Do Lee .360 and 000 molds cast true at .360?

[Low Budget Shooter]

Hey, black powder guys,

I usually hang out over at the handguns forum, but I have a question for you guys. I'm trying to work up gallery loads for .38 special, and want to try some homemade 000 buckshot. It has to be at least .358 to work right. The Lee 2-cavity .360 RB mold and the 18-cavity 000 mold are supposed to cast at .360, but do they really? Anybody know for sure?

Thanks!

Jeff

[Nobade]

I suppose you would have to get one and find out, since each individual one seems to vary. I do have one of their 6 cavity .380" ball moulds (sold through Track 'o' The Wolf) and they're big enough, just not round. They used a ball endmill to cut the cavities and went a hair deep on both sides so I have a oblong ball. I load them with the seam across the cylinder face and they shoot OK.

-Nobade

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks for that info!

[bedbugbilly]

I would think it all depends on the mold, the lead you're casting and even the temperature? All I can go by is my other Lee RB molds - I cast with as pure lead as possible for my ML rifles/pistols. I had a .Lee .311 that cast right at .311 and a Lee .350 that cast right at .350. My Lee .375 cast at >376.

I bought a old Ideal .360 a while back to do "gallery loads" for my 38s and it cast a touch over .360 - I was using "range lead". I tried seating in a 38 casing and ended up with a bulge mouth - not unexpected - and it wouldn't chamber in my 38s. I ran the ball through a Lee push through .358 sizer which put a tad of a "flat" on the circumference - TL'd them in paste wax/alox and they had a decent friction fit in a sized 38 casing.

I found that I quickly grew tired of the whole "gallery load" thing. I like saving lead as much as anybody else though so I ended up buying a Lee 358-105 SWC mold. I really like that little bullet and it shoots pretty well out of my 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 Spl. cartridges.

I'm not knocking "gallery loads" - they've been around a long time and a person can have a lot of fun with them. If you go with a Lee .360 RB - just be aware that you may have to run it through a sizer so you don't get a bulge unless your handgun will eat them O.K. Good luck and have fun!

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks, BBB!

[MT Chambers]

They're usually bang-on, or at least within .005".

[Low Budget Shooter]

Okay, good; thanks.

[bubba.50]

Lee roundball moulds are designed to drop at the specified diameter when usin' pure lead. lead with any hardeners in it will drop a bit big.

[williamwaco]

I used to do that for light loads but I used bought 000 buckshot, I have no idea what the actual diameter was but it worked nicely.

[BAGTIC]

My Lee .360 RB chambers in all my 38 caliber guns (.380 ACP. .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, I use water cooled WW as I shoot them bare in cartridge guns.