SWC or RNFP for my first mould - which is easier to cast?

[goon]

I'm finally planning to sink some money into casting equipment now that I have a little lead to work with.
Right now I'm looking at Lee moulds at midway and am planning to go with either a 158 grain SWC mould or a 158 grain RNFP mould.
I'd like to make my start in casting about as trouble free as possible so I was just wondering if either of these bullet shapes or moulds is more likely to just plain work for me than the other. Also, the SWC mould is made to make bullets for use with gas checks. Is it OK to ignore that for lower velocity loads that wouldn't require a gas check?
Any other suggestions would be welcome as well - I'll take all the help I can get!

[lathesmith]

goon, either of these molds will work fine for you. The gas check bullets will work OK for plinker loads without the gas check. The easiest way for you to lube these is just to use Lee liquid alox. I wouldn't worry about sizing them, at least for a while. Welcome to casting!

lathesmith

[xr650]

goon,
I think the RNFP will give you good results easier. They seem to be more forgiving with fill out.
I was casting some RCBS and Lyman SWC the other day. The boolits were falling out of the moulds with a light tap and seemed to be good. As I continued and the mould got warmer I had to tap a little harder and more strikes. When I let them cool and looked closer the last boolits were filled out much better.
That sharp corner looks great, but seems to hang in the mould a little.

[goon]

Thanks for the advice.
I have money now for some casting stuff and am planning to buy within the next couple days.
I think I'll probably start with the RNFP design. Generally, I don't drive my bullets so fast that I'd need a gas check and I also want to get a Marlin 1894 some day - the RNFP should be a more "reliable" shape for feeding.

Also, I'm planning to get the Lee sizer for .357. It seems like the best way to go since I'll be able to use my reloading press wiith it which saves me space and money. Anyhow, can anyone tell me what kind of bullet in general works best with tumble lubing? Will the wide grooves for lube work OK for tumble lube with Lee Alox?

[EDK]

Thanks for the advice.
I think I'll probably start with the RNFP design. Generally, I don't drive my bullets so fast that I'd need a gas check and I also want to get a Marlin 1894 some day - the RNFP should be a more "reliable" shape for feeding.

Also, I'm planning to get the Lee sizer for .357. It seems like the best way to go since I'll be able to use my reloading press wiith it which saves me space and money. Anyhow, can anyone tell me what kind of bullet in general works best with tumble lubing? Will the wide grooves for lube work OK for tumble lube with Lee Alox?

For your pistol, I'd get a mould designed for tumble lubing and follow the double dip method if necessary. (In a LEE, you're wasting your time unless it is a 6 cavity. You want high volume, especially for pistol boolits. The six cavity moulds are also a lot higher quality.) The RNFP casts a lot easier than something with a lot of square edges like a SWC!

For an 1894 MARLIN, I'd watch the link for RANCH DOG MOULDS on the bottom of the page. I use his TLC 432 265 in my 44 Cowboy rifles and love it....six cavity mould. Unfortunately, his TLC 359 190 is currently only available in a two cavity...Slooooow production! Buy the two banger now for the 1894 or wait for a six cavity...you might enjoy experimenting with the heavy boolits in your revolver. I will get the six cavity as soon as possible, as well as another mould or two that aren't in stock at present.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[monadnock#5]

In my experience boolit profile doesn't matter nearly as much as # of lube grooves. Absolutes are hard to come by in the realm of casting boolits. I'll go out on a limb here though and say that a one lube groove boolit is always easier to work with in terms of consistent weight and cosmetics than the multi groove design.

[copdills]

both will work fine , just clean and boil them a few times and make sure you heat your mold up a little before casting and it should work fine

[mtgrs737]

I cast both and as long as the alloy is clean and enough tin is present and the mould is up to temp you will cast good bullets. Both are good designs that will serve you well.

[flinchnjerk]

You might want to rethink the .357 sizer. Sizing to groove diameter isn't a recipe for happiness. Get the .358.
I'm surprised that there hasn't been a pile-on for the Lee 158 RF (and yes, get the 6-cav). As has been stated, it's much more forgiving with regard to tin content and alloy temperature; it's also a great shooting boolit.

[Ron]

I would get the Lee 358-158RF. Yesterday I tried this projectile in an S&W Mod 10 Aristocrat conversion PPC gun and at 25 metres off of a sand bag rest they grouped at 1.25 inches for 6 shots. Not bad for my 64 year old eyes. :-D
The load was built on WW nickle cases, PMC sp primers and 3.7 grns of W231 & the lube was FWFL. Now all I have to do is get it to do the same thing at 50 metres.

[Dave B]

The RF bullet is the way to go for a Marlin, .358 sizer too.

[jack19512]

I have a SWC and RF boolit mold and can't really tell any difference between them as far as ease of casting. Also, I will probably be one of the very few to recommend the two cavity mold over the six cavity.

I have around 12 Lee molds now and all of them are two cavity molds. I don't own a six cavity mold and don't feel I need one. It's a fact you can cast a lot more boolits in less time with a six than you can a two but I'm in no hurry and I enjoy casting.

I shoot pretty regularly but I don't shoot as many as some so the two cavity molds have served me just fine. Not to mention the two cavity molds are cheaper to buy. I also will alter one of the cavities of a GC mold so I can cast boolits that I can use a GC or no GC.