.357 mould advice request

[unclebill]

hi everybody
time for me to beg forgiveness for my ignorance.
this is what i'd like to do
i would like a gas checked boolit for my contender as well as my 8 3/8 bbl.S&W
since i do not have a lube machine it will have to be tumble lubed
i do have lee sizer dies.
this is for a target round.
which mould would YOU buy if you were poor and could only buy one?
thanks fellas.
bill

[peerlesscowboy]

RCBS 38-158-SWC

John C. Saubak

[EDK]

One of the LEE moulds is the obvious answer. Pick a 158 grain semi wadcutter that fits your needs.

1. Tumble lube or conventional lube grooves? Either will work with LLA.

2. Two or six cavity? Quality/durability is some better on the six...most people agree on that. Get it up to temperature and its mass production time. The mould and handles is under $60 if you shop around. Two cavity around $20? but it is slow.

I don't know if you have a lead melter; but if you don't, I'd suggest the LEE MAGNUM MELTER...20 pound dipper/ladle pot for under $60 at GRAFS....when you run it out, it's time for a cold/warm one, go to the little casters room, get something to eat or take a smoke while the next pot full is melting. (I need another ladle...my H&G is over 30 years old and I haven't seen anything I like as well as it for most of my casting.)

:Fire::castmine::redneck:

[MtGun44]

If I was poor, I would not want to waste the money on gas checks. The Lee 358-158RF is
a very accurate design and can be driven at full velocity with 16+ gr of H110 or W296 without
leading if it is fitted properly to the gun. Not a fan of TL, but you can pan lube and shoot
unsized for nearly zero bucks or pan lube and use Lee push thru sizer. Other excellent
designs are Lyman 358477 or the previously recommended RCBS 38-150 SWC, but these
molds are far more expensive than a 2 cav Lee for about $25 or less from Midway USA.

GCs are not required in the .357 Mag. Needless expense and fussing, air cooled wheel wts
will do what you need without a GC, cheapest way. Check Hodgdon's site for loading data.

Lowest possible first cost, use a camp stove and a cut down STEEL can to melt, a Lee dipper
and pan lube without sizing. Small step up to a Lee push thru sizer die. $20 for Lee 2 cav
mold http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=188719
and $4 for Lee dipper. Both out of stock right now, try Midsouth Shooter's Supply.
Lee push thru sizer is $18 more http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=685087
but you can probably shoot them unsized and pan lubed with good success.

Been poor and that is where I started. 40 yrs later I can afford better stuff, but the simple,
basic tools still will get the job done. LLA works for some, not for others, beware. When
you can afford more tools, upgrade to a Lee bottom pour furnace for $55 or a melter (uses
dipper, not bottom spout) for $33. They are a lot more convenient than camp stove and
tin (steel) can.


Bill

[GP100man]

What MtGun44 ^^^^ said , the rnfp works in all my 38/357 revolvers & easy to cast !!!

[NHlever]

The Lee 358-158 RF has worked very well in all the .357's I've tried it in, both rifle, and revolver. It does cast on the big side, but that can be an asset. For years I used a Lyman cast iron 10 lb pot on a coleman stove for my smelting, and casting. Then I got a Lee 20 Lb bottom pour melting pot. I cast with a dipper, and the bottom pour pot dripped more than I liked, and was in the way sometimes so I bought a Lee 20 Lb. pot without the bottom pour feature when they came out, and have been quite happy with it. The Lee dippers are cheap, but I like the Lyman, and RCBS dippers a lot more. Start with what you can afford, and have some fun with this!

[garym1a2]

I like my Lee 20lb dipper pot. For 2up molds and .357s the Lee dipper works fine and is a great stirrer. For the 6up molds I get good results with the Lyman dipper as it holds enough for 6 200 grain bullets.
I also like the Lee 158swc bullet. I get the gas check type and only use the gas checks on the heavy Rifle loads and no checks on the loads for the 686.

[HeavyMetal]

MTGun44 has it right!

Don't waste money on Checks plus they need to be crimped on and that means a trip through some type of sizer.

His suggestion on both pan lubing and the 158-RF are spot on ( I'd preffer that mold as a 150)

Long time Star user I actually went back to pan lubing a Lyman 457122HP last Nov. because I didn't have a 459 sizing die for my Star, and still don't.

Considering the fact I only lube 40 of these at a time it seemed the right thing to do.

Got a lid off one of those cookie tins we see so many of at Christmas and set it on a pot of boling water, with the boolits in it, and added Carnuba Red until lube covered both grease grooves.

Let it cool over night and then pushed the boolits out, I should make a cake cutter, nice part is I now have "slots" for my next batch of boolits to set in!

A Lee 2 cavity mold, a couple sticks of Carnuba Red, find a cookie tin and an old pot to heat water in and you could have lubed ready to load boolits for less than a $30.00 investment.

[docone31]

I use that Lee RF mold also, I pan lube, size with the Lee push thru sizer. No leading at all! I run them fairly stiff.
It is where I started with .357, and it is where I am these years later.
I shoot and cast a lot. the mold has lots of miles on it and still keeps on purring!

[Shiloh]

The RNFP is a good choice. The LEE 140 gr SWC is a good one as well. Tried it as a conventional lube as well as tumble lubed. No issues. Got the LEE 105 SWC for Christmas, but haven't tried it yet.

I'm going to try both those in a 9mm as well.

As previously stated, I also don't see the need for gas checked boolits in a .357. I don't drive them at max velocities. Lots of folks use them though.

Shiloh

[Beerd]

........
this is for a target round. ......


what kind of target?
With a Contender & 8-3/8" Smith, maybe silhouettes?
In that case something on the heavy side, 158 gr +
Shooting paper? a Lee wadcutter.
Tin cans? the 105 or 125 Lee.
All plane base bullets.
..

[unclebill]

what kind of target?
With a Contender & 8-3/8" Smith, maybe silhouettes?
In that case something on the heavy side, 158 gr +
Shooting paper? a Lee wadcutter.
Tin cans? the 105 or 125 Lee.
All plane base bullets.
..

i like shooting my 100 yard clangers.
i also punch paper at varoius ranges.

[Beerd]

in that, case the Lee 158 gr RF gets my vote.
..

[462]

"The Lee 358-158RF is a very accurate design and can be driven at full velocity with 16+ gr of H110 or W296 without
leading if it is fitted properly to the gun."

Yep, just ask my Blackhawk.

[btroj]

I may just have to get one of those Lee 158rf moulds. I keep hearing good things about them.

Brad

[Blammer]

the 6C lee 358 158 would be my pick, I'd stand all the boolits up in a tray and pour some melted lube in with them until it filled up the lube groove, then let cool, push them out, the run through lee sizer and load.

[unclebill]

my buddy and fellow member here bob krack wants to make me up some 180gr. 358's to try.

i am afraid of heavy loads in my s&w because it is such a beautiful gun.

[Boolseye]

i am afraid of heavy loads in my s&w because it is such a beautiful gun.
Must be a K frame. I don't put too many boomers through mine, either–that's what contenders are for!

[unclebill]

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/billhedges/zsmithwesson27-2050.jpg

[Boolseye]

Wow, that is a beaut! Bet it's a tack-driver, too

[unclebill]

Wow, that is a beaut! Bet it's a tack-driver, too

yes it does put them where you point it.
i need to make some magic ammo for this one.

[Boolseye]

I didn't mention it, but my go-to .38 spl. boolit is the Lee TL358-158SWC. Love it. I also shoot it with .357 loads, too, but I keep 'em around 1000 fps or so.