38/357 SWC vs RNFP?

[Michael J. Spangler]

If you had to choose one what would it be?
Revolver and Marlin 1894

I have been shooting the 358156 exclusively and it works well.
Wondering if there are advantages to the RNFP like the Lee 158 or if it's not worth it.

My 1894 feeds the 358156 like water so no issues there.

I guess I just like the look of the RNFP and a good reason to buy a 6 cavity mould.

Thanks guys!

[shoot-n-lead]

It would be another ...WFN...all I shoot in my levers and revolvers, now.

Wide meplat for hunting...works slick in the lever and they both shoot it well.


Not the hollow points...the flat nose are what I shoot.

[SciFiJim]

I use both. I load the 358156 in .38 brass and the NOE 360180 WFN in .357 brass. The 358156 is for lighter loads and the 360180 is for hunting loads.

[Ed_Shot]

The Lyman 358156 is a winner in my Marlin and Lee's 358-158-RF is also excellent and both are equally outstanding in 38/357 pistols.

[Murphy]

This is a tough one for me, but here are my thoughts.

The SWC has been with us many decades now. I once was more interested in the nice hole it punched, but I wasn't thinking about the meplat and its impact on performance. That being said, given both boolits are of the same weight if the difference in meplat size isn't worth arguing over, I'll take the RNFP (as some would say TC).

I know some think the sharp shoulders of the SWC make a cleaner hole for blood letting if the intended purpose is for hunting. And, I have taken my fair share of game from small up to whitetail deer with it. I never skinned anything out and checked to see if this was indeed true.

I do believe the larger the meplat, the harder the impact though.

My Rossi 92 has zero issues with the Thompson #358156 in full .357 magnum configuration. And like many, I always have a handgun along. If there is any concern about a quick reload with the handgun it is in ones be interest to have the cylinder charge holes chamfered if you are going to use a SWC boolit. If the RNFP keeps calling out to you more than the SWC, then it isn't really a concern about a quick reload.

To sum it up, if I had to choose just one it would be the RNFP sans the bevel base for better obturation.

Murphy

[FergusonTO35]

If I could choose only one it would be the Lee 358-158-RF no doubt. Shoots great in my 1894 and wheelguns and takes a gas check no problem. Lee's SWC designs are good too. The C358-158-SWC works great without a check and has a short ogive. The unfortunately discontinued 358-150-SWC is a great one as well.

[RedHawk357Mag]

I have been dwelling in this for a while now. I say both. I can find more loads that work well, easier, with more powders, with loads of greater latitude with RNFP. But each gun speaks differently and very often likes things differently. This last summer has been very trying on my patience with SWCs. All kinds loads with several different SWCs always left me wanting and expecting more accuracy. Yet the RNFP or the cousin WFN seemed to do better for me. This led me to thin out some very nice SWC molds earlier this summer. I made a few adjustments to my procedures in my hand loading which on initial looks have significantly improved performance of SWCs in my initial work ups. Also performance of RNFPs has improved as well. Which has led me to the conclusion there is room for both. Each gun may like one over the other. I will keep both in my inventory as I may buy a new gun that literally chokes on one or the other until I figure out what the gun is telling me is wrong. I think there are some excellent examples of all three bullet styles out there. Sometimes it might take a hot minute to find out exactly how to squeeze the best performance out of them. But when it comes together it is a very satisfying experience. I think casting wise we are living in a very good time for excellent quality molds and a great selection of bullet styles.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[joatmon]

Sounds to me like you've got it covered since your lever will feed the 156. Only gap I see is a heavy (170-180)gr if you hunt larger game with the rifle.
Aaron

[DHDeal]

Only having one .357" mold at this time, it is obviously my favorite. If and when I get another, it will be similar as the bullets are very accurate and I cannot think that they will do anything but perform very good on critters. It's an Accurate Mold 4 gang that has 2 different styles of RNFP bullets. In truth I guess they should be called a WFN design, but there is definitely a RN concept up to the WFN.

I had an issue when I got the mold but knew it was something I was doing and not the mold. I did some serious reading and looking at my temperature of alloy and mold and bang, bullets started piling up and no more issues.

The problem with molds, is you want more of them. If only Tom @ Accurate Molds was honest on his shipping times. The 2 I ordered got to me in about 7 days instead of the website time of 3 weeks. Makes getting more too easy and I have a wish list (but no SWC's).....

[Beerd]

If you load both full house loads and plinkers it's good to have a different bullet for each.
..

[KYCaster]

If you load both full house loads and plinkers it's good to have a different bullet for each.
..

Yeah, what Beerd said.

I use the different boolit profiles to identify the various loads I use.

158 RN in either 38spl or 357mag cases is a low recoil (wimp) load for new shooter orientation and/or high volume plinking.

158 SWC in 38spl cases is a near max load. It's what's in the S&W M10 when I have it with me. Same boolit in 357 cases is a mid range load, ~1000 fps or so. I try to keep lots of these on hand.

180 RNFP is reserved for near max loads in 357 cases.

All of these loads will work in my various revolvers and in a Rossi SRC. Long ago, I gave up the practice of "rifle only loads". Seems like I would find a couple of loose rounds in the bottom of the range bag with no ID so no way of knowing what powder charge was in it. Now the BOOLIT is the only ID I need.

Works well for me.
Jerry

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm in this camp right now. The SWC has been my go-to 38 Special bullet for decades but I'm seriously looking into the RNFP to smooth up loading via a Speedloader. Even with chamfered chamber mouths the front driving band of a SWC can occasionally hang on the rear face of the cylinder. There's some argument that the round nose profile helps to align the cylinder when the bullet enters the forcing cone but I'm a bit skeptical that it's a significant advantage over a SWC.

I've picked up a RNFP mold and time will tell.

[Lloyd Smale]

got to have both. The swc for handguns and the round flat for lever guns.

[nagantguy]

Yeah, what Beerd said.

I use the different boolit profiles to identify the various loads I use.

158 RN in either 38spl or 357mag cases is a low recoil (wimp) load for new shooter orientation and/or high volume plinking.

158 SWC in 38spl cases is a near max load. It's what's in the S&W M10 when I have it with me. Same boolit in 357 cases is a mid range load, ~1000 fps or so. I try to keep lots of these on hand.

180 RNFP is reserved for near max loads in 357 cases.

All of these loads will work in my various revolvers and in a Rossi SRC. Long ago, I gave up the practice of "rifle only loads". Seems like I would find a couple of loose rounds in the bottom of the range bag with no ID so no way of knowing what powder charge was in it. Now the BOOLIT is the only ID I need.

Works well for me.
Jerry

yes it's a very good.idea, or if you find a boolit the gun loves and critters hate, stick with it and pc them.diffrence colors, all of our blinking/idpa boolits are Carolina blue, hunting rounds black, experimental boolits John deere green or clear gloss, and for my nagants with various throat bore sizes are red, green and bronze depending on 311, 312, 313.

[sundog]

Lately I have been playing around with the Lee TL158SWC. It's a new mould, and Lee actually did a pretty good job on it.

Within the last few days I have switched to black bbs for shake and bake. Powder coating has improved.

These boolits are run through a .359 push thru die.

Since there is no GC and no loobing, production rate has picked up. Overall a little cheaper, too.

Now the best part. Accuracy is acceptable.

I've done the same thing with the Lee TL 430-240 SWC for the 44 Spl.

[EDK]

358156 feeds in my MARLIN COWBOY RIFLES, but the NOE 360180 has really impressed users. The people at marlinowners claim the 175/180 weight boolits improve performance in their 357 model 1894s.
I'm lucky that I have a number of moulds accumulated over the past 50 years.

PS look at 358627 at 210+ grains. Glenn Fryxell wrote an article at lasc praising it.

[9.3X62AL]

To service both rifle and revolver with the same ammunition, a RNFP is overall a "better" selection in my experience. The Keith-type semi-wadcutters don't get along well with a number of leverguns for a variety of causes--1) OAL when crimped into the intended crimp groove is often too long to feed properly 2) that full-caliber front drive band of equal length to rear and center drive bands on a true Keith SWC often is too long to allow a cartridge to fully seat within a levergun chamber, due to the short and abrupt throat and leade found in most leverguns. The "shoulderless" RNFP that was a feature of classic levergun/revolver calibers like the 32/20, 38/40, and 44/40 are a clue that combo shooters should not ignore.

[runfiverun]

I have a tendency to collect 35 caliber molds.
I don't know why.
I have 1 and 1/2 5 gallon buckets of rnfp boolits, a half box of wad cutters, and 2-3 boxes of semi-wadcutters ready to load.
the second 5 gallon bucket was full till the last loading session.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Wow, that's quite a few bullets!

[Groo]

Groo here
I let the gun tell me, but,when ever possible I go to the RNFP or HP style [jacket or cast]
For me , Feed or more sure reloading is the most important.
Ps I am not a fan of the bigger meplat bullet if the target is at longer ranges or the critter requires a deeper hole.