Multi gun boolit question

[pmer]

I've been having trouble with multiplying 38 caliber guns and been wanting to try and get one boolit that will work for them. I've been to Accurate Molds and have a 150 grain LFN type projectile drawn up for me.

http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-150C-D.png

Is it possible to paint with such a broad stroke and cover multiple firearms? Maybe a gas check boolit would be better for covering up throat / barrel tolerances?

Smith & Wesson J and K 38 spl
Rossi .357 older, slow twist barrel
.357 single action six gun
12" Contender in .357 mag

I haven't slugged any of them yet. Hopefully I could fit it to the Model 10 because it is so much fun to shoot.

[Centaur 1]

Why don't you go ahead and get a mold made for the .357's, and get a Lee 105 grain swc mold for the smaller .38's. My S&W model 19 shoots the heavier 158 grain boolits just fine, but they're brutal in my Colt police positive special. The 105 gr boolit is a pleasure to shoot and it uses less lead. A lot of guys here even use it in .380 and 9mm.

[Cherokee]

You will not know until you try them in the several guns. I've had good luck along that line.

[MikeS]

I don't see why that boolit wouldn't work for all the guns you've mentioned. I would slug the various guns, and order the mould to fit the largest one. You can always size it down for the smaller ones, but it's kind of hard to size it up :) Of course another option might be to slug them all, then ream out the cylinder throats so they're all the same size as your largest one, that way one size boolit will work in all of them. If you think that you might find more 38's & 357's following you home, you could even buy a reamer, and learn to ream them yourself (if you don't already know how to do that). If you go this route (making all the guns the same size) you could even get some pin gauges, so when you're looking at a new (or new to you) gun, you can check right away if it's too big (if you have the reamer, then too small isn't a problem).

If you choose not to ream them all the same size, you could always get a few sizing dies, and then adopt a color code for sizing, when sizing the boolits, you could dab a bit of nail polish in the proper color on the boolit, and once loaded you could seal the primer with the same color, so you always know what diameter any ammo you have is.

If it was me, I would probably go with the reamer, and make them all the same size.

[Guesser]

I have number of 38 Specials, Colt Official Police, 3 Officers Models and some Police Positive Specials, as well as S&W Model 10's, 36 & 37, Taurus Model 85. I found that 358311 cast soft over 3.5 Bullseye or 4.2 grains of A#2 worked extremely well in all but the 37. I think the problem with the 37 is it is too light to shoot comfortably with a 158 gr. bullet. Cheap and accurate; I like that!!!!

[casterofboolits]

I don't see why that boolit wouldn't work for all the guns you've mentioned. I would slug the various guns, and order the mould to fit the largest one. You can always size it down for the smaller ones, but it's kind of hard to size it up :) Of course another option might be to slug them all, then ream out the cylinder throats so they're all the same size as your largest one, that way one size boolit will work in all of them. If you think that you might find more 38's & 357's following you home, you could even buy a reamer, and learn to ream them yourself (if you don't already know how to do that). If you go this route (making all the guns the same size) you could even get some pin gauges, so when you're looking at a new (or new to you) gun, you can check right away if it's too big (if you have the reamer, then too small isn't a problem).

If you choose not to ream them all the same size, you could always get a few sizing dies, and then adopt a color code for sizing, when sizing the boolits, you could dab a bit of nail polish in the proper color on the boolit, and once loaded you could seal the primer with the same color, so you always know what diameter any ammo you have is.

If it was me, I would probably go with the reamer, and make them all the same size.

BINGO! :drinks:

Did that with a half dozen Smiths. Worked great! :Fire:

[Bret4207]

I have found the Lyman 358156 to work about as well as any anything in every 35 cal rifle and pistol I have. It's not perfect, but it's close.

[Jal5]

I like Centaur 1's idea: that 105 boolit is great out of the 38s and the 158 SWC is a standard out of the 357s. Why not get a Lee mold for each?

Joe

[pmer]

Thanks for all the great advice. The model 10 is what prompted me into getting a mold and a lighter, easier shooting boolit for the 38's sounds good. Especially for double action fun.

I should confess I have a 358156 too and thats another reason to get a lighter boolit mold.

I just picked up a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and they have the 105 grain listed. The 125 grain at close to 900 FPS looks good too. What a nice book, I should've got one last year when I started casting.

[Bret4207]

For a bare bottom boolit the 358477 is pretty hard to beat. I shoot it in a 38 Bodyguard and it works fine without being too punishing with around 3.0 BE. Up it to 5.0 Unique and it's a dandy field and defense load.

[tuckerdog]

lee 358158rf

[Jal5]

If you already have the 358156 and you get that 105gr smaller boolit you are all set. Have fun.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

What ?
no one mentioned the Lee 124 gr. RF ?
my Fav for 38 spl
Jon

[Char-Gar]

There are quite a few plain base and gas checks designs in 150-160 grain range that will do well in all of you sixguns.

If you are looking for a 100 to 120 grain bullet, then I can't help you as I have never seen much use for such a light bullets. The handguns were not designed for them and maybe they will work and maybe not. For sure fixed sight guns won't shoot to point of aim with a bullet that light.

If you want a lighter recoil, just reduce the powder charge with the heavier bullets. I know folks do all sorts of things that are out of the envelope, but I just can't see where you are going with this. Seems to me you are making things harder than they need to be.