Historian
Member
By mistake, I picked up a batch of cast lead 115g 9mm bullets (round nose). They measure .350 at the base. Anything that I need to know before seating/shooting them? Thanks.
Historian
Historian
New to Lead...anything I should know
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Scimmia
Member
Yeah, that .350 is way too small for 9mm.
LiveLife
Member
Yes, that your measurement of the bullet diameter may not be accurate.
Typical 9mm lead bullets are sized .356" and not .350".
I would also slug/measure the groove diameter of the barrel as larger than typical .355" barrel will probably experience leading problems with .356" sized bullets.
Also, you will probably need to push the lighter 115 gr bullet pretty hard to develop consistent enough chamber pressures to reliably cycle the slides of semi-auto pistols, especially stiffer recoil springs of compacts/subcompact.
What pistol and powder are you using?
Typical 9mm lead bullets are sized .356" and not .350".
I would also slug/measure the groove diameter of the barrel as larger than typical .355" barrel will probably experience leading problems with .356" sized bullets.
Also, you will probably need to push the lighter 115 gr bullet pretty hard to develop consistent enough chamber pressures to reliably cycle the slides of semi-auto pistols, especially stiffer recoil springs of compacts/subcompact.
What pistol and powder are you using?
Historian
Member
I just did a quick survey of the bullets. They are .356. I am shooting Springfield Arms XDm. I have been loading Berrys 115g with 4.5g of 231 and the slide cycles just fine with that load. Do you recommend going higher for this lead?
Magnum Shooter
Member
No, I recommend you find load data for your 115g cast, start there and work up your load just like anytime you change a component.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I don't know how many you accidentally bought, but I wouldn't load many of them. At .356 the chances of them leading your barrel up are good. Most shoot a little larger than that. My mold drops at .3575 and I just lube and load. Many people shoot them at .358 and even larger. Shoot about 20 of them and see what your barrel looks like after that.
Scimmia
Member
You sure you're not thinking about 38s? MOST people use .356 lead bullet without any problem at all, I'm not sure how you think most people use larger.. Yes, there are some guns out there that need larger ones, but they are the minority.
Arkansas Paul
Member
Load up a bunch of rounds for 9mm that are the exact size of your bore and let me know how that works out for you.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I would suggest reading this thread from the Castboolits site. Lots of valuable information about loading for 9mm cast.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121737-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121737-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm
USSR
Member
Yep, I size them to .358".
Don
Yarddog
Member
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RustyFN
Member
I load .356 lead RN 125 grain and shoot them in my CZ and don't get leading.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I would bet dollars to doughnuts that your bore is .355. Am I right?
And I said that MOST shot them a little larger. Not all. I'm aware that some bores are in the .355 range.
Go to the castboolits site and search for 9mm casting. You'll see that the smaller bores are the exception.
Scimmia
Member
You can say most casters run larger, but the vast majority of reloaders buy their bullets, not cast them, and almost all of them run .356" bullets for 9mm. As I said, there are guns out there that really need larger bullets, but they are the exception. Beretta 92s seem to be one of the biggest offenders.
To say that most shoot larger bullets is flat out wrong.
To say that most shoot larger bullets is flat out wrong.
35 Whelen
Member
Paul, run over to the Cast Boolit site, read up on obturation.
As my dear mother used to tell me "Don't borrow trouble." In other words, just load the darn things and shoot them. IF they lead your barrel, which I seriously doubt they will, THEN we'll help you eliminate that problem.
35W
shaff1101
Member
I went to scheels yesterday and they had 358 cast bullets. I told him I was going to use them for 9mm and he would not sell them to me, telling me that it was dangerous and I needed 356 size bullets.
Arkansas Paul
Member
After 20 rounds of .356 bullets, the leading was so bad, I was basically shooting a smoothbore. And that was a medium power load.
O.K. I'll rephrase. Most CASTERS shoot larger. And thats a fact.
You are correct that most handloaders buy bullets rather than cast them.
However, it is a fact that the 9mm is one of the pickier rounds to load cast bullets for and leading is a VERY common problem. And it is a problem often fixed by going to a bullet that's a couple thousandths over bore size.
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shaff1101
Member
So would suggest buying the 38/357 bullets at 358 for the 9mm.
I think the ones sheels had were these:
http://shop.snscasting.com/38-357-125-Gr-RNFP-38-125RNFP-500.htm
Would these work in 9mm?
I think the ones sheels had were these:
http://shop.snscasting.com/38-357-125-Gr-RNFP-38-125RNFP-500.htm
Would these work in 9mm?
USSR
Member
Those .358" 125gr bullets are just fine for your 9mm. Dangerous?
Don
Arkansas Paul
Member
I've shot some 125 grain .358 bullets designed for .38/.357 in mine. No problems whatsoever. Whether or not you need them that large depends on your bore size. If you have some soft lead, it's not hard to slug the barrel.
dickttx
Member
The very easiest way is to load some and shoot them to determine how they work.
I use .356 lead in my 38 Super. Never used anything else.
I use .356 lead in my 38 Super. Never used anything else.
Potatohead
Member
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Do you have to do one of those bore mold things to come up with the size of your bore? Or are you able to just measure it? Dumb question probably
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