I played with it all fall and winter.
I need the bullet to fly fast enough to meet power factor for IDPA
Weight in grains X velocity in f/s has to equal 125000 or better.
First talk is cheap, measure then measure again.
Measure every thing
Start with max OAL and you might want to stay there, in rapid fire (pistol) rounds can move around and cause feeding problems.
Also shape can be very important; you can check this by cycling a very soft dummy round and look for damage. The curve and the length help guide the round into the throat into battery. A damaged bullet may not fly right.
Bullets "bump" when slowed down by the barrel, so sizing is important to a point.
Your loading dies will resize the bullet inside the case and if you use the Lee 4th die it will re size it again.
Size all you want but your dies will too, measure.
In your reloading book it will state pressure divide that by 1440 and that will give you the hardness needed in BHN.
Get a lead hardness tester all WW are not equal, Lee sells one.
Also you will find the same bullet mould will cast different size bullets based on the alloy used.
Most moulds are set up for #2 Layman which is a far cry from WW, water drop that and it is harder than FMJ.
FMJ and lead are in two different worlds FMJ is more like a water balloon with a hard flexible jacket.
Cast for hardness and uniform size from the mould will follow: for example I cast 9mm at 13.9 BHN testes right after water dropped.
It will harden up to about 22.7 BHN in less than 2 days after six months it’s up around 27.
It shoots without stripping the rifling and zero leading ( I have recovered about 100 rounds or so this winter)
Crony your loads.
Weight and adjust your powder as needed.
Power doesn’t matter and that’s a whole new thread.
Once your lead is hard enough unstable flight of bullets and leading will stop.
Accuracy for me in my 92fs just wasn't there with this mould.
I wanted 10 rounds (100% on target) 8" @ 25 yards from a concealed draw safety / decocker on in under 10 seconds using a timer set to randomly to go off.
This bullet just couldn't do it.
I ended up going with Lee’s 358-150-1R
My 92 slugged out at 356 just a spec’d.
I tried 356, 357, 358.
It liked 358 even thou the bullet covered by casing got sized down anyway.
So I sized then to 358 and tumble tube them twice with light coats.
The upside of having the crimp groove is it is a place for the crud to go bc it can build up and effect head spacing and stop the gun from going into battery.
I use a half turn on the four die as a slight crimp.
Now that’s where powder is a concern, some are dirtier than others.
Fouling from the lube and powder can build up in the throat and cause battery problems.
Faster powders ten to be cleaner, ball powders are easier to work with.
As for accuracy in under 10 seconds first round being double action I ended up with a sub 6 inch group
Lee’s Tumble lube works but it for me it has become a limiting factor.
The smoke obscures the target during rapid fire combine that with a higher cost of casting harder lead, a change is coming.
I have be put on a waiting list for a Star Lubersizer so we’ll see how that works, if not I will probably got to bulk FMJ bullets.
I intend to compete using my 45acp bc it’s cheaper to shoot, easier to cast for and easier to get primers.
Bottom line
you need to measure your lead hardness
slower rounds are easier and cheaper to cast
Lead isn’t FMJ
Measure Measure Measure
Read Cast Bullet Handbook by Lyman
Be aware some companies just collect information and copy products.
Which isn’t always a bad thing, but when casting go to the original source “Lyman”
Man if I had I could have saved about a grand and a lot of time.
Reloading and casting is not black magic, but a repeatable science.
