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Old June 12, 2012, 09:14 PM   #1
etcher1
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Need some input on 9mm

If you were going to cast your own 9mm bullets for plinking, what powder and bullet mould would you get? I'll be shooting an M&P9 4.25" barrel. I like Unique cause I can load my 44 Mag, I had seen some 9mm recipes with Unique. But I am definitely open for suggestions.
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Old June 12, 2012, 11:27 PM   #2
grandpajoe
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I've got the LEE 125 grn RN as it should cycle in any gun. Get a 4 cavity minimum as you'll get annoyed with the 2 holer. I use HP 38/WW231 and really like it IIRC you can use it in a 44 but it's not the optimum to use. The loads blow were copied directly from the Hodgdon web site.

.44 Magnum
240 GR. LSWC CAST Winchester 231 .430" 1.620" 5.5 800 12,000 CUP 11.0 1334 38,100 CUP
240 GR. LSWC CAST Hodgdon HP-38 .430" 1.620" 5.5 800 12,000 CUP 11.0 1334 38,100 CUP

9mm
125 GR. LCN Winchester 231 .356" 1.125" 3.9 1009 25,700 CUP 4.4 1086 31,200 CUP
125 GR. LCN Hodgdon HP-38 .356" 1.125" 3.9 1009 25,700 CUP 4.4 1086 31,200 CUP


I don't think you'll like Unique in the nine as there are much better powders for the it but.....
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Old June 13, 2012, 07:00 AM   #3
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I will second the HP-38 / Win 231. I use either in cast loads from 380 to 45LC, with the HP-38 being a little cheaper, but basically the same powder. I cast for 9MM from an older Lyman356402 Mold it’s a conical nose bullet, I shoot these in 4 different guns with out any feed problems.
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Old June 13, 2012, 12:57 PM   #4
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You can't go wrong with this boolit:





That's the lee 124 rn 6 cavity mold. It's either 2 or 6 cavity from lee.

For my CZ 75B, I have to cast these very hard. I use a range lead alloy, that has enough antimony and tin in it to be water dropped directly from the mold. It results in a 21 BHN boolit, that shoots as good as a FMJ copper jacketed or plated bullet.

A bucket with about 6-8 inches of cold water will quench about 500 boolits, then it should be changed for some fresh cold water.
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Old June 13, 2012, 07:08 PM   #5
FrankenMauser
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Unique, behind 120-125 gr truncated cones. Something like the Lee 120 TC.
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Old June 13, 2012, 10:28 PM   #6
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Unique is dirty @ plinking velocities, relatively clean at max loads.
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Old June 14, 2012, 01:07 AM   #7
FrankenMauser
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Quote:
Unique is dirty @ plinking velocities, relatively clean at max loads.
Heavier bullets help increase pressures to clean it up, too.
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Old June 14, 2012, 10:03 AM   #8
etcher1
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Thanks for all the replies, I think I am going to go with Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 356-125-2R 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 380 ACP (356 Diameter) 125 Grain 2 Ogive Radius.

Is there any specific BHN number that they need to be?
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Old June 14, 2012, 04:23 PM   #9
straight-shooter
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In my 9mm recipe i use a 70/30 mix of WW and Soft lead with great success.
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Old June 20, 2012, 11:59 AM   #10
chris in va
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I had keyholing issues with every 356 bullet mold I tried. Switched to the Lee 358-125-rf, sized to 358 and it shoots like a laser now.
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Old June 20, 2012, 12:14 PM   #11
dahermit
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Quote:
... 120-125 gr truncated cones. Something like the Lee 120 TC....
Used that type of bullet (Lyman), years ago for a Walther P38 WWII issue. Also, used in in a Smth & Wesson M59, and a .38 Super Colt Commander.

It fed fine, shot accurately enough, but I had a heck of a time handling them when hand loading...they would slip from my fingers, making it difficult to load into the cases. I do not have that problem with 9MM 125 Round Nose bullets.
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Old June 21, 2012, 03:29 PM   #12
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Snuffy has the right boolit; load them over 4.0 of Titegroup or 5.0 of Unique and taper cimp as a seperate and final step.
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