what GC mold for 357mag in lever rifle ( Rossi 92, Marlin 94)

[HikerLT]

Looking for recommendations for a gas check mold for 357magnum loads for use in Rossi 92 lever action rifle

Thanks
LT

[Hickory]

Lyman # 358156 classic design

[Ben]

Most people on this forum have great things to say about the Lyman 358156 used in 38 Spec and 357 Mag loads. I just bought a 358156 factory HP at a Gun Show recently. Here is the link with photos below. I think you'd be very pleased with one.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?216324-My-quot-New-quot-(-to-me-)-358156-HP

[rintinglen]

I like the RCBS 38-162 GC in my Rossi. It is a close copy of the Lyman 358-156, but the RCBS molds are better made these days. 15.7 grains of H-110 with WSP magnum primers shoots to the limit of the gun's accuracy.

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for Lyman 358156. Best shooter in my Marlin.

[Larry Gibson]

+ another for the 358156.

Larry Gibson

[fivegunner]

358156 is the way to go!:lovebooli

[detox]

Do these lever guns have a lot of freebore. Will he have to use second crimp groove of 358156 to make boolit longer so to reach rifling lands?

[TCFAN]

I use both the Lyman 358156 HP and the NOE copy in HP and use the top crimp groove for the crimp and accuracy could not be better in my Marlin using H110 powder..........Terry

[bhn22]

You have to watch the nose length in lever actions. Too long of a nose, or the wrong nose profile can hang up in feeding. As above... 358156 Lyman.

[FergusonTO35]

Been using the Lee 358-158-RF with PB gas checks for awhile now with good success in my 1894. I really need to invest in a Checkmaker for it...

[detox]

You have to watch the nose length in lever actions. Too long of a nose, or the wrong nose profile can hang up in feeding. As above... 358156 Lyman.

Yea...longer length works better in single shot Handi rifle and the likes of.

[Mugs]

If you want a heavier boolit try RCBS 35-180 Sil.
Mugs

[btroj]

My Marlin never really liked the 358156. It was the best of the swc bullets but it still wasn't acceptable.

The Mihec 359640 takes the cake. Not a GC bullet but it does well at any velocity I have tried.

[HikerLT]

So I have placed my name on the list for the next Mihec 359640 mold group buy.....so I assume will take some time for this..

What are opinions / experience with this LEE mold :

Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold C358-158-SWC 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 38 Colt New Police, 38 S&W (358 Diameter) 158 Grain Semi-Wadcutter Gas Check

[paul h]

I've had both the lee 158 gr swc and 158 gr rf. As is typical with lee designs, they both shot very well. I prefer a larger dia meplat than lee provides on their swc, but it'll shoot. The 158 rf is my preferred lee design in that weight, but unfortunately it's a plainbase.

If I were loading for a 357 rifle I'd try both a 180 and 200 gr WFN style mold and see what shot best. With the increased velocity of the rifle I'd rather go with a heavier bullet, but that's me.

[williamwaco]

+1 for the 358156.

BUT!

You don't need a gas check and I personally don't use one.

[SciFiJim]

NOE's 360180 WFNGC (http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=409) works great for me in my Marlin. I have to watch the length though. 1.590 is the maximum that will feed. Crimping the brass at the top edge of the crimp grove works perfectly for the length. Loaded at magnum levels, it delivers quite a wallop for a .357Magnum.

[ironhead7544]

I would get the Ranch Dog 357 bullets/mold. Made for lever guns.

[waco]

Noe 360-180 wfn
86307

[Lonegun1894]

I have the Lee 158 SWCGC, the Lee 158RNFP, the Lyman 358156, and the RCBS 162 SWC, and all shoot great in my Rossi, and all my .357s for that matter. I can recommend any of the ones I have as goo performers. As far as going heavier, you have to remember that the Rossi uses a 1:30" twist, so if you want heavier than that, like the 180s and 200s that were mentioned, see if you can get a few to try before investing in a mold to make sure they will stabilize first. I haven't tried anything over 170gr in mine so can't help, but 170 did fine in mine with full power loads.

[MT Gianni]

I would get the Ranch Dog 357 bullets/mold. Made for lever guns.

Currently cataloged by NOE as well, the Ranch Dog's are now NA from him.

[imashooter2]

The NOE 360-180-WFN worked wonderfully in my Marlin, but I seem to recall someone posting that these designs didn't feed in their Rossi.

SciFiJim, the fix for your problem is easy work:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?7750-Modifying-the-Marlin-1894-for-a-longer-cartridge-OAL

[SciFiJim]

The NOE 360-180-WFN worked wonderfully in my Marlin, but I seem to recall someone posting that these designs didn't feed in their Rossi.

SciFiJim, the fix for your problem is easy work:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?7750-Modifying-the-Marlin-1894-for-a-longer-cartridge-OAL


I've seen that thread and read it.

I thought about it, thought about it again, thought about it a third time and decided that if my mechanic skills with firearms are like my mechanic skills with a car, it is a great way to destroy an otherwise perfectly good rifle.

I load the rounds to 1.59 and they work. It ain't broke so I am not going to try to fix it.


I do have the modification filed in my "Maybe Someday" file.

[imashooter2]

I've seen that thread and read it.

I thought about it, thought about it again, thought about it a third time and decided that if my mechanic skills with firearms are like my mechanic skills with a car, it is a great way to destroy an otherwise perfectly good rifle.

I load the rounds to 1.59 and they work. It ain't broke so I am not going to try to fix it.


I do have the modification filed in my "Maybe Someday" file.

"A man's got to know his limitations."
-Inspector Harry Callahan

:kidding:

[btroj]

I finally modified my carrier as I grew tired of fighting overly long rounds. My RD 175, which is supposed to feed in a Marlin, jammed all the time. My Miha 359640 was the same way.

Amazing what a few seconds with a file can do. No more jams, I can shoot the bullets that do best in that rifle, and I can sleep sound at night.

[9.3X62AL]

No 357 Magnum leverguns in The Herd yet, but if one develops I would give my 180 grain round flatnose GC Group Buy by 357 Maximum a test-drive first. If that boolit didn't shoot well, I would opt for one of Accurate Molds' or Mountain Molds' round flat nose designs with gas check weighing 155-165 grains.

This move is predicated by experience had with my RiceChester Model 92 in 44 Magnum. Lyman #429421 was a non-starter loaded to crimp normally, and chambered roughly when seated with top drive band flush with the case mouth. #429244 wasn't so rough-chambering, but SAECO #446 (200 grain RFN) and an Accurate 250 grain RFN/GC run MUCH more smoothly through the little rifle. Given the OEM bullet designs of the hyphenated WCF calibers that made the name of these leverguns, all were some form of round flat nose. I'm not one to swim upstream in a current that strong. Based on #429244's performance, #358156 would likely work all right, but again the round flat noses run like water in my 92 and in the 25-20 and 32-20.

[HiVelocity]

FWIW, I put "plain based" gas checks* on my .38 and .357 cast boolit handloads for my Marlin. They work well, why not have the best of both worlds?

HV

*I'm also doing this on 45 Colt/ACP, 380/9mm, 45-70.

[9.3X62AL]

FWIW, I put "plain based" gas checks* on my .38 and .357 cast boolit handloads for my Marlin. They work well, why not have the best of both worlds?

HV

*I'm also doing this on 45 Colt/ACP, 380/9mm, 45-70.

I haven't yet availed myself of the home-brew check maker option, so I'm restricted to the use of commercial gas checks. These aren't cheep little boolit amendments any longer, and I'm pretty selective of the applications I use them with. The pressures involved in deciding between GC and PB usually prompt at least 1250 FPS from a handgun and 1400 FPS from a rifle. That isn't a hard & fast rule, but a rough guideline of sorts. Your "PBGC" lends flexibility to your loads that my regimen disallows. I've managed 1250 FPS for three PB boolit designs in 9mm by use of fairly hard alloy (92/6/2), soft but capable lubes (NRA Alox/beeswax) and STRICT adherence to diametric integrity between throats and boolits. My standard tolerates no significant leading over 200+ rounds fired, involving rapid fire training sessions and some long-range targeting at sessions' ends. Accuracy holds up, and seldom is there a need for barrel brushing--solvent on a cloth patch renders the bores shiny and clean. Getting those kinds of results took a LOT of figuring and experimentation over the years, and had a PBGC option been available when I set out on this path I would have been all over it. It likely would have been a lot less fuss & bother.

[Junior1942]

My Rossi 92 likes the Lee C358-158-SWC from ACWW alloy, lubed with LLA, crimped in the crimp groove and loaded with Lil'Gun for 1820 fps. No worry at all about feeding problems.