GC 158 358 Round Nose or RNFP

[marklyftogt]

I am looking for a 158+/- mold for RN or RNFP for my .357 that is gas checked but cannot seem to find one. The only gc i find is a SWC.

Anyone know if someone has these?

Thanks

[Rocky Raab]

Most moulds for rinfips (as I pronounce RNFP) were/are intended for Cowboy Action Shooting, where gas checks aren't allowed. Roundnose designs were/are probably intended for .38 Special speeds where a gas check isn't needed. So unless you get a custom mould made, you may be out of luck.

Of course, want and need are often two different things. You might not actually need a gas check on such a bullet unless you are trying to achieve warp speeds. Why not just order a Lee 358 158 RNFP and try it? (I am deeply fond of that bullet in either 38 or 357 loads at up to 1000 fps.)

[Shiloh]

Ever tried the LEE 125 gr RNFP??
Fire these at 1340 with no leading and good accuracy.

Shiloh

[Cherokee]

I have found the Lee 158 RNFP to be very accurate in 38 & 357. I have run these over 1100 fps in 357 without any leading problem. FIT is king, if they fit, you don't need the gas check...just my experience.

[williamwaco]

I have found the Lee 158 RNFP to be very accurate in 38 & 357. I have run these over 1100 fps in 357 without any leading problem. FIT is king, if they fit, you don't need the gas check...just my experience.


DITTO.

I regularly use plain base bullets in the .357 at up to 1300 in revolvers and 1600 in rifles.

The Lee bullet mentioned is among the best.

I do not believe there is any reason to use a gas check in any .357 mag load.

[FergusonTO35]

William, I have the Lee 158 RNFP mold and it makes pretty boolits. I use a lot of them in .38 Special +P. I would like to start using them in my Marlin 1894 .357. It has a micro groove barrel. Do you think they would work well in it? The carbine shoots the .38's just fine. Any suggested powders or loads?

[williamwaco]

William, I have the Lee 158 RNFP mold and it makes pretty boolits. I use a lot of them in .38 Special +P. I would like to start using them in my Marlin 1894 .357. It has a micro groove barrel. Do you think they would work well in it? The carbine shoots the .38's just fine. Any suggested powders or loads?

I agree, that is a very nice looking bullet.

Have not loaded for the Marlin .357. I have loaded for the Marlin .30-30 and .44 Mag.

I find the horror stories about Marlins to be seriously exaggerated.

They may be more sensitive to undersized bullets but I never tried them. I used .311 in the .30-30 and .431 in the .44 mag.


I use EXACTLY the same loads as I use in my revolvers. I see no point in having a "matching pair" if they don't match.


.

[Cherokee]

For the Marlin with MG rifling, they tend to like overesize cast boolits. I would start with .358 size and see what happens. Then try .359 and .360 if they will chamber (make dummy rounds first). My Lee mould drops at .360 from WW+2% tin alloy.

[jmort]

I believe that all bullets should have a meplat except for shooting over 200 yards. So, RNFP

[runfiverun]

well that didn't answer the question.
i don't think gas checks are necessary either except maybe at the top end of the 357 maximum.

i'd look at magma engineerings websight.
or go to the accurate/mountain molds websights you can design your own mold or choose from one of theirs.
you could easily modify a known mold to take a gas check too.
give tom a call from his websight he will know what you need and can answer your questions/help you design what you want correctly.

[Viper225]

The Mountain Mold Bullet maker program only wanted to go down to a 51% Meplate. (Round Nose Flat Point)

Go To; http://www.mountainmold.com/

Select 357/9mm
Select 160 Grain Bullet Weight
Change the Nose Length to: .300
Set the Meplate to 51% (Smallest it will set to)
Leave the program on Tangent Ogive Bullet Design
Select Hornady Gas Checks
Select 2 Driving Bands at the bottom

This gives you .294 Grains of Lube in the grease groove.

This should be close to what you are looking for.

Bob

[MtGun44]

For .357 Mag, I have loaded up to "book velocities" of 1500+ fps (certainly less in my
6" revolver, guessing 1350) with H110/W296 with great accy and no leading with several
nonGC designs. Recommend Lee 358 158 RF, Lyman 358429 very highly. All cast of
AC WWT alloy or softer, zero leading, excellent accy with NRA 50-50 or LBT soft blue.
Lyman 358477 is superb, as is RCBS 38-150 SWC, but have not gotten around to pushing
these two near clones to magnum velocities, but they both work extremely well at .38
Spl levels.

Good luck.

Bill

[fcvan]

I really like the Lee 358-158 RF for .38 and .357 loads. Lately, I have been using this boolit with plain based gas checks I make from soda cans with a CheckMaker from PatMarlins, a vendor here. I only have one 35 cal mold that takes standard gas checks, a Lee C358-158 SWC HP. They still make the SWC mold, just not as a single cavity hollow point. If I had my druthers, I'd have a plain based CheckMaker for every caliber I shoot. Frank

[youngda9]

Here's several.

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-158S-D.png

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-160G-D.png

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-160L-D.png

[MtGun44]

And what does adding a "plain base gas check" provide as a benefit? My bare butt versions
shoot very accurately and do not lead - having trouble seeing what the extra money, time
and effort brings to the party.

Bill

[fcvan]

What benefit is a gas check? Sure, there can be great performance achieved without the need for a gas check, there are also loads that require a check. A plain based check allows the use of boolits at performance levels not normally available for that boolit. Yes, I put checks on boolits that don't necessarily need them for several reasons. 1) I can make them and 2) I like making them. I truly enjoy reloading as much as I love shooting. 3) it's another reason to drink beer :)

Performance wise, I have a .45 boolit I can launch out of a 45 Colt carbine at 2000 fps with range scrap and zero leading. I have a 9mm (okay several) that are tack drivers without checked boolits, and one newer 9mm that shoots better with the PB check attached. Granted, this is a newer barrel I'm still breaking in. I'm sure it will get better with time but groups shrank by half instantaneously.

Lastly, it's a 'gee whiz' factor and gives me an excuse to try different loads. The new may wear off at some point but I doubt it. Boolit casting used to be new but after 35 years I still dig it and cast often. Punching PB checks is not likely to be any different for me than any other part of loading, at least for me. Frank