Hard cast lead bullets in 9mm

As long as they are correct for the bore, you should be golden. Medium load with a 147grn in the 9mm is in the 900fps range, I wouldn't expect any problems. I would use a midrange powder like Unique, avoiding hot powders like TiteGroup.

Charlie98 said:

As long as they are correct for the bore, you should be golden. Medium load with a 147grn in the 9mm is in the 900fps range, I wouldn't expect any problems. I would use a midrange powder like Unique, avoiding hot powders like TiteGroup.

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I agree, I had better results using CFE-Pistol and Silhouette than with Titegroup or HP-38 when shooting hardcast.

I agree with the other two replies, I've had best luck with hard cast 9mm with midrange or lower loads of Auto Comp.
I don't like fast powders with lead bullets either.

tightgroup tiger said:

I don't like fast powders with lead bullets either.

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...particularly with that heavy of a bullet. As an aside... watch your bullet seating depth, particularly with 147's in the 9mm... little moves make big changes in pressure.

Agree with the fellers. If you want to successfully shoot lead bullets, you need to know your gun. First step is to slug the barrel. If you are purchasing bullets make sure the bullet diameter is larger than the groove diameter (.002" is a good start). After seating and deflaring make sure the rounds freely chamber (plunk test). And as the posts above, a medium "pistol" powder rather than a fast "hot burning" powder works quite well (I use a lot of Universal in my 9mm w/cast)...

Let us know how it goes! I ordered the Noe 147 gr mold to hopefully load up some coated sub rounds.

Virginia Jim said:

I’m just starting to load 9mm but I’ve loaded thousands of rounds of lead bullets in .45ACP. I found some 147 gr. Redline Ballistics hard cast at a reasonable price.
These would be just practice ammo at less than maximum velocity.
How much leading should I expect at mid range speed?
Anyone have experience with heavy lead bullets in 9mm?

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those HC are good for penetration! and clearing the lead out of a pistol is easy... just pop a few FMJ rounds and that will flush the lead and do a normal cleaning

45s like lead bullets & fast powders due to lower pressure. A 9mm will require a slower powder because of higher pressure. It is usually advisable to use the lightest charge that functions when loading lead bullets in an auto loader.

9mm lead bullets? I've been casting for years for that caliber, but the 124 grain, nothing heavier. I usually load to right about 1050-1100 FPS max, no need to load barn burners with lead practice ammo. I get great results with Bullseye.

Mark_Mark said:

...clearing the lead out of a pistol is easy... just pop a few FMJ rounds and that will flush the lead and do a normal cleaning

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Hollywood notwithstanding, this is absolutely terrible advice.

The pressure data used by people publishing loads or manufacturing ammunition don't take into account ammunition that will be used to clear a leaded or otherwise heavily fouled bore.

That's why we clean our guns
with brushes, patches, solvents, time and elbow grease.

Would you like to buy some "Cop Killer" AP pistol bullets that can easily shoot through a bulldozer blade, but that'll be stopped by wearing two concealable kevlar vests?

Swampman said:

Hollywood notwithstanding, this is absolutely terrible advice.

The pressure data used by people publishing loads or manufacturing ammunition don't take into account ammunition that will be used to clear a leaded or otherwise heavily fouled bore.

That's why we clean our guns
with brushes, patches, solvents, time and elbow grease.

Would you like to buy some "Cop Killer" AP pistol bullets that can easily shoot through a bulldozer blade, but that'll be stopped by wearing two concealable kevlar vests?

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thanks! i’ll take a case.. after I clean my pistol in a ultrasonic

My experience with .45 acp barrels is that they are usually about the diameter they are supposed to be. My experience with 9mm barrels is very different. I really like Walther and Beretta 9mm pistols, and their barrels typically are about .3575" groove diameter. If you shoot a bullet of the diameter recommended for 9mm, .355 or .356", you'll get incredible Leading.

Also, I have one Beretta and and one FN barrel with a really tight chamber, such that if I use a large enough bullet to fill the groove diameter, a cartridge assembled with that large a bullet will not chamber.

Virginia Jim said:

How much leading should I expect at mid range speed?
Anyone have experience with heavy lead bullets in 9mm?

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If they are hard cast, and you stay at mid range you should be just fine. Do you have a chrono to verify?
I respectfully disagree with all the other posts that say your should use a slower powder for best results. I shot a lot of lead with Titegroup and it works just fine, but you will likely end up with a lot of smoke as it burns hot. While I wouldn’t recommend it it does produce a nice target load with good precision and accuracy. There are other faster powders that work well, Red, Target, N320, SP, 244, take your pick. Slower powders work just fine as well. I just wouldn’t limit myself to the slower powders for target load velocities. Good luck.

I had a lot of leading with T,G in 9mm and 380. Shooting coated cast. But with red dot or bullseye no issues. I love T.G for jacketed and plated.

lordpaxman said:

I shot a lot of lead with Titegroup and it works just fine, but you will likely end up with a lot of smoke as it burns hot. While I wouldn’t recommend it it does produce a nice target load with good precision and accuracy.

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That's why I mentioned it... I quit using TiteGroup with cast for that very reason. There are probably faster powders other than TiteGroup that would work well, but there is also the issue of heavy for caliber bullets and pressure. I think a little slower powder loaded in the mid-range of load data is better than a nearly maxed out charge of fast powder under a heavy bullet. Just my .02 worth, and based on my own experience.

CoalCrackerAl said:

I love T.G for jacketed and plated.

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I don't 'love' TiteGroup... I can't wait to finally burn through the rest that I have and be done with it... but I do admit it works really well for plated and jacketed 9mm 115 and 124's.

Charlie98 said:

There are probably faster powders other than TiteGroup that would work well, but there is also the issue of heavy for caliber bullets and pressure.

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I’m not trying to start an argument, but I just wanted to point out the competition crowd that shoots minor favors a heavy bullet and fast powder. They (we?) shoot a lot more rounds than the average person both in competition and live fire practice. The 2020 USPSA national survey says:
Production: 38% 147gr, 30% 124gr, 16% 150gr, 26% Hodgdon, 14% VV, 35% Tightgroup, 23% N320, 16% SP.
PCC and CO have similar numbers. Some guys I shoot with like 165gr with TG, they are a very light recoiling load. I prefer SP. I’m waiting on the next bullet order to try 135s just for fun!

I am a fan of RedDot/promo in heavy 9MM lead loads. Works well in a variety of my pistols. Actually used about 3/4 keg of promo for this in the last 10 years.

I struggled to produce a easy to cast and shoot 9MM bullet using typical scrap lead. I didn't want to be limited to custom alloys.
I didn't want to use my lubrisizer due to the extra step and needing lube that was hard to find, smoky or needed heating to use.
Every tumble lube mixture failed due to leading
Powder coating worked and its what I still use for my 9MM loads. Heavy bullets with titegroup are my favorite

lordpaxman said:

I’m not trying to start an argument, but I just wanted to point out the competition crowd that shoots minor favors a heavy bullet and fast powder.

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No argument here... but you are talking about competition shooters and firearms, and trying to reach a certain PF, not general reloading for what the OP describes as a mid-range load.

RockRat64 said:

Let us know how it goes! I ordered the Noe 147 gr mold to hopefully load up some coated sub rounds.

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I have the NOE 135 grain RNFP that is .358 diameter, I then size to .357. I use lead that is around 10BHN. Not considered "hard cast"! I use a soft lube. This round is used in 38 Special, 9mm and 38 Super at "minor" velocities and "mid" burn rate powders in 9mm and 38 Super and TG in 38 Spl!

I clean my barrels with a rolled up paper towel, zero leading!

Smiles,

lordpaxman said:

I’m not trying to start an argument, but I just wanted to point out the competition crowd that shoots minor favors a heavy bullet and fast powder. They (we?) shoot a lot more rounds than the average person both in competition and live fire practice. The 2020 USPSA national survey says:
Production: 38% 147gr, 30% 124gr, 16% 150gr, 26% Hodgdon, 14% VV, 35% Tightgroup, 23% N320, 16% SP.
PCC and CO have similar numbers. Some guys I shoot with like 165gr with TG, they are a very light recoiling load. I prefer SP. I’m waiting on the next bullet order to try 135s just for fun!

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Interesting. A different cartridge and platform, but in 357 mag. I shoot 158 gr. SWC with Titegroup. All 3 barrels remain unfouled.

I bought a barrel for the glock19 it didn't work to good in mine so I sold it.

NuJudge said:

My experience with .45 acp barrels is that they are usually about the diameter they are supposed to be. My experience with 9mm barrels is very different. I really like Walther and Beretta 9mm pistols, and their barrels typically are about .3575" groove diameter. If you shoot a bullet of the diameter recommended for 9mm, .355 or .356", you'll get incredible Leading.

Also, I have one Beretta and and one FN barrel with a really tight chamber, such that if I use a large enough bullet to fill the groove diameter, a cartridge assembled with that large a bullet will not chamber.

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So... What diameter do you recommend for a 9mm Walther PPQ polygonal rifling barrel?
I size to 0.356" currently and I do get some leading (I don't think it is excessive). I was thinking of ordering a 0.357" sizer and trying that.
I'm powder coating the cast lead, sizing and using Win231/HP-38 with medium charges.

WeekendReloader said:

So... What diameter do you recommend for a 9mm Walther PPQ polygonal rifling barrel?

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The only way to know for your barrel is to slug it and measure it. Depending on the wear of the tooling barrels of the same manufacturer can vary, reamers wear out, riflers wear out, etc. Having said that, for cast lead, a .357 will obturate in your barrel. You just need to safely work up the load again. Good luck.