Recommendations for a all-around bullet for .38 Spec.?

[Triggernosis]

I'm new to bullet casting and haven't even purchased any equipment yet. Can y'all recommend a mould for a good all-around bullet for the .38 Spec.? One that is good for plinking, good for game dispatch, decent enough for self-defense if the need arises, and is easy to get good results with (casting-wise) for a beginner?

[Bigslug]

Elmer Keith's 173 grain semi wadcutter - originally the Lyman 358429 - will cover all your bases.

Accurate Molds lists it as their 36-170K

Ballisti-Cast (who are the inheritors of Hensley & Gibbs) as the #643

This was designed as a hot .38 special bullet. You can load it in a .357, but due to the long nose, you'll have to seat deep and crimp over the wadcutter shoulder.

[rsrocket1]

My first 38/357 mold was the Lee 358-158-RF 6 cavity mold (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/172810/lee-6-cavity-bullet-mold-358-158-rf-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-38-s-and-w-358-diameter-158-grain-flat-nose)

It has a very wide metplat for game dispach etc. and has a traditional lube design (although I tumble lube using Recluse's 45/45/10 formula (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?67654-Tumble-Lubing-Made-Easy-amp-Mess-Free))

Compared to commercial cast bullets, at $50 including the handles, the mold pays for itself in about 1000 bullets which can be cast in a single session of a couple of hours.

From my very first casts of this boolit, unlubed and tumble lubed. I used way too much lube. You only need enough to put a light brown haze on the boolit.
58624

[rmatchell]

I like the Ideal 358250

[runfiverun]

if it's round nosed and has a flat point i like it.
lyman- rcbs- lee- anybody else you can think of.. pick one.
i use an older lyman mold right now,,had an rcbs mold before that.
i'd be looking at that lee above but have 2- 5 gallon buckets of the lymans cast up now.
and only one of them is lubesized as it is.

[Maven]

While it doesn't have the cachet of an Elmer Keith design, e.g., Ly. #358429 and clones, or the sleek appeal of a spitzer jacketed bullet, Lyman's 160gr. round nose #358311 is a surprisingly accurate CB. Used #358311's appear often enough on the auction sites at prices that are lower than the Keiths.

[Rex]

I like a 358477 150 grain boolit mold that I have.

[tomf52]

+1 on the Lee 158 gr RNFP!

[youngda9]

+1 on the Lee 158 gr RNFP!

+2 on that boolit. Produces fast out of a 6 cavity mold. Will be fine for all of your needs. I've shot thousands of these, love em. Great design. I TL as well with Recluse lube.

[gefiltephish]

Just received this 5 cav mold last night. Haven't tried it out yet, but it sure is purdy!
http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-160H-D.png

Probably not what you'd want to spend for starting out though.

[rexherring]

+1 on the Lee 158 gr RNFP!

+3 a very good shooter for a cheaper mold.

[Olevern]

If a lever action .357 is somewhere on your horizon, I would start with a round nose flat point for your first mold.

[brstevns]

+3 a very good shooter for a cheaper mold.

+4 on this one. Use it in a Ruger BlackHawk and a Marlin rifle.

[Forrest r]

I used/shot the lyman 358311 rn boolit for years along with the lee rnfp. I sold both those molds because I found something better, the Mihec 359640.

I can cast/make:
170gr solid points
158gr round hp's
158gr penta point hp's

The boolit design has 2 different crimp grooves for short or long cylinders. Has a large flat point & rounded sides like the lee rnfp so it can be loaded in lever actions. And my mold casts boolits .360" which is good for the micro-groove bbls on the marlin lever actions, larger than normal cylinders. The hp's can be cast with different alloys to taylor them for hunting/sd/plinking in firearms that range from snub noses to contenders to lever action rifles. The same mold will cast boolits that can be used in anything from 38 s&w's to 357 maximums.

The 1st mold I ever bought for the 38spl was a h&g #50 wc 6-cavity mold. I sure wish they had molds like these back then!!!

[PS Paul]

Both the Lee RNFP and the Lyman 358477 are great all-around plinkers AND hunting boolits. The RCBS version, which I have, is a dead ringer for the 358477. Their #82032 is a 150 gr. and they refer to Lyman "35877" as the Lyman version and NOT 358477, but they are the same pretty much with a generous grease groove and flat, square base. Unfortunately RCBS only makes it in a two-cavity.

With all that stated, the Lee is a good way to go, economical, easy to use AND makes a lot of boolits in a hurry. I believe the 150 to 160 gr. boolits weight to be the most useful and versatile. The aforementioned 170 gr. Keith-style from Lyman is a terrific hunting boolit, but for general plinking/shooting, I prefer a lighter mid-weight. Just my .02 after doin' this for almost 30 years.

The best answer is to get one of each, but your budget may not allow? I guess that's all it ever is, eh? More and more money! ha-ha!!!

Hope this helps.
Paul

[alfloyd]

I like the Lyman 358156 mold, weight at 155 grains.
I have it in a 4 cavity and it makes a lot of them fast.
I make my own gas checks, so the extra cost is not there.
I will work great in the 38 spl as well as the 357 mag, as it has 2 crimp grooves.
The gas checks make it a lot easier to shoot without leading the barrel.

Lafaun

[Boolseye]

Lee TL358-158SWC. Will more than cover all the bases you mentioned. This is a great tumble lube boolit design,
capable of great accuracy well into .357 mag velocities.

[AviatorTroy]

Lee TL358-158SWC. Will more than cover all the bases you mentioned. This is a great tumble lube boolit design,
capable of great accuracy well into .357 mag velocities.

That's what I shoot by the 1000s, and I like it!

[MtGun44]

Lyman 358477 150 Gr SWC is superb. RCBS 38-150-SWC (old name 38-150-K) is nearly identical, and
also superb. Lee 358 158 RF is excellent, works great, but the BB is a minor PITA for some
during lubing in a lubrisizer. Lyman 358429 is really a great design, but some .357 Mags have too
short a cyl, should be fine in any .38 Spl.

IMO, avoid the TL designs, they work for many, fail for many. Conventional lube designs always
work. TL is attractive due to low initial cost, but the simplicity comes with risk of failure and need
to buy a new mold. Pan lubing can be equally low cost, and can bridge the time while you are
deciding whether to invest in a lubrisizer.

Bill

[wrangler5]

Having recently switched from Glocks to a S&W Model 65 for IDPA matches, I appreciate the fact that the complete lack of any shoulder on the Lee RNFPs means they never hang up when doing a reload with a speedloader. That's another plus, for me.

[Triggernosis]

Thanks for the recommendations, gentlemen.

[palmettosunshine]

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/palmettosunshine/IMG_20130101_155616.jpg

I'm partial to this one myself. Loaded either way.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff1/palmettosunshine/IMG_20130101_165910.jpg

[Boolseye]

Bill,
some TL designs are more problematic than others, for instance the 9mm tl designs (PITA, I admit)
This boolit, however (TL358-158SWC) is a great, very forgiving boolit that shoots well across the board.
I recommend it without reservation.
-jp

[Centaur 1]

I'm going to be the odd man out and suggest a light weight bullet, I've had great luck with the Lee 358-105-swc. You can't beat it for plinking, very accurate and very little recoil. It will save you so much lead that if you have a need for a heavier hunting bullet, go buy a 2 cavity .358-158-rf. I got a hunch that you won't need to though. You used the phrase "dispatch game", that tells me that a game animal is already down and you want to put it out of his misery. If that indeed is what your intent is, the 105 grain boolit will work just fine.

http://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-358-105-swc.html

[Triggernosis]

. You used the phrase "dispatch game", that tells me that a game animal is already down and you want to put it out of his misery. If that indeed is what your intent is, the 105 grain boolit will work just fine.

http://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-358-105-swc.html
Yep, that's exactly what I meant.....along with maybe bagging an occasional rabbit across the ditch bank.
Thanks for the recommendations so far, guys.

[Centaur 1]

Not only will the 105 grain boolit work great for you, but you'll get 3 boolits from the same amount of lead as 2 158 grain ones. Might not sound like much, but the difference comes with quantity. You'll get 1500 105's versus 1000 158's.

[Larry Gibson]

I also recommend Lee's TL358-158-SWC or the Lyman 358477. Both are excellent in the .38 SPL from target velocities up to +P loads.

Larry Gibson

[Dave C.]

148 gr double ended WC. Does everything you need done out to 50 yards.

[fcvan]

I've read this several times an I come away with the same thought. You are going to buy one mold . . . For now! You will be so hooked you will buy many before your casting days are over. That being said, the Lee 358-125 RF would be a great boolit. I don't have that mold but horse traded for some and now I just want it!

I have the following molds I use in the .38/.357
Lee 356-102 1R. Mine casts at .358 and weighs 105 with range scrap.
Lee 356-120 TC. Mine casts at .358 and weighs 125 with range scrap
Lee 356-125 2R. Mine casts at .3585 and weighs 126 with range scrap.
Lee 358-105 SWC. Mine casts at .3595 and weighs 108 with range scrap
Lee C358-158 SWC HP, takes regular gas check.
Lee 358-158 RF.

I have loaded all of these with plain based gas checks except the hollow point as it takes regular checks. The 105 SWC is a great shooter in the J frame snubby and my wife loves it. The boolit I use the most is the 125 RN as it feeds very well with speed loaders. I really like the profile of the RF boolit as it also feeds well. The 125 RF would be very good for target, plinking, and if needs be, self defense.

[hanover67]

I have 2 .38's and I've tried several molds as well as purchased (commecial) cast boolits. I finally settled on the Lyman 358446, 164gr plain-base SWC for my Smith & Wesson Model 10, and 35763, 148gr Wadcutter for my Colt Officers Model revolver. There was a lot of trial and error involved, especially with the S & W, a fixed sight gun. Evrything seemed to shoot low until I found a boolit heavy and slow enough to bring up the point of impact.

[JIMinPHX]

I also vote for the Lee RNFP. You can choose from the 158 gr, or the shorter one if you want to be a little more stingy with the lead. If you want to be real stingy with the lead, then I recommend the 105 gr SWC.

If you are thinking aof getting a 9mm later, then I would stay with one of the smaller boolits, not the 158. If you are planning on getting a .380 later, then I would get the 102gr RN.

[Cherokee]

Lyman 358477 and/or Lee 358-158 FN pictured above. Both are great in 38 Special and 357 Magnum.

[Forrest r]

As you can see when you ask for a jack of all trades you end up with a master of none.

You will find the same thing when you go to cast your jack of all trades boolit when you use the mentality that 1 alloy will work for all.

A lot of caster will probably not like what I’m writing/posting but most shooters wouldn’t think it will happen.

If you buy/use the Lee 158gr rnfp or the Lyman 358429 or any other boolit that has a large flat nose you have to watch the speeds of the boolit for what you’re shooting them at. If the boolit can’t drive thru the target you are asking for a dangerous situation known as bounce back/ricochet’s. The slower these boolits go, the more likely hood you will have problems.

Some Lee 158gr (water dropped ww because I use/shoot them in anything from 38’s to hot 357’s) that I shot out of a snub nosed revolver yesterday at some steel targets (1/2” thick torso with 6” circle center of mass flappers & heads). My 6” bbl 357 doesn’t have a problem shooting the same load (4.2gr of universal clays) but the 2” snub noses revolver does. I pick 2 of these up by my feet & the other 3 in front of the target.

58999

I’ve experienced the same thing with my brother years ago when he loaded a bunch of powder puff loads (3.0gr of red dot pushing the Lyman 358429 boolit) & was shooting bowling pins with his 6” bbl’d Python. When that large, heavy slow moving boolit hit the bowling pins squarely the boolits would bounce back straight to the shooter. At 1st I thought I was seeing things until I reached out & actually grabbed/caught 1 of the bullets, man it was hot.

There’s nothing wrong with a 1st mold or only mold just make sure you know & understand the drawbacks/problems/weaknesses of that mold.

[Qc pistolero]

Elmer Keith's 173 grain semi wadcutter - originally the Lyman 358429 - will cover all your bases.

Accurate Molds lists it as their 36-170K

Ballisti-Cast (who are the inheritors of Hensley & Gibbs) as the #643

This was designed as a hot .38 special bullet. You can load it in a .357, but due to the long nose, you'll have to seat deep and crimp over the wadcutter shoulder.

If I'd have to have but one,this is the one I'd choose!

[Frank V]

If I could only have one, the one of my choice would be the Lyman 358156, it does require a gas check but will work well even at .357 mag. velocitys. Lee makes one very much like the 358156 & I might try it & save some money so I could buy a good wadcutter mould too.
If I could have two it'd be the 358156 & a good wadcutter. I've used several from different moulds & was satisified with each one.

[Maven]

Saw this today on the CBA Forum: "For pure accuracy, I have never found anything that shoots better in most 38 Special sixguns that the old 150-160 RN (358311) over 3.5/BE. It will also shoot to the sights of any well regulated service revolver in that caliber." Posted by Chargar, a former member here.

[1Shirt]

The more I shoot the 125 lee, the happier I am with it. Shoots well even with a max load, and is economical on lead.
1Shirt!

[GabbyM]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=51712&d=1285898621

Here's my favorite all around 38 Special boolit. 150 grain Magma TCFP-FB.
4.8 grains of Universal Clays is close to the top load before getting into +P. That load hits to the fixed sights on my Model 10 just fine. This bullet really shines at 100 yards. If I want more power and penetration I have the NOE copy of Lyman 358429 that drops the SWC at 177 grains from a five cavity mould. For some freakish reason a 38 Special will drive the 177 grain bullets about as fast as the 150’s. Saeco Makes similar TC (truncated cone) designs.

[bigbore44]

I know this an old thread, but it's right up my alley. gefiltephish, I too like accurate molds! how is that 36-160h working out for you? Will it group decently at the 700fps range? Or are you planning to push it faster?

[John Allen]

158 to 180 grain Keith. Keiths are always my first choice.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There is an incredible number of mold designs to choose from for the 38spl/357. Most if not all can be made to shoot well. Basically there are three designs involved....round nose, Semi-wadcutter and full wadcutter. The first two are generally preferred for ordinary shooting/hunting/self-defense while the flat-faced WC is most often used for target shooting. All usually cast and load easily. You can plink/load down in the 6-700fps range for light offhand shooting or you can push things a bit faster up into the 900fps range. I personally prefer the 7-800fps for target. Many powders can and do work well so there is a lot of latitude with this cartridge. LLS

[waco]

NOE 360477, a copy of the Lyman 358477 150 grain SWC
classic boolit you can't go wrong with!

[rbuck351]

I have an old Lyman 384477 and it's the best working mold I own from dropping nice bullets to them shooting very well. I load it to a little over 1000 fps in my 38spl and they are very accurate. I have been using this mold for over 40 years and it works so well I haven't considered going to anything else. A NOE copy in 4 cav would be nice though.

[jmort]

I like the Lee Precision 158 grain RF or equivalent from Accurate