lyman 358477?

[zt77]

OK guys here's the deal. I have an rcbs 358-150 swc two cavity mould. it's products shoot nice and good. the problem though is I have a bit of an issue with it filling out 100%. Normally if it has a solid good base I accept them, but it's slighty annoying how a few have rounded edges around the lube grooves. I notice the lyman mould's grooves are round in shape. I have a lyman 358311 that I love and it's very easy to cast out of. So should I ditch the rcbs and reinvest in a lyman?

points-

1.I prefer the lyman handles

2. I like the idea of 4 cavities vs 2

3. I think but don't know that they would have less problem with 100% fill out

4. in my personal experience lyman's cavities are polished better and drop free much easier.



now the important part, for those that have experience with these two, are there any real difference between them? they look nearly identical.

[bearcove]

Possibly not hot enough, try more heat. Maybe add a little tin. Get some tooth paste if you don't have any, and polish the cavities a little

[Uncle Grinch]

Other than a very good cleaning, have you tried opening up the vent lines? It may not be vented good enough so the mould will fill out properly.

[zt77]

I've been casting awhile. I have plenty good moulds, including hp's, that cast just fine.

this mould will only cast good bullets 100% of the time with 10-1 lead. with my usual 30-1 it is more like 75%, but I still keep the ones that have rounded lube grooves. oh and the temp for the 30-1 is around 825 for it to do good and I have to pressure cast them. as I said they shoot good and cast consistently, I just don't care for the rcbs handles and how they stick in the cavities so well.


so how about some input for the lyman mould?

[jdgabbard]

I've heard that the 477s are not quite as accurate at .38spl velocities. But this comes with mixed opinions, as most other molds do. Personally I'd be happy to give one a try. I'm looking for a Lyman SWC myself. And would definitely look at the 477 if "their so inaccurate" that someone didn't use it. The 429s and the 156s seem to be what people prefer. And many times they'll buy two copies of the 156s to have one of them machined to remove the gas check shank so they can shoot it without the checks. It sounds like win/win to me. But what do I know...

[shooting on a shoestring]

Here's some Lyman feedback. My most recent (about a year ago) mould was a new 4 cavity 358477. I was surprised at two things. First the meplat corner was very rounded not at all sharp. In real life its about midway between a round nose and a SWC ala 358156. That was not bad, just not what I expected. Secondly, it is the first Lyman mould I've got that has the alignment offset about 0.002 or so, just enough that they don't get completly round when sized. Its more of a cosmetic thing as they do shoot fine and I haven't had any leading problems. My other Lymans don't have any noticeable mis-match.

Funny thing, I've been considering getting a pair of the RCBS 150 SWCs.

[HeavyMetal]

This is really going to boil down to what you feel like playing around with.

I have an RCBS 38 150 swc mold and have never had a problem with it. It and a 3 banger Saeco, cut for the same boolit, are my go to molds for 357 wheel guns!

Now I do run my 357 boolits a bit harder than "10 to 1" and suspect the better alloy allows an easier release but won't swear to it.

My alloy runs about 725 and I shuck these swc from both molds like peas from a pod!

Something to keep in mind with the Lyman 4 bangers: they are heavy!

I have a small supply of the 477 boolits setting here on my desk from one of the board members here who wanted to try some of my 429's.

I have not had the time to load them but will plan on it during my thanksgiving week with the family.

The Lyman molds are usually pretty good just keep in mind the 358429 is pretty darn long and the 358156 needs a gas check.

I never cared for the 156 but couldn't tell you way. I have the 429 converted to an HP by Buckshot and won't part with it period! My Contender dotes on it!

I would spend a little more time with the RCBS mold if it were mine. You shouldn't have to run it that hot to get it to perform I think your just not feeding it what it likes try playing with a harder alloy, WW plus 2% tin or Lymans number 2 and see what you get out of it.

I will also say that trouble some molds will some times work better for me if I return to the basic's and clean and deburr one more time.

[zt77]

thanks guys. okay I will try fiddling with it more. I think the sprue plate might be a tad small or it is too tight. I'll try loosening it first and polishing it.

[Hurricane]

I have the RCBS 38-150-SWC and both the old and new Lyman 358477. All three moulds produce excellent boolits and the accuracy and point of impact on a 20 yd target are the same. They are truly interchangeable. If I was forced to make a choice for only one, I would chose the RCBS because the mold blocks are larger and hold heat a little better and because it is just a good looking boolit. It looks just like the Lyman 358429 only reduced in size. The old 358477 drops a 151 grain boolit with a nice sharp nose like the 358429 and a nice large rounded lube groove. The new 358477 (currently made) has a smaller lube groove, about like the lube groove on 358156, a nose that is semi rounded on the corners (but is still a SWC), and weighs 155 grains. The RCBS drops 155 grain boolits, has a large square lube groove, and nice sharp edges on the nose. I cannot say than any one of the three is actually better than the others. I like all three.

[zt77]

with my alloy (ney certified 30-1, got it at an estate sell) my rcbs makes a 151 grain bullet and the other cavity makes a 149 grain bullet.

[Bret4207]

I'd be trying to figure the RCBS out rather than looking at the Lyman. Troubleshoot your mould. Your alloy and heat sound good, could be a venting issue. I've never seen a bad RCBS so I'm a bit surprised. Getting a Lyman mould new these days is a total crap shoot, but the older ones tend to be almost as much of a gamble.