Cowboy Load Needed for Lee 358-125-RF .357/.38 SPL Bullet

[Liberty1776]

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:

[Conditor22]

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

https://www.hodgdon.com/wp-content/u...-loads-r_p.pdf

http://stevespages.com/357p_4_125.html

https://www.egglestonmunitions.com/load-data.html

[Liberty1776]

That Trail Boss page from Hodgdon was very informative.

Mark the case where the bottom of the bullet will be, fill to that mark, weigh the load. That's the maximum load for that cartridge.

Starting load is 70% of that weight.

Apparently, the weight of the bullet isn't critical.

Thanks.

[Low Budget Shooter]

Unless you were talking about max loads for 357 Magnum or something like that, the difference in load data between 125 and 130 grains is insignificant.

[Slowpoke Sam]

Your op made me dig out my reloading notes. My wife shot cowboy action for a few years with New Vaqueros and used 357 brass (cause we already had a bunch.....and I liked the notion of no cylinder ring)
130 gr cast over 4 gr of Trailboss was one of the loads she used for a while. Clocked 764 fps thru the chrono.

[dg31872]

Welcome to the madness, Sam.

[Walks]

My Kids used to Shoot 3.0 grs of TiteGroup in a .38spl case using a 158gr RNFP in a Colt .357mag & a spaghetti clone each. And a Marlin 1894CS & 1894CB (the Good 24"bbl'd one). Never saw an advantage to a lighter weight bullet. The Kids sure didn't like them.
A good dry brushing in the cylinders alleviated any crud in the revolvers. And a chamber brush twisted back and forth in the rifles cleared out that crud.

Good Luck in what's left of sass.

[Slowpoke Sam]

Welcome to the madness, Sam.

Thanks for the welcome. I've spent lots of time getting lots of good info from this site but just joined now.
Great forum!

[John Boy]

Apparently, the weight of the bullet isn't critical.

A fact that most reloaders do not know but keep asking because they don't read about TB on the Hodgdon website

[crankycalico]

You can simply take standard 38 special data and toss it into a 357 case using the 10% increase rule.

Makes MUCH more sense then trying to figure out a "cowboy" load unless you want to make your own 38 long colt.

[Springfield]

Just use the 125 grain info, the 5 grains bullet weight won't matter a bit. Putting on a heavy or light crimp would probably make more difference. You are over thinking it.

[smkummer]

I am using 2.8 grains bullseye with that bullet and lee tuble lube. Very nice in both my Colt SAA 357 and Marlin 1894CS microgroove. Unsized this bullet is cast with wheel weight alloy and dropping into water at .358-.359. No sizing needed. 38 special cases of course.

[slickracer]

3.2 grains of Clays is a great load for that bullet.

[cwlongshot]

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.

Here's my boolit:

I just bought this mold myself! Good lookin' lil boolit ain't it!

Weight difference is simply your mix and a LEE mold... Not a big worry, as long as you are able to size the bullet to a size YOU want.

What's this cylinder ring you speak of?

CW

[NorthMoccasin]

3.8 Bullseye in 38 spl brass is a fine load in my sp101. No cylinder ring noted after 1000's of rounds fired.

[NorthMoccasin]

Why are you dropping in water? ACWW should do just fine at that speed. Just wondering.

[MT Gianni]

Why are you dropping in water? ACWW should do just fine at that speed. Just wondering.

This, a harder bulet will lead to less obturation, possible leading and less accuracy at low velocities.

[Larry Gibson]

I've conducted an extensive test of 38 SPL "Cowboy Action" loads, both factory and reloads with 125 gr cast bullets. You'll find a velocity of 550 - 600 fps out of your Vaquero is probably going to prove the best. As mentioned in previous posts a load of 3.2 - 3.8 gr of Clays, Bullseye, N320, N32C, Titegroup, 231, etc. is going to be what you want.

Most use the same load in the 38/357 lever guns also.

[Liberty1776]

What's this cylinder ring you speak of?

CW

The .38 SPL case is .125" shorter than the .357 Mag. If you shoot .38 all the time, a carbon ring builds up in the cylinder that must be scrubbed out or the .357 rounds won't fit in the cylinder cleanly.

Not a bit problem, really.

[Liberty1776]

I've conducted an extensive test of 38 SPL "Cowboy Action" loads, both factory and reloads with 125 gr cast bullets. You'll find a velocity of 550 - 600 fps out of your Vaquero is probably going to prove the best. As mentioned in previous posts a load of 3.2 - 3.8 gr of Clays, Bullseye, N320, N32C, Titegroup, 231, etc. is going to be what you want.

Most use the same load in the 38/357 lever guns also.

Thanks. I've been using 3.0 grains of Trail Boss under a 125 gr Polymer Coated (PC) RNFP Lee boolit.

Then I needed to load low-velocity 12-ga shotgun for the Stoeger. So I used 14 grains of Clays under 7/8 oz of 7-1/2 shot.

So I have some Clays. May try loading up some .38's with it. I see Clays pops up on a lot of loading data and general users.

Thanks.