Casting and sizing question

[lee n. field]

I'm looking into casting, starting with 9mm Makarov.

Lee makes a mold for a 95 grain .365 diameter lead round nose bullet for the Makarov, but they do not make a .365 sizing die.

The mold instruction sheet says bullets can used as cast (once lubricated).

Is this in fact the case, or am I going to have to have Lee make a custom sizer (which isn't that expensive)?

 

[earplug]

It is true that you can shoot them as cast.
I have read that A good cast bullet of the right dimension is more accurate then A resized bullet.
This is because less deformity of the bullet. I think it was either a Lyman book or A very early 1960's text where I read this.

 

[ReloaderFred]

You can use Lee's Liquid Alox to lube the bullets and shoot them unsized. I would try that first and see how well they perform before spending the money for a sizer you might not need. If you haven't slugged your barrel to see what it actually measures, you might want to do that first.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Fatelvis]

Lee makes a mold for a 95 grain .365 diameter lead round nose bullet for the Makarov, but they do not make a .365 sizing die.

Don't you mean .356" diameter?

 

[ReloaderFred]

No, he means .365". The 9mm Makarov uses a bullet with a nominal diameter of .363", but bores have been encountered that measure from .362" to .366". They vary quite a bit.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Fatelvis]

I see. The "9mm" in the Makarov name is misleading.

 

[Walkalong]

I used to shoot 208 Gr. .44 WC's from a Lee mold as cast with Liquid Alox or Rooster Jacket and they shot fine. When I sized and lubed them with a Redding lubrisizer they shot a tad better it seemed, but not much and certainly not enough to warrant buying a lubrisizer. That might have just been the difference in size vs revolver throat and bore more than sized vs unsized.

I do not know what it would cost, but Lee will make non stock size sizers

 

[ReloaderFred]

Fatelvis,

It's a Russian 9mm. I think they hold their fingers differently when measuring.........

Fred