Best LEE or other brand cast bullet mold for the .380ACP?

[21Glock]

My next door neighbor has a .380 auto and wants me to cast some suitable bullets for his pistol. I've looked at Midway and they have a LEE 124gr. 2 Ogive radius(roundnose) a 125gr. Truncated Cone nose, both tumble lube design and 102 gr. round nose that will need to sized.
The last mold being two cavity mold, the two previous molds being a 6 cavity.

Has anymore used the 124gr. LEE mold in their .380 rounds and how does it feed? Or should I go with the 102 gr. round nose? Or should I get the 100gr. Ranch Dog FNPB bullet mold I've seen in a thread here?

The pistol being used is a Bersa copy of the PPK Walther.

Thanks!

[Artful]

I use the 105 SWC Lee mould for 380 loads
66626

[Rick Hodges]

Good luck getting any of them from Midway...I believe they are all on back order til mid June. I wouldn't go any heavier than the 105gr. swc. I do have the 102gr. RN on back order. I believe the 120+ gr. boolits are just too heavy in a 380.

[Ed_Shot]

The Lee 356-102-1R works great in .380 ACP and is a winner in 9MM also.

[2wheelDuke]

I love the Ranch Dog 358-100 for .380. I hear it doesn't feed well in every single gun, but I've run it in a few different guns including my own Kel-Tec and it's my favorite by far.

The Lee 102 RN works well, I always tumble lubed it and sized it .358 with a push-thru sizer.

Looks like the group buy is closed, but Accurate lists a couple designs that are pretty close.

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=35-098R-D.png

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=35-098S-D.png

[21Glock]

I use the 105 SWC Lee mould for 380 loads
66626

I don't see this mold listed by Midway. I assume it would be in the .356 diameter grouping. I guess I could order from LEE directly. Would I be able to tumble lube it? Can you shoot it without being sized?

Thanks!

[21Glock]

I noticed the 105gr. SWC 6 cavity mold listed on the LEE website. Richard Lee mentions on their home page dated 4/4/13 that they are running about 16 weeks behind on their backorders.

Man, I'll be glad when this madness finally ends!

[Thin Man]

+1 on the Lee 358-105-SWC mold for .380 acp. I size these at .358 and seat the boolit so the case ends at the middle of the forward band. So far I have not found any .380 pistol that fails to feed these and group size is the same as most other cast boolits. As a perk, these boolits give service for light loads in .38 Special, have not tried them in .357 Magnum.
Thin Man

[siamese4570]

Is anybody casting any of the above mentioned accurate bullets? I'd like to buy some and try them.
Siamese4570

[warboar_21]

I have two molds for the 380. The Lee 102gr round nose and a 90gr Hollow point mold from Mihec. They both work great.

[Keyston44]

I have the Lee 102gr round nose also. I don't size it and tumble lube it with 45-45-10 and it shoots great out of my Taurus 738.

Key

[Treeman]

I made some shootable loads with the Lee 124 2RTL but it is a poor choice- required seating depths that left the shank below the case mouth and of course requires tiny charges since the bullet is overweight for the .380. I got a beautiful group buy mold for the .380 that makes lovely boolits - 105 gr. TCFPs . Buying a stock mold I think the 102 RN or 105 SWC would be the choices.

[Bullet Caster]

My dad has a Beretta .380 auto that I'll prob. inherit. Looks like I'll be purchasing a mould for the .380 in the future. Thanks for all the posts in this thread. It should make it easier for a solid choice. Thank you all. BC

[rintinglen]

I have 3 molds that I have used in the 380 ACP. The RD 358-100, the Lyman 358-242 122 grain, and the 356-242 92 grain. I will not use the heavy boolit again, because it hits so far from point of aim. The 92 grain Lyman works well and shoots to point of aim in my Walther PPK/S and Beretta M-84. Lyman lists a dozen powders but I use WW-231. The Ranch Dog 358-100 has become my go to boolit. It shoots to point of aim, and the 6 cavity mold mass produces boolits. It loads easy, but I have to use the 38 WC stem to seat the boolits without marring them. The lee 102 rn should work just as well.

[palmettosunshine]

My wife's Bersa Thunder .380 loves the Lee 102 RN. I've also run quite a few of them through my CZ75.

[fatelk]

So far I have not found any .380 pistol that fails to feed these

I have one. The Taurus 238 (TCP) .380 has a terribly short throat and the Lee 105 SWC just does not work in it. Even the 102 RN has to be seated really short to work. Just something to think about for anyone considering a Taurus.

[Bob in Revelstoke]

I have a Remington model 51 in .380. I use the Lee 9mm boolit but have to size it to .354 or it won't chamber. Accurate though.

[Newtire]

Ranch Dog 100 gr. works great in Bersa .380.

[farmerjim]

I use the Lee TL356-95-RF. I powder coat it and size to .357.

[jmort]

Ranch Dog 100 gr. works great in Bersa .380.

Yes indeed. Best design out there.

[TexasGrunt]

Holy Necro Thread!

[18Bravo]

[QUOTE=farmerjim;4109695]I use the Lee TL356

+1
I use the same mold and also powder coat. Mine drop at .356 using WW's +2% tin. After powder coating, which "grows them" to about .358, I tumble them in Roosters Jacket lube and size to .357. They shoot just fine out of the Bersa Thunder.

[18Bravo]

from farmerjim
"I use the Lee TL356-95-RF. I powder coat it and size to .357"

+1
I use the same mold and also powder coat. As extra insurance I tumble lube with Rooster Jacket Lube and size to .357.
Shoot great out of the Bersa Thunder

[gwpercle]

I use the 105 SWC Lee mould for 380 loads
66626

I second the Lee 105-SWC , actually it is more truncated cone and works just fine in 9 mm Luger target/plinking loads to boot. I size them .357 for both .
Gary

[JBinMN]

Lee 356-102-1R is what I use for .380 pistol.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/550977/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-356-102-1r-9mm-luger-38-super-380-acp-356-diameter-102-grain-1-ogive-radius?cm_mmc=se_service-_-shippingconf-_-shippingconf-_-ProductShippedTodayLink

https://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/550/550977.jpg

[Low Budget Shooter]

NOE version of the 358242 92 grain casts easily and works great. By the way, light though it is, it works great in 9mm, also.

[retread]

I noticed the 105gr. SWC 6 cavity mold listed on the LEE website. Richard Lee mentions on their home page dated 4/4/13 that they are running about 16 weeks behind on their backorders.

Man, I'll be glad when this madness finally ends!

Amazon has them in stock at just under $42.

[FergusonTO35]

Anybody got some Lee 105's they can spare? I would like to try them, would prefer .357 or unsized. I would be happy to swap you some 102's or pay for them.

[Combat Diver]

I have a Lyman single cav .355 92gr LRN IIRC that I cast and load for my CZ83. Usually use Unique but going to try some Titegroup or SR7625 today.

CD

[allsy]

I have used the LEE 102gr and had to seat it deep to feed in a Bersa, 0.930 OAL, I have heard good things about the LEE 95gr bullet and plan to order one of those for the next attempt at 380.