BHN or alloy advice wanted.

[JNG3]

It makes no sense for me to purchase a mold and a sizer for 38spl as I don't shoot enough 38spl to warrant the purchase. I own a ton of molds for fishing tackle and blackpowder arms and the pots/ladles/etc that go along with it, but I've done the math and it makes no sense fiscally to purchase a mold for my snubnose. I'm thinking maybe 800-1000 shots max over my lifetime. You can buy 500 sized/lubed cast bullets for roughly $35 + s/h. So that said, I'm looking at purchasing some 158gr lead bullets. I've reloaded jacketed bullets in rifles for years but I am just starting to reload for pistols and am new to using lead bullets in anything other than muzzleloaders. Sooooooooo..........


What BHN hardness or specific alloy should I be looking for if I'm going to load SWCs and wadcutters for 38spl using Unique or Bullseye at velocities in the 700 to 850 fps range? I'm thinking that Rimrocks 12 BHN sized/lubed 158gr SWCs or Speers (5 bhn I think) swaged and lubed 158gr SWCs and wadcutters would be fine at that pressure/velocity without excessive leading. That's what I'm trying to avoid, excessive leading.

[RobS]

12 BHN is fine and sized to your cylinder throats or as close to as possible.

[OS OK]

You need to load Lead booits 1 or 2 thousandths larger in diameter than your bore and use good lube also, after that you can be more concerned with BHN when it comes to velocity or magnums so to speak. You don't sound like casting would serve your needs…just buy them and try them.

[MBTcustom]

Perfect answers.
Measure your revolver throats and buy bullets that size. They will be sized to that measurement anyway by the time they get to the barrel. That's the largest bullet you can shoot without having your revolver worked on, so do what you can and let the rough edge drag.

[Larry Gibson]

For a "snub nose 38 SPL" I wouldn't worry about measuring anything except the powder charge. I would buy 500 Speer or Hornady 158 swaged SWCs or SWCHPs. I would load them over 3.5 gr Bullseye preferably but 3.5 gr of HP38, 231, 700X or several other fast burning powders as such and just go shoot them when ever. That is going to be very close to the factor 158s so the sights should be relatively close.

Larry Gibson

[bangerjim]

What Larry said!!!

just buy your boolits.........and miss the fun we all have casting

banger

[Wayne Smith]

Some of us cast/reload to shoot, some of us shoot to cast/reload. Makes a difference.

[Outpost75]

If you will shoot more than 1000 rounds a year, or simply enjoy the process of casting bullets and loading your own ammuntion for the inherent satisfaction of being able to do so, then load your own. But unless you shoot ALOT AND enjoy the associated process, you may not find it worth the bother.

As Larry said, you can BUY good factory swaged or commercially cast bullets and successfully load your own. One refinement I would add to that process is to buy a small bottle of Lee Liquid Alox and DILUTE it by equal parts of melted volume with mineral spirits, and then over-coat your commercial soft swaged or cast bullets with it, just a very thin coat is needed. This will help reduce leading if the commercial bullets don't fit ideally or are harder than necessary. The mineral spirits in the LLA will probably partially dissolve the existing lube on the bullets, and color the coating a bit. This does no harm.

Use about 1 tablespoon of the diluted LLA to about 500 .38 bullets, and GENTLY agitate in a cottage cheese or yogurt carton until the bullets are uniformly "wet" in appearance, then pour out onto wax paper laid in a cookie sheet, in one smooth layer, and let air dry until ready to load. If you sometimes get leading with commercial bullets, this one step usually does the trick.

[JNG3]

Thanks for the replies and advice. I will be casting my own for 357mag in my GP100. I just don't shoot enough of the 38spl in my snubnose to warrant cast bullets for it. I don't shoot 38spl in my GP100 at all.

[bangerjim]

A 6 cav Lee mold is ~$35. A Lee sizing die is ~$20. Not a bad investment to make unlimited quantities of .358 boolits! And you can cast whatever Bhn you want, instead of relying on what some "expert" thinks you should have.

banger

[6622729]

A 6 cav Lee mold is ~$35. A Lee sizing die is ~$20. Not a bad investment to make unlimited quantities of .358 boolits! And you can cast whatever Bhn you want, instead of relying on what some "expert" thinks you should have.

banger

If you're trying to make this work from a money saving standpoint, you can't get there from here. You can purchase fmj or lead cast and go with whatever recommended hardness the commercial caster offers.

I cast and reload for the independence and for the ability to dial in a bullet/load/round to suit my gun and the type of shooting I might be doing at that time. You get some of that if you buy a cast bullet but you're locking yourself into a guess at what size diameter and what hardness that particular gun wants. If you think you blew it and have to buy a sizer anyhow, then all you are missing is that $35 mold. Personally, since you have all of the other stuff to cast with, I'd cast.

[JNG3]

Could not bring myself to buy bullets yesterday afternoon. Seemed to be just flat out wrong. Same feeling when someone suggests buying swaged .50 roundballs. I cast my own. So I'm buying a mold and a sizer.

[JNG3]

Rotometals #2 Lyman mixed 50/50 with pure lead seems to me would be perfect for 38spl loads. I have pure lead. No real decent harder lead though. Any reason why #2 Lyman mixed 50/50 with pure lead would not work fine for the 38? If it would work, that would also give me some straight #2 alloy for casting .357mag bullets.

[rototerrier]

Buy a Lee 2 cavity 358158 for $20 and spend 2 hours casting and sizing or powder coating and you'd have your lifetime of boolits. And if by chance you started shooting more, you'd be tooled up for another round.

[Tatume]

Thanks for the replies and advice. I will be casting my own for 357mag in my GP100. I just don't shoot enough of the 38spl in my snubnose to warrant cast bullets for it. I don't shoot 38spl in my GP100 at all.

Why not use these bullets in your 38 Special?

[Petrol & Powder]

Same thing I was thinking?

[Petrol & Powder]

So, As I read this the OP already casts for BP firearms, fishing tackle and maybe a GP-100?

He has most of what is needed for casting .358" bullets and maybe even EVERYTHING needed.

As for hardness, I aim for 10-12 BHn in 38 Special and probably stay pretty close to 11 BHn most of the time. Commercial cast bullets are almost always harder than that. If sized right they will work. Outpost's advice is spot on if they are just a little small.
Before I was casting I purchased commercial cast bullets with mixed results. A single box 500 of Commercial cast bullets may be a cheap way to get what the OP wants but I come back to the statement that he already casts for his GP-100 ??????? Not sure I understand what the Op wants. If the purchased bullets turn out to be too hard or too small, they can be melted down and re-cast in a larger mold with more pure lead. It's not the ideal way to purchase lead but at least the purchase will not be a total waste of money.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Rotometals #2 Lyman mixed 50/50 with pure lead seems to me would be perfect for 38spl loads. I have pure lead. No real decent harder lead though. Any reason why #2 Lyman mixed 50/50 with pure lead would not work fine for the 38? If it would work, that would also give me some straight #2 alloy for casting .357mag bullets.
Yes, very sound thinking.
I think you could add even more soft lead for 38 spl, to 97-1.5-1.5, IMHO

[Petrol & Powder]

I strongly suggest the OP reads this:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

I think it will help a lot.