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View Poll Results: which LEE 6 cavity Mold

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  • 158 RNFP

    181 74.79%
  • 158 SWC GC

    46 19.01%
  • 140 SWC

    15 6.20%
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Thread: Best LEE mold for ROSSI '92 .357mag

  1. #21
    Boolit Master jlchucker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff H View Post
    I loaded ten of these this afternoon.
    It seems I will be using them up in my SP101 though, because they will NOT cycle through my Rossi. The cartridge is presented at such an angle that the bullet clears the top edge of the chamber, but the bottom hangs up. Almost seems like the cuts in the cartridge guides are too far forward - or that they were made specifically for the .38 Special. Rim doesn't get to the cut-outs before everything binds up.

    I loaded some 158 RNs (old Lyman mold) and they slide through slicker'n snot.
    Ran out of daylight though, trying to get the first few 125s out of the gun.
    That's the same exact problem that I had at first, with everything that I tried in a 38 spl case. After much discussion with my local gunsmith, and an email exchange with Steve I started seating that boolit out so that I crimped my 38 special cases into the forward edge of the grease groove. The original crimp groove is exposed, greaseless. Now the 38 spls don't do that any more. I haven't loaded this boolit into 357 cases yet but they shouldn't give that annoying jam. I noticed that the same jam occurs with 158 swc's in 38 special cases, but cycle fine in 357's.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master 357shooter's Avatar
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    I haven't had a feeding problem with SWC's in 38 special brass. Seems to work fine. Maybe I just need more rounds through it to find some of the quirks.

    Added later: Had a thought, I'm not using the Lee SWC's at all. Have run several types of NOE designs through it with no problems. Will be trying some Lyman over the next couple of weeks.
    Last edited by 357shooter; 03-01-2011 at 07:51 AM.
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  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by jlchucker View Post
    That's the same exact problem that I had at first, with everything that I tried in a 38 spl case......
    But, I am having the problem in .357 cases and the indications are that everything is too long. I half expect using .38 cases will work with mine, but who knows - too long in .357 cases, too short in .38 cases.....?

  4. #24
    Boolit Master

    Three-Fifty-Seven's Avatar
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    The best Lee? I'm not a fan of Lee or TL boolits, however I'd say probably Ranch Dog is what you want, he has designed boolits/mold for leveractions, and has Lee make them for him, he has a link/banner at the top of the page.
    John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master northmn's Avatar
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    The Lee 158 RNFP does not shoot very well out of my Rossi either. I tried it a longer range and it patterned it did not group. I tried some loads with the Lee 150 RN and they grouped. Same day, same rest etc,

    DP

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    The best LEE mold is a RanchDog mold. I have the 359190 GC. It shoots better than the several other molds I have tried. I have to crimp it on the ogive for proper OAL. RD has another mold, 359175 coming out soon.

    Papalote

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    derek45, i'm getting a rossi myself, i can't wait till the ranchdog mould comes out, should be a good one.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by izzyjoe View Post
    derek45, i'm getting a rossi myself, i can't wait till the ranchdog mould comes out, should be a good one.
    Something you might want to think about. Ranch Dog works mainly with Marlins and their 16" twist rate and designs great molds for them. I'm not sure how well 190 gr bullets will work in the 30" twist of the Rossi but I have not tried any. Maybe some of the board members who have Rossi's and shot "heavies" in them will comment. Whats great in a 16" twist is not necessarily great in a 30" twist.
    "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle

  9. #29
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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    The ranch dog 190 looks nice, except I don't like ALOX.

    I use red carnuba and a RCBS lub-a-riffic-2

    I tried tumble lubing, and I don't like it.



    I'm glad to report, My new rossi cycles 158gr SWC very smoothly, even when loaded into 38 special cases.
    .


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  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by fecmech View Post
    ....I'm not sure how well 190 gr bullets will work in the 30" twist of the Rossi but I have not tried any......
    Seated in full-length .357 cases, the 190 will not cycle through my Rossi - carrier won't even bring it up. There may be a cure for that, like backing the stop up on the carrier, but that's permanent and may make other combinations not work. Could trim some brass back. I don't like to load .38 cases to .357 levels because I have a couple .38s in use.

    Quote Originally Posted by derek45 View Post
    The ranch dog 190 looks nice, except I don't like ALOX.
    ........I'm glad to report, My new rossi cycles 158gr SWC very smoothly, even when loaded into 38 special cases.
    Not everyone's cup-o'-tea, but I have run RDOs through my old Lyman lubrisizer. I can't find a benefit to it over TL in the .44 Special with the 430-265, but it works. Just a lot of little grooves instead of one big one. Elmer Keith might not have approved, but it's working for me.

    Good to know about the LEE 158.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master 357shooter's Avatar
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    A 358477 (150 SWC) shot great today. Very short distance of 25 yards as I was indoor limited.

    The 150 outshot my best 200 SWC today. My revolver hates the 150 and loves the 200. I'm thinking it's twist rates. However I don't have 1,000 rounds through the Rossi yet so time will tell.

    MidSouth has great prices on Lyman moulds, maybe the OP would consider a 358477.
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  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    well dogone, i was wanting to get away from the slow twisters. i did'nt know the rossi 357 had a 1 30'' twist, well that put's a whole perspective on things.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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    this gun is fun to shoot.

    Mine seems to feed and function what ever I try

    The Missouri bullet 140gr feeds especially smooth

    5.0 w231 is a mild 1119fps.


    more data....
    158swc
    6.1 w231 at 1280 fps.

    6.4w231 1338 fps





    22gr w296 125gr Rem SJHP 2241 fps

    19.6gr w296 140XTP 1963 fps

    17.3gr w296 158grXTP 1748 fps


    I don't care for the buckhorn rear sight.
    I'll probably order a replacement from stevezgunz





    .


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  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy
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    OOH! Nice pics and good info!

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    Got mine out today and played a bit more, even though I was only able to back up to 25 yards.

    Lyman 158 grain round noses, from an old mold belonging to a friend, over 5.5 grains of W231 were dead on point of aim and made tiny clusters. No sight adjustment necessary and they fed well. Not what I want to shoot through this but a good indicator of the rifle's ability.

    A commercial cast 200 grain TC over a healthy dose of H110 shot a couple inches lower, I think. The general "pattern" of these was centered lower than the tiny clusters of the 158s. They fed well, but seem to be tumbling even at that distance. Great out of the SP101 (although a handful) but no dice in the Rossi.

    Lee 125 grain RFN over 5.5 grains of W231, well, that one was the heart breaker. They absolutely will not feed through my Rossi, exibiting the the same behavior as the Lyman 168 grain SWC - too wide, too far out and at the angle it begins to enter the chamber but before the rim clears the cuts in the cartridge guide rails.

    I had to use them up because they stick out the end of the cylinder of my SP101, my only other .357. So, I loaded them singly and didn't get as fussy about accuracy as the other loads, but ten shots produced a hole (A hole - as in single hole) that I could not put my index finger through.

    I may try to seat it deeper but still want to avoid trimming odd .357s or using .38 cases. I did shoot some of the 168 grain Lyman SWCs in .38 cases. They basically went through the holes made by the 158 grain round noses.

    None of the loads left any lead at all in the bore. I only fired 60 rounds, but the bore was gleaming like it was when I started - and I tend to cast my stuff soft and not use gas checks, at least I didn't shoot any GC stuff today.

    Trigger is actually excellent - a tiny bit of creep before a very consistent and crisp break. Slightly heavy but fine for what I am doing. It did not like to extract .38s and the .357 cases loaded with 125 grain LEE RFNs for some reason. I was especially surpriosed that my empties did not fly 50' the way an ejected loaded round does, but that strong-armed ejector spring has to go none the less.

    So, there was one LEE mold among those I tried today and it shot better than the others. No to say that was because it was a LEE mold but it WAS a LEE mold and it DID shoot well - just won't feed through my Rossi or I would have voted for the 158 RFN. I voted for the 140 because of the nose, which I am sure will feed through mine and I can TL it if I want anyway. We'll see.
    Last edited by Jeff H; 04-30-2012 at 09:12 PM.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master AnthonyB's Avatar
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    I got in on the very first Lee group buy for the 35-180 WFN several years ago just so I would have the mould when I finally bought a 357 lever action. Bought another mould from the original run a few years later from a poster on the board, and then ordered the NOE version of the same design when it was offerred last year. Finally bought the Rossi a few months back, and the NOE version feeds well. That will be my favorite bullet for the Rossi.
    Tony

  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by AnthonyB View Post
    I got in on the very first Lee group buy for the 35-180 WFN several years ago just so I would have the mould when I finally bought a 357 lever action. Bought another mould from the original run a few years later from a poster on the board, and then ordered the NOE version of the same design when it was offerred last year. Finally bought the Rossi a few months back, and the NOE version feeds well. That will be my favorite bullet for the Rossi.
    Tony
    Tony, how do those heavies shoot? I shot some 200s today and they were pathetic. They group well from my 3" SP101, but were saucer-sized groups at 25 with a 16" Rossi. These were commercial cast (Ranier?) from a friend. 175 to 180 would be sweet if they shot well.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master AnthonyB's Avatar
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    Jeff:
    I only have a little over 100 rounds of jacketed through the rifle and haven't started any cast work yet. I have so much thought invested in the 180 that it HAS to shoot well - I didn't need the rifle until I saw the bullet design!
    PM me and I'll send you some to try.
    Tony

  19. #39
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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    This thread is clear as mud.

    86% voted on the 158 RNFP, but two guys say it won't group at 100yrds.




    I did the stevezgunz DVD mods last night, tuned her up real nice.



    I really like the rifle, I might just feed her 140gr XTP for now, not sure.


    .


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  20. #40
    Boolit Master 357shooter's Avatar
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    How long did it take to work over the Rossi? I have the stevezgunz on the way.


    Quote Originally Posted by derek45 View Post
    This thread is clear as mud.

    86% voted on the 158 RNFP, but two guys say it won't group at 100yrds.




    I did the stevezgunz DVD mods last night, tuned her up real nice.



    I really like the rifle, I might just feed her 140gr XTP for now, not sure.


    Rossi M92 Lever Action
    Taurus 669
    Kel-Tec P-3AT
    http://357shooter.blogspot.com/

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check