Unique does it. No scales, no powder measures, no leading, no worries. YMMV.

When I shot lead bullets in 9mm it was the 147 gr. with 3.3 to 3.5 gr. W-231. 3.5 gr. was the max load per W-W 14th edition manual. That load provides ca 900 fps and avoids the leading which results from shooting the lighter weight lead bullets at over 1000 fps.

Slug the barrel of your gun to see if .356" is big enough. Many 9mm barrels aren't .355". I shoot my cast Lee 125 gr. RNFP, sized to .357", over 4.0 gr. W231 in my FMK.

Don't forget plentiful and inexpensive Green Dot powder. It is superb for 9mm cast bullets.

Cast 9mm

Been shooting cast RN and the Lyman conical in the 9mm since the 70's....have shot thousands of these loads....usually over 3.5 gr's@ Bullseye.....has worked flawlessly in Smith's, Browning's, Berrettas, Sigs and Glocks ( with after market) barrels.

My favorite cast load is a 147gr over 4.8 gr of HS-6. Low recoil and accurate.

125gr boolit and 3.8gr of Bullseye works well in my 92fs

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious...

What gun are you using? Some can't shoot lead safely.

3.2 gr. of universal with 147 bullit. 3.8 gr of universal with 125s'
I wish someone had a recipe for American Select in 9mm.

chris in va said:

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious...

What gun are you using? Some can't shoot lead safely.

Click to expand...

Since the OP asked about loads for a lead bullet that's what information I provided.

chris in va said:

I can't believe nobody asked the obvious...

What gun are you using? Some can't shoot lead safely.

Click to expand...

I have been shooting lead in all of my guns for years and no trouble!! I pour my bullets for all my hand guns and some long guns.

It would be best to push a slug(lead fishing sinker) down your barrel and mic(not calipers) it to see what it actually measures. Quite a few 9mm barrels are over the standard .356. Get you cast bullets .001-.002 over what you measure for less likely of leading and a bit better accuracy. I cast and then size most of mine to .358", only one barrel takes .357".
140-147gr bullets are my most accurate over AA#5,WSF or SR7625.

baby eagle perhaps? if so, don't they have poly rifling like a glock and lead is supposedly a no-no? That said, my cousin shoots lead through his baby eagle in 40 without kaboom issues. No idea what his accuracy is since he shoots at big steel plates.

Some people have great success with lead 9mm. several have posted here. You also don't have to look hard to see people who couldn't ever get it to work right. I have struggled with 9 more than all my other calibers combined and then doubled. I Still haven't found a load that will shoot under 3 or 4" at 10 yds. I can get factory win wht box under an inch all day long at 10. At least I resolved the keyholing issues......


good luck.

Sauer Grapes, if you can't find American Select data for 9mm use Green Dot data. There data is almost identical, if not identical, within the margin of error. They both are excellent powders for 9mm cast bullets and from my years of experimentation with them, the most accurate at 25yds. with my two 9mm 1911's.

I use 4.3 greendot and i love it in my Ruger sr9c

parisite said:

Sauer Grapes said:

I wish someone had a recipe for American Select in 9mm.

Click to expand...

Sauer Grapes, if you can't find American Select data for 9mm use Green Dot data. There data is almost identical

Click to expand...

There's no current 9mm load data from Alliant for Green Dot but there's load data for American Select

9mm Luger 115 gr Speer GDHP American Select OAL 1.125" Max 5.4 gr 1,102 fps
9mm Luger 124 gr Speer GDHP American Select OAL 1.12" Max 5.0 gr 1,053 fps

Click to expand...

2004 Alliant load data for American Select and Green Dot