Meplat sizes for 357 Magnum

I have used 158 JHP for my Ruger Blackhawk in 357 mag. I want to cast my own for this year. I hear many people say that what matters is meplat size and velocity. Here are some molds that may be useful for hunting. I want to know the meplat size for the Lyman 358665. What other mold may be useful for hunting and what are their meplat sizes?

Mold Weight Meplat
Lyman 358477 150gr .220 (by my eyes and verier caliper)
Lyman 358429 Keith 173gr .250 (saw this number printed on a website)
Lyman 357665 Cowboy 158gr not sure meplat size
LBT flat nose 185gr .280 (saw this number printed on a website)

Thanks,
HH

I use the Lee C358-158-SWC in my .357 Blackhawk. Meplat measures .275" and it weighs on average 165 with WW lead and gas check.

I shoot it over 14gr 2400 with a wspm primer and get a fairly consistent 1450 fps with a 6.5" barrel.

The 358477 & the 358429 take the same nose punch and I believe they have the same meplate. The weight difference is in the body length.

Cant say bout the 358477, but that 358429 I really like the looks of. I have a mold for it, but bought it just after casting 2000 of the Lee 158 RF. For accuracy, that lee over Unique or Blue Dot is a real tack driver. I can CONSISTENTLY shoot the bottom of a 20 gauge empty at 25 yards out of my Blackhawk 4.5 inch. I am not loading them hot or anywhere near max, but I just cant let go of that accuracy to gain speed. Havent killed anything with em yet, but soon. Very soon.

meplat size isn't everything in performance.
too much nose and you get wobbly boolits prone to tumbling.
too long/too much taper, and it isn't strong enough to penetrate without bending the nose.
too short and square and you end up with the ballistics of a wad cutter.
if you want a meplat look at a rnfp,it's got a good combination of traits.

Good morning
At what range are your expexted shots ? Up in Illinois I hunt river bottoms and thick woods. My longest gun deer shot has been 35 yards. My last gun corn cruncher was hit at 15 yards. At that range a wadcutter (358432) works very well.
Personally I prefer heavier than 158 for deer. ILLinois deer are big. 200 pounders are average anymore. Had an old hunter tell me years ago that with revolvers figure one gain of lead per pound of critter. Magnum revolvers sort of fudge that factor a bit but I still think along those lines. I absolutely want an exit hole with deer.
Mike in Peru

[QUOTE]Lyman 357665 Cowboy 158gr not sure meplat size[QUOTE]

A rough measurement with a caliper says my 358665 has a meplat of .250.

duh? what's a meplat? something like a splat maybe? or is me on a plate?

I have a .357 Blackhawk convertible. Can I hunt with it. Not much around here in So.Cal to shoot, critters that is.

Max

it's the flat on the front of a boolit.
65% is a number i hear a lot for a minimum.
like mike say's two holes are the way to go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MT Gianni

The 358477 & the 358429 take the same nose punch and I believe they have the same meplate. The weight difference is in the body length.

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The 429 has a sharp shoulder around the meplat. The 477 has rounded edges around the meplat. They look quite different. The 429 has a much larger meplat than the 477.

HH

Quote:

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Originally Posted by happyhunter

The 429 has a sharp shoulder around the meplat. The 477 has rounded edges around the meplat. They look quite different. The 429 has a much larger meplat than the 477.

HH

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My two molds throw the same meplate 0,250. The nose is different in length and the 429 has a larger front band. They are shown here in 38's. This is why you have to measure your own.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...special001.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...special003.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...special002.jpg

Don't overlook the 358156 either, it has been killing whitetails for decades with well placed shots. I had long been a fan of the 358429 but the 358156. Check out Glen Fryxell's site he has alot of the info you are looking for, but while a wide meplat is useful there is also matching the perfect hardness of the bullet (another topic Glen goes oever very well) with the velocity of the bullet. I have been doing alot of research since my hunting arm (going to be having surgery on my weak arm later this month) is probably going to be my Smith Outdoorsman or if I can find another .357 and I think I will be using either a 358156 hollowpoint of about 12-14 BHN or a 358429 of about 18 BHN for whitetail, which ever provides the best accuracy in my gun come opening day.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/s...-2/358156b.jpg

I have got one of NOE's 180gr WFN mold that casts an awesome looking Boolit intended for hunting.

the 360180 NOE boolit on deer at about 50 yds out of my Win 94 levergun.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g8...r/DSCN6249.jpg

the projectile.
the solid point ones on the left

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g8...n/DSCN7627.jpg

and NOE has some for sale now!

IMO the 180fp is the best hunting round out there.

David, I hope that your surgery goes well.

HI,
Bullet design has been researched by a lot of folks,
Veral Smith, our member Dixie Sluggs, Elmer Kieth, Thompson to mention a few.

Out of a revolver you have more options than with a lever gun.
Med plats of .30 to .343 have been used with outstanding success in the 357.
The consensus seems that med plats close to 80% of caliber are very good, some prefer even bigger. :Fire::Fire:

MT Gianni,
wow your 477 looks quite a bit different than mine. I like yours better!! Interesting that Lyman changed the mold that much.

Does anyone know the meplat size for the Lyman 358665 cowboy bullet?

Thanks,
HH

[QUOTE=Blammer;1673418]the 360180 NOE boolit on deer at about 50 yds out of my Win 94 levergun.

Blammer,
This is probably a simple question but me being a newbie just really don't know: what is an NOE 360180 and where do I get a mold for it?

Thanks,
HH

HH - look here
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=100934
..

That NOE is a sweet looking mold.

I'll have to keep it in mind, though I've been running the old Group Buy .358180 WFN for most of my <120yd deer whacking.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...e/aeb1d968.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...e/IMG_0474.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...e/IMG_0538.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y18...e/IMG_0534.jpg

Happyhunter, Beerd's got it right, that's the mould.

Did you use the HP on the deer, if so what alloy and speed.