RCBS .38-150-SWC Grease Grooves

[nlb34]

Beginner question, I am casting for a 357 and have a RBCS .38-150-SWC mould. Is this a one grease groove design or should I be lubing the top thin ring? See below for how I haves sized and greased just the bottom groove.

286881

[marlin39a]

You did good. The top groove is for crimping.

[358429]

Nice castings. Do they pass through the revolver cylinder with finger pressure?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[nlb34]

The sized bullets fall to the bottom of the cylinder and then I can pull them through with the lightest bit of force. They are sized to .358 and are going into a Colt Python.

[gwpercle]

Top thinner groove is your crimp groove .
Lower wide groove is your lube groove.
You have it exactly right and those are some most excellent looking boolits ...
Good job , well done ...

Now it's time to Choot Em' !
Gary

[358429]

Nice. What powders are you loading under those bullets?

I've got an Rcbs 150 kt mold that responded well across the whole power band between 38 special and 357 magnum with red dot, trail boss, and winchester 296.

I was powdercoating the bullets and sizing 358.



Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[nlb34]

After some reading online and looking through reloading manuals I was going to try the following:

357 use 2400 starting at 10 gr and working up a bit, maybe 12.5gr max. Will look for changes in accuracy and also will watch the chronograph, I have read I need to stay under 1,100 fps to keep from leading.
For 38spc was going use Unique, starting at 4.5gr but go no higher than 6gr as this is the current max recommended by Alliant. Someone had posted you can get accelerated forcing cone erosion by going higher.


Thanks,

[Alstep]

I have the same mold, one of my favorites. You're going to like it too.
Real ice castings there, you done well.

[WHITETAIL]

Welcome to the forum.
You did well with your boolits.
As said top grove for crimp,
and lower grove for lube.
Perfect !!!
Now shoot and see is next.:Fire:

[Old Caster]

I did a lot of testing with all kinds of commercial and handcast bullets around this size because I needed the most accurate load I could get in my 38 revolvers because I was shooting in matches that required that a 158 grain SWC be used. All shooting was out of a Ransom Rest to eliminate shooter error. My Python was simple to get accurate with several bullets but the rcbs 150 was the best. Since the Python is hard for me to shoot in rapid fire, I wanted to use my Smith 27 or 28 but since I never got great accuracy out of them though the 150's were the best, I went to my model 14 which was much better and was also the best with the same 150's and easier to shoot rapid fire with compared to the Python. I was completely involved with accuracy and my best was with 3.6 grain of 231 at around 725 fps which is probably slower than you will want plus if you are using .357 brass things might change a bit but I still have confidence that the 150 will be accurate for you. My only complaint with the mold was that it is only 2 cavity but I needed accuracy more than fast casting. One of my friends from Colorado came by on their way to Camp Perry matches and was complaining that his 158 loads were not accurate and I loaded some up with the same powder and tested his rounds and mine in the RR and the 150's were much superior. He went on to do very well in the match. His gun was a model 14 also. Both 14's would shoot 10 shot groups just a little better than 2 inches at 50 yards.

[358429]

I did a lot of testing with all kinds of commercial and handcast bullets around this size because I needed the most accurate load I could get in my 38 revolvers because I was shooting in matches that required that a 158 grain SWC be used. All shooting was out of a Ransom Rest to eliminate shooter error. My Python was simple to get accurate with several bullets but the rcbs 150 was the best. Since the Python is hard for me to shoot in rapid fire, I wanted to use my Smith 27 or 28 but since I never got great accuracy out of them though the 150's were the best, I went to my model 14 which was much better and was also the best with the same 150's and easier to shoot rapid fire with compared to the Python. I was completely involved with accuracy and my best was with 3.6 grain of 231 at around 725 fps which is probably slower than you will want plus if you are using .357 brass things might change a bit but I still have confidence that the 150 will be accurate for you. My only complaint with the mold was that it is only 2 cavity but I needed accuracy more than fast casting. One of my friends from Colorado came by on their way to Camp Perry matches and was complaining that his 158 loads were not accurate and I loaded some up with the same powder and tested his rounds and mine in the RR and the 150's were much superior. He went on to do very well in the match. His gun was a model 14 also. Both 14's would shoot 10 shot groups just a little better than 2 inches at 50 yards.It must be a universal load. 3.5 grains of Winchester 231, that RCBS bullet, shot repeatedly to the sights from a my Taurus 82, which we all know is a model 10 knock off.

My only problem is I ran out of 231.[emoji24] now I am using 4227 to keep the gun warm.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[fredj338]

Well done. My fav lswc in the 38/357mag.