Boolit style

[sniper]

I don't cast any more, and searching for an answer hasn't proven fruitful. My prior favorite "do everything" boolit for more than 30 years was the RCBS 150 gr. SWC, cast on my Coleman stove, and later, from my Lee bottom pour pot with what I hoped was close to Lyman #2 alloy. None of the boolit casting people offer that particular boolit, and I am down to my last couple of hundred.

The majority of boolit weights I will use In my 357 Magnum are some sort of SWC 158 gr....as close as I can come to Elmer Keith's swc, or a 160 gr. which looks very similar to Veral Smith's creations. I don't use full house loads, and my limit for comfort and accuracy seems to be somewhere around 900-1,000 fps. A close +P or +P+ velocity, and somewhat less than manual starting loads for the 357.

So, which is "better", a round nose flat point projectile, with 1 lube groove, a'la Veral's creations, or the Keith style with 3 driving bands and one lube groove? Is there a real world difference, or is it just which is the current favorite?

Thank you!:)

[Bazoo]

I don’t think there is much difference except that a wfn/RNFP will not snag as much when loading.

[Bigslug]

I think the only practical advantage to the SWC is the cleaner, full-diameter hole it will make in paper, but that's more an advantage for optical spotting than scoring.

RNFP will reload easier and feed better if you branch into lever guns.

I'm leaning more to tumble-lube format for grooves.

[gwpercle]

Growing up reading the books and magazine articles of Elmer Keith ... I prefer the Semi-Wadcutter and Wadcutter design in revolver . Truncated Cone in semi-auto handgun .
Just never was a fan of the round nose boolit ... don't know why ... except when I was coming of age the 158 gr. RN 38 special load was taking a beating as being ineffective ... the first 357 Magnum Loads were not RN but SWC and considered to be top stoppers .
Gary