Swaged or Cast

[dhom]

If you are choosing a bullet for your .357 mag and decided on a 158 gr for your target loads would you go with cast or swaged? I intend to keep the velocities below 1000 fps. Also, would having them powder coated have any advantages?

[Hickory]

Swaged bullets require specialized equipment that makes one bullet, costing upwards to $2500.
For less than half of that you can get set-up in casting with a half-dozen different moulds or more.

[avogunner]

The Hornady and Speer swaged offerings would work just fine I suppose, but I had a bad experience with those soft boolits in a Blackhawk I once owned (horrible leading that I didn't get with my own cast) that I stopped using them over 25 years ago.
Semper Fi

[rancher1913]

are you talking jacketed swaged or just plain lead swaged. I run coww cast boolits pc'ed in all my 357 pistols, just dont like lube or leading problems, the 357 rifles all get jacketed swaged.

[GhostHawk]

100$ bill would buy you a lee 6 cavity mold, a lyman dipper, some lead. Add a heat source and you are casting. After the first couple hundred they are all free except for the lead.

If your buying swaged bullets you will always have to buy. Might as well pay the price and shoot jacketed or plated.

Most .357mag loads are not going to run that fast that you need that level of precision.
If they do they are going to smack your hand ever time you pull the trigger. And it won't take you long to back off some.

Its your time, your money, you decide what you want.

Me I love casting and lubing (BLL) and loading .357mag, although mine probably don't deserve the "mag" designation. But they shoot straight. And that leads directly to job satisfaction and self sufficiency.

Your call, choose wisely, for you.

[tazman]

If you are choosing a bullet for your .357 mag and decided on a 158 gr for your target loads would you go with cast or swaged? I intend to keep the velocities below 1000 fps. Also, would having them powder coated have any advantages?

If I am making them, cast all the way.
If I am buying them, Still probably cast. Lots of manufacturers offer Hi Tek coating which works well and avoids the lube mess while seating them. As far as an accuracy difference, I haven't seen one.
Swaged boolits tend to be very soft and hold the possibility of leading more so than coated cast.

[onelight]

I prefer cast and for 38/357 I have a Lee GC mold and the Lyman 358429 both of which come out at 168 gr.
But these days I buy most of my bullets Hi-tek coated.
https://summersenterprisesllc.com/product-category/hi-tek-38/

https://www.snscasting.com/38-357/

[JoeJames]

There is an article in the old NRA Handloading Guide where they tested 38 Special Wad Cutter accuracy - primers, powder, and boolits. They held that the most inherently accurate rounds were those using factory swaged boolits - Remington, Speer, etc. IIRC the main point was that there were voids in cast boolits now and then which had an effect. I have been using Speer swaged boolits for general plinking for 30 something years in 98 grain 32 cal. swaged SWC's, 158 grain swaged SWC's in 38 Special, and 240 grain SWC's swaged for my 44 Specials. They are all accurate enough for me. Just my take on it. But, I never run pedal to the metal loads either.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you are choosing a bullet for your .357 mag and decided on a 158 gr for your target loads would you go with cast or swaged? I intend to keep the velocities below 1000 fps. Also, would having them powder coated have any advantages?

Since I cast, I choose Cast.
If I was buying them for "target loads" and not competition, I'd buy whatever is cheaper.
Powder coated? If I knew the person doing the coating knows what they are doing, then I'd choose powder coated.

[Jtarm]

There is an article in the old NRA Handloading Guide where they tested 38 Special Wad Cutter accuracy - primers, powder, and boolits. They held that the most inherently accurate rounds were those using factory swaged boolits - Remington, Speer, etc. IIRC the main point was that there were voids in cast boolits now and then which had an effect. I have been using Speer swaged boolits for general plinking for 30 something years in 98 grain 32 cal. swaged SWC's, 158 grain swaged SWC's in 38 Special, and 240 grain SWC's swaged for my 44 Specials. They are all accurate enough for me. Just my take on it. But, I never run pedal to the metal loads either.

Glenn Fryxell made the same observation about cast vs swayed boolits.

I wonder if there’s a way to clean the lube from factory swaged boolits & PC them so they could be driven faster?

[toallmy]

I shot quite I few Speer 500 ct boxes out of 38/357 , and 44s Before I discovered casting .
They provided a relatively inexpensive target round , but since I discovered casting and this sight I am a cast boolit shooter now .

[dhom]

Thanks for all your replies. I am 66 yrs old and probably won't start casting now, but I do shoot a lot of cast bullets. I believe I will go with a cast bullet at 12BHN that is powder coated. [158SWC] I have approx. 5 lb of Titegroup to burn up.

[6bg6ga]

Since I cast with a Mark IV Ballisti-cast the choice for me is simple. I have the molds so I will cast.

[charlie b]

The biggest difference I could see was swaged bullets tend to be made from a softer alloy or pure lead. To me that limited velocities.

I buy most of my pistol bullets simply because I do not shoot pistols that much and plated lead works great, even in full power loads. When I was shooting a lot I cast my own out of wheel weights (30yrs ago).

[tazman]

Thanks for all your replies. I am 66 yrs old and probably won't start casting now, but I do shoot a lot of cast bullets. I believe I will go with a cast bullet at 12BHN that is powder coated. [158SWC] I have approx. 5 lb of Titegroup to burn up.

That should be a good choice for your stated use. By now you know what diameter you need so go for it and enjoy.

[toallmy]

Don't forget those soft hollow base wad cutters .