9mm and 38/357mag molds... final decisions

[mikeg1005]

After reading many threads... I think I have narrowed down what bullet molds I'm interested in.. but have a few final questions.

I've cast about 6000 boolits out of my Lee 452-200-RF for my 45acp... a little tricky to get working but now its flawless... and I really like the Lee mold... good quality for the price and its a 6 gang which I enjoy.

I have had a GP100 for a while now... I'm not really shooting it much lately, but I will pick it up some more... and once I get rid of my 148gr DEWC I bought I want to start casting for this thing.

I want to go with a RN or SWC design in the range of 158gr... that way I can use it for target velocities like the 148gr now.. but I can also speed it up good and have it work for longer ranges... I doubt I'll be moving them faster that 1000fps so I'll stick with a non-gas check model.

I would really like a traditional 158gr SWC but for the price of custom molds that have the design I'm looking for I'll settle for something commerical for now(rather spend the money on a good 45 mold since I shoot it 10 fold more in USPSA)

I've settled on two molds... First one is the Lymans 358665 and the Lee 358-158-RF... I "want" to lean towards the Lee because its aluminum, but I have heard rumors that this mold has issues when used with an RCBS lube-a-matic... From my understanding it doesn't have a traditional bevelled bottom but instead a slight taper which can cause issues with lube flowing under the bullet.

I use carnaeuba red lube since it doesn't smoke much... will I really have an issue like stated or is that just from poorly filled molds?

Second question... with either of those two molds... can I expect accuracy similiar to a 148gr DEWC?

Next on the list... 9mm. Recently bought an M&P 9mm 4.25" ... I'm going to shoot cast for practice out of it... so I might as well make them myself.

For this one I want a 6 cavity mold... since I'll shoot it more than the GP100... I'm going to go with the Lee for this I think... but am stuck between the 356-120-TC and the 356-124-RN.

I have shot a few moly coated 125gr TC through my gun and the fed fine so I'd imagine that I won't have an issue feeding either bullet... here are the deciding factors I'm still not sure about.

1st... RN vs TC on paper... I do enjoy having the clean cut holes similar to a SWC... Most RN bullets I have shot seem to just put a hole in the paper.. the TC in this mold give a cleaner cut or same as any RN?

2nd... Does the TC fill out to 125gr? I know it will depend on the alloy I use... but using 40/60 or 50/50 lead/linotype... can I get the weight up?

3rd... Since variety would be nice... I'd like to be able to use this in my GP100. I have heard of people having these molds cast larger (.358") .... does it hold true for both designs?... this isn't really a deciding factor but it would be nice to be able to have 125s and 158s to shoot out of the revolver.

4th... Can both be successfully lubed through a lube-a-matic?

I'm going to keep searching.. but if you guys could help me out that would be great... I'd like to keep these molds on a slight budget since it will be my first time casting for both calibers and I don't want to invest a huge amount in bullet design and weights that I might not be satisfied with.

Thanks in advance.

Mike.

[excess650]

I have a 6 cavity 358-158RF and it casts fine. I run mine through a Lyman 450 and have no problems with the tiny bevel on the base. With a good fit and lube it should be good for almost as fast as it can be pushed from your revolver.

I had the Lee 356-120TC, but can't locate it at the moment. Mine cast at least .358" and 125gr, and I bought it with the intention of using it in my 38s as a lighter boolit. Likewise, it had a very slight bevel and produced no problems in the lubrisizer. I shot some through my S&W 640, and likiely used a Redding profile crimp die to keep them snug. They should work fine in your 357 if they cast large enough to fit he cylinder throats. Using quicker burning powders should lessen the need for a heavy crimp.

TC might cut a bit smoother holes than RN, but not as large and distinct as WC or SWC.

[NHlever]

I have the Lee 358-158-RF, and like it a lot. Actually I bought two double cavity molds, and use them together when casting. My molds drop the boolits at .360-.361 so they work very well in all my carbines, and handguns. I also have the Lee 358-125-RF, and the Lee 358-105-TC molds. I've used the latter two in my new Ruger SR9 Compact pistol sized to .358 (so far) I got some very good groups with the 358-125-RF, but was getting used to the gun when I shot the 105's, and can't comment on them yet. The other day I picked up an RCBS 9mm-124-CN mold. The mold was new, but in the bargin bin at my gun store for $25. Yesterday I cast up a bunch of boolits with it. The boolits look good, and dropped from the mold at .359 so they should work well in everything too. (my alloy is roughly 1-15 with a bit of antimony. Actually I call it 1-15 mystery metal since I'm not sure what the harder ingots I bought are. I checked the specific gravity of the metal, and it checked out like 50/50 lead tin, but the boolits will harden, and the sprue of that metal alone is brittle? Maybe it is closer to linotype)

[theperfessor]

I use the Lee 358-125-RF in 9mm and .38 sized to .358. A Lyman 358477 is a good SWC for .38/.357 use. Been wanting to try the Lee 358-158-RF to use in my Marlin 1894, it doesn't really like SWCs but I haven't gotten around to buying one yet.

[EDK]

I like the LYMAN 358665 in my VAQUEROS and MARLIN Cowboy rifles in 357. The LEE 158 RF is pretty close and should work equally well.

The NOE 360 180 Wide Flat Nose is a recent favorite...my mould has 4 plain bases...and one gas check cavity for some higher velocity rifle specific loads. Our pal RANCH DOG is doing the final fine tuning for a 175 grainer specifically for the 357 MARLINS. The guys over at marlinowners are real fans of 180 +/- grain boolits for some serious loads in their 357 rifles....they feel you can really raise the horsepower with the 180s and a generous powder charge!

If you're buying a LEE, get the six cavity. It's a lot heavier construction than the two cavity AND your production rate is vastly improved. It would be worthwhile to look at what RANCH DOG has in the calibers you want. He does his own quality control on the moulds he designed and sells. You spend a little more money, but get a superior design and a mould that is guaranteed to be what he says it is.

:Fire::castmine::redneck: