9mm expansion testing on cast bullets

[Archeryrob]

I cut open a 55 gallon drum and started water testing for expansion for cast bullets and was very surprised with the results. All rounds are 9mm 147 grain MP mold. HP and round point, different molds

Left - Round point 147 grain wheel weight lead. No expansion at all! I was very surprised by this and my lead is a 10-11 air cooled and nothing for expansion. It is a hole poker.
Center - MP HP Mold. 147 Grain and held back shape and expanded .557 in front.
Right - Pure lead and expands the best. .779 on the expansion. BUT it shoots like crap and at 20 yards having issues staying on a pie plate.

Using N320 3.6 grains and an assumption that is is 930FPS

 

[Sticky]

Are right and center both from the MP HP mold? Do you size them after casting? Just curious, interesting results, but not surprising.

 

[Archeryrob]

Yes, left is from a RP mold and center and right are from the same HP mold, but use different hardness.

Sized after powder coated before loading. Cast .359, powder coated and size .356

 

[ted76]

Do you have pictures of the same bullets unfired and was the hollow point in the center pure lead or wheel weights?

 

[Archeryrob]

How’s this? Plead is red wheel weights green

 

[Archeryrob]

More

 

[85MikeTPI]

Do you have a pic of your 55gal drum setup? I’m guessing it won’t work for rifle expansion tests ?

 

[Archeryrob]

I bet it would stop a rifle bullet as it is about 34" of water to pass through. Nothing to do today waiting for the new job Monday. I leave the water down 2" or so. The muzzle blast still throws water at me a bit. I wanted to test the 45LC 200 grain soft lead I use in the 1858 and sure that should expand. Plus I got 30-30 and quenched, powder coated wheel weights at 2000 fps to test.

What worst case, a hole in the bucket?

Okay, might wait a couple weeks. My supervising adult, said I don't have life insurance until I am in the new job for a couple weeks. So we will find out on a nice warmer day in a while. Besides, the hose is probably frozen.

 

[Archeryrob]

I tested more cast rounds
45 colt 200 grains FNRP pure lead, 850 fps aprox. and did not expand as I thought it would.
30-30 185 grain WW lead 2000 fps - Fragmented.
30.06 172 grain WW lead 2400 fps - Fragmented
452 255 grain out of a muzzleloader, maybe 1750 fps and mushroomed awesomely.

The barrel is in this video. Pistols work fine. Rifles, the muzzle blast throws water everywhere. I had to clean and dry my rifles.

 

[Archeryrob]

I did some more testing. These are more of the MP hollow point 9mm mold. Listed as 145 grain and they weight 155 for me. The alloy is what I call Half and Half. It is half WW Wheel-Weight and half Pb pure lead and come to a hardness of about 7 - 8. They group good but low at 10 yards, all the 155's shoot low. At 20 yards I am ringing the 10" gong or right next to it. I can't say they are off as I just don't shoot Glocks enough to be a great pistol shot. But I am interested, going to make more and set two targets for WW and H/H and do more comparisons. I like the expansion and possible semi better accuracy.

WW left and H/H are both center and Right.

 

[chriskat]

Expansion looks really good on the half and half version. I'm not surprised the wheel weight doesn't expand. I've read that the high antimony content makes the wheel weight alloy brittle, which makes sense given your rifle tests.