Okay fellas, hoping that Archangelcd will bring his experience to bear on this. I've been casting bullets and reloading for over 30 years, but until recently all cast was for plinking, and hunting rounds were jacketed. I have the last year or two, re-discovered the revolvers in my safe (got tired of chasing brass) and have moved to cast bullets for all handgun and rifle use. Finding I was in low supply of the white box "FBI" load for my j-frame, I began looking for an equal reload. I ended up on your fine forum and found the thread of duplicating that load. It took some research to find exactly what Archangel was using in HS-6, but I am well pleased with the results. A BHN ~8 155 cast HP expands to a classic shape, measures 65 cal. and retains 98% weight. Penetration in wetpack indicates it would perform similarly to the Winchesters in gelatin tests, and it's highly accurate in 5 revolvers and 1 model 92.

Now I've moved on to maximizing a 147 grain, (actually ~135 grains after HP'ing) cast RN in 9mm, and believe I can achieve the results I want from HS-6. Previously I have loaded 5.1 grains of Accurate #5 (Accurate book load) but that's not enough to get the expansion and penetration I'd like to see. I have found some 147 jacketed data, most subsonic, but very little upper end +P for cast. If I can find a start load with approximate pressure figures, I can work from there to get what I want, and have the experience to know when to stop. Preliminarily I've found suggestions of 4.8 to 5.0 HS-6, (would reduce 10% to start and work back up) but no pressure estimates (comparing firing results with Richard Lee's percentage decrease tables, among other references to increase safety). Any experience in this area would be appreciated.

I'm sorry to say I don't have much data for the 9mm with HS-6. Because my son likes shooting jacketed bullets in his 9mm and is willing to buy them I do most of my 9mm loading with W231 or Longshot. I also usually load a 124/125gr bullet and have done very little with a 147gr bullet. When I did try HS-6 with a 147gr bullet I couldn't find an accurate load but that doesn't mean it will happen with your handgun. Longshot worked better there too.

The 124gr loads I did like are:
124/125gr LRN bullet
CCI-550 primer
OAL 1.125"
6.5gr HS-6

124/125gr FMJ bullet
CCI-550 primer
OAL 1.100"
6.9gr HS-6

I have the Lyman 4th Edition Cast Handbook and I'll post the data from it. Using a Lyman #356637 147gr RNFP bullet with #2 alloy, here's the data.
OAL=1.058"
Test barrel = 4"
Start 4.4gr HS-6, 846 fps, 26,700 CUP
Max 5.0 HS-6, 968 fps, 31,900 CUP

The highest velocity they show was achieved with AA#7 with a max charge of 7.1gr, 1061 fps and 29,300 CUP. The "potentially most accurate load" shown and the one with the second highest velocity is made with a max charge of 4.6gr Power Pistol, 1033 fps and 30,200 CUP. Starting load of AA#7 is 6.3gr and starting load of Power Pistol is 4.1gr.

Sorry I couldn't give you the HS-6 data you're looking for but I hope the other information helps.

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SWCA #3437

Thanks greatly for the quick reply. I have Lyman third edition which only lists three 9mm bullets with 356402 at 121 grains being the heavy. I'm casting a Lyman 358212 modified to HP. Accurate's Fith edition shows the 5.1 of #5 for lead 147 grain, and all that "early" stuff was subsonic as the interest in 147 then was for supressed sub guns, although I carried the Federal 147 Subsons on duty in a Glock 17. I guess I'll have to break down and buy another powder, just when I was getting my stock whittled down to the least number of most versatile powders! Well, at least I've got room on the shelf! Thanks again on the information you unknowingly provided on the .38 158 lswchp, that will one day be as classic as Elmers 357 loads of 2400.

Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad I was able to help just a little...

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Ready on the Right,
When I shot a cast 147 gr. lead bullet in my 9mm I found 3.3 to 3.5 gr. W-231 provided a good accurate load.
The W-W 14th Edition reloading manual provides the following pressure tested data for a 147 gr. cast lead FP bullet in 9mm:
3.3 gr. W-231 = 865 fps = 29000psi
3.5 gr. W-231 = 905 fps = 32100psi

4.5 gr. W-540 = 840 fps = 26900psi
5.0 gr. W-540 = 925 fps = 32500psi

5.4 gr. W-571 = 895 fps = 27500psi
5.9 gr. W-571 = 970 fps = 32700psi

BTW, for those who don't know, W540 = HS-6 and W571 = HS-7.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

9x19
Bullet Weight Powder Weight Velocity Note Power Factor COL
L-RNFP 147 HS6 4.4 846 Start 124
L-FP 147 HS6 4.5 840 Start 123 1.169
L-RN 147 HS6 4.8 925 136
L-FP 147 HS6 5.0 925 Max 136 1.169
L-RNFP 147 HS6 5.0 968 Max 142

Purely as a guesstimate, I would start at 4.8 and work up to 5.5gn Max.