Newbie looking for a .358 hp-gc mold

[ridin_shotgun]

Hello everybody. This is my first post. I am a hand loader but know next to nothing about bullet molding. I know a fella that is willing to mold some special bullets for me, but I can't find the mold I want. Does anyone know where i can find a mold for .358 158gr. hollow point with gas check? I don't care if it is a swc or otherwise, but I do prefer a multiple cavity mold. Thanks in advance.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Hullo Ridin, and welcome. You could Google Midway , Midsouth or several other suppliers, they may have what you want in stock, check before you place an order.

RCBS , Lyman, Lee all make a two cavity molds, Lyman makes a 4 cavity and Lee also makes a 6 cavity . RCBS most expensive, Lyman, Lee in descending order. All these molds will work ok if properly cleaned and prepped before casting.

[mikenbarb]

Lyman 358156HPGC mold. They only come in a SC mold due to the large wood pin handle it uses.
Welcome to the site.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

I'm sorry , I re read your post, If you want a commercial HP mold I think this Limits you to Lyman, they make a .356 Devastator in single cavity only. Check Buffalo Bullets, They may make one. There are quite a few custom makers that can help you I think, just spendy...

Buckshot , who posts here , can hollow point a mold for you, single cavity only I think, ask him.

There is another fellow that some people swear by that does dual cavity, "Cramer style" , i don't have the link, I'm sure someone will point you to it, then you can buy a mold that you like and have it Hollow Pointed. You can also check out the Group Buy thread , MiHec is going to be doing a .358 HP 2cavities I assume. Soon I think, He makes very good molds.
Good Luck

[GLL]

Mike's 358156GC suggestion is a good one !
Buy a 2-cavity and have one cavity converted to HP.

Jerry

[MT Gianni]

The LY devestator is a bevel base mold, not a gc. This is a pay to have a mold converted option or a look on auction site for upward of $100. Do you know why you need that style or does it just duplicate the jacketed that you currently shoot?

[jdgabbard]

Buckshot does good I hear, but he can't work on Lee molds if that is what you decide to buy to have converted.

This guy http://www.hollowpointmold.com/ does multi cavity hollowpointing on multicavity molds. Specifically he can do cramer style captive pins. Which is a way that HPing a 2-cav Lee might work.

You might get online and check him out. Send him an email and ask about the Lee molds, but be sure to let us know what he says about them, as I don't think anyone has ever asked. From the looks of it, he does outstanding work.

[GLL]

RS:


Here is an example of Buckshot's work !
http://www.fototime.com/48F5B23791A6340/orig.jpg

This is a custom version of the 358156GC-HP
http://www.fototime.com/CDD7DB20EB4938E/standard.jpg

It depends on how many $$$ you want to invest.
Personally in your position I would get an inexpensive single-cavity 358156 and have it converted to HP ! :)

A single-cavity by Buckshot.
http://www.fototime.com/FC1FBCABD1CE997/standard.jpg

Jerry

[MtJerry]

Ya know, I have a 357 Max that really needs boolit like the one above ... I just gotta find the mould.

[GLL]

MtJerry:

Give Rick (Buckshot) a call ! :)
http://www.fototime.com/764FE0DF38E319D/standard.jpg

Jerry

[ridin_shotgun]

I need a gas check because I shoot my 38s at above 1000 fps and i need tyhem to prevent leading. Thanks for your input.

[jdgabbard]

Just remember to specify, whoever does it for you, that you need to have two pins. One for .38 velocity one for .357 velocity.

[ridin_shotgun]

Mike's 358156GC suggestion is a good one !
Buy a 2-cavity and have one cavity converted to HP.

Jerry

How come only one cavity of a double cavity mold ever has a hollow point rod thing in it?

[GLL]

RS:

Trying to run two standard pins at the same time would not be possible since the pin handles would interfere with each other. The Cramer style 2-cavity setup is the solution though.

I have custom 2 & 4-cavity moulds with multiple pins but each cavity is a slightly different bullet and only one can be run at a time.

Running a single pin is about as much as I could handle anyway ! :) :)

What handgun are you using for your .38Specials ? I shoot "warm" .38Special in my old S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman revolvers like the one in my avatar. The 358156GC-HP in the above photo is one of the bullets I use.

Jerry

[MT Gianni]

I need a gas check because I shoot my 38s at above 1000 fps and i need tyhem to prevent leading. Thanks for your input.

Interesting, I run plain based 357 to 1350fps with out leading.

[Larry Gibson]

Harder ally cast bullets can be driven to 1400 fps without leading as MT Gianni. Softer alloys that allow expansion of HP bullets is another story most often. I use a 358156 GC double cavity mould to cast soft alloyed bullets (recovered .22LR lead or plain lead) for HP loads in .38 Special cartridges. For the .357 mag alloys of 1-20 tin-lead or 50/50 WW/lead work quite well at magnum velocities of 1400+ fps from a 6" revolver. After the cartridges are loaded I then HP the bullets use a Forster 1/8" HP tool.

The photo shows some loaded 313631s in .30 carbine and the 35-200-FN in the .35 Remington which were HP'd with the Forster 1/8" tool.

Larry Gibson

[jdgabbard]

I wonder what the Ranch Dog .359-190 would look like with a HP...

Dangit Larry! How come you always have to give me ideas, forcing me to spend my hard earned money.

[jdgabbard]

I wonder what the Ranch Dog .359-190 would look like with a HP...

Dangit Larry! How come you always have to give me ideas, forcing me to spend my hard earned money.

[Leftoverdj]

I'm with Larry. Hollow pointing after casting is the easy route.

I did see something interesting years ago. A plain base mould had been converted to GC by adding plates to the top of the blocks. The Lee HP moulds are still fairly plentiful and much easier to use than the removeable pin style. That conversion might be worth looking into.

[jdgabbard]

Yeah, but the Cramer style pins look as though they would be the cats meow. Just the guess, as I've never personally been that blessed.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

There have been several 358156 GC molds on Flea-bay lately, if you have the money to out bid the "Others"... I agree that this is a good boolit to HP. good luck

[Larry Gibson]

Yeah, but the Cramer style pins look as though they would be the cats meow. Just the guess, as I've never personally been that blessed.

On bullets cast larger than .35 I've also opened the HP up with a tapered bit used to drill the hole for the rear sling swivel stud in stocks. I just held the drill in a vise and hand held the loaded rounds as the HP was enlarged. Since I don't HP the bullets for practice ammo it's not hard to do 20-50 for zero/hunting. Works really well on a 458483 GC cast soft for my TDs. HP'd bullet ends up around 350 gr and at 1400 fps expands extremely well. It is a bit much on deer (too much meat damage) but deadly on elk with more than enogh penetration I've shot 3 deer and 2 elk with it and never recover a single bullet as all were through and through with shoulder shots).

BTW; What better to spend your money on? Lord knows I wasted enough on wine woman and song in my younger, single years.

Larry Gibson

[mikenbarb]

Ridin, If your only a little over 1000fps you should be fine with a #2 alloy or water drop them. The #2 alloy is good to about 1600fps with a good lube.