OK guys, now I'm starting to look at the Lee bullet molds, but not sure which sizes to go with. I currently load .430 XTPs for the 44, and also load .355 for my 9mm. Now sizes are different for casting. I'm looking at the Lee 429-200-RF, and the .356-120-TC as the ones I would need to purchase? The pistols I am shooting are the Ruger New model Super Blackhawk 44 mag and a Glock and XDm-9 9 mm. These differences in bore sizes are a bit confusing. Any help is appreciated.
Need help with bullet mold selection
- Thread starter Swampman1
- Start date
totalloser
New member
Generally you go up .001" for cast lead. Some folks will say to "slug" your bore to fine tune.
Molds generally drop AT their stated size or *slightly* larger.
One other issue is the polygon barrel. Net wisdom says it's a no-no, but there are more than a few folks that claim to shoot cast in their polygon barrels. My suspicion is *they* are right and the polygon legend had more to do with the idiot who blew up a Glock shooting unlubed boolits, and the fact that 9mm and .40 are pretty high pressure and require a *hard* boolit.
If the alloy is too soft, the pressure of the charge overcomes the tensile strength of the alloy, pushes past and "gas cuts" the boolit (think acetylene torch cut principle) leading up the barrel. If too hard, the boolit doesn't take the shape of the bore, the lube blows out, and gas cutting takes place.
People think the lube is for lubrication, and to some extent, I'm sure that's true. But it's most important function is as a liquid piston ring to hold back the gasses to prevent gas cutting. It only has to hold long enough for the boolit to take flight. If it blows out then you get gas cutting.
9mm runs about 33,000 psi, so a bhn of 26 is about right. 26 is pretty difficult to attain with any lead/tin alloy as I understand it. But I got 26 with water dropped wheel weights on my first try. Wheel weights are pretty ideal alloy though- other than being a little short on tin.
Oh, and don't be surprised when your 9mm boolits come out .358"- they do double duty for .38 special, .357 magnum etc. which run larger than 9mm para/luger. I wouldn't even bother testing first with that mold- just get the sizing die.
S'cuse my soapbox, but one last note: The Lee modern reloading book has quite a bit of info about using cast boolits. I imagine similar information is not unlikely to be in other handloading books. My Speer book didn't have much, but they manufacture bullets, so I can see why they might not want to share such info.
Molds generally drop AT their stated size or *slightly* larger.
One other issue is the polygon barrel. Net wisdom says it's a no-no, but there are more than a few folks that claim to shoot cast in their polygon barrels. My suspicion is *they* are right and the polygon legend had more to do with the idiot who blew up a Glock shooting unlubed boolits, and the fact that 9mm and .40 are pretty high pressure and require a *hard* boolit.
If the alloy is too soft, the pressure of the charge overcomes the tensile strength of the alloy, pushes past and "gas cuts" the boolit (think acetylene torch cut principle) leading up the barrel. If too hard, the boolit doesn't take the shape of the bore, the lube blows out, and gas cutting takes place.
People think the lube is for lubrication, and to some extent, I'm sure that's true. But it's most important function is as a liquid piston ring to hold back the gasses to prevent gas cutting. It only has to hold long enough for the boolit to take flight. If it blows out then you get gas cutting.
9mm runs about 33,000 psi, so a bhn of 26 is about right. 26 is pretty difficult to attain with any lead/tin alloy as I understand it. But I got 26 with water dropped wheel weights on my first try. Wheel weights are pretty ideal alloy though- other than being a little short on tin.
Oh, and don't be surprised when your 9mm boolits come out .358"- they do double duty for .38 special, .357 magnum etc. which run larger than 9mm para/luger. I wouldn't even bother testing first with that mold- just get the sizing die.
S'cuse my soapbox, but one last note: The Lee modern reloading book has quite a bit of info about using cast boolits. I imagine similar information is not unlikely to be in other handloading books. My Speer book didn't have much, but they manufacture bullets, so I can see why they might not want to share such info.
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Mike your cylinder throats and cast to where you can just barely push them through your tightest chamber. My super blackhawk hunter measures .434 at the cylinder and .431in the bore. Much looser than "normal" cast boolits, before sizing my bore I couldn't shoot any lead aloy without SEVERE leading. Now that I'm sizing my boolits correctly I'm pushing them over 1300 with virtually no leading and great accuracy. Similar theory goes for your 9mm, cast .001 over bore. You will also notice when you change aloy you will drop different diameter boolits, my advice is find an aloy that shoots well and stick with it. I use 50/50 lead to wheel weights with a little tin added and have really good results in my 44 mag.
Also may be worth googling "lee-menting".
Also may be worth googling "lee-menting".
OK I'm afraid I don't understand that. If I cast a bullet, how do I adjust the size of my bullet? I can understand if for example, my mold is dropping bullets at .358 and I want to size down, I can get a sizing die .356. But If the 44 mold drops bullets at .429, is that acceptable for this Ruger Super Blackhawk? Because right now it shoots .430 XTPs. So is it typical for the mold to actually drop them larger than .429? Sorry about my confusion in this.
chris in va
New member
Skip the TC bullet mold. Lee makes a 356-125-2r that actually drops at 361. I size them to 358 for my CZ.
myfriendis410
New member
There is a technique called "beagling". You can increase the drop diameter by using aluminum tape in strips to either side of the cavity on your mold. Extensive testing on these "oblong" bullets have shown no loss of accuracy. I have increase bullet diameter by .004" by using this technique. In a revolver you really want the cast bullet as close to the cylinder diameter as possible. The forcing cone will swage the bullet into the barrel and you will avoid the flame cutting around the bullet while still in the cylinder. That is your critical dimension with a revolver.
OK thanks Chris, so you're saying the 356-120-TC mold will not be a good choice as it will not throw large enough? These mold differences sure make it difficult on the novice. One would think they should all throw at +002-003 over. I was looking at the TC mold because I liked the bullet design, but I may have to go with what you recommend. Thanks.