Which 357 Max mould

[catmandu]

Decided I need a heavy-er 357 boolit for my Handi.

I've read good reports on:
82154 RCBS 357-180 SILH
and
82028 RCBS 35-200-FN

Please respond with any experience with either mould and
which one would you buy first (wait long enough and we buy them all) :D

Thanks in advance for the advise.

Paul in WNY

[Shooter]

I use a Lyman 358315 200Gr. RN in my T/C.

[frnkeore]

I have a Low Wall in 357 Max and I use the 35875 PB (14 gr 4227) and the 358315 GC (25 gr Rx7) in mine. Both cast right at 208 gr for me. I also use the 315 load in my DW revolver and it's the most accurate in that gun.

Of the two molds you list, I'd choose the 200 gr RCBS.

Frank

[DragoonDrake]

I have used both bullets in my 10" contender. The 180 shot better with heavy loads of H110.

I had Tom over at accurate design a 230 gr bullet that fills the long throat of my contender nicely and that shoots the best for me.

[Iowa Fox]

I have a Lyman 358627 and a Lee grp buy 358627. They do a good job out of my barrels.

Frank is that 14 grns of IMR or H 4227 you are using?

[frnkeore]

Iowa, it's IMR 4227.

Frank

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

An amazing new cartridge developed by Remington.

If they had gone back in history about eighty years they could have just re-introduced the 38 Ballard Extra Long.

Some days I wonder which group is screwing the shooting fraternity worse, Liberals or the Firearms Industry...?

Rich

[frnkeore]

Really it's much older than that, it was introduced before 1884. Thats why I chambered my Low Wall in it. It's actually a cartridge that will do EVERYTHING. In a long barrel like mine, I've gotten 1832 fps out of the 358315 and could get more than that with some more developement.

Frank

[Nobade]

Ranch Dog 190 works great in my rechambered Handi Rifle.

[calkar]

I second the Ranch Dog 190. Click on the Ranch Dog add at the top of the screen and check it out.

[calkar]

If you would like to try a few before buying a mold P.M. Carolina Cast Bullets on the members list.

[badgeredd]

The Glenn Larsen Lee GB mold of 180 grains is a really good boolit in the Max. Unfortunately it is very hard to find a mold. If someone ran a Group buy for it, I'd definitely be in on it. The same boolit works well in several 357 Mag revolvers. Perhaps 357maximum will chime in. He's getting some great velocities and accuracy in his Encore with the Larsen boolit.

Edd

[uscra112]

Really it's much older than that, it was introduced before 1884. Thats why I chambered my Low Wall in it. It's actually a cartridge that will do EVERYTHING. In a long barrel like mine, I've gotten 1832 fps out of the 358315 and could get more than that with some more developement.

Frank

Beat me to it, Frank! I just got a castoff .357 Mag barrel that'll fit my Low Wall, and I have the Max reamer! Perfect companion piece for my 'Tender.

Try Lil-Gun to get better velocities. Does better than anything else I've tried so far.

Phil

[SSGOldfart]

my vote goes to 82154 RCBS 357-180 SILH

[357maximum]

My max is my main deer gun here in Southern Michigan....it is what it was built for......target shooting is a secondary purpose.



I have used quite a few 170 - 200 grain designs in my 15 inch MGM max encore. Unfortunately my favorite designs are no longer available.

The RCBS 357-180 silh boolit shot better than fine but I sold my mould as it did not have a great deer-killer look to it. The RCBS 35-200 is proably the best off the shelf mould you can get your hands on and it gives you a great excuse to buy it as it also fills the 35 remington rifles real well.


The best boolits I have ever shot were several 180 to 190 grain designs made by Babore of BRP moulds....that company no longer exist unfortunately. My moulds from BRP do not leave my sight for darn good reason.

The Glenn Larsen C-358-180 flatpoint from LEE works real well and is a proven deer killer to boot. The last time I honcho'ed a buy for that mould I shipped alot of moulds. I am sure a re-re-re-re run of that boolit would go over well, but I no longer have the time to honcho a buy. You are on your own with that.


I had a original Ranch Dog 180 and it shot good until I hit my very upper end loads.



About the only boolit I ever had to do alot of load "TWEAKING and TINKERING" with was the lyman 358315. My 358315 now has the flatnose of THOR thanks to a friends talents and generosity. Now that the nose actually touches something in the barrel it shoot great now.

My success with the max has been a recipe card like this.

Fully prepped and "barely neck sized" brass.
REM 7.5 primer
20+ grains of Vhit N-120, or 20+ grains of Alliant MP-300
**pick a 180 "ish" grain boolit and launch it.

[redneckdan]

my max barrel liked both the 358627 and the RCBS 200

[part_timer]

mine like the 35627 and the NOE 180gr. with H110

[35isit]

I like the RCBS 180 SIL. But also Like the LBT 200 LFN both weigh about 194grs with gc and lube from my alloy. With a book dose of AA1680 give great velocity and accuracy from an 8" DW revolver and a 10" TC Contender

[Sheriff]

I recommend Ranch Dog's 190. I don't shoot it in a Max, but load it in a Mag seated in the bottom crimp groove and it's accurate out of my 10" Contender. The RD is a 6 banger and will turn out the 'boolets".

[catmandu]

Thanks all for lots of good posts. I didn't want to interrupt, just keep the posts coming.

Looks like the 357 Max likes heavier boolits. Have to scrounge up a mould ot two.

Thanks,

Paul in WNY

[caneman]

I wish Lee had a heavy bullet mold for the maximum and also the 41 Magnum. Those aluminum molds are a lot easier on my arthritic hands.

[357maximum]

Looks like the 357 Max likes heavier boolits. Have to scrounge up a mould ot two.

Thanks,

Paul in WNY


Yes it does....it was originally designed for a 180 grain pill to knock over steel sillywet targets. The people that tried to make a .357Swift out of it with light boolits/bullets is the main reason it had so many fake "issues" after it was released. I treat it like a straightwalled 35 remington that eats a bit faster powder when it comes to actual uses.

[MT Gianni]

The Glen Larson group buy bullet is a near copy of the LBT 185 fn. He makes molds for it as well and I think Beartooth Bullets sells the boolits.

[BAGTIC]

USCRA 112,

Is your reamer a revolver reamer or a rifle reamer. What kind of throat/leade does it have, if any?

[stubshaft]

My favorite boolit for sillywet was the SSK designed NEI 200 grainer in this caliber.

[Norbrat]

Thanks all for lots of good posts. I didn't want to interrupt, just keep the posts coming.

Looks like the 357 Max likes heavier boolits. Have to scrounge up a mould ot two.

Thanks,

Paul in WNY

Cast Bullet Engineering here in Australia have a good range of heavy .358 moulds. http://www.castbulletengineering.com/page0041.html

If you want some samples of the 358-200 GC SIL, send me a PM and I'll put some in the mail for you.

[catmandu]

As an update I have coming a LBT 180 Keith LBTK that looks promising.
Plenty of lube and good looking Keith nose. Only thing I'm not sure of is that its a PB, which may or may not be an issue.

Paul in WNY