Favorite .357 Mag Mold

[Bzcraig]

What is your favorite .357 mag boolit mold heavier than 158 grns?

[Wally]

Lyman 358429

[JSH]

Dang that is a tough one depending on what I want it to do.
I forget who/what/when, but it was from here on a group buy some years back from lee. 180pb with multiple crimp grooves. For distance I like the rcbs 180 sil mold.
358429 is a good one but I have three and all three are of different designs.
Jeff

[GP100man]

NOE`s 360-180 rnfp pb solid & NOE`s version of the 358429

These 2 mold designs will do .

In the plinkin line up is the Lee 148 wad cutter & the lee 158 rnfp.

Ifin ya wanna extend ya lead supply the Lee 105 swc works also, I load these with a smidgin of CLAYS for the baby girl & out of a 4" gp with compact grips she claims it`s less kik than shooting 22 out of the single six & quiter also .

But for pure stompin someting dead the NOE 360-180 rnfp will be very hard to beat !!

This is the boolit I use in our 2x4 & 4x4 shoots, & it just chews em up qwik.

GP

[jmsj]

It would be a close race for me between the Lyman 358429 and the Mihec 359640 in solid configuration.

[osteodoc08]

The 358429 is about as classic and timeless as they get for the 38/357. I have one in a Lyman and NOE.

I also really like the MP 360-180 WFN GC design I have.

[mainiac]

lyman 358429,,but now my favorite is the noe copy of that boolit.

[dragon813gt]

MP 359-640. 170 grains of smack down. The 640 nose profile is highly accurate.

[fecmech]

I started back in 1970 with a 4 cav Lyman in 358495 and 358429. The 358429 I still have and shoot quite a bit. It has been a solid accurate performer out of every .357 hand gun I've owned and 3 Lever guns. Accuracy is a simple matter of putting a max load of 296 or 2400 in the case and pulling the trigger. The 358429 is a very good design.

[osteodoc08]

Hmmmm. I'm sensing a pattern here

358429......358429.....358429.....358429

[StratsMan]

+1 MP 360 640 Solid or HP, it just looks good in 38 or 357, Silver Grey or powder coated....

[tazman]

358311 Since I don't hunt with the pistol and don't shoot target competitively, I don't have a big need for a wide flat nose boolit. The round nose loads easily and shoots accurately in my revolver.

[TCLouis]

Contrary to what I wanted, I will have to say the best mold I have for various 357 Magnums is 358156.

I wanted Keith, Ranch Dog, or Lar45 to be best, but they are all in second place.

I do have to send my Lyman 358429 back as it casts boolits right at 0.368" so it is not in the running though I had HIGH HOPES.

[robertbank]

Did anyone mention the 458429? :smile:

Take Care

Bob

[Leadmelter]

Ditto on the 358428. I had Eric HP and extra mold that brought down to a 165 with my alloy.
I have a ranch dog 168 HP from NOE that I have loaded over the long winter but have not tried out.
I did load some RCBS 180 hr sil boolits. Have not tired them yet.
Very many choices, are you looking for hunting, plinking, self defense?
They are so many choices these days.
Good luck
Leadmelter
MI

[Bzcraig]

Hmmmm. I'm sensing a pattern here

358429......358429.....358429.....358429

I'm kinda sensing the same thing. I purposely didn't put any parameters on the choice to see what would flush out in the responses.

[fivegunner]

Mine is a easy pick 358156 or good copy`s of it.:smile:

[WARD O]

I have not had the success with the 358429 others have mentioned but do really like the 640 style in the 38's and 357's I've tried it with. I have also had fine results with the 360156. Lately I've been looking for a general all around fun shooting load - not something that's top end but something more middle of the road that will work very well in most guns. I have been considering this new offering from NOE as a good possible for that need:

360 154Gr. WFN now in BRASS started 3/27/14 ( 4 orders )
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-360-154Gr-WFN

It's listed int the group buy section. What ya all think of it?

ward

[DeanWinchester]

The 358429 is an awesome boolit but I trouble with the OAL in my Sp101. I had to trim so e brass back a touch short to keep the boolit from hanging up the cylinder....which made me have to work up the load with care as the case capacity was then reduced. I can't remember the actual load, it's been a few years but AA#5 gave me an outstanding load that was very accurate.

[Guesser]

The 358429, when seated and crimped in the groove is too long for some of my 357 revolvers, I like it, but!! 358156 is much more versatile and the 358311 is much easier to cast, load and shoot; and 358311 is the most accurate of the three; consistently so!!!

[detox]

RNFP style bullets have always shot best from my 686. For some reason the 358429 never shot accurately. The Saeco 353 or 354 or similar is a verygood shooter.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/724735/saeco-2-cavity-bullet-mold-353-38-special-357-magnum-358-diameter-180-grain-flat-nose

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/16924

[9.3X62AL]

#358156 would have been my favorite, but the OP specified "heavier than 158 grains". With that in mind, Lyman's #358430 (195 grain blunt RN) cops the prize for me. It is INCREDIBLY accurate over a wide velocity range, and hits like a ton of bricks. When slowed to 38 S&W and 38 Special speeds, it tends to tumble upon impact more often than not. At Magnum speeds, it runs straight through, and might benefit from being cast as a soft-point for hunting venues.

[Love Life]

Lyman 358429

The gospel.

[fecmech]

I had to trim so e brass back a touch short to keep the boolit from hanging up the cylinder....which made me have to work up the load with care as the case capacity was then reduced.
If you are crimping in the crimp groove I wouldn't worry much about a slight case shortening in mag cases. The Lyman cast bullet data is for the case crimped over the front drive band. Almost the same case capacity as a .38 spl case crimping in the crimp groove!

[High Desert Hunter]

Miha 359640, scary accurate slow or fast from my 4 5/8" Flattop, in solid form it weighs in right around 170, with the HP, mine come in at 162. The HP really puts a wallop to the local jackrabbits.

[Outpost75]

My Marlin 1894s do not feed #358429, so I have standardized NOE 359-190 PB, which is the Ranch Dog profile, but with conventional crimp and lube grooves, with plain base.

[High Desert Hunter]

105647105646

Not the best picture, but you can see that the Miha bullet has a pretty decent meplat.

[dragon813gt]

MP 359-640 loaded in 357 cases.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/F4A90244-AD23-4C2D-9536-41A6B5DB023B-646-0000009351C14C11.jpg

[Scout800a]

358429 shoots great in my Gp100, Clark (smith) Model 10, Sp101, A Smith model 14 I had, and Dad's python. I think that covers the bases.