Load Verification (158gr cast in 9mm)

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tyeo098

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After scouring the reloading manuals and interwebs I have come up with this load for a 158gr hard cast SWC in 9mm.

Starting load:
2.5gr bullseye
158gr hard cast
---SWC
---Sized to .357
---0.639" long
OAL: 1.100
CCI SPP
Milsurp Cases

Someone tell me I'm crazy before I head to the range Wednesday.
 
Yep!

Most likely the front driving band on a 158 SWC will be jammed into the rifling in a 9mm barrel when seated that length.

Or else the base of the bullet will be down in the tapered case web and bulge the case.

See if it will pass the Plunk Test in your barrel's chamber before popping a cap on one.

Old Lyman manuals used to list a 9mm 158 grain load.

But it was a LRN cast bullet, not a SWC.
And they never published an OAL as far as I know.

rc
 
that load should be ok. make sure you are not compressing the powder. i just got done shooting those (sized at .358") out of my bhp. col is 1.020", 2.7gn w231. velocity averages about 780fps.

quit using them. they were keyholing.

the problem with this bullet is the very small amount of powder space left when you seat the bullet. the durn thing has to be seated way down into the case to pass the plunk test.

be careful and stop if all is not right.

luck,

murf
 
Do they pass the plunk test? Who's bullet/mold? What diameter is it? What gun? It doesn't sound like it's too hot but then again I use Red Dot in 9mm so I really couldn't tell you.. and yes, I've been shooting heavy SWC's for years out of the 9.
Anyway, good luck and keep us posted.
 
Loaded up a few dummies, and yup, it either fails the plunk test based on the front driving band being too far forward (chambers under spring power, but it shaves the lead, as expected) or the base being bulged.

CD: Its the Lee 358-158 SWC
Bullets dropped at .358-.360, sized to .357
Gun would have been a Suomi for KB testing, then the CZ75B after load was OK'd

I would assume that the same load (2.5gr bullsye eye) would be fine in a 38spcl?

I have both 9mm and 38spcl guns, I was looking for a bullet that would work in both I could cast.
All the lower weight ones are out of stock, so I figured I'd try the heavier one just to experiment with casting for the first time.

It was fun but I guess I'll stock these up for loading 38/357
 
quit using them. they were keyholing.
Click to expand...
The case starts to thicken down there, and your expander plug doesn't reach that far. Squishing the base of the bullet down to sub-3.53" doesn't do much for accuracy!
 
tyeo098,

slug your barrel and swage your bullets .001" less than the groove diameter. they may then fit in the chamber. my bhp chamber is .3575". thought i could improve accuracy by using .358" lead bullets. no go. they still don't fit. i did shoot 125 gn xtp bullets (.357" dia.) and they worked fine.

went back to shooting my .356" diameter lead bullets, though. not worth the trouble.

murf
 
you might want to save those bullets for your 38 special or 357 magnum. sounds like they were designed for these calibers.

trying to shoehorn those monsters into a little 9mm case is a chore. every pistol chamber is different and the chore might turn out to be impossible (without blowing up something).

murf
 
YOUR NOT CRAZY! at all really tho that doesn't mean it's going to work. My favorite loads in 9mm is a 173gr SWC stuff into the case and it doesn't mess the base of the bullet up and there is no key holing as it's a super accurate load. Heres a pic:

Picture2008.jpg

Now on the other hand I have a Lee 140gr SWC that has to be loaded super short to chamber making it unless to me so far. (gonna mod the mold and make a new bullet) So what it really comes down to is what your gun will chamber.

I also have a CZ 75b and for the most part you have to use shorter OAL's with them but I wouldn't give up if you want to run heavy bullets you just have to find something that works for your gun.

Also CZ's have tight chambers and sizing the bullet can make a big difference. I had a lot of bullets jam up before sizing them correctly.
 
i use 124 gr FN cast bullets i buy from GAT bullets they are custom sized for 38/357, however they are usually sized for the 9mm. I don't shoot 9mm. however i like the 124 g bullets for plinking in my ruger Security six and LCR i use 5g of unique.

you could cast the 124 for your 38sp and resize them smaller for the 9mm, just saying

Bull
 
Thompsoncustom, I've used that Lee 140 SWC for years in 9mm.. it's a long booger.. I think they call it the flying beercan. I really like it. I did slightly modify the throat on my Hi-Power though (a few pistols over the years).
 
Yeah it seems .357 sized bullets are just too big for the throat of my CZ.

I just wish I could find a .356 sizer in stock ANYWHERE.
 
I recently worked up some loads of Berry's 158FP's for my LC9. Certainly not my first choice, I tried it while I was waiting for the arrival of 125 XTP's in .357. I don't have the final specs with me, but I recall seating the bullet so that the base was at the same depth as the 125gr. The LC9 has a very generous chamber and freebore/leade so it can chamber large diameters (.359+) as well as ridiculous oal's. I don't shoot this gun beyond 7yrds and this cartridge worked quite well with no key-holing. I'm also quite surprised that it hits to the same POA as the lighter bullets.
 
I just wish I could find a .356 sizer in stock ANYWHERE.
Click to expand...

Midway will let you backorder it and their estimated arrival is 6/5.
I got mine from FS Reloading about a month ago but I checked and they're out.
There is one on eBay but it's $48 so forget that.

I'd backorder from Midway if it were me.
 
Why would you want to swage down the bullet? To induce leading? This is not a good idea at all.
 
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