HP bullet mold

[JudgeBAC]

I have agreed to purchase a Lyman 358-156 HP bullet mold. I plan on shooting it in a .357 Ruger security six (4 inch) and a Colt Official Police .38 special (6 inch). Having no experience with HP molds I need some advice on how to proceed. Also, can anyone suggest some loads for this bullet in the Ruger and Colt? I want to go easy on the Colt since I have a .357 tank (Ruger) for warm loads. Note: the present bullet metal I am using is 50% lead (not wheel weights but pure lead) and 50% linotype. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[azrednek]

Without suggesting specific loads. I keep my mild 357 loads for my Rossi 357 seperated by loading mild loads in the nickel brass I've accumulated. Alot easier to keep them apart at the range.

[Bodydoc447]

I will offer the following load which are safe in MY guns. Always consult a reputable manual to make sure these aren't typos.

In the .357 load the bullets in the upper crimp groove in .357 cases. I like 14.0 grains of 2400. Plenty of buck and snort without stretching the envelope. You can also load this bullet in .38 Special brass using the lower crimp groove and 12 grains of 2400. A serious +P kind of load. These will not chamber in your Colt and will be visibly different from the rest of your .38 Specials.

In the .38 Special use .38 special brass, crimp in the upper groove and 4.2 grains of Unique. Not really hot but fun to shoot.

Hope that is what you were looking for.

Doc

[Dale53]

JudgeBAC;
If you expect the hollow points to work, 20/1 lead/tin is what you should be aiming towards. There will probably be little expansion with the .38 Special but serious expansion will take place in a full load in the .357 (in fact, too much for small game - will damage them beyond recovery). A lead/tin alloy is malleable and will expand a great deal but still stay together. The harder alloys will normally shatter the nose until they get so hard that they will not expand. Alloy is VERY important for best results.

Dale53

[Leftoverdj]

Half lead, half lino is mighty close to WW, and is a bit harder than I would want for expansion. Half lead, half WW is what I use for HP pistol bullets.

You're probably going to have to heat that HP pin in some way. They lose heat fast and the cavity does not cast properly around a cold pin. You're going to find the casting mighty slow.

[robertbank]

I have the same mold and the key to using it is keep the alloy and mold hot. Once you get casting the pin will stay hot enough but set them down for a minute and it cools pretty quick. I also agree softer is better if you want the HP to work and expand.

Take Care

[JudgeBAC]

thanks guys: I guess I need to add a little more lead for this bullet. Shouldnt be too much of a problem. thanks again.

[JudgeBAC]

PS: One more dumb question. After you pour the mold do you pull the pin out first and then open the mold to drop the bullet?

[D.Mack]

Yes twist pin to unlock it , pull pin out, open mold to drop bullet. pulling the pin out after the bullet is out of the mold can be hard on your fingers. Robertbank said he has no trouble keeping the pin hot, and I don't doubt him, but my mold has a skinny pin, and if I don't heat the pin while I'm releasing the bullet, it cools the nose to the point of ugliness. I built a wire loop on my pots edge, and hang the pin in the melt, others have a small flame they stick the pin in. I have often wondered if a small candle might work, but have never tried it.DM

[AnthonyB]

JudgeBAC, I am a BIG HP fan. I ladle cast using a Coleman stove and keep the alloy pretty hot, so rarely have problems keeping the pin warm. The key is to minimize the time the pin is out of the mold - leave it in while the sprue solidifies, give it a twist to break it free, cut the sprue, pull pin, dump boolit, and re-insert the pin. I won't argue against the soft alloy theory either, espeicially if you want the boolit to hold together. However, I have boolits cast from air-cooled WW alloy will act just like Nosler Partitions. They will expand, the nose petals will eventually break off and penetrate radially, and the base will continue to penetrate and tumble in a semi-straight line. Tony