Lee C358-158 Gas Check mold

[mtguy]

I'm looking into casting boolits for .38/.357 to be used in 4" barreled revolvers (GP100).

I see that the Lee C358-158 is a gas check design...my question is can this be loaded without the gas check for light to normal loads?

I want a versatile boolit i can load light for practice and also turn up the heat for hunting and defensive rounds.

I'm thinking the gas check would be good for the hot loads.

Also, i tumble lube my bullets and am wondering how to go about that process with gas checks if possible. I'm new to casting any any advice would be helpful.

And as far as gas checks themselves, how are they "installed" on the boolit? Any preferred manufacturers?

[Spud]

Not sure I can answer all your questions, but this was the first mould I ever bought and used, back in @1984. Just about any GC boolit can be shot sans GC's. Whether you get the results you want only experimentation can tell. I used GC's almost exclusively, Hornady crimp-ons are what I used. You can probably tumble-lube, but you'll still have to run your boolits thru a sizer die of some kind to crimp the GC's when you use them. Lee moulds are cheap, why not get a regular base style, and a GC version? In the olden days I would install GC's with a piece of hard wood I fashioned into a tool, by hand on the bench, stand 'em up in melted lube in a pan, remove them from the lube with improvised "kake kutters" then pound them down a Lee sizer die. Slow, messy and inconvenient, but was raising kids, was low on dough and this method worked for many thousands of cast bullets, pistol and rifle. Got a couple of lubricators now, but you can do a lot with some pretty primitive equipment! Whatever, get to casting. It's an art, you know!

edit: you could prolly litely lube boolits with GC's installed, run them tru a Lee sizer then re-lube them. Someone else may have a better idea, as I use a Lyman GC seater on my lubricators.

[mtguy]

Thanks Spud,

I think you answered my questions. You're probably right about getting two molds for the two purposes i mentioned.

I haven't had any problems sizing my .452 boolits without lube through the Lee sizer. Run a couple hundred boolits through it and clean it with a bore brush although i don't notice any leading. I'm thinking i may be able to get away with this with the .358 boolits too...then tumble lube them.

[Junior1942]

I'm thinking i may be able to get away with this with the .358 boolits too...then tumble lube them.. . . and maybe not. I tumble lube before push-through sizing, than again after. Why not use two coats? LLA is cheap.

[mtguy]

. . . and maybe not. I tumble lube before push-through sizing, than again after. Why not use two coats? LLA is cheap.

Why not? If i can eliminate having to use the kitchen counter for boolits drying overnight for the first step, i will. Then the process is size/lube/dry instead of lube/dry/size/lube/dry.

I also water quench my boolits which are cast from wheel weights; they are pretty hard and that could be part of the reason i'm not getting any leading in my sizing die.

[Spud]

I've run boolits "dry" thru Lee sizers many times. IMO as long as the slugs are dropping from the mould reasonably close to what you want, say .359 or .360 you shouldn't have a problem. Too much, though may smear the driving bands and create possible issues. The residual lube left in sizers can help, I think. BTW, we come to Missoula once a year or so to shop. Nice place to visit, but I'll stay where I am!:-D Adios.

[mtguy]

I've run boolits "dry" thru Lee sizers many times. IMO as long as the slugs are dropping from the mould reasonably close to what you want, say .359 or .360 you shouldn't have a problem. Too much, though may smear the driving bands and create possible issues. The residual lube left in sizers can help, I think. BTW, we come to Missoula once a year or so to shop. Nice place to visit, but I'll stay where I am!:-D Adios.

The bullets i've dropped so far have been pretty close...didn't take a whole lot of effort to push them through the sizer.

BTW, i lived in Cd'A for a couple years. Montana has always been 'home' for me, but i sure did like living close to the lakes. Fernan Lake was only a couple minutes away from me and the FRGC shooting range was just down the road too.

[EDK]

The RANCH DOG TLC 432 265 was the first tumble lube design I used. He suggests getting a light coat on the boolit just swirling it around in a cup and let dry overnight on wax paper; then seat the gas check and dip lube; let dry awhile and then run it through the sizer of your choice. They've worked well in my 44MARLIN Cowboy rifles and removed residual lead from my VAQUEROS. I haven't done much with TLC 359 190 for my 357 Cowboy yet.

I drive from St Louis to Forsyth Montana for the Quigley shoot over Fathers Day. There's a lot of pretty country from Grand Island NE on west, but the trip from Missoula over Lolo Pass and across Idaho on Highway 12 is a favorite also. (My brothers live in Nampa ID.) There's never enough time when I go out there.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[MT Gianni]

Jon at Western Bullets on Kensington just west of Brooks should be able to set you up with any non Lee samples of a bullet you want to shoot. Jon doesn't do Lee. You can buy them by the 100 with out paying freight which should help in selecting a design. If you get E of Butte let me know and I could give ya some pointers also. Gianni

[mtguy]

Jon at Western Bullets on Kensington just west of Brooks should be able to set you up with any non Lee samples of a bullet you want to shoot. Jon doesn't do Lee. You can buy them by the 100 with out paying freight which should help in selecting a design. If you get E of Butte let me know and I could give ya some pointers also. Gianni

Cool, thanks Gianni!

I've been by his shop but never ventured inside. Next time i'm over that side of town i'll drop in.

[Recluse]

Why not? If i can eliminate having to use the kitchen counter for boolits drying overnight for the first step, i will. Then the process is size/lube/dry instead of lube/dry/size/lube/dry.

I've found that the second part of your process (lube/dry/size/lube/dry) gives me better and more consistent accuracy, and best of all, zero leading. Two light coats of LLA actually work better than one heavy coat as it keeps from getting gummy and sticky. Do about a 50%/50% mix of JPW, then then with about 10% mineral spirits. Do a light tumble lubing, let dry, size, then another light lubing and you'll get clean, non-sticky boolits that shoot like a dream, have very little smoke, and keep your bore shiny.


I also water quench my boolits which are cast from wheel weights; they are pretty hard and that could be part of the reason i'm not getting any leading in my sizing die.

Maybe. I do the same thing. Probably not getting any leading because your boolits are dropping very close to size. Hard boolits will lead if they're too large. Especially unlubed hard boolits that are too large. I like the Lee moulds that I have as they drop very consistently in the size they're supposed to.

:coffee:

[RSOJim]

EKD, I have a son that lives in Nampa ID. The Ranch Dog TLC 432 265 is my favorite pushed thru a lyman 450 sizer with gas check sized .431. That is my most accurate bullet in my 10-5/8" smith and wesson with a scope. 19 grains of wc 820 and winchester primer gives that bullet a lot of push. I just put a scope on my Ruger super 10-1/2". I haven't really gotten into accuracy testing yet due to all 4 base screws shooting loose. Also had to go to the 3rd scope ring. I guess I could just back off on my powder charge but that would not be any fun. I will get it worked out soon. So far no snow or ice in central Florida. Me and my buddies are still enjoying shooting at the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Range twice a week. We had to put on light jackets last week to stay warm. Later Jim

[mtguy]

How fast do you guys push your bullets with tumble lube as opposed to lubrisizing? Do the gas checks make that much of a difference as opposed to just tumble-lubed?

[Junior1942]

How fast do you guys push your bullets with tumble lube as opposed to lubrisizing? Do the gas checks make that much of a difference as opposed to just tumble-lubed?

I shoot that exact bullet to 1800 fps in my Rossi M92 357 mag with zero leading. I use two coats of LLA, one before sizing, one after sizing. Alloy is acww.

[mtguy]

I shoot that exact bullet to 1800 fps in my Rossi M92 357 mag with zero leading. I use two coats of LLA, one before sizing, one after sizing. Alloy is acww.

Is that with or without the gas check installed?

[Junior1942]

Is that with or without the gas check installed?
With gas check installed. For 1600 fps or less, I use the TL non-gas check version of that bullet.

[mtguy]

With gas check installed. For 1600 fps or less, I use the TL non-gas check version of that bullet.

I have the .358 - 158gr RF mold ordered and will be shooting my loads out of a GP100, i've been debating on the 158gr SWC with the gas check but it looks like the standard bullets may work fine running hot. I guess I'll find out soon enough.
Now what about those 180gr molds....:Fire: