CAST BULLETS
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shil
Member
First, pick up a loading manual, preferably one that's intensive on cast bullets. They are a wealth of information, and will guide you with safe loads. Lyman has good ones. Next, slug your bore to obtain the groove diameter of your barrel and get the bullet sized to that dimension or .001" over. Your bullet alloy should probably be on the hard side. Watch your seating depth. The 9mm is rather sensitive to it. Pressures can spike dramatically if you seat the bullet too deeply. With that, I'll retreat and leave anything further to the many more experienced reloaders in this forum. Good fortune and be safe.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
And then hit the "Caps" button off, it's considered rude to yell for no good reason.
Maximumbob54
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What Shil said and buy the Lyman cast bullet book. For and auto loader I would use wheel weight alloy, maybe water drop them, or buy some Lyman #2 alloy.
calmex
Member
I have a 3904. I have been using cast lead since forever (because although I have the gun, I cannot legally buy shells for it, but I certainly can MAKE them). I started off with some different Lyman and Lee moulds but have pretty much settled on the Lee 6-cavity mould that has the Mold # of 356-125-2R. It is not the tumble-lube bullet TL356-124-2R which I have also tried but was not accurate enough for my tastes. The .356-125-2R weighs 130 grains using my mix, which is actually quite hard, not soft. The bullet is quite accurate and I size it to .356 using Bullseye powder, 4.3 grains. I am sorry I do not remember the exact LOA of my loaded round, but it's seated to just where the bullet starts to turn in. All my loading data and stuff is not anywhere near me, so I can't get you the figure right away either but you might have to play with LOA like I did anyway because what works best in mine might not work best in yours.
I am very happy with the load for just banging off with. I have a Saeco 140 grain SWC mold on the way, and when it gets here I intend to experiment with it as well. However, that is for the future.
I have used the 356-120-TC conical bullet from Lee also, and it works well enough but has a shorter LOA than I like. It works fine, no problems, but I just like "the look" of the longer round-nose round better. Both feed well but I can get better accuracy with the longer bullet because my 3904 seems to be VERY partial to having the just the right LOA.
Velocity is right around here with this load from my barrel. (This is NOT our range, but some disgusting hole-in-the-ground we used to have.)
Accuracy is fine. It was back in 2005 that I took this photo BEFORE we moved to the Queretaro Gun Club with it's oppulent facilities. I should point out that -- at least in my particular pistol -- LOA REALLY matters! I played around with several types of cast bullets and couldn't get it to shoot worth a darn. Then a friend "suggested" I try various lengths overall to see if it had any effect, and by golly, it SURE did! Once everything is set right, the pistol shoots very well indeed with cast. Otherwise, it is not so great. At 25 yards it will stay inside the 8 inch "10" ring all day long of the NRA-D3 target, but won't stay inside the 4 inch "X" ring -- but ALMOST. This one was just a rather exceptional 3 shot group I HAD to photograph. Crimp is a Dillon Taper Crimp applied just before the bullet starts to turn in and it's important that you have a good bullet hold because you do NOT want your bullet pushed back into the case during the feed cycle causing enormous pressure spikes. Hope this info helps you.
I am very happy with the load for just banging off with. I have a Saeco 140 grain SWC mold on the way, and when it gets here I intend to experiment with it as well. However, that is for the future.
I have used the 356-120-TC conical bullet from Lee also, and it works well enough but has a shorter LOA than I like. It works fine, no problems, but I just like "the look" of the longer round-nose round better. Both feed well but I can get better accuracy with the longer bullet because my 3904 seems to be VERY partial to having the just the right LOA.
Velocity is right around here with this load from my barrel. (This is NOT our range, but some disgusting hole-in-the-ground we used to have.)
Accuracy is fine. It was back in 2005 that I took this photo BEFORE we moved to the Queretaro Gun Club with it's oppulent facilities. I should point out that -- at least in my particular pistol -- LOA REALLY matters! I played around with several types of cast bullets and couldn't get it to shoot worth a darn. Then a friend "suggested" I try various lengths overall to see if it had any effect, and by golly, it SURE did! Once everything is set right, the pistol shoots very well indeed with cast. Otherwise, it is not so great. At 25 yards it will stay inside the 8 inch "10" ring all day long of the NRA-D3 target, but won't stay inside the 4 inch "X" ring -- but ALMOST. This one was just a rather exceptional 3 shot group I HAD to photograph. Crimp is a Dillon Taper Crimp applied just before the bullet starts to turn in and it's important that you have a good bullet hold because you do NOT want your bullet pushed back into the case during the feed cycle causing enormous pressure spikes. Hope this info helps you.
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I use the same bullet as Calmex. I am currently loading it over 4.3 gr. of 231/HP38. Getting good results from a variety of 9mm's.
calmex
Member
EPJ -- I am not a ballistician, and unfortunately, I don't play one on T.V. either. However, that being said, I think that in my case the variance in accuracy in my 3904 is basically how far out into the rifling lead-in that the bullet is. Maybe my lead-in is a little oversize or somthing, allowing for some bullet-wobble if the tip of the bullet itself isn't actually almost touching the beginning of the rifling. I don't know.
I have high hopes for the Saeco 140 grain SWC. The mold COSTS a King's Ransom, as I bought the 4 cavity. I mean, if it works, I'll be making a lot up, and 2 cavity is so slow comparatively.
When I get the mold down here via the "Midnight Express" I will let you know how it works out for me in my 3904 and my Glock. A buddy of mine also has a 669 (we got all this stuff registered with the help of the former U.S. Consul here before he passed away) and I will test it in that as well. As I said, I have high hopes.
Photo: My buddy's 669 and my 3904 before getting the frame tinted with one of the Brownell's bake on finishes.
Sorry archanglecd didn't mean to yell. I purchased some 124 gr. hard cast to start with until I decide on a mould/bullet and starting with 4.0 grs. of 231/hp38 and move up from there. Didn't know Lyman had a cast bullet book or is it part of the regular reloading manual?
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
4.0gr W231 is the exact charge I use with a 124gr hard cast bullet. It's a very good practice load IMO.
As for the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, yes, it's different than the regular Lyman load book. It's the 4th edition and it's newer than the 49th Edition Lyman manual. Also, it's not just a reprint of the full manual. There is additional data in the Cast Handbook with additional bullet from different company's molds not in the full Lyman manual.
S&W 9mms are supposed to have fairly tight bores, around.356" for groove diameter. Unfortunately the later ones have 5 groove rifling, so you can't slug them and measure them easily. Best is to try .356" and 358" and see which is more accurate.
