Lee 358-158-RF mold Question/Concern

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I have a Lee 358-158-RF mold and find that when seating my boolits for both 38spl and 357 mag I am having to go under the suggested Min OAL to get the case mouth at the crimp groove. Is anyone else having this problem? Thanks in advance guys!! BTW I am using titegroup...if that helps. I am using 158 grain LSWC data. Do you think it is safe to crimp it to the groove? I am worried I may have a bad mold.

If someone could give me the spes on their boolits dropped from this same mold I would sure appreciate it. Mainly concerned about base to top and bottom of crimp groove. Thanks

[Crass Whackwords]

Whoa !!!!! Slow down and take a deep breath.

As long as it functions in your gun, who cares what the COL is ?

OK, you make a good point about how seating depth effects pressure (at least, I think that is your concern). But bear in mind that you cannot interchange load data for different cast bullets of the same weight. The mysterious 158 gr. SWC probably does not have exactly the same seating depth as Lee's RF bullet.

The bottom line -- you don't have any pressure tested load data for your particular bullet. Join the crowd.

The only bullet-specific load data that I am aware of is the Lyman manual, and even that is only good for Lyman #2 alloy, which few of us use.

[epj]

I use this boolit in .38 cases. I crimp in the grove provided with no ill effect. Bear in mind, that I am loading mild target loads. All the guns I load for are either .357's or .38's rated for +p loads, so there is some room for error. One has to take the swc load info and work up in small increments. The SWC and the RF don't have the same bearing surface, though they are similar.

[PolishYeti]

+1 on EPJ ! I have shot thousands of these through my S&W's , all crimped in the groove. They are target loads as well , 2.8 gr of 700-x @ 650 fps. It was my first mold and my favorite still.

[j20owner]

I just got this mold and can't wait to cast with it. I'll gladly seat to the crimp groove.

[Bret4207]

This is why all those reloading manuals say start low and work up. No matter what the book says, each gun is a law unto itself and will invariably respond differently to different loads than the test platform. So if you want to use the crimp groove start a bit low and work up watching for pressure signs.

The boolit design has thousands of loyal followers who love it to death. You didn't get a bad mould, you just have to slow down and return to the basics.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

(deep breath taken)LOL Alright. Thanks guys. This is what I have been doing...it was just kind of nagging at me. Thanks for all the input!

[DragoonDrake]

Hunter

I have that mold in a 2cav and 6cav. I use 357mag cases, mixed stamps, crimped at the groove and yes it is short. Just start low and have fun.

[oso]

Measure your case length before loading. The brass may be the short part of the equation, but it still works.

[doghawg]

The first bullets I cast were with that mold..Straight WW's left unsized and lubed with LLA over 5.5 gr. of Unique and crimped in the groove. I have no idea what the oal is...

[runfiverun]

who says you gotta seat them to the crimp groove?
and who said you gotta crimp them?
it's your gun make them fit, they shoot better that way.
and with 3-4 grains of powder where are they gonna go?

[TAWILDCATT]

I just looked at that bullet [in cat]and the base is short,the OAL of the bullet looks about the length of the 150 gr.those bullets have short noses.load away.