9x56 MS.... Projectiles.

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Last Post 08 November 2025

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RustyZipper posted this 06 December 2023

I wondered what you guys might suggest. I may have already talked about it. I have those Hawk bullets and the previous owner sent them saying that at .353” they were a bit too small but They would work. Is powder coating a good way to add just a small bit of diameter to a bullet "almost" large enough? A jacketed .001” small needs just a bit of help or it may copper up the bore??? RZ.

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9.3X62AL posted this 07 December 2023

Have your slugged the throat and grooves yet? Once you have a handle on those dimensions I would have a semi-custom mouldmaker like Accurate Molds cut a tool to fit the throat and grooves closely at whatever weight range and design suits you. Cast bullets are far easier to fit than are the red-coated pretenders.

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Hornet posted this 07 December 2023

Al has a good starting point. Some of the earlier metric calibers have different dimensions than expected since the manufacturers tended to set their own specifications. Jacketed bullets that are just a little undersized can still shoot very well, unlike cast bullets. A soft jacket and a fast(ish) powder can still bump them up a bit. My 6.5x.257 has a .267 groove diameter but does well with .264 diameter 120 grain Sierra bullets, for example.

BTW, some of the nominal .355 diameter bullets made for the .350 Legend might work very well in that 9x56 MS.

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RustyZipper posted this 08 November 2025

I need to get back to this, I have cast loads to use for deer season. Haven't slugged the throat and bore yet. Will post when I get that done. Be Well Brothers, RZ.

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Wilderness posted this 08 November 2025

Rusty - I had some good shooting over a few years with an early 1905 9x56 carbine (SN 20XX, 17.7" barrel, rounded pistol grip no cap).

I slugged the barrel at .353" and tried to make it shoot with .354" bullets - #350447HP, then #3589HP sized to .354". Results were OK with light loads but groups fell apart at hunting speeds.

Then I tried the #3589HP unsized (.360") and everything changed. In HP form this was about 260 gns. Max load before groups opened was 40 gns 3031. Groups at 40 gns were about 1.25" at 50 yards. Velocity 1900+ fps. I discovered later that the (long) throat started at .359", tapering down to barrel size. I was also given a few #358318 that I recall being OK.

I am convinced that plugging the throat was the secret to my success.

I also used .358" Hornady and Norma jacketed bullets with 42 gns 3031. All shot at least as well as the original Kynoch ammo (brown packet, nickel jacket, in DM clips). I didn't get hung up on sizing down the .358" bullets since the rifle had a long throat to do that.

The 250 gn jacketed bullets and the 260 gn cast loads shot to the sights, but 200 gn jacketed went way high.

You are only as good as your library.

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