Lyman mold question about bullet wieght

[Juan Jose]

I know that the advertised weight of a bullet mold differs from the actual weights a mold will throw depending on the alloy, but the Lyman molds have got me stumped!
They don't list 158 grain SWCs for .38 Spls, nor 230 grain RN for .45ACPs. Lyman does have a 158 grain flat nose, but the SWCs are either 150 grain or 170 grainers. Lyman doesn't even list a different style 230 grain for .45ACP but the closest is a 225 grain RN.
I ask because I've always heard the fixed sighted handguns were always factory optimized for 158 grain (for the .38 Spl) and 230 grain (for the .45ACP) bullets and my pistols have fixed sights.
Thanks for any guidance!

[Echd]

Odds are you can make up that difference with a little extra oomph if need be.

8 grains of boolit, or 5 in the case of the .45, is not a whole lot of difference. That said I think with a little more lead heavy alloy suitable for pistols you will be 2,3, or 4 grains higher in weight. Hard to generalize or say but I find most of my Lymans cast a tiny bit heavier, and I prefer it that way. Maybe they measure off of a linotype bullet or something?

[bhn22]

You're splitting hairs. Lyman lists a number of bullets suitable for 38 Spl. Only one comes out at exactly 158 gr in the book, and that is a round flat nose design, which is perfectly suitable for 38 Spl, as is 358156, a 155 gr GC SWC, 358311, a 160 gr round nose, 358477 a 150 gr SWC. Loading data is commonly available for all of them. As a bit of background, I have yet to find a bullet mold from any maker that drops a bullet that finishes out exactly at its nominal listed weight. 358156 is often 160 gr, 358311 is usually 158 gr, and so on. Final weight depends primarily on the alloy that you use to cast them. Lyman recently changed their bullet "proof" data to use linotype instead of #2 alloy like the older manuals showed. Then you have your load development to work on. Different powder charges will often put the bullets at different points on the target. Jacketed bullet development is the same way.

[Juan Jose]

Thanks! So as a practical matter, when I look for recipes to start with I can consider 158 grain recipes to work with the Lyman 150 grain SWC, and 230 RN grain recipes GTG for Lymans 225 grain RN?

[Larry Gibson]

That is correct Juan. Lyman, as do almost all manuals, also say to "work up the load" and give instructions on how. I see that is your plan, excellent.

Larry Gibson

[Juan Jose]

Thanks, Larry.

[bhn22]

They don't make it easy sometimes, do they?