Lee 358-125-RF???

[Guesser]

Looking at the Lee site and the graphics of the bullets from Lee molds it appears that the 358-125-RF is a bevel base design, but I can't be sure.
Can anyone here give me a definite on that? Yay or nay?

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

I have two 6 cav for that boolit. It is a flat base.

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[selmerfan]

Ha - I have a two cavity mold for that boolit. Mine if definitely a bevel base. Anyone else?

[Doby45]

My two cavity is flat based, excellent boolit.

[jlchucker]

Mine's a flat base and a great boolit to use in my Rossi carbine for plinking/small game. I recently got a 358-158 Lee Mold because the pictures showed a flat base boolit, but that one turned out to be bevel.

[Bula]

I beleive there was a pretty drastic change made to this boolit within the last few years. I have seen (on this lovely forum) side by side pics of older vs current production 6 cav molds--current production is plain base. It is definately on my list of next purchases.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

Very interesting that some of us have BB and some FB of the same design. Mine are more or less current since I got them earlier this year from Midway.

The BB may be older stock.

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[fecmech]

Here is one from a 6 cav purchased a couple months ago. Weighs 130 grs from WW+ 2%sn

[6.5 mike]

My 2 cav looks the same as fecmech's, drops bout the same weight. I've had mine 4 months. Fun boolit in a 38, going to try some in a 9 m/m. Vaqureo likes them with 3 grs of red dot.

[jameslovesjammie]

Two Lee moulds. One on the left is old design, one on right is new. Mine also comes in closer to 130 grains.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/jameslovesjammie/gun%20stuff/Casting%20Stuff/P1020606-1.jpg

[Rick N Bama]

Two Lee moulds. One on the left is old design, one on right is new. Mine also comes in closer to 130 grains.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/jameslovesjammie/gun%20stuff/Casting%20Stuff/P1020606-1.jpg

The 2 cavity version I have is just like the one you show in your picture on the right side.

I cast the boolits from WWs with 1/4 cup of magnum shot mixed in with a full (17lbs) pot of metal then water dropped for my Betetta 9MM. Shoots great. I've also loaded them cast from straight WWs into 38spl cases for a mild plinking load in the Smith 586.

Loaded into 357magnum cases I found them to be lacking a bit in the accuracy dept in the same gun.

Rick

[jlchucker]

James, My two cavity mold is also like the one on the right, and it's about a year old. My latest Lee mold was the 158 grain version, bought a few months ago in two-cavity. That one is definitely bevel based, unlike the pictures that Lee puts out in their ads. I had been hoping for a series of these boolits in various sizes when I first got that 125, but you apparently have to beware of Lee's ads. Like others who've posted in this thread, my 125 boolits are dropping right around 130 gr. This boolit does shoot straight.

[selmerfan]

Hey, I should read more closely. Mine is a Lee 358-158-RF, not the 125...ignore previous post.

[jlchucker]

Hey, I should read more closely. Mine is a Lee 358-158-RF, not the 125...ignore previous post.

Various catalogs (like Midway) show that 158RF to be plain base, but as I said before, mine came with a bevel. I called Lee and they said that the current version of that mold is for a bevel-base. Looking on their website while talking to the lady from Lee on the phone, that particular part number is indeed currently for a bevel-base boolit. I did cast and load a few, and they do shoot OK--but it wasn't what I really wanted. I was hoping for a plain base, and since my 2-cavity mold was pretty cheap, I just may alter it to cast a PB boolit.

[Ben]

Here is what my Lee 125 gr. RF bullets look like, my mold is about 1 yr. old . This mold has turned out to cast a very versatile bullet for my 38 Specials and 357 Mag revolvers .

The bullet is clearly a plain based bullet with no bevel feature. I personally did not care for the bevel base predecessor( their old design in 125 gr. ) they offered 3 - 4 yrs. ago. As you can see the lube ring capacity is generous, it is a real shooter out of my Marlin 1894, 38 Spec. CBC rifle.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%2038%20357%20%20125%20gr%20RF/004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%2038%20357%20%20125%20gr%20RF/003.jpg

Here they are sized .3575 ", lubed and ready to load :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%2038%20357%20%20125%20gr%20RF/PICT0007.jpg

I think this bullet is going to get a lot of use at my loading bench now !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/880.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/01042011.jpg

[Ohio Rusty]

I have the older 2 banger of that mould, and it is a flat base. I wouldn't trade my older version for the bevel base.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Doby45]

The older model WAS the bevel base model. The newer model is the plain base just as Ben showed.

[6.5 mike]

Looks like we get whatever comes off the shelf when ordering, kinda a **** shoot.

[Fishman]

Anybody use this in a 9mm? Looks like it would work fine.

[Doby45]

Yheap, plenty of people use it in 9mm..

[biker_trash_1340]

I ask Lee about the BB and the pictures they show compared to what the actual boolits looks like.. This is some of the reasons that they gave me. (We were talking about Tumble Lubed dies.)

From LEE....

"You are correct in that both the TL452-230-2R and the TL356-124-2R are supposed to be bevel base bullets, but the bevel is not very pronounced on these two designs. The bevel is equal to 1/2 of a tumble lube groove, or only about .020 inch wide by .008 inch deep. If there is no evidence of a bevel at all, please return the molds to the factory for repair or replacement. You can use the address below.""


"The pictures on the website are computer generated, while it looked like the other pictures you sent were pictures of the actual bullets cast from the mold. There will be some variation in the amount of bevel on the base because of the way the mold is manufactured. These are both base-pour molds, so the amount of bevel is going to depend on how deeply the cutting tool that creates the mold cavity is programmed into the mold block, and how much of the top surface of the mold block is skimmed away to make that surface flat. The tolerance on the overall length of the mold is probably +/- .005 inch, and the bevel is only .020 inch wide at its maximum, so if the mold is at the limit of its tolerance the bevel will only be .010 wide."

[Rick N Bama]

Anybody use this in a 9mm? Looks like it would work fine.

It's the only boolit I now use in my Beretta 92FS. Feeds great & accurate to boot.

Rick

[Fishman]

It's the only boolit I now use in my Beretta 92FS. Feeds great & accurate to boot.

Rick

Cool, thanks. That is the application and gun I am considering.

[JIMinPHX]

Anybody use this in a 9mm? Looks like it would work fine.

Most 9 irons feed it fine. Some do a nose dive jam with it. It shot well out of every gun that I've gotten it to feed in. I'm talking about the "new" version with the flat base & slightly longer nose.

[legi0n]

Anybody use this in a 9mm? Looks like it would work fine.

I use it because my 9mm has a .357 bore

[res45]

I use it because my 9mm has a .357 bore

Just got the mold a couple week ago and had complete success using it in my 9mm sized to .358". All the previous RN and TC Lee 9mm molds I tired failed due to the bullet tumbling no matter what I tired. Should be a nice addition to my 38 Spec. loads as well.

[mdi]

My two cavity is flat based, excellent boolit.
Mine too...

Shoot 'em in my 9mm and .38/357s.

[Jal5]

I am working up some loads for it in my 9mm also, S&W MP Shield. Waiting for the weather to cooperate more to try them out.

[theperfessor]

6.8 to 7.0 grs of Blue Dot and this bullet sized to .357-.358 in my High Power works fine.

[jameslovesjammie]

I love this bullet for making "mouse fart" loads in a .38 Special. 2.8 grains of Bullseye pushes it 677 fps, for a power factor of less than 85.

[GRid.1569]

Ben... what's the load on the 50yrd group?....

[Raven_Darkcloud]

I got one for my 9mm's (slugged at .356) and will order another to try to do a hp mod.