A new start!

[Yonk]

I am going to start casting again. It has been almost 20 years since I have done any, and I want to do it correctly.

I have read a lot here over the years and now I am going to get it going. I have several hundred pounds of WW that I melted down into ingots back in the day and I want to get them into use.

I don't have any 38 cal moulds and I want to get a 150-160 grain SWC or wadcutter type. Suggestions on a good mould would be appreciated. I don't know if I want to do powder coating and I plan on keeping the loads around 800ish FPS.

From my reading I have learned that I need to determine the throat diameter of my cylinders to get the best accuracy and to determine if I need my cylinder honed. Should I send the clyinders off to have them honed or should I get some pin gauges and measure first? Where is a good place to get the pin gauges?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I like NOE's 360-160-SWC because it has two crimp grooves for OAL flexibility between 38Spl and 357Mag.
NOE has updated his numbers, so it'd labeled slightly different.
https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/358/360-165-swc-t5/360-165-swc-t5-2-cavity-pb/

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

As to cylinder throats:
I wouldn't worry about it, until you have a problem...meaning, cast some boolits, and shoot 'em, see how your gun does.

[Winger Ed.]

The .38 has been around so long, the mold makers have it pretty well figured out.
The 158 Keith style SWC is a real favorite, and I wouldn't worry about getting a bad one.

[Mk42gunner]

Yonk, Welcome back to the fold. Do you still have any equipment, or are you starting over from scratch?

There are a plethora of SWC molds in your weight range, most WC molds are supposed to be 148 which is usually close enough. I have good luck with the Lee 148 WC with standard lube grooves, even though I tumble lube with BLL (Ben's Liquid Lube) which is a thinned down version of Lee's Liquid alox.

As far as measuring cylinder throats goes, I fall into JonB's camp, shoot first then measure. If I do measure mine, I slug the throats with a pure lead round ball then measure with either a micrometer or a dial caliper.

Robert

[Land Owner]

Absolutely NOTHING wrong with a Lyman 35891

https://i.postimg.cc/3xbF21q0/Lyman-35891-s1.jpg..........https://i.postimg.cc/TPLq0m87/Lyman-35891-s2.jpg



There is something "visceral" about sending "ash cans" down range. Those have GOT to "sting a mite" going through...

[Thumbcocker]

Lee 158 rnfp if you are on a budget. Not a swc but a good boolit.

[Yonk]

Yonk, Welcome back to the fold. Do you still have any equipment, or are you starting over from scratch?

There are a plethora of SWC molds in your weight range, most WC molds are supposed to be 148 which is usually close enough. I have good luck with the Lee 148 WC with standard lube grooves, even though I tumble lube with BLL (Ben's Liquid Lube) which is a thinned down version of Lee's Liquid alox.



I have a RCBS single cavity .416 rifle mould, a single cavity Lee 8mm rifle mould, and a Lee 6 cavity .45 Colt mould. The only one I have ever used is the .416.

[gwpercle]

So many good 38/357 moulds out there ... but my two favorites are :

NOE 360 - 160 - SWC - PB or GC . The gas check works for heavy 357 magnum loads.
and the two crimp grooves allows some flexibility in loading with 38 Special cases or 357 Magnum
cases , Classic SWC design with double crimp grooves with or without a gas check .

NOE 360 - 162 - WC - PB . This design is a cross of SWC and WC design . Wadcutter shaped nose
designed to be loaded like a SWC with a crimp groove and front driving band . Very accurate boolit
and with a hollow or cup point ...very devastating .

These two are about all I cast and load in my 38's and 357 's now days .
Gary

[dverna]

Another vote for the 158 gr SWC bullet. As to molds, I suggest going with one of the smaller mold shops as there are so few complaints. Unless you are a low volume user, think about 4 or more cavities.

Just a caution, if you have been out of the game for a while, unless you have primers and powder (but especially primers), you are in for a shock. Prices are high and inventory scarce to none in many areas of the country.

[Yonk]

Just a caution, if you have been out of the game for a while, unless you have primers and powder (but especially primers), you are in for a shock. Prices are high and inventory scarce to none in many areas of the country.

Luckily I have a several bricks of SPP and I have a couple of tubs of True Blue powder.

[murf205]

Yonk, the best place I have found to get pin gages is the Meyers Gage Co. Their website has the catalogue on it and they offer pin gages in individual pins or sets. For my 38/357 adventures I ordered .355-.356-.357-.358-.359 and .360. Those will pretty much cover 9mm through 38 S&W the latter being, usually .360. A lot of people say to push a sized boolit through the cylinders with a pencil and that might work but I have had success knowing exactly the dimensions of the cylinder throats. But I am a self confessed tool junkie. Welcome back.

[charlie b]

Welcome back. I returned to the fold a couple years ago as well.

If you can find one I'd start with one of the Lee 6 cavity versions. They have the 158SWC in tumble lube and GC. I use the 140gn in the .357. Makes a lot of bullets in a hurry.

I'd also look at the NOE if they have any in stock.

If you ever consider hollow points then try MP.

For powder coat you will probably need a sizer as most bullets will come out too big with the extra dia of the PC. Just depends on the mold you find. I have been powder coating for a while now (shake and bake). Easy but more time consuming that a lubesizer. I never like the mess in the seating die with tumble lube, but, it does work well.

[WRideout]

I have a well-loved Lyman 35891, 2 cavity, that I would like to give you. PM me your address and it is on the way. No handles, though.

Wayne

[Yonk]

Thank you! PM Sent.

[Old Caster]

After intensive research and shooting over a Ransom Rest my best bullet is the RCBS 150 which I will use if shooting Bullseye at the 50 yard slow fire portion and so do several of my friends. Best load was 3.6 of 231 but it varies among my friends with different guns. I wish they made 4 cavity molds but it is what it is. I got decent results with a 4 cavity Lyman 358477 but not quite as good and I need the best. If you are more into just shooting I would get a Lee 105 6 cavity because they do OK for just blasting and don't require as much lead. The RCBS will group about 2 inches 10 shot at 50 yards and the 105's are around 6 inches. This is out of a model 14 Smith. Out of two model 28's and a 27 nothing seems to shoot as well.

[Yonk]

I got my old bottom pour melter (not sure of the nomenclature) out of storage. I wasn't sure if it was going to work so I set it up on the ground. That was a mistake because it wasn't very comfortable to use. The lead in it has been in there since 2000 or so. This thing has been moved from CA to FL to WA since then, but it worked!

https://imgur.com/a/GuM69JM

I decided to try my Lee 8mm mould, as I haven't ever used it and it has been sitting around for ever as well. There is a picture of the best of the bullets I cast (none were great) but I didn't want to mess around with the pot sitting on the floor to much.

It was fun. I can't wait to get into this more!

[Polymath]

I shoot mostly full wad cutters in my 38 Spl Taurus. I use L2 alloy in everything except magnums. L2 alloy in 30-30 win rifle, and 45/70, and 303 British. A few months ago I triedL2 in in 357 Mag. No leading so I may just go with that. Got a good seal so no worries.

288881
288880

[Beaverhunter2]

Lee 158 rnfp if you are on a budget. Not a swc but a good boolit.

+1

I have other .357/38 SPL moulds but this is the one I shoot the most.

[Wayne Smith]

Yonk, that's not a bad looking boolit for casting on the ground! Yes, get that pot up to at least waist level! Do you have something to shoot the 8mm in? Do you have gas checks? I cast standing up but use a pot and ladle, I can't imagine sitting and risking a lap full of lead!

[Yonk]

I have an 8x58R Danish Krag that I may try these bullets out in. I don't have any gas checks. I am going to get an old table outside to set the pot on.

[Huskerguy]

I will put in another recommendation for the RCBS 38-150KT. They only make them in 2 cavity but they are the most accurate bullet I have ever used in 38. I have the Arsenal clone in a 5 cavity and it shoots just as well. If I had to do it over again, I would likely go 4 cavity, just to have a little less pressure on hinges, pins, etc. I too shoot off a rest to verify accuracy and the RCBS is nearly impossible to beat for me.

Other molds I have are:
Lyman 357446 - good but not great accuracy when compared to the RCBS, very acceptable accuracy
SAECO 52 - wadcutter I am just now working up loads with for one of my Dans
Lee - TL358-158 TC - this is a pretty accurate mold as well. I only had a two cavity version but shot a lot of them and they are accurate
NOE - 360-158 - beautiful looking bullets fall out of this mold but I cannot get get good accuracy in my 38's, want to try them in 357

I also powder coat all of these and it works very well. I have used the 45/45/10 mix and it is fast and easy, just a bit too smoky for me and indoor range. I started PCing several years ago and it is so easy and clean. Never a leading problem.

[Wayne Smith]

Take the boolit, set the nose in the muzzle of the rifle. If it stops it is a good fit, if the nose doesn't fit it is too big, and if it drops through it is too small! A good, easy and quick way to see how the boolit fits without measuring.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

If you don't know what you want buy a cheap Lee 2 cav mould. If you love it, get the same one in a 6 cav. If you hate it you're only out $20.

You also might as well get used to powder coating. Once you find a good process that works there's no turning back.

[LenH]

Welcome back to the madness. When I joined this forum, I found out how much I didn't know about casting. It was just different things I had been taught by an old timer.
Good luck with your quest. The biggest thing I learned here is FIT IS KING - ALL ELSA IS SECONDARY!

[Lksdmachine]

I use to cast 9mm and 45acp in the early 90’s just for economic purposes. 10 cent a pound scrap yard lead, 10-11.00 per pound powders, .03 per case brass, and 12.00 per 1k primers……yeah, those days make me smile.
Within the last year I got back into it again. Dusted off my old Lee melter, my old 9mm and 45rn molds and restocked my stuff extensively at much higher prices. It’s a disease for sure. I now have a mold selection that includes calibers I don’t have a rifle to shoot! But “just in case” I get that rifle, I now have a mold ready to rock it. Lead for 1.00 per pound now is tearing my pocket off to get my money out fast enough now.

Then this all leads to presses and size/lubers. I’ve expanded that into an 8foot long bench now with all sorts of stuff bolted around the edges……sheeesh, what a disease it has become.

All great therapy and fun at the range experimenting with all the options now. This site is a gem to research all the knowledge here….print as much as you can and have it in paper form incase this site is shut down in the future. Hope not.

[alamogunr]

Yonk, the best place I have found to get pin gages is the Meyers Gage Co. Their website has the catalogue on it and they offer pin gages in individual pins or sets. For my 38/357 adventures I ordered .355-.356-.357-.358-.359 and .360. Those will pretty much cover 9mm through 38 S&W the latter being, usually .360. A lot of people say to push a sized boolit through the cylinders with a pencil and that might work but I have had success knowing exactly the dimensions of the cylinder throats. But I am a self confessed tool junkie. Welcome back.

This may be too late but I found a used set of Meyer gauges, less a few unneeded ones on Ebay. Look for a -(minus) set. As an alternative, you can buy individual gauges from Meyer.