plain base .357

[zt77]

I am considering loading some up.
I want to use the rcbs 358-150 swc mould.
does anyone have experience with a plain base design in .357?
of course I am trying to avoid leading.....

[NickSS]

I have shot many rounds of 150 gr swc plain base bullets in my 357s. I always use 7 gr of Unique or 7.5 gr of Herco. This load when lubed with 50-50 alox and bees wax has never leaded either pistols or rifles.

[JSH]

size-lube-design
IMHO those three things will determine your speed and any leading you run into. Wheelguns will and can be more of a challenge to overcome leading at top speeds.
jeff

[HeavyMetal]

I use an RCBS 150 357 SWC mold and am very happy with it!

For .357 I only load one powder WW296. This means maximum effort all the time.

Smith & Wesson 66 belong to close freind likes 14.5 grains and the boolits cast at 18BHN and sized to .358

The other guy has a Python and his load is the same. Niether has experienced any leading what so ever.

These are quenched right out of the mold, lubed and sized with in a day or so of casting and then let age for a week before loading.

[smith52]

I shot quite a few diffferent plain base lead boolits, of various weights, through my various .357 mags with great results. I tumble lube all my boolits with Lee Liquid Alox and have never had any issue with leading.

[zt77]

what alloys are you all using?
I don't have any wheel weight alloy, but I do have a large amount of #2

[Glen]

I've shot that bullet in .357 Magnum loads using 14.5 grains of 2400 -- very accurate. Alloy was similar to WW alloy (a blend of range scrap and linotype for a BHN of about 13). With a good lube (50/50 beeswax/moly grease) there was no leading. #2 should also work just fine.

[9.3X62AL]

I need to try this in the 357s. As a matter of course, any time I load past 1200 FPS in the 357, I do it with Lyman #358156. Same story in the 44--#429244 gets the nod. GCs are a bit of a PITA for revolver rounds, and their cost is pricing them out of consideration for general usage.

[oksmle]

The Lyman #358665 @ 165 grs. in WW with 5.5 grs Unique, Remington 1 1/2 primers, Emmert's Lube & Remington cases chronographs at 1057 fps in my 7 1/2" SAA & 1257 fps in my 24" lever action rifle.

[zt77]

thanks a lot guys I'll load some up soon and post the results from my model 66

[sniper]

My favorite! RCBS 150 gr. SWC From a wheelweight/bar solder alloy, about Lyman #2, (I hoped) +5.5 gr. Unique, NRA bright red lube, 357 brass, standard primers.

Great load: 860 chrono'ed fps from 4", nice to shoot, No leading ever.

My standard load for that boolit and my RCBS 162 gr. gas check boolit now is 5.9gr. Unique. Unknown fps, but a nice load! Enjoy!

I think 5.2 gr. Universal will do about the same thing. It's also good to shoot, but I have a good thing going with Unique, so I'll dance with who I brung, at least for a while...but...4756 looks verrrry interesting! Hmmmm...

[zt77]

5.4 unique is my .38+p load. I still have to melt down my #2 so it may just be awhile.

[stubshaft]

358429 cast out of WW ahead of 11.0gr 2400 is what I used to shoot out of my model 27.

[zt77]

I started at 6.5 gr. unique. accuracy was terrible, like 4 inches at 25 yards.
7.0 grains tightened it up to just under 2 inches-good for me, imo. No leading occured, although the lube star is less than .38 special.

I didn't go up to 7.5. The gun I was shooting was a smith wesson model 66-1 4" bbl. No chronograph. Recoil was mild.

[GP100man]

Well i got Buckshot to deGC a hp 358156 & cast a bunch out of WW, just like in beagles article in cast pics & put 2400 under it & started with 13.2 grs , not a magnum load but not a plinker either.
Next was 14.0 grs , a magnum load to me & i guesstimate better than1350 fps out of a 6" GP100 . NO leading using Lars45 carnauba red & size was 359 .

Did the same thing with a 357446 , NO leading !!!

These were shot at 1 sitting & I did`nt see no use in cleanin the barrel between the firing of the 2 boolits & a total of 200 rnds fired.

I cast a 357477 that shoots to poa in my model 10 with 4.0grs. of h38 or 3.0 grs. of clays.
these i try to soften up with stik ons they run 9-10 with the lee bhn tester & leave the bore shiney

[JesterGrin_1]

The Lyman #358665 @ 165 grs. in WW with 5.5 grs Unique, Remington 1 1/2 primers, Emmert's Lube & Remington cases chronographs at 1057 fps in my 7 1/2" SAA & 1257 fps in my 24" lever action rifle.

I have the Lyman 358665 and what is funny is the load information for it is very slim. It is not even in the new Cast Bullet book by Lyman?

[bob208]

back in 71 i saved my money and bought a ruger blackhawk in .357 with 45/8 for $60. the only problem was .357 ammo was out of my reach. so i got a single cavity mold 358429 $8.00 made bullets out of w-w and loaded them with 3.5 gr red dot for lite loads. 10 gr 2400 in .38 cases for heavy loads. had no lead problems with either.

[geargnasher]

I have the Lyman 358665 and what is funny is the load information for it is very slim. It is not even in the new Cast Bullet book by Lyman?

They cover it in the .38 spl. section. I use that very boolit in about 6 different .357's and they all seem to like 8.5 gr. HS6, a good mild .357 round. I wouldn't hunt anything bigger than a coyote with it, but they're pretty hard on steel plates and easy on everything else.

I just use the data for the .357 Magnum with the 358477 or 358311 and come up with a starting load, then work up from there until I get where I want. Done this with several powders, but so far the HS6 works best for the lower-pressure stuff where the "magnum" powders and even 2400 don't burn consistently. Good case sealing (outside of cases clean), very good accuracy, no leading, good POI.

Gear

[JesterGrin_1]

My plan for the Lyman 358665 BOOLIT was to use either H-110 or W-296 thoughts?

[geargnasher]

My plan for the Lyman 358665 BOOLIT was to use either H-110 or W-296 thoughts?

I'll pm you in a bit, I don't want to hijack zt's thread.

Gear