Tonight I casted up 600 boolits using a Lee 358-125-RF 6-cavity mold using 50:50 wheelweight/lead alloy.
They dropped at about 130 grains each.
They are going to be fired in Ruger New Vaquero .357 5-1/2" revolvers (Bisley grips) for Cowboy Action Shooting at our local range for my wife and me.
I have a good supply of Trail Boss, which I have already loaded into light .44 Mag/200 grain slugs for the Marlin lever action.
Though the Lee mold spec says "125 grains," the boolits drop at +/- 130 grains.
So, using Hodgdon data for 130 grain .358 bullets in .357 brass I see no Trail Boss data. There's a CFE Pistol load, but its minimum charge of 6.3 grains sends the bullet down range at 1300 fps. Too fast. I'd like around 830 fps.
I'm planning on using .357 brass so it won't leave a ring on the cylinder like if I employ .38 SPL brass.
Looking at the Hodgdon data for 125 grain cast LRNFP bullets, they offer a Trail Boss load of 3.5 grains (874 fps) to 5.3 grains (1035 fps).
So, here's the question: though my boolits are supposed to drop at 125 grains, but actually drop at 130 grains, if I use the above Trail Boss loads in .357 brass, do you think I'm going to have any problems?
I can't believe I'm even asking this question. It's so arcane that only the most persnickety people in the world would even care. But I think I've found a group of guys who are that persnickety.
I intend on powder coating the boolits with Harbor Freight red, and sizing them to .358. Any ideas?
Here's my boolit: