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Toney
09-11-2005, 04:03 PM
what's the best lee small game bullet ? been thinking
about the 148g wc . i'm using the 230g r n with the
micro band lube groves in my 45 with great results

Singletree
09-11-2005, 05:13 PM
Tony
I have found the Lee 358-105 SWC and 6.5 grains of Accurate Arms #5 is head and shoulders above any other accuracy wise in my S&W Model 14-4.
With the red dot scope mounted it is very capable as a small game getter out to thirty yards or so. 6.6 grains of #5 with a 110 grain J-bullet is listed in the Lee reloading book as a starting load, so the cast bullet load is easy on the shooter, the gun, and isn't explosive on game.

Ed

Buckshot
09-12-2005, 07:10 AM
...........I've had extraodinary luck with the Lee 358-148WC in my K38 and that is target work, which would translate into some fine small game shooting to iron sight distances. I do loike the Lee 358-158RF too and it's a fine shooting boolit that falls out of the 6 cavity blocks like rain.

Either would knock a varmint or small game animal's stem a windin'.

..............Buckshot

rugerman1
09-13-2005, 03:47 PM
Buckshot,
Lee 358-158RFhttp://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/bullets/358158rf.gif
What diameter is the meplat on this bullet? About what size does this fall out of the mould cast with WW? Looks like a LBT clone to me.

BCB
09-13-2005, 06:03 PM
Toney,

I use the RCBS 38-148-WC in my 357’s and my S&W Model 10 Victory handgun in 38 Special cartridge. I have found that Unique (one of the FEW loads that I use Unique) with a CCI-500 primer and a muzzle velocity of around 800 fps will give about 1-1.5” groups at 50 feet from a good rest. They do open a bit at 25 yards, but that is probably my fault and lack of ability to use open sights with much efficiency.

Incidentally, this same bullet when fired at around 1100 fps (WC-820 and CCI-550) from my Security-Six 357 Magnum is also very accurate. I have shot several groundhogs with this load at 20 yards or a bit less, and believe me, the flat face of the full wadcutter lets no questions that it contacted the target. I use Lee Liquid Alox as the lube for both applications. Good-luck…BCB

Blackwater
09-13-2005, 11:57 PM
It's been a good while now, but I used to shoot a lot of the Lee 150 SWC's in both solid and hollow point versions. Loaded light in .38 cases, the HP didn't expand, or if it did, not enough to make any significant difference. If you're going to be eating the small game, a RN or something with a small meplat should work well, but poke a smaller hole through the meat. I haven't shot any yet, but if I get another .38/.357, I'm definitely planning on getting that Lee CB bullet, the 158 RFN.

Small game should succumb to any .38 bullet, really, so it's mainly a matter of what bullet will shoot in our gun, and maybe finding the right alloy to get the kind of performance you want.

BTW, I did find with that Lee 150 SWCHP version (actually casts at 142 gr, usually), adding some tin to the mix kept the nose from breaking off. Still made a good bullet both ways. The HP would expand and either break off, not unlike a Nosler Partition, with the base punching throgh, or with WW's, it would expand in a more classic "mushroom" type of pattern. A buddy killed a few deer with that HP version, both with and without the tin, and none complained about the difference. Neither did the small game, either.

Buckshot
09-15-2005, 01:16 AM
Buckshot,
Lee 358-158RFhttp://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/bullets/358158rf.gif
What diameter is the meplat on this bullet? About what size does this fall out of the mould cast with WW? Looks like a LBT clone to me.

.........The nose looks to be .280" diameter, give or take a thou best I can measure. The ones I have on hand are of 13 BHN and are .3605" to maybe .361" using my dial guestimators.

............Buckshot

Cherokee
09-15-2005, 12:34 PM
The Lee 358-158RF bullet has lots of meplat and works great in my S&W 686 for bowling pins and general all-around use. I cast WW+2% at 161 gr and .360, size them to 358 in the Star.

LAH
09-15-2005, 09:33 PM
The Lee is a good bullet. Score another for the RNFP.