Trouble with Lyman 358-345 115gr SWC bullet

Lyman 358-345, 115gr SWC
Try as I may, I just can't get this bullet to perform for me. I've tried it in 38S&W, 38 Spl, and 357 Mag. I've experimented with a number of powders at different velocity ranges and had pretty poor results all around. I'm using all the things that work well for me in similar loadings, i.e. sizing, lube, alloy, etc. The best my efforts have yielded has been 4" groups from a rest at 25 yards, though many groups are much worse. The only thing I haven't played with too much is alloy hardness. My alloy has generally been air cooled, clip-on wheel weights.

Has anyone got any good recipes for this bullet design?

For my 125 gr 38 Special loads I like a softer alloy, 11-12 BHN from my Mystery Metal. I size all my revolver bullets to the same diameter (measured) as the cylinder throats. I start here when doing a load work up. Works for me...

A bit of info on the bullet; https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Lyman+358-...=v275-1&ia=web

I think that was the first 38/357 mould I ever ordered ... from Herter's in Hollow Point form ... single cavity Lyman . Had a 357 Magnum (Ruger Blackhawk) 1973 and the light weight Super Vel HP's were popular ...but sorta expensive (box of 50 not 100) so... the 115 gr. 358345 SWCHP was going to be my D-I-Y Super Vel boolit .
357 Magnum - Lyman # 358345 HP - 115 grs. - szed .3575 - air cooled COWW + 1% tin.
My notes show Lyman Data with Unique powder:
starting load - 7.5 grains @ 1233 fps.
Maximum Load - 9.2 grs. 1489 fps .

Since this is a plain based boolit , I didn't even try the Max. load of near 1500 fps ...
I loaded some at 7.5 . 8.0 and 8.5 .... I liked 8.0 grs. but it seemed 7.5 grs Unique @ 1233 gave me just about the same accuracy . I had / keep a Lyman 55 set up and adjusted to throw 7.5 grains of Unique ...so 7.5 grains got loaded the most just because the measure was set for 7.5 ... and it shot well .
The lube was a Lithium grease - beeswax lube (1 part / 3 parts) . I never experienced any leading .

Also shot a lot of them loaded in 38 special cases ,
with 5.2 grs. Unique @ 1000 fps, this is a +P Load and accurate .

I have since changed my handgun alloy to 50-50 mix COWW / soft lead + 1% tin .
I'm trying to extend my supply of COWW's , my unlimited free supply retired from the tire business and I went to this mix ...BHN 8 ...may be better for revolver boolits ... magnum loads will have to be tried .
Gary

No experience with your specific bullet, but the Lee 356-120-TC which in my mold casts large enough to size at 3585" and the Ly 358242 at .3585" both shoot really well with 3.5 grains of Bullseye. Conventional NRA 50/50 or Lithi-bee lube. Alloy is usually something in the 10-12 BHN range. You fail to mention alloy or your sized diameter you are working with. I will remind you that the 38 S&W requires a larger diameter bullet so you might just be trying to shoot smaller bullets than you require.

I never had the 358-345 but I did have an old Ideal one piece mold in 360-345 - same 115 grain mold for all intents and purposes. I'm "low tech" and primarily buy range lead to cast for Pistolsl and TL in alox/paste wax. I bought the mold to use in 38 Colt Short. It worked well for me in the 38 Colt Short casing over either 2.0 grains of Bulls Eye or 2.2 grains if red dot - I usually shot it out of my S & W 3" Model 36. It was a good plinking round and small critter killer on the farm. When I weeded out my molds one time I sold the mold as I have a 120is grain RN that works equally as well.

That doesn't help you much though. I am assuming you are sizing them based on your remark about keeping things uniform? If you do size them - try some "as cast" to see if that makes a difference. And . . . there is always the possibly also may be that it just won't perform well out of your particular pistol/pistols. I don't remember which RN mold I had at one time but the boolit would really shoot well out of my 5" 70 year old S & W M & P but wouldn't shoot worth a darn out of the 1920s S & W M & P 6" Target hand ejector I had at the time. Tried the same loads from the same batch in my 1910 6" Colt Army Special and they worked like a charm - so sometimes it just works out like that.

Hopefully you can hit on a combination that will work as it is a neat little boolit. Good luck!

It’s one my favorite boolet out of my 50 yr old model 10 4” Barrel! 3.4 grns of 7625 PCd or Ben’s Red! Same hole Accuracy at 25 yards

4.0 grains of Bullseye, sized .358 and my M-14 eats them like candy. I simply size them and tumble lube with BLL or Recluse 45/45/10 and get fine accuracy.

I tried that bullet back in the 70's with 38 special, 357 mag and 38 super. All failures, not single load shot well enough for plinking. Mold gone. During the late 80's I bought another one, this one casting a little heavier. Tried different 38 special, 357 mag, 38 super loads. Got one 38 that worked ok, rest, failures again. Mold gone. Others have success with it - great for them. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Cherokee

I tried that bullet back in the 70's with 38 special, 357 mag and 38 super. All failures, not single load shot well enough for plinking. Mold gone. During the late 80's I bought another one, this one casting a little heavier. Tried different 38 special, 357 mag, 38 super loads. Got one 38 that worked ok, rest, failures again. Mold gone. Others have success with it - great for them. Good luck.

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Maybe the mold I have is one of the molds you previously owned/sold. I've had no success with mine.

BTW - I've been putting the H335 powder I bought from you back in July to good use in my .223.

If you are using an N frame Smith it will not shoot a bullet like this very well and I think it has to do with diameter of cylinder. My model 14's will shoot them fine.

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Originally Posted by Old Caster

If you are using an N frame Smith it will not shoot a bullet like this very well and I think it has to do with diameter of cylinder. My model 14's will shoot them fine.

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I've tried loads in a Colt Police Positive, Taurus Tracker, and Encore barrel. I'm able to get nice loads using other bullet designs, just no luck with this bullet mold.