357 mold advice

[rickiesrevenge]

Looking for advice on what molds to look at for a freedom arms 357. I'd like to use it for hunting small/medium game.

Aaron

[imashooter2]

NOE 180 grain WFN or WFNHP.

[Wheelguns 1961]

It depends on how fast you want to drive them, or if you are going for a heavier bullet. I personally prefer heavier bullets. If you want to drive them fast, you might consider a gas check design. I use a noe 359-173 wfn, that I powdercoat, for hunting. For defense, I use an mp hammer large hollow point that weighs about 158 grains.

[rickiesrevenge]

I generally lean towards the heavier bullets.

[lotech]

H&G #51, 160 grain SWC, the original .357 Magnum bullet. Still works well and excellent in .38 Special, too.

[AlHunt]

MP sells a nice 158grain 38 cal WC design with all the pins to make flat nose or hollow point. The classics are classic because they work.

[Tatume]

The Lee 6-cavity C358-158-SWC is an excellent mold for an excellent gas checked bullet.

[bobthenailer]

For 357 i like the 180 gr bullets I have 4 of them as well as 4 in the usual a 148 &158 gr ones, you may also like the RCBS 200 gr rifle bullet for long range accuracy

[Targa]

The Lee 6-cavity C358-158-SWC is an excellent mold for an excellent gas checked bullet.

I will have to give this mold a try. I have the 6-cavity 358-158-RF and have been really impressed with it.

[Jim22]

I got Lee's 158 gr gas check as well as their 200 gr GC moulds. I'm using the 200 grainer in a .357 MAX rifle and the 158 in a .357 MAG rifle. Lee's sizer and Lee Liquid Alox work well. The magnum is a nice rifle. The MAX is a stomper. 2,000 fps with the 200 gr. bullet. The MAG will only push the 158 to about 1,800 fps. Hornady gas checks and 90-5-5 alloy from RotoMetals. I want to try some clip on wheel weights but fear they will be too soft. Wheel weights are tough to find in my area. I have some of RotoMetal Linotype alloy. Does anyone have a recommendation on how much to use with wheel weights?

[leadhead]

I used the RCBS 35-200 grain in my Freedom Arms .357 for handgun silhouette
and it was deadly accurate out to 200 meters.
leadhead

[Gunslinger1911]

MP sells a nice 158grain 38 cal WC design with all the pins to make flat nose or hollow point. The classics are classic because they work.

I'll second this, I believe this is the Thompson / Keith design. Just a beautiful bullet !

[Targa]

I have some of RotoMetal Linotype alloy. Does anyone have a recommendation on how much to use with wheel weights?

See if you can download this calculator http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=257614&d=1582926821

[FISH4BUGS]

H&G #51, 160 grain SWC, the original .357 Magnum bullet. Still works well and excellent in .38 Special, too.

My go to bullet. Gas check for full house magnums and plain base for lighter 357 and 38's.
You can drive the plain base pretty hard too with the lube groove the size of the Panama Canal. :)

[FISH4BUGS]

I have some of RotoMetal Linotype alloy. Does anyone have a recommendation on how much to use with wheel weights?
I use 5 lbs ww to 1 lb linotype. Lyman # 2 mixture. Hard cast.
My only formula I have been using for 40+ years.

[downzero]

If I was going to hunt with my 357 magnums I'd use a hollow point bullet. The mold I have for that is the Lyman, but if you've got the money there are a ton of them out there.

[mainiac]

I guess for all out accuracy and thump,id use the 358156 gc,,but my favorite is the 358429,,shoots in every 357,ive ever fired,,i prefer the noe version

[Huskerguy]

I guess some of this depends on your definition of heavy. Many people like a 120 or less in a 38/357 and think a 158 is heavy.

I am set on the RCBS 38-150 which drops bullets with my mix at around 155 grains. I also have the Arsenal 358-150KT which is a clone and drops around 158 grains. I load these with W231 and they are amazingly accurate. It is my understanding the "standard" bullet for the 357 is 158 grains. I guess if one is going to hunt with it, a heavier bullet would help but I am not sure I see the need otherwise.

[rickiesrevenge]

Thanks, you guys have given me some stuff to look up and think about

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[gwpercle]

Be sure and take a look at the NOE line of Semi-Wadcutter moulds , I would use a gas check for magnum velocities and for hunting order one with hollow point option .
They come in various weights but unless I was hunting Deer and/or Hogs where a heavy weight bullet is best , I would just stick with the 158 gr. or 163 gr. weight .
360-158-SWC - is one I have
360-163-SWC
360-165-SWC
360-172-SWC- is another I have
360-176-SWC

On a whim I ordered 360-162-WC-AW3 , which is a wadcutter design like the discontinued Lyman 358432.
As far as accuracy goes ... this one beats the SWC's seven ways to Sunday ... It Is the accuracy champ of all my 38/357 boolits . One ragged holes are normal . If cast with a hollow point ...it would leave a wicked hole .
My mould is plain based and not hollow pointed but that's OK, I only shoot paper targets and tin cans nowdays ... if you can ever afford two moulds ... do put NOE 360-162-WC-AW3 on your need to get list ... you will like it!
And Now ... the decision !
Gary

[robg]

i have rcbs 158swc and 180sil molds both gas check the 180 is better at over 75 yards

[rickiesrevenge]

Ended up with a mp 359-640 HP mould.

[farmbif]

great choice, ive got one of those mp masterpieces for my difficult to feed Rossi 92.

[smithnframe]

358429 of course!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

158 gr SWC.

[Petander]

great choice, ive got one of those mp masterpieces for my difficult to feed Rossi 92.

I have that Rossi too and the same mold. Happy happy,joy,joy.

[DHDeal]

Ended up with a mp 359-640 HP mould.

Having owned my FA83 in 357 for a few years now, I haven't found a bullet it won't shoot well. The only MP Mold I have for the 357 is the Hammer GC and it shines. I use the large pins only and the bullets typically end up near 160 grains with my alloy. I have and use an Accurate Molds 36-176D too and it is also a winner. It was a hybrid of a couple of Tom's existing molds. It has a rather long nose but with the long cylinder on the 83 it's not even close to being too long.

I also prefer rather heavy bullets for caliber and have no idea what a lightweight would do. I suspect your new mold will also be a winner but I do hope you got the GC if you plan to lean on that revolver....

[PhatForrest]

Just got a 158gr Keith swc mold from Mihec, can't wait to cast some up. Expensive, but well worth it for the craftsmanship, and they get here from Slovenia faster than an order from Midway or Brownells.

[white cloud]

I have had excellent results with the RCBS 158 grain SWC gas check and the Lyman 358429.

[farmbif]

there has got to be a reason why the 358156 has been around for so long

[gundownunder]

Accurate molds 36-175B. With COWW + 2% tin, it hits pigs like a freight train.

[Tonto]

“ NOE 180 grain WFN or WFNHP”

This is good advice. The NOE is a terrific choice.

[Forrest r]

Hard to beat that 359-640 mold MP sells.

I bought 1 of them several years ago and the performance of that bullet was impressive enough in several different firearms chambered in 38spl/357 that I pretty much quit using/casting with my other 35cal molds.

Been selling the other 35cal molds off ever since. So far I sold:
H&G #51 2-cavity that casted a swc & hp swc
358439 swc hp
2 different 358156 swc hp's
358477 swc hp

Heck that bullet is accurate enough that I sold my 6-cavity & 10-cavity h&g #50 wc molds. These are only 6-shot groups @ 50ft.
https://i.imgur.com/AL4WBux.jpg

But I was only looking for a 50ft load to use to shoot shotgun shells. We setup shotgun shells on the bowling pin table & use the same rules for bowling pins. The only difference is shotgun shells (12ga) @ 50ft instead of bowling pins @ 25ft.

The solid fn 170gr bullet these molds cast is a real thumper that I use in my dw's that have heavy shrouded bbl's & muzzle breaks. Burned a lot of H110, MP-300 & 2400 in those revolvers pushing that 170gr fn.
https://i.imgur.com/lwCejE1.jpg

I use the 158gr hp's from this mold in a ca undercover snubnosed 38spl with a 950fps load & the 170gr fn bullet from this mold in a 3" bbl'd l-comp s&w 586 (7-shot) with a 1200fps load as house/carry loads.

Seeing this thread reminds me to test these bullets @100yds & see what they can do. So far I've only shot them @ 50yds and closer.

Looking forward to seeing what you can do with these bullets in such a high quality firearm. Should be impressive!!!

[GoldieMI]

Waiting to see what Forrest r can do at 100 yards
and where did you get the heavy barrels for your DWs?

[AndyC]

Expensive, but well worth it for the craftsmanship, and they get here from Slovenia faster than an order from Midway or Brownells.
True!!

I ordered an 8-cavity 9mm mold from Miha on Thu night around midnight - it arrived here Monday midday.

[Yooper003]

My last order to Midway was shipped to the Columbia Mo. post office in less than 10 hours, but it set there for 11 days. I can’t fault Midway for that.

[Forrest r]

Waiting to see what Forrest r can do at 100 yards
and where did you get the heavy barrels for your DWs?

Was playing around at the range today testing some 308w loads and 44spl loads in a 629. Brought a 10" bbl'd contender in 44mag along. Put a fastfire III on the contender and got it on paper @ 25yds. Then moved it out to 100yds using 50yd smallbore targets to sight it in. The Burris fastfireIII has a 3moa dot on it that's fuzzy and pretty much covers the black on the smallbore targets. Used the top 3 tagets to walk the bullets on target. That fastfireIII has extremely touchy adjustments, a little goes a long way. I used the bottom 2 targets (shot left to right) for groups and testing different brightness of the dot.
https://i.imgur.com/wLHw6OR.jpg

Don't take much stock in 3-shot groups & was just getting the contender dialed in for plinking @ steel on the 100yd line. My last test target, turned the fastfire down 1 click and started banging steel using a Mihec 432-640 bullet. The Mihec 640 series bullet's flat out shoot.
https://i.imgur.com/7KMGHIm.jpg

Planned on working the 359-640 some @ the 100yd line this year using a 10" contender bbl and a s&w 686.

The heavy dw bbl shrouds came from EWKarms, the bbl's are 1 in 10 twists.