Round balls in 9mm or 38 speacial

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  • Last Post 28 April 2022
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ShaneA posted this 19 April 2022

Just wondering if anyone has tried a hardened and sized round ball in a 38 or 9mm.  Looking to use up a bunch of .360 round balls.   I have a High Point 9mm  and a Ruger Blackhawk convertible with a 7 1/2 inch barrel.   Hoping for minute of squirrel accuracy.

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Fitzpatrick posted this 19 April 2022

I think I would just throw them in the pot and cast a good accurate bullet for the pistol if you have moulds available .

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99 Strajght posted this 19 April 2022

Round balls work well in both 9mm and 38. Nice light loads and accurate to about 50 yards. I have even made them up to practice in the basement for a nice quite load. 

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Lee Guthrie posted this 19 April 2022

Round balls will work in  .38 Special as short range or Gallery loads.  Light powder charges of fast burning powders, i.e., bullseye, 700x, and red dot.  If 40 caliber RBs were run through a .359 or .360 sizer (assuming they will fit the cylinder throats) and loaded as bullets, accuracy will improve.  They would work in 9mm revolvers, but cycling in autos would be unlikely.

The following are Fouling Shot articles on round balls in both rifles and revolvers:

       Roundballs in rifles                #28-8, 85-6, 165-6

       Swaged round balls                #44-5

 

       Round balls                             #44-5, 63-3, 106-7, 237-18

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max503 posted this 22 April 2022

I've had good luck with round balls in my 44 mag Thompson Contender. They would stay in about 1" at 50 feet which was the furthest I shot them.

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Maven posted this 22 April 2022

Shane, I cast .375" RB's for my .357Mag. and .38Spl., but sized them to .359 and .358" respectively.  You'll want to seat me a bit below the equator formed by sizing and roll them in liquid ALOX or some such lube.  The load I used was a bit less than the standard 2.7gr. Bullseye target load.  Accuracy (from the bench) with my open sighted Ruger BH was surprisingly good @ 25 yd.

Edit:  A taper crimp is an easy way to remove excess belling/flare and hold the RB securely in place.

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John Alexander posted this 22 April 2022

How good?

John

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Maven posted this 22 April 2022

Two inches from a rest, but lower than my standard loads.  No recoil at all, btw.

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Maven posted this 28 April 2022

Although the OP asked about 9mm and .38Spl. roundball loads, I want to mention Brian Pearce's advice about loading RB's in .45cal. revolver cases. Pearce's answer to a questioner can be found in the June-July 2022 issue of Handloader magazine pp.15-16, which arrived in my mailbox earlier today.

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