What's your favorite 38/357 bullet 145 - 160 grain?

[WARD O]

I'm looking for an all around plinking target shooting boolit for my 38's and 357's and am trying to keep recoil mild for lots of shooting. I'm thinking 145 - 160 grain so it shoots poi for fixed sight guns. I'm using the 358156 with good results but don't want to bother with the gas checks all the time. I like some longer range shooting from time to time so I think I need to rule out the WC designs as well.

[Bohica793]

Lyman 358477 is my favorite.

[Thomas Traddles]

RCBS 38-158 CM -- A round flat nosed bullet that ought to do just what you ask of it.

[rintinglen]

I like the H&G 50 WC, and the MP 359-640 HP boolits the best. for long range, I like the the RCBS 180 grain silhouette boolit, but it gets very little use from me. In fact, my MP hollowpoint molds have largely displaced my old Lyman, RCBS, and Lee molds. I just don't get out shooting enough--most of my shooting these days is done indoors and 75 feet is as far as I shoot.
However for a one=size fits-all approach, the Lyman 358-477, the Lee 38-158 RF or the RCBS or Lyman variations thereof get my vote.

[GLL]

For a light SWC it is hard to beat the NOE 360-145 for plinking.

http://www.fototime.com/8B393A68D5C3C54/orig.jpg
Al’s photo !

http://www.fototime.com/B1B2A56A5B1AFA4/orig.jpg

Jerry

[jakec]

Lyman 358477 is my favorite.

agreed. i just happen to have that mold i got from a guy around here......

[azrednek]

The 358156 bare bottom tumble lubed for 38 plinkers. Use the gas check if you're going to load any hot 357's. I used to dip the bottom of my tumble lubed slugs in Motor Mica or Talcum powder. Probably wasn't necessary but it assured me the lube did not contaminate the small 3.0 powder charge of Bullseye.

I know it is not a direct answer to your question. My favorite 38 plinker is the Lee 125 RNF. It does shoot to the POA in my Model 10's at short distance, no more than 25 yards. I also use the same slug for 9MM plinkers.

Its simply hard to beat the production time using a Lee six-banger. I was sizing 358 for 38's and 356 for 9's. About a year and a half ago. I sized them all at 357 and use them in 38 and 9MM. So far, so good. No leaded 38 barrels and no problem chambering in 9MM pistols.

[Bohica793]

agreed. i just happen to have that mold i got from a guy around here......

Gee...I wonder who.....

[Wally]

The Lee (90318) 140 Swc is excellent..it weighs 145 grains w/WW alloy...very accurate and hits as hard as a 148 WC.

[Beerd]

I've shot more than a few 358156 SWC bullets and have been playing with the idea of sending my mould to Erik to have the gas check shank removed.
BUT since I bought a 6 cavity Lee 358-158 RF the old Lyman doesn't get near as much use.
..

[Beagle333]

GLL wins again..... and now I want one. :lovebooli

[Zim]

I've shot many of the 358156's without checks & they worked fine. I cannot tell the difference in accuracy. This is all 50 yards or less.

Will be trying a few pb molds soon. Good luck!

[azrednek]

I've shot many of the 358156's without checks & they worked fine. I cannot tell the difference in accuracy. This is all 50 yards or less.

Will be trying a few pb molds soon. Good luck!

I think a gas check for 38 Special is a bit over kill but I do have one friend in particular the wont shoot lead in anything without a gas check.

[**oneshot**]

I use the NOE 360 160 WFN with great results in both 357 and 38spec.

[jeepyj]

I also shoot my (and possibly a few others) fair share of the lyman 358477 over 5 grains of Unique. Hands down it's my number one go-to boolit. It shoots tight groups consistently. However that beauty that GLL posted looks like something that should be added to my collection.
jeepyj

[odis]

I like the Lee 158gr RNFP, I have a 6 cavity mold and use it for both my 38 and my wives 357. Mild or wild.

[101VooDoo]

I've got a number of 'good shooting' 38/357 moulds, but two also stand out for ease of casting.

An Ideal marked 4 cavity 358477 and a Saeco 382. Both are a pleasure to cast with.

[Forrest r]

The cramer 25a (what cramer called their "hunter" bullet) has turned out to be an excellent bullet. It has the accuracy of the lyman 358311 rn & thumps hard like the lee rnfp.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/closeup_zps6c613314.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/closeup_zps6c613314.jpg.html)


http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/25ahps_zpsdc8c8215.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/25ahps_zpsdc8c8215.jpg.html)

[Vulcan Bob]

The RCBS 38-150-KT is my go to universal .38 cal boolit. With my alloy they drop at 156gr and a bit over .360" diameter. This also allows me to use em sized at .360" for use in my .38 S&W.

[WARD O]

Sure like the looks of the NOE 360-145 gr SWC - nice picture. Is that one currently available?

I've also been looking at the MP 360640 which drops HP's at about 140 grain and the solids I suppose around 150 grain. That should work well I would imagine. I have it's bigger brother which drops the HP's around 162 and the solids around 170 grains. It shoots very well.

Thanks for the picture of the Cramer - never seen one of those in real life. What time frame were they available?

[Petrol & Powder]

I haven't been casting for very long but I've been reloading for decades. In my limited casting experience, I've tried a few molds but the RCBS 38-150 SWC is without a doubt the one that I will rely on. It was recommended by members of this forum ( with a Lyman 358477 as a close second). That has proven to be sound advice and it is now my go - to 38/357 bullet.

With 20:1 or COWW alloy it drops out of the mold at around 160 Grs +/- and a little over .359" . The profile is basically a Keith SWC. I can't imagine a need for a gas check in a 38 Special bullet and I prefer simplicity over complexity any day of the week. I think sometimes people have a tendency to wander around looking for the next best thing when they already had something that is, "as good as it gets".

P&P

[GLL]

The RCBS 38-150 is also one of my favorite light SWC choices.
In fact the RCBS 38-150 and the NOE 360-145 are VERY similar designs !

The advantage is the NOE is available as a 5-cavity.
I sure wish RCBS made 4-cavity molds ! :)

Jerry

[stu1ritter]

Being an olde target shooter, I've always liked a wad cutter, but needed something to allow a bit more powder capacity. Accurate # 36-155W.
Stu
http://imageshack.com/a/img836/1921/fkcf.png

[Forrest r]

Thanks for the picture of the Cramer - never seen one of those in real life. What time frame were they available?

I'm really not sure my understanding is that their hay-day was in the 1930's & they sold out to saeco in 1951. Owning 3 different pinned cramers they are one of my favorite mold makers & the molds cast beautiful bullets.

Hollow point molds are an excellent choice for fixed sighted revolvers, it's fun to test/try them. Some of the hp molds I cast/use for the 38/357's are:

Mihec 359640
Mihec 359-125
Cramer 25a
Lyman 358477
Lyman 358156
Lyman 358439

Mihec molds are always a good choice, after owning 11 of them I'm still amazed with the quality of them. Should have a 12th mold in the mail any day. I'd love to see a Mihec 358477 mold my lyman casts a 140gr hp & a 150gr solid nosed boolit.

forrest r

[Trey45]

H&G 50

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/307506_465153340208810_727982308_n.jpg

[shooting on a shoestring]

NOE 360477. Lets me size and lube at 0.359 which works well in all my 35 calibers. The mould drops boolits easily. Boolits are round. They cast fast and shoot great. Those extra couple of thousandths of outside diameter makes a world of difference in a couple of my revolvers. Fit is good. Fatter is better. Never had a problem with leading or grouping using fat boolits.

[dragon813gt]

358156 or one of the 148 grain HBWC designs. I currently own MP versions of both these designs. I don't know what weight the 359640 drops at in hollowpoint form because mine is solid only. But it's only 10 grains heavier at 170 and is a tack driver.

[Green Frog]

If I were to limit myself to a single mould for the 38/357 (and unlikely prospect!) it would be the Ideal/Lyman 358156, probably in DC to make production quicker. Without a GC it is a great SWC target bullet and with a gas check and a hot load of powder it is fine for hunting and self defense with that nice flat meplat. In fact, for any revolver, a bullet on this basic theme would be (and usually is) my "go to" bullet. I see a few others have already chimed in supporting the 358156, so I must be in good company, in fact Skeeter wrote an article years ago summarizing the best of his 38/357 loads and he said virtually the same thing as well.

Froggie