I was browsing around Montana Gold website looking to buy some bullets, when I ran into IFP.

What are they? How do they preform?

Enlighten me please.

IFP is their 115 gr JHP with the hollow point filled in with lead. It's the minimum IPSC weight at 121 grains.

Like all of the MG bullets I've tried, they're undersized. Their 9mm 124 gr JHP, 9mm 121 IFP, 9mm 125 fmj all average about .354". Their .40 180 gr JHP measure .399"

Zero 9mm bullets measure .3555" and their .40 180 gr JHP measures .4005" with the same calipers.

quote:

Originally posted by al503:
Like all of the MG bullets I've tried, they're undersized.

That sucks... I was hoping they were slightly "oversized" from the nominal .355". Would love to see them at .356", or even .3565". Scratch them off the list.

quote:

Originally posted by 2tonicP220:

quote:

Originally posted by al503:
Like all of the MG bullets I've tried, they're undersized.

That sucks... I was hoping they were slightly "oversized" from the nominal .355". Would love to see them at .356", or even .3565". Scratch them off the list.

I hear ya. I like zeros better but their supply is spotty at best. MG usually has most of their bullets in stock.

If you want to stick with MG, try their .38/.357 bullets. I just got some of the JHP's and they are .3555 to .356" instead of .357"

quote:

Originally posted by 2tonicP220:

quote:

Originally posted by al503:
Like all of the MG bullets I've tried, they're undersized.

That sucks... I was hoping they were slightly "oversized" from the nominal .355". Would love to see them at .356", or even .3565". Scratch them off the list.

Forgive my ignorance (new to reloading). Why do you want them slightly oversized.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfanbob229:
Forgive my ignorance (new to reloading). Why do you want them slightly oversized.

Believe it or not, if the bullet is slightly larger (.001") than your bore, it will cut down on the gas blow by that will actually wear your bbl down faster than an oversize bullet.

Not a real problem with a jacketed bullet but you reduce the chance of keyholing and accuracy is probably (but perhaps not too noticeably) better.

quote:

Originally posted by al503:
Believe it or not, if the bullet is slightly larger (.001") than your bore, it will cut down on the gas blow by that will actually wear your bbl down faster than an oversize bullet.

The key peice of information here is that actual diameter of your barrel. If you're *really* serious about it you should slug your barrel to find out the real diameter. (basically you hammer a soft lead slug through your barrel and measure the resulting slug. but dont' use just any old slug, there are kits that give you soft slugs in various measures so you can start close and get a good measurement. )

The other thing is that I measured 40 357sig bullets from Montana Gold last night. I noticed two things. they're all undersized at the begining of the ogive. at the very base, they're almost exactly .355".
so technically they're not undersized, but rather flared at the bottom. I've never had anything but good luck with them. Zero's I can't ever seem to find, though the few 9mm's I have found perform well.

quote:

Originally posted by four:
The other thing is that I measured 40 357sig bullets from Montana Gold last night. I noticed two things. they're all undersized at the begining of the ogive. at the very base, they're almost exactly .355".
so technically they're not undersized, but rather flared at the bottom. I've never had anything but good luck with them. Zero's I can't ever seem to find, though the few 9mm's I have found perform well.

I'm not an expert and have never loaded .357 sig but I would think that if a bullet were to be flared at all, it should be the opposite to help with any possible set back issues.

I am just loading 9mm right now but would like to reload .357 Sig in the future. Montana Gold only has 1 .357 Sig bullet. Can you use 9mm ammo in .357 Sig? They are both listed at .355 & I would rather load a JHP verses a FMJ.
Also why I am asking questions, what is the difference between a Complete Metal Jacket & a Full Metal Jacket???

quote:

Originally posted by sigfanbob229:
I am just loading 9mm right now but would like to reload .357 Sig in the future. Montana Gold only has 1 .357 Sig bullet. Can you use 9mm ammo in .357 Sig? They are both listed at .355 & I would rather load a JHP verses a FMJ.
Also why I am asking questions, what is the difference between a Complete Metal Jacket & a Full Metal Jacket???

I've read some posts where people weren't having great luck using 9mm for .357 sig. Just conjecture on my part but I would think that the .357 sig bullets are completely round and not tapered (although it appears that they are slightly tapered according to four above) where they are crimped by the case mouth.

FMJ has an exposed lead base. CMJ or TMJ (total metal jacket) has no exposed lead. If the CMJ/TMJ is about the same price as FMJ, I'd get the those as it will shoot cleaner with less smoke.

you can load *some* 9mm JHP's in 357sig, but it's completely on a bullet by bullet basis. It's all a question of how much side wall the case has available to grip and if the ogive is short enough to allow for a correct COL.

as far as the taper, I beleive it's not an issue. it's 1/1000th of an inch in the space of the sidewall. I don't think it's having any effect on the setback one way or the other.

For what it's worth, in regards to the bullet being .355 or even slightly smaller, 10,000 rounds ago when I actually slugged this barrel it was .3545 so a .355 bullet was ideal. I have no idea how if it's appreciable wider now, but I haven't noticed a significant loss of accuracy. Also in those 10,000 rounds, I haven't experienced anything that I would characterize as a setback issue. YMMV.

quote:

Originally posted by four:
I have no idea how if it's appreciable wider now, but I haven't noticed a significant loss of accuracy. Also in those 10,000 rounds, I haven't experienced anything that I would characterize as a setback issue. YMMV.

I know plenty of guys running MG's for 40, 50, 60K rounds with the same bbl. I never hear any complaints from them regarding accuracy, etc.

The lone exception is one guy that ran more than 100K of them. He had to gradually increase his powder charge which exacerbated the blow by issue. But then again, 100K of anything will probably wear the bbl out to some extent.

quote:

Originally posted by al503:

quote:

Originally posted by four:
I have no idea how if it's appreciable wider now, but I haven't noticed a significant loss of accuracy. Also in those 10,000 rounds, I haven't experienced anything that I would characterize as a setback issue. YMMV.

I know plenty of guys running MG's for 40, 50, 60K rounds with the same bbl. I never hear any complaints from them regarding accuracy, etc.

The lone exception is one guy that ran more than 100K of them. He had to gradually increase his powder charge which exacerbated the blow by issue.

you know, at 100K the cost of a new barrel is miniscule compared to the cost of the ammo your burning... :-)

This is just a pet peeve of mine. My original point was that I've run 10K of these in 357sig and I've never experienced the infamous "bullet setback" issue. I know guys that will burn a powder that sucks just because it fills the case to avoid Setback... Sure I've seen some of my bullets set back, but that was after rechambering it several times in a row. I've just never seen it with a properly made bullet that's only chambered once, regardless of bullet maker. jacketed, plated, moly coated... if I felt like scrubbing my barrels all the time I'd try lead, but I don't think it would have problems with setback.

sorry, it's just one of those things that confuses me about why people make such a big deal out of it.

quote:

Originally posted by four:
sorry, it's just one of those things that confuses me about why people make such a big deal out of it.

Hmm. I brought it up but that was 3 posts ago.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfanbob229:
I am just loading 9mm right now but would like to reload .357 Sig in the future. Montana Gold only has 1 .357 Sig bullet. Can you use 9mm ammo in .357 Sig? They are both listed at .355 & I would rather load a JHP verses a FMJ.
Also why I am asking questions, what is the difference between a Complete Metal Jacket & a Full Metal Jacket???

There are some 9mm bullets that you can successfully load into the 357sig. Bullets I have loaded w/ success:
Hornady 124gr & 147grXTP
Nosler 115grJHP
Ranier & Berry's 124grFP&HP
Sierra 125grJHC
Rem. 102grGS
Rem. 88grJHP
Speer 135grGDSB
Precision 124grTC
Magma Mold 124grTC