Lee TL358-148-WC

[zxcvbob]

I've been shooting a lot of .38 and .357 wadcutters lately, using boolits I bought from Mastercast. No complaints. But if I want to cast my own, is this a good mold, or should I go with the one with conventional lube grooves? (it looks like it has more of a button-nose instead of a symetrical DEWC like the tumble-lube mold)

[Whistler]

I'm in the same situation. If anyone has any accuracy comparisons between Lee's two WC designs and their 105gn SWC I would appreciate it.

[Shiloh]

I have the LEE six banger TLWC and it casts a mountain of boolits in a hurry, I shoot an informal League shoot with them. I also have a LYMAN 35891 wadcutter that shoots well also. LEE has a similar version of the LYMAN mold. Both Boolits are more accurate than I can shoot them.

My LEE 140 grain SWC is very accurate as well.

Shiloh

[GRid.1569]

A bit of a hijack, sorry...

but I've had this TLWC for awhile.... casts great, but I'm not having much success with my loads...

What alloy's are people using (mine's range scrap) is near pure lead a good idea?

How about powders & charge weights? I'm using .357 mag cases in a Taurus revolver....

[acl864]

I've had pretty good luck with the Lee TL358-148-WC. It cast a little small out of the box (.356") so I "beagled" it out to .358". I use straight clip on WW alloy air-cooled with near max 38 Special loads or mid-range .357 mag loads. For powder puff .38 Special loads I use half clip-on WW and half stick-on WW's air cooled to get a little softer alloy. I tumble lube them both with 45/45/10 lube. I don't have any traditional lube groove WC molds to compare but I couldn't ask for better accuracy than I get with the tumble lube WC's. They shoot like a laser out of all my S&W's.

[randyrat]

What kind of loads are you guys using? Also what lube, just curious.

[zxcvbob]

I've been shooting 3.0 grains of American Select for a nice .38 Special load (should be a little over 800 fps), and 7.0 grains of WSF for a .357 Magnum load (should be 1200+ fps.) I realize the .357 load might be too fast for my boolits cast from scrap lead, but I don't shoot all that many of them and I can save my commercial bullets for 'em.

[357reloading]

agree about tumble lube. all my molds are Lee tumble lube. Have a Lyman 450 updated with the 4500 handle. . Will need to sell one of thesed day, unless I can come up with some reason to keep

I also buy and use two of each mold, for a little more speed.
that way dont have to wait and do not need to sort one size from the other.

[XTOL]

I love the Lee TL358-148-WC. Ive shot bunches of them through
my Ruger GP100. I load them in 357 cases with a light load of
Unique and they are more accurate than my old eyes can aim.

I cast them from a 50/50 mix of wheel weights and range scrap.
Shoot em as cast and tumble lube with straight LLA.

[Wally]

I'm in the same situation. If anyone has any accuracy comparisons between Lee's two WC designs and their 105gn SWC I would appreciate it.

I use/like both. The 105 will not offer as consistent a performance, as the little bullet takes up but little space in the .38 Spl case. In terms of accuracy the WC wins hands down. However the 105 provides me with acceptable accuracy.

Years ago I tried a box of Winchester 110 grain Silver tips factory .38 Special loads---they too had large spreads with not the best accuracy in my .38 Special pistols. Seems with lighter bullets that's just the way that it is.

[UnderDawgAl]

At the 15 yard distance from which I normally shoot handguns, my Lee TL358-148WC does a GREAT job (always "one ragged hole", right?). I've used loads ranging from 2.7 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye and 3.2 to 3.4 grains of W231/HP38--all for 38 Special, of course. In 357 mag brass, I've bumped up the charges a bit for both powders, to around 4 grains, if I remember correctly. Don't quote me on that one.

Regarding the 105 SWC, I've used it a lot as well. Again, a great performer at 15 yards. I've used the same loads above, as well as a number of loads that were one hole larger on the Lee Auto Disks.

Lube for all of them was a little Lee Liquid Alox mixed with a little Johnson's Paste Wax. All boolits were unsized.

Bottom line, at pretty close distances, I can't tell a difference among all these loads when I shoot.

[Ohio Rusty]

I have a two banger Ideal 148 grain button nosed wadcutter, and I'm real happy with the boolits from that mould. JPW and beeswax for the lube. 3 grains of Trail Boss for the propellant. Great plinking round.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Elkins45]

I have a 6 cav. in this design and I have had pretty good luck with them out of 38 and 357. Mine throws enough oversize that they bulge the case just a tad, and I've found that often gives the best accuracy.

Incidentally that's the same thing I've observed with the 44 TL SWC- it makes the case a little fat but it gives good accuracy.

[Shiloh]

A bit of a hijack, sorry...

but I've had this TLWC for awhile.... casts great, but I'm not having much success with my loads...

What alloy's are people using (mine's range scrap) is near pure lead a good idea?

How about powders & charge weights? I'm using .357 mag cases in a Taurus revolver....

Range scrap for me. 2.8-3.0 grains of Alliant Bullseye for .38 cases, 3.3-3.5 for .357 cases. Mild accurate loads. I don't know if this powder is available to you in Scotland.

SHiloh

[mdi]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=93021

[GRid.1569]

Range scrap for me. 2.8-3.0 grains of Alliant Bullseye for .38 cases, 3.3-3.5 for .357 cases. Mild accurate loads. I don't know if this powder is available to you in Scotland.

SHiloh

Bullseye is my preffered "go to" for most of my target loads (incl. .357 158grn RNFP in Marlin)

Looks in line with my (swaged) HBWC loads which the gun likes... I thought I'd have to driven 'em faster being cast an a harder alloy.... looks like I need to revist these levels and work it from there.... Thanks Shiloh :)

[Cowboy T]

Don't have the WC, but I do have the 105-SWC, and it's sure more accurate than I am. The thing I like about the little 105-grainer is that my lead lasts longer. Doesn't cut as clean a hole in paper, though.

[rintinglen]

I have an H&G #50 4-holer that is simply wonderful. Once It gets up to temperature, 142 grain bullets drop from it like lovely little silver barrels. I use either 2.8 grains Bullseye or 3.1 grns of WW231 these days, but in earlier times I cast up 3 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights and sent them down range on top of 4 grns of Red Dot. Although not a tumble lube design per se, I have used nothing else on these for something like 25 years.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have a Lee .358 148 gr. TL WC and it has not worked no matter what. I should have sent it back to Lee. There are no vent lines on one side of the mould and I tried to make my own. Should have sent it back. I'm sure Lee makes good moulds though.