Lee 158 RNFP

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this but if it's not then it can get moved or deleated or whatever.
I have been working with my GP-100 with a 6 in. barrel. The main boolit I have been working with is the LEE 158 RNFP. I use ACWW. The WW that I have tests at 14 BHN. It is mostly truck WW. I have been using Starline brass, Tula mag. primers, 16.3 grains of H-110 (per recommendation by a member) and a heavy crimp according to the directions on my LEE crimping die. I use a LEE decapper, a LYMAN "M" expander die, a RCBS seating die and a LEE crimping die. On the Lyman "M" die, I expand it just enough to get the boolit started easily by hand. Anyway, this has turned out to be a very accurate load for my GP. Yesterday I was out at the range and was getting real good accuracy at 100 yds. I used a bench rest to hold the revolver still. There were some pop cans hung on strings at the 100 yd. backstop. It would send those suckers spinning. I have an Ultra Red Dot scope on the GP. It is not a magnifying scope. Very pleased with the results:grin: The H-110 burns cleanly and I don't have any leading at all. Oh ya, the boolits are sized at .3585. It is supposed to be .359 but that is what the Lee sizers does to them. I am using Carnuba Red for lube. This is a keeper load for me and I'm going to load a boat load of them like that.
Just thought I'd let you know what I was finding. :cast_boolits:

[fecmech]

Since I stumbled on 296 back in the 70's for .357's and .44's I've never found a better powder for full snort magnum cast loads. Along with wc820(slow lot) and H110, I think of them all as pretty much interchangeable( with minor adjustments). If you want trouble free cast loads @1200-1400 fps out of handguns, the place to start is the ball powders like H110,296 etc.

[lylejb]

The lee 358 158 rf was my first cast boolit. Immediatly, my groups were half of what I was getting with commercial cast bullets.

Hmmm, so those fliers really wasn't "just me" for all those years prior to casting......

I'm using a somewhat lighter load with universal, and am very happy with it.

I've used a bunch of 296 in the 44, it's favorite fuel.

The 358-158-rf is a winner in my book

[Rice-n-Beans]

I wish lee would make a gas check version of this same mold.

[ColColt]

The Lee 358-158 RF boolit is my favorite. It actually outshines the Lyman 358429 for groups in my Ruger. Long range-I don't know but, I'm not into 100 yard shooting with a pistol so that doesn't matter. It's probably not as aerodynamic for that as the long nosed SWC but, I wouldn't swear to it.

[hornsurgeon]

i was quite happy with that until i started loading 180-200gr boolits in my 357 gp100. again, h110 for all loads.

[avogunner]

I also shot these boolits for the first time today and couldn't be more pleased. Just a moderate load of 2400 (11 grs) but very, very accurate out of my 2" 686. The first shot was a dead center bullseye and the rest clustered close around.....did I say I was pleased?

[462]

I wish lee would make a gas check version of this same mold.

If your boolits are bevel based (there are plain based versions, too) gas checks are easily seated and crimped, making it a rather spiffy, multi-purpose boolit.

A couple tenths-of-a-grain less that what Charlie Two Tracks uses satisfies my Blackhawk.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

What got me going on the 100 yd. target is that ....... it was there. I have tried 100 yds before and was pleased that I could even hit a target. Yesterday I used a bench rest and was really pleased that it was that accurate. I tried the 150 yd target but they were dropping pretty bad at that distance. Just for fun...I'll never know until I try.

[MtGun44]

Good load for me, too. 16.3 H110 with any 150-165 boolit is accurate in several .357 mags. Lee
357 158 RF is great with 14.5 IMR4227 is also excellent for me.

IIRC, Glen Fryxell is the source of the 14.5 IMR4227 load.

Bill

[GP100man]

Anybody that has a 358 caliber habdgun is missing out if they don`t have the Lee 158 rnfp !!!!

My results mirrors this thread .

[Harter66]

Its given me a couple thousand trouble free rounds too,in a 6" Sec 6 and an 1894CB,an old Smith 38,and a 9mm. All powered w Unique. I just didn't think about H110,its right there on the self too.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Thanks MtGun44. Your load worked just great. I appreciate it.

[MtGun44]

Doncha know that you can't shoot full power magnum loads in a .357 without GCs and pure lino or water dropped to at least 25 BHN? You'll lead the barrel and get no accuracy! Every body knows it!

:bigsmyl2::kidding:

Bill

[Rice-n-Beans]

If your boolits are bevel based (there are plain based versions, too) gas checks are easily seated and crimped, making it a rather spiffy, multi-purpose boolit.

A couple tenths-of-a-grain less that what Charlie Two Tracks uses satisfies my Blackhawk.

Thanks for the tip! 8-):drinks:


Anybody that has a 358 caliber handgun is missing out if they don`t have the Lee 158 rnfp !!!!

My results mirrors this thread .

I'm making an order this payday Friday. :D:D

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I recently got a thousand Starline brass. They will be used to load the RNFP and put back for reserve. I have another 1,500 Starline and mixed brass that I use until I can't use it no more. I shoot under 2,000 rds during the summer but I recently joined a club downtown that has an indoor range. You can only shoot light loads there so out comes the SP-101 with a WC

[ColColt]

I recently got a thousand Starline brass. They will be used to load the RNFP and put back for reserve. I have another 1,500 Starline and mixed brass that I use until I can't use it no more. I shoot under 2,000 rds during the summer but I recently joined a club downtown that has an indoor range. You can only shoot light loads there so out comes the SP-101 with a WC

You ought to come to my range. I've seen everything there from a 12 gauge to the 500 Magnum. I take my M29 along some trips to try and compete.:D

[ColColt]

Good load for me, too. 16.3 H110 with any 150-165 boolit is accurate in several .357 mags. Lee
357 158 RF is great with 14.5 IMR4227 is also excellent for me.

IIRC, Glen Fryxell is the source of the 14.5 IMR4227 load.

Bill

I'll bet that powder is a nightmare to meter. Most IMR powders are I've tried.

[Cherokee]

I'll add my appreciation for the Lee 358-158 RFN bullet. Works great in all my 357's.

[MtGun44]

Actually, IMR 4227 is a very fine, short grained cylindrical powder which meters very nicely
for me. Nothing at all like the big grained rifle powders.

Bill

[legi0n]

Actually, IMR 4227 is a very fine, short grained cylindrical powder which meters very nicely
for me. Nothing at all like the big grained rifle powders.

Bill

I just tried IMR4227 under the Lee 358-158-RF and the velocity was all over the place.
I tried 5 loads starting with 14gr and a ratio of 0.5gr
Velocity spreads up to 200fps!
All powder charges were weighted (as opposed to thrown).
This is definitely not my favorite powder for the 18" Marlin 357
I'll try it again with gas checks but my expectations are low.
What else to do with the remaining 6000 grains?

[NHlever]

In my .357's I shoot this boolit with a generous dose of H-110. ( The Lyman #49 manual lists the load for 158 Jacketed bullets, but it is over max in other manuals so I'm not listing it here) The load is very accurate with both my cast Lyman 358156m and the Lee 358-158 RFN as well as the Remington bulk pack 158 gr jacketed bullets. Some of my (5) 357 mag guns like one over the other, but all shoot very well with the Lee boolit, and some load. ( I have one gun that really loves 3-4 grains of TiteGroup behind the Lee boolit for practice / small game.

[44man]

I love this post! :drinks: I am so happy to see anyone shooting far instead of 25 yards.
The Ultra Dot can also do it all.
Watch 4227, it is heat sensitive in some calibers. It worked great in the .357 max but not in the .357 or .44 mag. Just warming the gun can make it shoot faster with more pressure. The powder is the most caliber specific stuff I ever seen. It will never, ever go in my .44 again but some calibers work super with it.
I use 296 in everything! My 45-70 revolver gets 4759.