.358 "No" Crimp Groove design bullet

[detox]

Accurate moulds just added this new bullet to their library. It is a 160gr 358 caliber bullet with no crimp groove. This design allows you to experiment with different seating depths for different revolvers. Roll crimping into softer alloy (under 15 bhn) is all that is needed to hold bullet. Adding a gas check will help prevent leading in some troublesome revolvers that do not like shooting plain base lead bullets. I like the two cavity iron version of this mould.

[fecmech]

Unless you are shooting one of the uber light .357's case tension holds bullets very well in .38/.357. I taper crimp everything in .38/.357 and I get no bullet movement even with 15.3/296/ 358429.

[.30/30 Guy]

I have an older NEI 165-358GC that is very close to that same design. Great boolit.

[bhn22]

However, you aren't likely to get as secure of a crimp without a dedicated crimping groove as you would with one. This was one of the situations Elmer Keith faced when he was designing his bullets. Many molds of the day required you to simply crimp into the side of the bullet, and this wasn't enough to prevent the bullet from jumping the crimp in the cylinder. Elmer went into great detail about his idea of a proper crimp groove. That design would probably work okay for medium to lighter loads.

[detox]

However, you aren't likely to get as secure of a crimp without a dedicated crimping groove as you would with one. This was one of the situations Elmer Keith faced when he was designing his bullets. Many molds of the day required you to simply crimp into the side of the bullet, and this wasn't enough to prevent the bullet from jumping the crimp in the cylinder. Elmer went into great detail about his idea of a proper crimp groove. That design would probably work okay for medium to lighter loads.

IMO most all crimp grooves are cut way too deep. You only need small groove to hold bullet when shooting magnum loads.

Roll crimping into softer 16/1 alloy will be plenty to hold this bullet during heavier recoil...especially if brass and bullet have good neck tension and lube is not too slippery

Maybe taper crimp will work better?

Keith

[DrCaveman]

Hmm, i kinda like the idea of roll crimping into softer alloy. What a nice front drive band.

I do agree about crimp grooves being deeper than needed for 357 pressures. Maybe Elmer was dealing with weaker brass?

I think id feel ok about shooting some full power loads, properly fitted, with a softish 16/1 alloy. Probably like it better without GC though, myself

How does it shoot, through what gun with what load? Is the submitter of this design on this forum?

[MtGun44]

No real need for GCs in .357 no matter what the load or alloy.

Bill

[detox]

No real need for GCs in .357 no matter what the load or alloy.

Bill

I knew someone was going to say this.

The gas check is just extra insurance to protect some guns that lead easier than others (thread choke, rough barrel, etc.). It has also been proven in Ransom rest that a gas checked bullet is consistantly more accurate than plain base...uh oh. The gas check will also protect base when soft hunting alloys are pushed to magnum levels.

You can order this bullet without gas check if you must.

[Viper225]

I just got a 1000 of the 358/158 round nose with no crimp groove, comercially made. I figured he was trying to cover 38 Special and 38 Super with the same bullet. I have not gotten around to loading any so far. I was planning on experimenting with some e3 powder on my next batch of 38 Special. Looking like I will need to make a 60 mile drive to a gun shop who has some in stock, before I do any more loading with e3. I used up my only can on my 40 S&W revolver loads.

Initially I was not impressed with No Crimp Groove. I will give them a try and see how they work. I normally run my 38 Special 158's at around 850 fps to have plenty of power for steel Poppers. I do not think I will have any issues.

Bob

[btroj]

I don't like the semi shoulder on it. Why not a smooth taper from nose to body diameter?

I like a crimp groove on anything being shot with mag loads. Neck tension does most of the work but a crimp sure helps.

No crimp groove says light loads, gas check says mag loads. Which is it? Does the bullet even know what it is?

[gefiltephish]

Maybe Lee's collet crimper (rifle fcd) would be a good candidate for this. I just bought one for 357.

[detox]

I received mould and casted a few bullets to test. This mould is not the most forgiving mould to cast with. I must use the bottom pour method to get best fillout. Usually i get the best bullet fillout by pressure filling with a ladle, but not with this mould. Bottom pour and loose sprue plate allows more venting at base.

The object on right is a custom 8.5 degree brass lap that I turned on my drill press. It seems to match up with my 686 forcing cone well. I will use it with 400grit compound to polish forcing cone.

Lyman Molly lube will be used to test. LBT on order.

[felix]

With "heavy" loads the crimp groove needs only to be a very small shallow ring for a roll crimp. Willy, the board guy, seems to know this as he designed the boolits as such and displayed them within the cast boolits logo. The design will give good credit to a taper crimp as well. ... felix

[runfiverun]

I think willy copied the lyman 358 rnfp boolit.
I'd go look at the number on mine but I'm sure I have worn it off the side of the mold iv'e made and shot so many.

you could also roll a groove on the boolit with a tubing cutter or with a cannelure tool, I add one to some of my swaged boolits using a cannelure tool.