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Thread: A different question about the LEE 358-158-RF Mold

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    A different question about the LEE 358-158-RF Mold

    Howdy fellow lead slingers!
    I just recently bought a used LEE 358-158-RF 6 cavity, from a person here on the board, who had also bought it used from someone else. I am a die hard lover of & believer in hardcast, true WFN boolits. I previously owned a 358-158-RF 2 cavity and it dropped boolits with a meplat of .25", which the LEE site claims it to have. This new to me 6 cavity drops boolits with a true for caliber WFN of .28". Being a lover of all boolits WFN, I was THRILLED to say the least. The cavities all look completely stock, all the boolits drop .359" and 160-160.5 gr. with straight COWW alloy. My question is this..... Has anyone else come across a LEE 358-158-RF that dropped boolits with meplats that wide?
    Thanks for taking the time to read this
    Safe and happy casting and shooting!
    MagLvr
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
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    I don't have experience with that particular Lee # but I did have the same with a Lee C429-240 SWC. My first SC that I bought in 1980 was almost pointed. I purchased a DC in 1995 or so and it had a wide flat SWC that was much better for what I wanted. So I think as reams wear out, new ones are not always the same. I know thats the way it is with different production runs from Lyman.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    TCFAN's Avatar
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    I have a 2 cavity Lee 358-158 RF mold that has the large meplat of .284 and it drops from the mold at 160+ grains using COWW metal at .360 diameter.My mold came with a very large bevel base and I had that removed. I bought the mold 10 years ago or so new. I later bought a 6 cavity mold of the same boolit and it has a much smaller meplat and smaller bevel on the base.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    I know just what you mean, they sure did make some rather pointed SWC designs through the years. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to some of them.
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    Mine is also a tad larger than .280 now that I compare it side by side to a boolit with a known meplat of .280, and it has a very small base bevel, or I would be removing it for sure. all I know is it's a KEEPER
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I like my lee mold. Don’t know what the diameter of the meplat is have to go home and measure it. Iam gessing.280+ but it shoots good

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub Mcliff1971's Avatar
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    I own several Lee molds....however I don't have that one....but thank you for making me search "meplat"....I learned something new today...so it was a good day!

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    I had no idea what "meplat" meant either, until I started hanging out in this place, so I could start "saving money" HAHAHHAHAHHA little did I know the addiction that would grab hold of me! I'm afraid I have the mold monkey on my back for good
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub Mcliff1971's Avatar
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    Aug 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by maglvr View Post
    I had no idea what "meplat" meant either, until I started hanging out in this place, so I could start "saving money" HAHAHHAHAHHA little did I know the addiction that would grab hold of me! I'm afraid I have the mold monkey on my back for good
    Yeah....I'm telling myself that the savings are "long term" because all the foray into the casting world has done is give me a new range of cool stuff to buy! But I have to admit that I feel pretty good when I score free lead scrap....

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    I've been on here since '05 and haven't purchased a mold in at least five, maybe six years? No, did buy one when I bought the 9.3x57 - gotta stay away from Simpson's website! But, my point, is that I don't hang out on the group buy site any more - I pretty much have what I want.
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    THANKFULLY I never got into the group buy addiction, I think the main reason is that I am not caliber crazy anymore, but there was a time I thought I needed another caliber for each species and place I hunted LOL. Those days are long gone now and i'm well satisfied with the few calibers I settled on. That and I tend to be impatient, when I want to buy something I want it yesterday! So I just go to Accurate molds or NOE and in a couple of days i'm happily making boolits.
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    Jun 2011
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    The way I see it, if a man didn't get excited over free lead, he might just as well be dead! What could possibly be a better find than that!
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    I've considered getting the 6 cavity because of the huge nose . I was actually let down when the 452-255 wasn't cut the same way .
    In the time of darkest defeat,our victory may be nearest. Wm. McKinley.

    I was young and stupid then I'm older now. Me 1992 .

    Richard Lee Hart 6/29/39-7/25/18


    Without trial we cannot learn and grow . It is through our stuggles that we become stronger .
    Brother I'm going to be Pythagerus , DiVinci , and Atlas all rolled into one soon .

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    Agreed, the 452-255-RF could benefit from a wider nose.
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  15. #15
    Boolit Master waco's Avatar
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    I don't have the Lee but this is my go to boolit for my 38 lever guns.http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_deta...=36-158V-D.png
    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Proverbs 1:7

  16. #16
    Boolit Master waco's Avatar
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    This one looks like it would hit like a hammer!!!http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_deta...36-170BG-D.png
    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
    Proverbs 1:7

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy maglvr's Avatar
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    There is no doubt about that, it will hit like a sledge hammer! The only problem I can see is at ranges over 60 yards or so. It is not far removed from being a full wadcutter, and that super wide nose is going to start bucking air currents and drifting off course as it slows down. But for close up(60 yards and under) and personal, it should be nothing short of devastating on flesh and bone, if it was cast of WCWW and doing at least 800 fps AT THE ANIMAL. JMHO and YMMV
    Last edited by maglvr; 09-18-2018 at 11:15 AM.
    The .357 Magnum......
    1935
    Major Douglas Wesson, using factory loads, which were a 158 gr. soft lead bullet, traveling 1515 fps, from an 8 3/4" barreled S&W, producing 812 ft. lbs of muzzle energy.
    Antelope - 200 yards (2 shots)
    Elk - 130 yards (1 shot)
    Moose - 100 yards (1 shot)
    Grizzly Bear - 135 yards (1 shot).

    It kind of makes one wonder, why today, it will bounce off anything bigger than a rabbit

  18. #18
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    have not ever measured mine but it is my go to mold for 38 and 357.

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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