I'm really confused! I like shooting my 357 Magnum, and I like...probably .38 Spl.+P+ loads... cast 158 SWC, somewhere around 900-950 fps.
Problem is, I get leading in the first inch or so of the barrel & forcing cone after maybe 50-75 rounds. This happened with some locally-cast boolits, which I have about shot up. They were "hard cast" locally, and bevel base.
I have some Hornady swaged SWCs, which I have loaded to the Hornady recommendation of 5.0 gr. Unique, and some self-cast 150 gr. SWC , which I have loaded with my old IPSC load of 5.5gr. Unique.
The leading is a fairly new phenomenon, and I have been doing some reading on the subject. Maybe I shouldn't do that? It seems like some people are making it harder than it should be...eclipsing the fun with ballistic proctology!
Anyway, I have slugged my cylinder throats, and come up with a range of sizes from .3573-.3577. It's so long ago, I can't remember what my Lee sizer was in the ooold days, but, I suspicion either .357 or .358. I don't have the equipment for slugging my pistol's bore.
A lot of fellows I have been reading, and one cast boolit manufacturer says I need to have my cylinder throats opened up and/or, buy a set of pin gauges to measure my cylinder throats and bore...but on a fixed income, that is not in the cards, and I wonder if it is strictly necessary anyway, because I just love to shoot, and I do well to get all 6 rounds into an 8 in. bullseye at 25 yards!
I don't cast any more, and am confused about which size boolit to purchase....357 or .358, or doesn't it matter? My inclination is to go with the .358, and order softer bullets, ~ 12 Brinnell to insure good obturation, and just go shoot?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!