9mm <--> .357?

[Silent]

What are the odds of my 358-125-RF working for both my 9mm, and my soon to be Ruger SP101 .357 revolver? The 358-125-RF works great in my 9mm backed up with 4.0 grn of Unique, and it would be cool if the same boolit would work in the .357 as well. I haven't purchased the pistol yet, so obviously I can't slug the bore to find the true sizing.





*EDITED: I had the wrong nomenclture on the mold, it's not a 158, its a 125. Fixed it here in case people missed post #6*

[HammerMTB]

The odds are it will work. The limiter will be the boolit to bore size.
If you weren't already happy with the 9MM load, I'd have said that's a heavy boolit for the 9MM, but you got it covered.
try it, what do you have to lose!

[9.3X62AL]

What Hammer said. The mould was designed with the 38/357 in mind.

[sgabel1]

I tried what you suggested with a Lyman 150 gr Round nose 358242? The shape required a pretty short OAL. which left little room for powder. I was using 3.8 gr Red Dot. It worked OK as a subsonic round at OAL = 1.040". Any more powder you could feel it compressing the powder. No signs of high pressure. It worked better as a 38 special or 357 round.

[RobS]

It will work providing the as cast diameter is par (large enough) for the groove diameter of the soon to be revolver and also with the assumption that the cylinder throats are the correct size for the barrel's dimensions. Congrats before you even get it is in order; you'll have to give us an update when you receive the revolver.

[Silent]

Oops
I just realized I have the nomenclature wrong on the mold, it's not 358-158-RF , it's 358-125-RF. The style is exactly like the 358-158-RF which is what threw me off apparently. What I'm running in the 9mm is it's lighter brother at 125 grains, the 358-125-RF

Any issues running that light of a boolit in a magnum? I can't even find loading data for it in the new Cast Bullet Handbook, best I can do is extrapolate a starting load.

Thanks for the kind words on the new .357 in the works, I'll be sure to post up a pic or 3 once I've had a chance to poke some holes with it I may not actually purchase it until the beginning of next year tho.

[mooman76]

I've used the Lee 105gr SWC in my magnum with no problems. I didn't use full house loads though. I don't see any problems with it.

[RobS]

The Lee 358-125-RF works well in the 9mm as you have come to find out it seems and will work well for a plinker in the 357mag or for small game (rabbit, squirrel, fox coyote etc.). If I were planning on hunting larger game a heavier bullet would be on my list of things to do.

[JIMinPHX]

I've had good luck using the 358-125-rf in most 9-irons. A few 9's are a little picky about feeding them, but most will eat them with little trouble. I know other people who have good luck with them too.

The 158 grain version of that boolit may be pushing your luck a little bit. The 9-Luger is a mighty short case to be stuffing a boolit that long into. Even the 9-Largo doesn't like boolits that long.

Edit:
I also load that same 125 in .38 special & moderate .357 mag ammo for general purpose use. Its a real versatile boolit. If I ever had to settle for only having 1 mold, that 125 would make the short list of the ones that I would choose from.

[chris in va]

You've got it backwards. the 358-125-rf is a 38/357 mold, and it happens to work well in the 9mm also.

[lwknight]

Either way , the 125 grain bullet is optimal for the limited case capacity 9mm.
They are also great for 38/357 plinkers.

[steg]

not familiar with the acronym RF, what does it mean?....................................steg

[NHlever]

I have the 358-125 RF mold, and have worked with it a bit in various .357 revolvers, and rifles. So far it has been less accurate than the 358-158 RF, but I was shooting it yesterday over some Titegroup out of my old 3 screw Blackhawk, and it was shooting pretty well. (<2" at 25 yards) With my eyes these days, that is good. I would keep the velocities mild, and I think it will work fine for you. It sure is a pleasant boolit to shoot. Any suggestions for it in the 9mm. I just bought a Ruger SR9-C.

[lunicy]

RF = round front

It is a .357/38 mold. It will work in the .357 .

Will it be the perfect boolit for your .357? Only experimentation will tell.

[theperfessor]

Uh, actually I think RF stands for round flat.

[frkelly74]

I had a Lee 356 124 TLTC that was supposed to be for a 9mm . I also have one of the convertible Ruger Blackhawks with a 357 cyl and a 9mm Cyl. The 9mm loads with that bullet keyholed in that gun. Your bullet would have been a much better choice. I still have 100 of those loads to do something with.

[RobS]

Uh, actually I think RF stands for round flat.

Yep, round flat

BB=Bevel Base
FN= Flat Nose
GC=Gas Check
HP=Hollow Point
LFN= Long Flat Nose
PB=Plain Base
PP=Paper Patch
PT=Pointed Tip
RF=Round With Flat
RN=Round Nose
SPT= Spitzer
SWC=Semi Wadcutter
TC= Truncated Cone
WC=Wadcutter
WFN=Wide Flat Nose

[lunicy]

Uh, actually I think RF stands for round flat.

Yes it does. I have no clue where my mind was. My brain said round flat. My fingers made some alternative typing.

At first I couldn't figure out why you guys was ribbing on it, until i re-read my post.
OOPS
It was morning before my coffee

Sorry for any confusion.

[steg]

Thanks for the info Guys, that one had me stumped..................................steg

[Intel6]

Just to answer the original question, I have run 100's of the 358-158-RF sized to .356" Through my Glock 17L 9mm (with aftermarket barrel) and they work great. The flat tip means you can seat them out.

Neal in AZ