Best Lee mold for 357 deer hunting?

[Elbow]

Can someone suggest to me the best mold to purchase for deer hunting in the timber with a Henry Big Boy carbine 357? I have no problem using a gas check and will be casting the boolits 50-50 ww-pb. Thanks, Craig

[jmort]

Any of the 158 grain bullets. I like the TL/micro groove SWC coated with PC. There is thread in Lever Gun Forum asking this same question

[Sur-shot]

I have a Marlin 94C in 357 Mag. I use the RCBS 200gr FP-GC with a lot of compressed H-110 and a 205 m primer. The bullet is seated to allow the bullet nose to clear the face of a 357 revolver, else it will not feed through the action. What you want to do with a 357 rifle is to treat it as a rifle not a long barrel handgun and use heavy flat point cast bullets. Oh, if you use the 200, make sure you load with brass-brass so the case does not bulge beyond cambering, at the web, hard crimp it over the ojive to keep the bullet in place.
Ed

[Hamish]

http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/bullet-molds/357-mag-38spec-38-sw-38colt-np/lee-dc-mold-c358200rf

http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/bullet-molds/357-mag-38spec-38-sw-38colt-np/lee-6-cav-mold-c358200rf (http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/bullet-molds/357-mag-38spec-38-sw-38colt-np/lee-6-cav-mold-c358200rf)

[GooseGestapo]

I've had good luck with the 158gr gas checked semiwadcutter.
Some .357mag revolvers have cylinders too short to accommodate the new 200fngc.

Ive used the 200gr RCBS FNGC (220gr as-cast) in the .35Rem and..358Win with great results. I suggest you buy both the aforementioned molds as they're only $25 each for the 2-cav versions.

The Henry will likely "like" the 200 better. The SWC might not feed.

[MarkP]

The Lee 158 FN is pretty similar to the NOE 360-180 FN (except for length / wt.) which is widely reported to be a good deer boolit. The LEE's are plain base and do shoot well out of my 350 Rem Mags at 1,350 - 1,400 ish. I have not tried to push them any faster, I shoot the NOE 180 FN at about 1,750 fps. If I did not have the NOE mold I would use the 158 gr Lee's for short range deer.
For what you are asking; Lee Mold; short range shot; the 158 Lee FN fits the requirements.

[White Oak]

I have had good results with the Lee C358-200-RF in my 358win.
ACWW shoots thru whitetail no problem. I don't use a hot load because I found a accurate load on the low end and stopped there.
I also like my NOE RanchDog TLC-359-190-RF it is a little shorter than the Lee.
Both would be a good choice in the 357 rifle.

[Motor]

I agree with Ed and the others who suggest the 200gr. If it was for a revolver no but for a rifle definitely. :)

Motor

[Beerd]

powder coat the Lee 158 RF
..

[GhostHawk]

My .357 is a single shot handi rifle, the Lee .358 158 grain round nose plain based is my most accurate so far.
But if I was deer hunting I would only look at the 180 or 200's.

I happen to have and like the Lee 200 grain rcbs clone, gas checked, round nosed large meplat.

Groups are still good, it is just that the round nose puts 3 in the same hole.

The 158 gr would do the trick, but almost 1/4 heavier = more energy, more penetration, more forgiving of a not perfect shot.

[redgum]

I like the Lee 158 RF.
I have a HP version of it also.
they both Kill Stuff

[725]

I love the Lyman 358627. Cast at 215 grains with my metal, it's a hum-dinger. Google "LASC Fryxel" for articles about it. Go down on the list to "A Bullet for All Seasons". Interesting stuff. Wild boar have tried to run away from it, but didn't. Next I'll try it on deer.

[hornady308]

The Lee 158gr RF is a favorite of mine since it needs not gas check, yet works great at rifle velocities out of my Rossi 92. i also hunt with the Lee 200gr and the NOE 359-190-RF. The NOE cast a hp version of 175 gr and is very accurate in both the rifle and a GP-100.
184426

[Hamish]

Elbow, any progress?

[Elbow]

I think I'm pretty settled on the lee 158 grain with no gas check. Just need to figure out a deer killing load with 5050 wwpb and what powder load to use so I don't get leading.

[Ramjet-SS]

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-150DG-D.png

Here you go.

[hornady308]

It might be a boring load, but the Lee 158 RF just loves 14gr of Alliant 2400 in my 357's.

[TXCOONDOG]

The Lee 158gr RF is a favorite of mine since it needs not gas check, yet works great at rifle velocities out of my Rossi 92. i also hunt with the Lee 200gr and the NOE 359-190-RF. The NOE cast a hp version of 175 gr and is very accurate in both the rifle and a GP-100.
184426

What alloy are you using out of the GP100 ?

[hornady308]

I use 50/50 ww/pure lead and acww.

[rosewood]

I use the Lee 200 grain mold that drops at 206 grains with the gas check using clip on wheel weights. I have not shot anything with it in .357 mag yet, but have shot 3 hogs with it out of a 35 remington with very good results. I am getting about 1.25 MOA with it in the 35. In my contender pistol it shoots fairly well, but haven't tried it in anything else yet.

Rosewood

[taco650]

Any luck finding a good lee bullet/load combo? I have the Lee 158 SWCGC in two cavity format and I'm not happy with it. I use it my S&W 64-3 .38 Special & I just can't get it to shoot well. On top of that, the mold has been a pain to get to drop bullets. Tried all the usual tricks & its a little better but I'm still not happy. Hopefully your luck is better than mine.