Any experience with Lee 358-140 SWC or TL 358-158SWC in S&W Model 10?

[Larry Gibson]

Maven

I've found the TL358-158-SWC to be a very accurate bullet in the 38 SPL, especially if care is taken to cast quality bullets. I use the 6 cavity mould BTW and find it very satisfactory when I slow down and cast for quality instead of quantity. When cast of 40-1 or 30-1 alloy I size them at .358 and lube all but the top lube groove with BAC. TLing with LLA using a light coat and let dry thoroughly works as well. I do a good visual inspection and reject any with any defects. I load them over 3.5 gr Bullseye in W-W cases with a WSP primer. Accuracy is superb in my 5" M15 and in any other M10/M15/M19 or my Ruger Security Six I also shoot them in. I do believe this load equals or exceeds any other loads, including factory WCs, that I used back in my PPC days.

As Bass Ackwards says; "The point here is how they fill the case to produce .... consistent ignition at the level people want to run. If that jives with the powder of your choice, that bullet will produce accurate results." Bullseye and a couple other powders will give that consistent ignition. Unique with "low to mid- range" level loads generally does not because it does not reach sufficient psi for consistent burn until 5 - 6 gr is used with the 150 - 158 gr bullet. Testing with a chronograph and particularly shooting groups at 50 yards will aptly demonstrated that. Many do use such low level Unique loads quite satisfactory for short range casual shooting and plinking with success. That heavy barreled M10 is quite capable of excellent accuracy at 50 yards though. Just depends on what you want but Bullseye will work better with either bullet for the load levels you want.

Larry Gibson

[Maven]

Larry, Thanks so much for your insightful comments. Thus far, the 158gr. SWC is favored over the 140gr. SWC (6favorable comments for the 158gr. CB v. 3 for the lighter one). I've got samples of each coming thanks to the generosity of Airman Basic and 2wheel Duke, so I can see how they perform in my Mod. 10.* That's a good thing since I'm not committed to either design. The tip about using B'eye is especially useful too. Having no B'eye on hand, I'll use the original Hodgdon Clays (~3grs.) in place of it or Unique, which I often use.

Lefty Red, Thanks for your offer, but I've already got some of those coming my way from Airman Basic and 2wheel Duke.


*I'll have to test at 25 yds. though as the [indoor] range I'll be using next winter is limited to that distance.

[Maven]

A big "Thank You" to Airman Basic and 2wheelDuke for sending me samples of the CB's I was interested in. Thank you to Bass Ackwards and Larry Gibson for their most insightful advice about the aforementioned CB designs. Although I've got batches of each loaded to test against a known CB, I won't be testing them until next week, i.e., if the weather cooperates. Lately the weather has been nice...for ducks!

[Gene Perryman]

I don't have any experience with the 140, but I've shot several thousand of the TL 158's thru my 686. They come out of the mold at .359 - .360 using WW's and lubed with LLA cut 50%. They are not resized. Per Ed Harris' recommendation, they are seated 1.55 over 3.5/BE or 3.5 to 3.7/TGP and then a light roll crimp with the Lee Factory Crimp die. I prefer the BE, but I can't find either here now!
Gene

[Combat Diver]

I've got a Lee .358 150gr LSWCHP that has one big issue. Dang thing is only a single cavity! Great bullet for my Smith 442.


CD

[bedbugbilly]

I cast the Lee 358-158-TL out of range lead - they drop from my mold right around 358. I lube in a lox and paste wax. I use BE - I have some Unique but have never loaded with it as I prefer the BE. I shoot them out of my 4" Smith Combat Masterpiece, 5" Smith M & P (pre 10) and Ruger New Vaquero. I load 'em mild to mid-range and I find it to be a very accurate boolit.

At first, I was a little hesitant to get a TL mold but after casting / shooting that particular boolit - I'm very pleased with it. It loads easy and I seat to the top ring and just use a moderate roll crimp on it.

[wv109323]

One thing I ran into with the 158 GN. SWC is that it may need to be pushed around 825FPS for the best accuracy with some powders. It seems accuracy at certain velocities is powder dependent. Some powders I could get decent accuracy with 750 FPS but with Bullseye and WW231 I had to go pretty hot 825-840 FPS. I used 4.0 gns of Bullseye for a 10 shot group of 2 1/8" at 50 yards. With 4.5 gns of WW231 I got 9 shots at 1 5/8" at 50 yards. Unique was best around 4.4 or 4.5 gns. IIRC, those groups were around 3" at 50 yards. I do not have that info in front of me. I settled on 3.5 gns. of WST for my loads. Accuracy with these is right at 2 3/4" but is much more pleasant to shoot and control in competition. I tested a M-14 with 6" barrel mounted in a Ransom Rest. My bullets were a RCBS 158 RN. and 158 NEI SWC. Accuracy between the two bullets was the same but the RCBS was a little harder to cast with the flat base and get that good square base.. The NEI has a small bevel base.Both were sized at .3577 with Carnuba Red. (The size through my .358 Star sizing die.) I know this is not the mold you are looking at but I though the info might help. I think 4.4 GN. of Unique will do fine in your Model 10.