Anyone using the lee 358-158 RF

[glockky]

I was looking to pick up this mold for a hunting bullet and wondered if anyone has used it? And if it shot well? What top punch did you use?

[Nobade]

Yes, I shoot quite a lot of them. They do fly well and are nice to cast. I use a flat top punch, home made. Same way with the seating die stem.

-Nobade

[375RUGER]

A good boolit. I still push them through a lee sizer. According to my notes a 43 or a 495 lyman punch is the off the shelf option.

[jmort]

I want to order one and get a second from Eric at Hollowpoint Molds

[MtGun44]

Superb design. I can push it to max velocity with H110 and get 1" at 25 yds. Very
good one. Both 586 and Sec Six love it.

Bill

[EMC45]

Great bullet. I have shot a "few" of them........

[glockky]

Is everyone using a push thru sizer?

[Rick N Bama]

Is everyone using a push thru sizer?

Not me, I use a Lyman 450. I don't know why, but this boolit has never worked very well for me. Maybe I need to lube some up & try H110.

Rick

[DrCaveman]

I like this boolit a lot, and it dominates my 38 special shooting these days with a nice charge of Unique

Mold is pretty nice, I have an old-model 2-cavity, and just cast up a few hundred last night. No problems to speak of, except the mold is getting a bit loose

I will probably swap it out for a 6-cavity soon

I use the lee push through sizer @ .358", tumble lube for 38 spl loads

[glockky]

Rick what nose punch do you use?

[km101]

I shoot this bullet in all my S&W's, model 15, 19, & 66. It shoots well with a variety of powders. I shoot it in a variety of load from "plinking" to hunting loads. I cant remember all the loads, but it will group well at 25 yards if I do my part.

I cast it in COWW + 2% tin and I lube it in a Lyman 450 with a .358 die and a flat nose punch made by "theperfesser", using Carnauba Red from White Label Lube.

Hope this helps.

[GL49]

That's what I use the most. km101 and I agree, COWW's +2% tin, lubed with Carnauba Red, I water quench if I'm going to use them in my .357 and push them pretty hard. My 686 really likes that boolit, it shoots better for me if it's loaded to magnum levels rather than just plinking loads in my 38spl cases.

[Lonegun1894]

I use it for both .38 and .357, out of both handguns and rifles. I have taken a lot of small game with it in .38 cases and one deer and several hogs in .357 cases, out of a 4" Ruger Security Six in every case so far. On the deer, the shot was at a (later) measured 45 yds. The bullet was WDWW, sized .358", and using a load of Unique somewhere between 7-8grs. The buck was facing me, and was hit dead center of the chest, took 2-3 steps, and collapsed. On cleaning it, I found the bullet had stopped on the (rear, obviously) left hip joint. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again, but do tend to use the Lee 158gr SWCGC for my full power loads a lot more, mostly due to the GC and the velocities I can get pushing this one out of rifles. Accuracy with the 158rnfp is great out of all my guns though, and it gives 6-8" groups out of this 4" Ruger at 100yds when I hold my mouth right. Some days a bit worse, and occasionally a bit better.

I forgot initially. I just use the Lee push-through sizer, so no nose punch here. But mine don't get deformed this way so it isn't a problem.

[Rick N Bama]

Rick what nose punch do you use?

A flat punch a fine member of this board made for me.

Rick

[glockky]

Yeah problem is he's recovering from surgery at the moment

[Nobade]

Tom @ Accurate Molds sells a nice set of flat top punches for a very small price. I got him to include them with a bullet mould order and they are about all I use any more.

-Nobade

[glockky]

Just ordered the three pack shipped for $8 cant beat that

[rintinglen]

I use a #495 top punch, simply because I had it laying around, but it is recommended for the similar 358-665.

[enfieldphile]

Thanks for the tip! I just ordered the 3-pack. I had to wait awhile until Lee caught up w/ the backlog before a wholesaler had this mold (6 cavity) in stock. I like this mold a lot!


Tom @ Accurate Molds sells a nice set of flat top punches for a very small price. I got him to include them with a bullet mould order and they are about all I use any more.

-Nobade

[glockky]

In my opinion that 3 pack of top punches is really a bargain. I am gonna try and cast some of these bullets next week and give them a try. I just got my mold in and my lyman 4500

[crabo]

Tom @ Accurate Molds sells a nice set of flat top punches for a very small price. I got him to include them with a bullet mould order and they are about all I use any more.

-Nobade

He also does that boolit with a flat base. I have been thinking about buying one from him for a while now.

#36-158V

[glockky]

does he allow you to add a gas check to any of his bullet designs

[siamese4570]

I shoot this boolit out of 2 pistols and 2 rifles. works real well. I shoot a lot of them out of my talo 357 handi rifle. I load them with 1.5 bullseye and seat the boolit just as deep in the case as I can. The nose is just barely above the case mount. It shoots about 600fps and is real hard on turtles. It is about as quiet as a 22 rifle.
siamese4570