Keyholing with Lead Bullets

[sam sanfilippo]

I tried loading some Missouri Bullets 9mm 147 gr. lead flat points in my XD 9mm Tactical. I loaded them with 3.8 gr. of Bullseye and an OAL of 1.1". They fead reliably and did not appear to be leading the barrel, but at 25 yards some of them were keyholing. What am I doing wrong?

[Skydiver]

Have you had a chance to chrono and see what velocity you are getting?

Go too fast out of the barrel, the rifling doesn't have much chance to impart a spin to stabilize the bullet. Go too slow, any imperfections in the casting and weight distribution of the bullet will change the spin of the bullet into a wobble and then later into a tumble.

[Torogi]

Have you had a chance to chrono and see what velocity you are getting?

+1. With CZ barrel shooting below PF I experience keyholing too, well known problem with heavier bullets. Either too slow or use lighter bullet.

[lynn jones]

check your crimp.

[jfremder]

I tried loading some Missouri Bullets 9mm 147 gr. lead flat points in my XD 9mm Tactical. I loaded them with 3.8 gr. of Bullseye and an OAL of 1.1". They fead reliably and did not appear to be leading the barrel, but at 25 yards some of them were keyholing. What am I doing wrong?

My XDM 5.25 likes that Bullet with either 3.2 of Bullseye or 5.1 of Blue Dot but I use a COAL of 1.14" I don't shoot that distance, but no keyholing @ 15y

Maybe drop your charge a little and/or seat a little longer and see what happens

[wackodacko]

I had the exact same problem when I used CLAYS, which has similar burn rates to BULLSEYE. Try using another powder - something a bit slower, and your tumbles will go away.

I was using an XDM 4.5 in 9mm (it also tumbled in my cz75)

[GrumpyOne]

+1 for check the crimp

[cbrconst]

+1 for check the crimp

What specifically should one check? I have a good taper crimp -my opinion - on 147gr bayou Bullets

[MikeOKC]

Agree with check the crimp. I had too much of a crimp on my 200gr. lead bullets and experienced keyholing, backed the crimp off to where it just took the flare out and my problem went away.

[Chuckie45]

I'm having the same problem with 180gn .40 S&W out of my XDm 5.25 at 930fps. I'll try decreasing the crimp and increasing the OAL as sugested. Hope it works.

[LexTalionis]

I'll bet a whole lot that it has to do with your powder. Clays and Bullseye are both very fast powders. You need to use something slower for good accuracy with lead bullets... this coming from someone who shoots cast lead exclusively (through an XDM 5.25).

[Steel Tammer]

I shoot WSF with bayou bullets through my 5.25 and it seems to work fine.

[Bob DuBois]

I shoot a lot of heavier bullets 9mm minor in my STI Trojan. I had the same problem with one batch of 147gn bullets. Crimp comes into play to tight it will tumble. Push the 147 lead cast bullet to slow it will tumble. Tried Red Dot and 231 powders. Both a standard and U sizing die along with Dillon and Lee Crimp dies. This batch tumbled in my Trojan and Glock 34 as well as a friends Les Baer 9mm and his Glock 34 with a KKM barrel. I've shot 147 cast for years in several guns just had problems with one batch which as driven me away from this bullet.

I found I have better results using 135gn cast bullets, they aren't as tempermental and fly great. I've also had good results using 160gn cast bullets which are soft shooting using Solo 1000.

Good results with 147gn Precision Delta jacketed and Frontier plated bullets.

Break out the Chronograph but mine was tumbling at 130 Power Factor.

[GMB]

I had the same issue as well as some others shooting different platforms. I tried a Bearcreek 147 sized at .357 and problem went away for me and my friends. Just a thought.

Brian

Edited May 12, 2012 by buller01

[cellguy030]

i had the same problem with my 147s... turns out i was crimping way too much... +1 for backing that crimp off until it just removes the bell and i have no problems now at all. BTW i pulled some of the bullets i was having issues with and it became crystal clear that was my problem... squishing the bullet so bad it wasnt engaging the rifling as it should.

[SirLoin]

Have you tried Berrys? How do the Frontier compare to the Berrys?

Good results with 147gn Precision Delta jacketed and Frontier plated bullets.

Break out the Chronograph but mine was tumbling at 130 Power Factor.

[duhbob]

When I was loading 147 grain 9mm lead (cast from wheel weights), I got around a serious tumbling problem by switching from HP38 powder to Accurate Arms 7.

I crimp just enough to remove the case bell. That didn't change.