My first HP mold

[Muskrat Mike]

I just got my first HP mold. It's an old Lyman #358156. I fired up the pot and cast 50 this afternoon and they look good. I have to size, lube and GC them yet. I have a revolver and rifle in 357 mag. Does anyone have any good insights or experience to share with me pertaining to these bullets? Are they actually better for game shooting?
Thanks ahead of time. Mike:coffee:

[Bret4207]

Yes and no. If the boolit rifle/revolver combination is suitable to start with, and that design works in most everything I've tried, then the biggest hurdle is out of the way. Then comes the question of what kind of game you hunt. If you load them to max velocity with a medium alloy, like WQWW, and shoot a fox, you may not be collecting and fur check. Big exit holes aren't good for top grade. On a small <150 lbs deer and a lung/heart shot they should work great. On bigger stuff I'd prefer something heavier, but it should still work. Depending on what you hit and where determines how well it performs as much as sheer velocity and a HP.

Now if you load it to meet the 900-1100 fps area and use it with straight ACWW you should still get some expansion but not the super explosive type result. Should be suitable for woodchucks, coyote, rabbits, etc.