125 Grain Lead Round Nose .356 load data

Not finding a whole lot of data out there regarding 125 Gr Lead Round Nose and Powder combinations or recipes. Can anyone lend an opinion on what they would recommend. I was given 500 Match Grade hard cast (BHN 17) alloy bullets and want to work up a load for my SW Sigma 9mm. I can find 124 grain Lead Round Nose out there and heavier load recipes but I cannot find what I need. Your help is greatly appreciated.

It would have helped it you'd have said what powders you had on hand but no matter.
My pet load in 9MM is 5.0 gr. of Unique. I only shoot my own home cast bullets and that id what works for me.
Starting load for Unique is 5.1 gr. for 1102 FPS and max is 5.5 for 1122 FPS according to the long out of print RCBS cast bullet manual.Other good powders are Bullseye and W231/HP38 (same powder, different name)
Bullsete start: 3.8gr./1040 FPS Max: 4.2 gr./1067 FPS.
W231 start: 4.7 gr./1094 FPS Max: 5.1 gr./1122 FPS.
HP38 Start: 4.6gr./1104 FPS max: 5.0 gr./1130 FPS.
The difference between W231 and HP38 is they are just different lots of the same powder.
Of greater importance for accuraacy and as little leading as possible is the diamter of those bullets you have. As I cast my own bullets, I have total control over that factor.
Nominally, the bore of 9MM handguns is .356". I have three different 9MM handguns and every one has a .3565" bore including one foreign make gun. I size my bullets to .357" and accuracy is good amd leading of the barrel almost non-existant. Intheory and actual practice a cast bullet should be at least .001" over groove diamter and I prefer them .002" over groove diameter. Sometime those store bought bullets are sized to small and too hard.
Anyway, theere's some data you can work with. My pet load which I mentioned will do 2.0" average when I do my part at 25 yards from any of the three guns I have. naturally YMMV.
Paul B.

Thanks for the information. These bullets are .356 in size. So next time around I will go for .357 from the guy who cast them. I am afraid that not I will have gas blow through and leading. I will keep you posted as to my findings.

In terms of OAL do you have a size for your Pet Load?

T

What I did was make up a few dummy rounds, loaded them in the magazine and tried them to see how they chambered. Then, if the chambered OK I was good to go. If the slide didn't close all the way and needed a slight shove, then I'd seat just a little deeper. I did this with the dummies until I got 100 percent feeding. To give you a cartridge over all length wouldn't be of much help as the bullets you have probably are different from the ones I cast. Mine are the truncate cone Lyman bullet # 356402.
Paul B.

I get great results with the Lee 124gr. RNL. This drops bullets from the mould into water, quenched at .356 in. The powder I've found to be the best for my P95DC Ruger w/.355 bore dia. has been HS6 or the old Win. 540-same powder. My overall cartridge length is the longest that will function the gun properly. The 9mm is a high pressure round by nature. A mere .030 inch more deeply seated bullet can, with some powder/bullet combo's, double the pressure-causing a serious, if not disasterous, situation. For this reason I seat all my 9's bullets as far out as they will work in the gun/magazine combination. I also use a factory taper crimp to prevent bullet setback. If after assembly the "plunk" test is ok, then you should be good to go. Now go out and try and find components to keep your piece running.....good luck!

Well, believe or not, your gun will never know the difference between a 123, 124, 125, 126, or 127gn bullet.
For handguns, 124=125gn.
If that concerned, have you weighed them to see what they really weight?
Here is my compilation of several years worth of loading data (start with the lowest starting load and work up carefully):
Bullet Weight Powder Weight Velocity Note P.F. COL
MasterCast L-CN 125 231/HP38 3.5 1028 Start 129 1.100
Speer L-RN 125 231/HP38 3.8 911 Start 114 1.130
Magma L-RN 126 231/HP38 3.8 970 122 1.110
L-CN 125 231/HP38 3.9 1009 Start 126 1.125
Speer L-RN 125 231/HP38 3.9 917 Start 115 1.130
Speer L-RN 125 231/HP38 4.1 982 Max 123 1.130
Speer L-RN 125 231/HP38 4.2 995 Max 124 1.130
L-SWC 124 3N37 5.4 1156 Start 143 1.142
L-SWC 124 3N37 5.9 1218 Max 151 1.142
L-CN 125 700X 2.9 899 Start 112 1.125
Speer L-RN 125 700X 3.2 920 Start 115 1.130
L-CN 125 700X 3.4 1003 Max 125 1.125
Speer L-RN 125 700X 3.4 977 Max 122 1.130
Magma L-RN 126 700X 4.0 1085 Max 137 1.110
Magma L-RN 126 700X 4.0 1085 Max 137 1.110
L-CN 125 800X 4.5 1015 Start 127 1.125
L-CN 125 800X 5.0 1051 Max 131 1.125
L-RN 124 AA2 4.0 895 Start 111 1.095
Magma L-RN 126 AA2 4.5 1080 Max 136 1.110
L-RN 124 AA2 4.6 1017 Max 126 1.095
L-RN 124 AA5 5.4 1018 Start 126 1.095
L-RN 124 AA5 6.0 1157 Max 143 1.095
Hdy L-RN 124 AA7 6.2 900 Start 112 1.090
L-RN 124 AA7 7.4 1030 Start 128 1.095
Hdy L-RN 124 AA7 7.9 1150 Max 143 1.090
L-RN 124 AA7 8.2 1170 Max 145 1.095
Hdy L-RN 124 Auto Comp 4.2 900 Start 112 1.090
LCN 125 Auto Comp 4.3 1012 Start 127 1.125
LCN 125 Auto Comp 4.8 1101 Max 138 1.125
Hdy L-RN 124 Auto Comp 4.9 1050 Max 130 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 Blue Dot 4.8 900 Start 112 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 Blue Dot 6.6 1100 Max 136 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 Bullseye 3.5 929 Start 116 1.130
Speer L-RN 125 Bullseye 3.8 962 Max 120 1.130
Lead 125 Green Dot 5.2 1165 Max 146 1.150
Hdy L-RN 124 Herco 4.0 900 Start 112 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 Herco 4.8 1050 Max 130 1.090
L-RN 125 Herco 6.2 1165 Max 146 1.150
Hdy L-RN 124 HS6 5.1 900 Start 112 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 HS6 5.1 913 Start 114 1.130
Hdy L-RN 124 HS6 5.2 900 Start 112 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 HS6 5.5 993 Max 124 1.130
L-CN 125 HS6 5.9 1023 Start 128 1.125
Hdy L-RN 124 HS6 5.9 1050 Max 130 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 HS6 6.1 1050 Max 130 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 HS7 5.6 900 Start 112 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 HS7 6.4 1050 Max 130 1.090
LCN 125 Longshot 5.0 1052 Start 132 1.125
LCN 125 Longshot 5.7 1115 Max 139 1.125
L-SWC 124 N320 3.8 1073 Start 133 1.142
L-SWC 124 N320 4.1 1125 Max 140 1.142
L-SWC 124 N330 4.4 1131 Start 140 1.142
L-SWC 124 N330 4.8 1175 Max 146 1.142
L-SWC 124 N340 5.1 1211 Max 150 1.142
Hdy L-RN 124 N350 4.4 900 Start 112 1.090
L-SWC 124 N350 5.0 1134 Start 141 1.142
Hdy L-RN 124 N350 5.2 1050 Max 130 1.090
L-SWC 124 N350 5.4 1191 Max 148 1.142
L-CN 125 PB 2.9 908 Start 114 1.125
LCN 125 PB 3.4 1004 Max 126 1.125
Hdy L-RN 124 Power Pistol 4.3 900 Start 112 1.090
Hdy L-RN 124 Power Pistol 5.7 1100 Max 136 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 Red Dot 3.3 888 Start 111 1.130
Speer L-RN 125 Red Dot 3.6 1004 Max 126 1.130
Lead 125 Red Dot 4.5 1145 Max 143 1.150
Hdy L-RN 124 Silhouette 4.2 900 Start 112 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 Silhouette 4.2 921 Start 115 1.130
L-RN 124 Silhouette 4.4 955 Start 118 1.150
Speer L-RN 125 Silhouette 4.6 1012 Max 127 1.130
Hdy L-RN 124 Silhouette 5.8 1100 Max 136 1.090
Swaged L-RN 124 Silhouette 5.8 1100 Max 136 1.150
Hdy L-RN 124 SR4756 4.1 900 Start 112 1.090
LCN 125 SR4756 4.2 972 Start 122 1.125
LCN 125 SR4756 4.8 1071 Max 134 1.125
Hdy L-RN 124 SR4756 5.5 1050 Max 130 1.090
LCN 125 SR7625 3.6 933 Start 117 1.125
LCN 125 SR7625 4.1 1035 Max 129 1.125
L-CFN 124 SR7625 4.1 1067 Max 132
Magma L-RN 126 SR7625 4.3 1063 Max 134 1.110
LCN 125 TiteGroup 3.6 1002 Start 125 1.125
LCN 125 TiteGroup 4.0 1096 Max 137 1.125
LC L-RN 124 True Blue 5.6 1019 Start 126 1.122
LC L-RN 124 True Blue 6.2 1132 Max 140 1.122
Hdy swaged L-RN 124 Unique 4.1 900 Start 112 1.090
Speer L-RN 125 Unique 4.1 911 Start 114 1.130
L-RN 121 Unique 4.3 930 Start 113 1.142
L-RN 121 Unique 4.3 940 Start 114 1.142
Speer L-RN 125 Unique 4.5 1007 Max 126 1.130
Swaged L-RN 125 Unique 4.5 1007 Max 126 1.142
LC L-RN 124 Unique 4.7 957 Start 119 1.050
Hdy L-RN 124 Unique 5.0 1100 Max 136 1.090