View Full Version : Lee C358-158-SWC Gas Check
williamwaco
08-25-2011, 09:56 PM
Bought this mold for my very first experience with gas checked bullets after 50+ years of casting handgun bullets.
It is a very good looking bullet and I am a fan of the Lee 6 cylinder molds.
The first 100 were tumble lubed and worked fine. I do want to size and lube these with a conventional Lyman 4500.
Here's the rub. Look at those lube grooves. they are only .014 deep. The grooves in my favorite Ballisti-cast 651 ( H&G #51 clone) measure .026 deep. I wonder if that is enough lube groove to carry the load?
Then the real problem. I am very experienced with the Lyman 45,450,4500. Have used all three for over 50 years. I am embarrased to say that after over 30 minutes of adjusting and squirting half a stick of Lyman 50/50 lube out the top of the sizing die, I never managed to get even a trace of lube into these grooves. I gave up and tumbled this batch too.
My Blackhawk and W-296 have driven that boolit to 1400+ fps without a problem.
You have many decades more of reloading and casting experience than I, so I will defer from making a guess, and only say that my 4500 lubes that boolit perfectly. Give it another try tomorrow...it'll come right.
NHlever
08-26-2011, 07:16 AM
Yes, it is amazing some times how much looking the other way for a few hours will do for a project........... Now wonder if it will help install that spring that was driving me crazy yesterday?
EMC45
08-26-2011, 08:23 AM
That is a good bullet. I have both pan lubed and 4500 lubed it. Shoots very well from my .38s/.357s.
Junior1942
08-26-2011, 08:51 AM
That's my favorite bullet for my Rossi 357 mag lever action. I've shot 100s of them @ ~1800 fps and all were double-tumble-lubed with LLA. ACWW alloy. Lee .358" push-through sized. No leading ever. Lil'Gun powder.
res45
08-26-2011, 09:11 AM
I shoot the same bullet out of my Ruger BH and Taurus M65. I ranch dip the bullet in my Alox/JPW lube after applying the gas check with my Lee sizer. Once dry I push it back through the Lee sizer base first and it cleans it up nicely.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/rhsikes/res45/test2.jpg
truckmsl
08-26-2011, 10:19 AM
I've pushed it 1800 fps through my marlin lever with no problems using carnuba red through a Lyman 45 lubrisizer. Plenty of lube capacity there.
parson48
08-26-2011, 02:10 PM
I've shot quite a few of these through my .357 max Handi rifle with good results. I don't have a chrony, but I'm guessing 2000+ fps using AA 1680. I tumble lube with alox & JPW.
williamwaco
08-26-2011, 10:29 PM
... my 4500 lubes that boolit perfectly. Give it another try tomorrow...it'll come right.
Yes, it is amazing some times how much looking the other way for a few hours will do for a project...........
(NHlever)
Excellent advice guys, Thanks. That photo by res45 is exactly what I am looking for except I want to do it with the 4500.
I simply could not believe it couldn't be done. I got frustrated ( angry ) and gave up.
You can do it. That is what I needed to know. If you can, I can too. I am just doing something stupid.
When cases like this occur, it is almost always because I am doing something I don't realize I am doing - something stupid. OR, I am not doing something I should be doing - and thought I was, but wasn't.
Whew!
Again, thanks.
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