158 gr Molds Hard to Come By

[ColColt]

I wanted a good 158 gr mold for the 38/357 without a gas check in swc design and it seems no one makes one. I thought of the Lyman #358477 which fits the bill but they're known to cast undersized boolits and I've pretty much wrote them off due to trouble myself with a couple of them in the past. I missed out on the 150 gr Mihec mold buy as I think it's been closed.

Can someone recommend a mold of the 158 gr weight without the gas check or bevel base design that will yield a .360" boolit with ww's?

[white eagle]

I just bought a NOE mold its not a swc but the weight/dia. are rite
look here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=152786

[Love Life]

NOE just sent out payment requests for the 358477 group buy. If you jump on quick you might be able to get in. I have shot the 358477 alot and it is on the top of the list for my favorite 38/357 boolit.

[Moondawg]

Saeco's #382 is exactly what you described. Midway, among others, sells that mold.

[ColColt]

Midway didn't have a photo of the #382 but I found what I think it looks like at Graf and Sons...nice but just a drawing. I don't know if you need Saeco handles for their molds or if Lyman or Lee would work. The handles are about $45 which would bump the price up to $145 for the mold and handles.

[ColColt]

NOE just sent out payment requests for the 358477 group buy. If you jump on quick you might be able to get in. I have shot the 358477 alot and it is on the top of the list for my favorite 38/357 boolit.

I couldn't find what size boolits it dropped with ww's....360"?

[SciFiJim]

I couldn't find what size boolits it dropped with ww's....360"?

Usually, NOE's .358 designs are spec'd to drop at .360 so that they can be sized down to the needed size. It is much easier to size down the up.

[ColColt]

I just put my tibs in for one. Maybe it's not too late. If so, I'll take one that's maybe left over.

[MT Gianni]

Midway didn't have a photo of the #382 but I found what I think it looks like at Graf and Sons...nice but just a drawing. I don't know if you need Saeco handles for their molds or if Lyman or Lee would work. The handles are about $45 which would bump the price up to $145 for the mold and handles.

You can redrll Lee handles to fit a Saeco mold. I do not remember if they need shims or filing to fit.

[ddixie884]

It's probably not too late to get in on the ballisti-cast buyer's choice group buy. You can pick any mold, any size, for any alloy 2, 4, or 6 cavity.........

[runfiverun]

airc i use lyman handles on my saeco mold.
i might have had to do some fitting.
wait i know it's lyman 2 cav handles as that's all i have. [except for 1 pair of rapines]

[wv109323]

ColColt
I know what you are talking about. I wanted the same bullet in a 4,5 or 6 cavity mold. It seems that they don't exists that meet all the criteria that I want.
158 Grain, Plain flat base,SWC, Casts at .359 or .360 diameter, 4 or more cavity

[rexherring]

My Lee tumble lube mold throws them out at .360 and 158 grs.

[Jon K]

Get the NOE...

Jon

[telebasher]

My RCBS mould throws a beautiful 156-158 gr boolit out of ACWW. Have one just like it that takes gas checks, been thinking I'll have Erik remove the gas check bands and hollowpoint it but my financial advisor advises against it LOL.

[crabo]

It's probably not too late to get in on the ballisti-cast buyer's choice group buy. You can pick any mold, any size, for any alloy 2, 4, or 6 cavity.........

I have the H&G 51 by Ballisticast. I think you put a 6 in front of it to get you number. I would get a 4 cavity. I had a friend tell me he could out produce my H&G 6 cavities with their 4 cavity. I laughed at him until I did extended casting sessions.

Here is some great reading on what you are looking for, from the man himself.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell38SWC.htm

[LatheRunner]

I have a Saeco 382 BB 4 cavity. It should be the same as the plain base but with a bevel. Casts like a dream. Casts .360 dia. 164 gr. with CWW.

LatheRunner

[Rangefinder]

I wanted a good 158 gr mold for the 38/357 without a gas check in swc design and it seems no one makes one.

Lee has 'em. It may not be what you really want (being a Lee, rather than Lyman or Saeco, etc), but mine sure works good. Theirs is 158gr, BB, TL, SWC. My Black Hawk and my dad's GP100 both love that boolit. It's offered in 2-cav or 6-cav.

[ColColt]

I don't much care for the TL molds. I've read much of Glen's work before. He sure thinks highly of the 358477 boolit and rightly so. I've never had that mold but the H&G #51 looks very similar. I wouldn't turn either down. I do have the 329421 mold but the nose is fairly long and while it works in the GP100, it may be too long for other cylinders, such as the M27 or M19. I'll have a M66-4 coming soon and it probably wouldn't work in it either with 357 cases-38 cases, yes.

Where is the H&G #51 by Ballisticast? I don't know if I got in on the other buy or not. OK-found it. How long is the nose on the #651? If it's no more than about .250-.255" I think it would work fine in two revolvers I have. That's measured from the top band to nose tip.

[MtGun44]

358429 WILL work in the K-frame Smiths in .357 brass just fine.

Why do you think that a 358477 is "known to cast undersized"? I have a number of
molds in this design and all are great. Not undersized.

Bill

[fecmech]

There is not a whole lot of difference between the 358477 and the Lee TL 158 swc. As I've said in previous posts the mold was given to me and has turned out to be one of the most accurate .38 spl bullets that I shoot.

[casterofboolits]

I have two four cavity Lyman 358477 moulds and they both drop 359/360 and size to 358 with no problem. :drinks:

[ColColt]

Why do you think that a 358477 is "known to cast undersized"? I have a number of
molds in this design and all are great. Not undersized.

Bill

Not the mold-the manufacturer(Lyman) I have several Lyman molds that are undersize and had to get Erik to enlarge the bands on one of them I wanted to keep bad enough-the 358429. Lyman should make them at least .359" at a minimum. I'm a bit leery trying another.

[fcvan]

I recently picked up a Lee 158RF which is plain based. The boolits mold load, and shoot very well. Frank

[Iowa Fox]

A few years ago during the Lee group buys there was a buy for the 358156 with plain base. You might check in the classifieds to see if someone might have one for sale. Its a good mold that will cast a pile of 158s fast.

[warf73]

A few years ago during the Lee group buys there was a buy for the 358156 with plain base. You might check in the classifieds to see if someone might have one for sale. Its a good mold that will cast a pile of 158s fast.

Was going to say the same thing as I bought 2 of them during that GB. They fall out of the mold with my Heinze 57 alloy right at .359". Saddly I've not shot but a hand full of them in my sp101.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Have you looked at Accurate moulds 36 - 160 series of bullets?Robert

[ColColt]

I got in on the NOE 358477 150Gr. SWC group buy and also talked to Mike with Ballisti-Cast about the H&G#51(651) 158 gr mold so, I may have the bases covered now.