Getting Ready To Cast 38/357

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
MERRY CHRISTMASS ALL! Just getting ready to do my x-mass break bing casting.
Did some 7MMs today, next I got to do alot of 38s. Will cast 160gr gc first then do 180gr gc w/ my new saeco 4 cav mold.
Never used a seaco mold before, it has a wierd sprue cutter.
Any hints?

[Blackwater]

I have several Saeco moulds, and they've always given me great bullets. They were some of my first iron moulds, way back when I first started casting. They hold heat a lot better than the aluminum Lees that I'd been used to, so I found I had to turn the pot temp down a bit, but that let me cast just as fast as I could with the quicker cooling aluminums.

Not much else to do, IMO, but just try to read what the mould wants in order to give you bullets that fit your particular chamber/throat/barrel. Changing alloy and casting temp can adjust your bullet diameter at least a bit. Then it's just a matter of letting the mould and gun and loads tell you what alloy and what temp and what pace the mould wants to give you X-ring accuracy.

When you get right down to it, casting and shooting really good bullets really boils down to just experimenting until you find what works for your gun and mould, but that's the fun part of it anyway. Sure is satisfying when you wring the very best possible out of gun, load and mould, and that's what it's all about .... well, that and hitting what you're aiming at, of course, which is the reason for all the rest.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
THIS SEACO STARTED CASTING GREAT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX! It after 2 pots is now my new favorite 38 cal mold it works like a dream!
Now I get to do a whole lot of load experimenting for the 180 gr gc in the 357.
Any input about shooting a gas check design w/out gas checks?
I figure I could shoot them w/out a gas chesk if I reduce the powder charge a bit, or if I include a small tuff of dacron over the powder it might let me use hotter loads w/out leading.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
The weather has been so mild 50-60 F that I'm running out of snow to make the slush to quench w/. may have to go shooting & collect snow in the mountians.
We didn't even have a white Christmass here in Provo. Plenty of the white stuff in the mt.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

[NuJudge]

My 8" barreled Dan Wesson liked it a LOT, using WW SP Mag primers, a range of loads from 11 to 12 grains of OLD (1982 vintage) 2400, 50/50 NRA lube, and Hornady gas checks. The bullets dropped .360 from the mold. I used a strong crimp.

Dan Wesson groups at 50 feet were essentially one hole at the lower end and middle of the charge range. My 4" S&W 586 and Security Six liked it a lot less.

I was surprised at how little smoke resulted, and the recoil was less than I expected. I expected blast and flash to be on the order of 14 grains of OLD 2400 over a 158 grain SWC, but it was far less.

One misadventure during loading: I like unsized bullets, so I figured I would use a .360 Lyman lube die on .360 bullets. Cartridges with these bullets seated over 2400 would not chamber without extreme force. The gas checks measured .362 after being crimped on in the .360 die.. I got to run them all through a .358 size die, and after that the gas check measured .359. When .359 bullets were seated, no problem chambering.



CDD

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
After I cast about 1,500-2000 I had to do a run of 44s, but I'm back to casting the 180gr 38s. Man this is a good 4 cav mold! Have to lube up some 7mms but then I'll do the 38s.
I'll be first loading about 1000 38 specials, will probibly want to try some 700X first as I have a lot of it. Any suggestions for a +P load w/ 700X?
Then I'll be loading about a 1000 357s w/ 700X any load suggestions?
I'll probibly break into my supply of 2400 to work up acc. /hunting loads as well.
Any suggestions on 2400 would be welcome as well!

[BOOM BOOM]

Hi,
Finished casting another 1000+ that will fill the 38s. Need at least another 1000 for my empty 357s.

[C1PNR]

I'm not a lot of help with 700X and the .38. But I do use it to good effect in my .45 ACP S&W 25-2.:wink:

I haven't tried 2400 in .38 Spl yet. But I'll tell you, my results with it in .357 were less than stellar. My Python just doesn't seem to like it at all. YMMV.:D

[BOOM BOOM]

ARUGH!
CAST OVER 3000 BULLETS AS THE LYMAN HANDELS WERE AN IMPERFECT MATCH THE MOLD ACTED LIKE IT WAS BEGALED. At least a 1/4 of bullets were finned. Bullets miked at .360 to .375 W/ most around .364 . My attemt at sizing was a desaster.
HAS ANYONE EALSE HAD RESULTS LIKE NUJUDGE?
IS .359 ABOUT THE LARGEST SIZE BULLETS THAT WILL LOAD & CHAMBER WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

[floodgate]

ARUGH!
CAST OVER 3000 BULLETS AS THE LYMAN HANDELS WERE AN IMPERFECT MATCH THE MOLD ACTED LIKE IT WAS BEGALED. At least a 1/4 of bullets were finned. Bullets miked at .360 to .375 W/ most around .364 . My attemt at sizing was a desaster.
HAS ANYONE EALSE HAD RESULTS LIKE NUJUDGE?
IS .359 ABOUT THE LARGEST SIZE BULLETS THAT WILL LOAD & CHAMBER WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

This can happen even with matched moulds and handles, especially the older Lymans. I've got a dozen or fifteen of their handles and over 100 moulds, and I still have to check the combination each time I set one up. It's not just the two sizes of the older handles - for the large and small blocks like they used to make - but even "correct" handles will bind as often as not. I've only had one case where the handle jaw was too thick (or acted like it) but that was a burr in the block slot, easily disposed of. But often as not, either the back or the front part of the jaw will bottom out in the slot before the blocks are fully closed (even with the "proper" handles). So, before you start casting, close the blocks slowly and see that there is a little bit of clearance between the inside of each jaw, front and back, and the bottom of the slot in the blocks. I usually end up relieving the inside of each handle jaw, clamped in a vise and using a 10" medium-cut file, either side of the screw hole, both in front and in back, so the hole is at the "high point" of the jaw, sloping away at a couple-degree angle fore and aft (OOPS, Sorry!). Most of my handle sets are now "fixed" like this, but I still get a "bind" now and then.

floodgate

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Got a set of saeco handels from Midsouth, best price I found. Watched e-bay for a couple of wks. and gave up.
Will try them out after finish a run of 7MM's & 44's.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Well today I start doing 38s again, w/ the saeco handels. Probibly do about 1000 as I really hate buying bullets & I have over 500 empty 357s to fill for next summer.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Well today after jujitsu practice, I finally got all the oversized 38s recast .
they are now sizing & lubing great. Have sized & lubed about 1,500 w/ no problem.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Well after school friday, & after jujitsu practice where I gave a brown belt test, I got six more pots of 38s cast. Out of lead & snow so I'm done casting for awhile.
So I,ll be sizing lubing & reloading.
Anyone got any pet loads for the 357 w/ 700X, 2400 & 180GR bullets?

[Buckshot]

"............... I got six more pots of 38s cast."

Holy cats! How big is your pot 8) You using a 6 cavity?

I really don't have any loads for the 357 that wouldn't also be safe in my K38 S&W 38 Special. Oh I DO have some FLGC 140gr HP loads loaded in the 357 but offhand I can't remember what they are. Not any of the powders you mentioned though. Probably H110 or W296, and they're not cast boolits.

I've ginned up some mild target loads for my 357 Ruger BH 4-5/8" mag. Other then that I really haven't paid a whole lot of attention to it. I've only had it since 1982 so I deserve a break :bigsmyl2:

....................Buckshot

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
It's a old lyman 10# pot I think, from back in the late 1960's & still going strong.
It"s the new 4 cavity saeco mold I bought last year. Both are real easy to use good working tools.

[bobthenailer]

hi ive been using saco moulds since the 70s i now have about 20 of them, of which 6 are 8 cavity, all work very well. i have 3 , 357 , 180 gr moulds the saeco 396 a 180 gr tc, a saeco 354 a 180 fp gc and a lee group buy 180 gr gc fn all are very accurate ! the only one ive tried without the gas ck is the lee and up to 1100 fps out of a marlin 357 rifle they are just as accurate as with the gas ck on with that load

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Well I loaded up a batch of 180's w/out the gc, using my home made lube, in both 700X & 2400.
Now if it will just stop raining for a day or 2 I'll get out & poke holes in paper.

[Jon K]

Boom Boom,

What are you shooting the 357 in? I have the Saeco #399 mold, Good Shooter!
I have a few good loads, but for 4227, Unique & 4756.

Ditto, Ditto what good points are on Saeco. They are my first choice for production molds.

Jon

:castmine:

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Well loaded up 700X started at 4grs. loaded 10, then went up .2gr at a time till I reached 5grs. Best groups were 4.6grs, & 4.8grs. no pressure signes at all. So loaded 50 rounds at 5grs. leaded the barrel of the Ruger blackhawlk. This w/ the 180gr w/out the gc.
Then did a run with 2400. started at 10 grs. & went up at .2 gr. to 13grs. best group was at 13grs.
Will have to load 50 to see if it leads,:Fire: no pressure signs at all.

[Bucks Owin]

Hi Boom Boom,

I have a lot of 700X (and PB and Green Dot) on hand too from my trapshooting days. 700X is a FAST powder! (slightly more so than Bullseye even). I wouldn't use it for "+P" type loads, it's pretty easy to jump pressures significantly if one isn't careful....

FWIW, I use 3.5 grs with a 148 WC in .357 cases for a nice economical target load...

Dennis