Mould Needed

[Mntngoat]

I picked this up from a co-worker yesterday
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Mntngoat/For%20Sale/CIMG0331.jpg


And now need a mould for it.

Any suggestions for a bullet design I can use in .38 SP for the wife as well as .357M cases.


ML

[Wayne Smith]

WOW! Any one or several of a number. What kind of shooting do you want to do? Light target/plinking or self defence or both? Different boolits for different applications.

[Mntngoat]

Would like to load light for the wife, moderate for myself. Mostly paper punching/ plinking. I have a 44 for SD / hunting.

ML

[RobS]

Lee's 105 SWC makes a real nice shooting bullet for plinking that won't rid your lead supply very quickly. For heavier stuff their 158 grain RF does nicely.

Nice revolver..............and you are fairly new to the forum as well so a welcome to you sir.

[Ben]

Mntngoat :

You may want to ready some of these opinions
From my viewpoint, you now own one of the nicest 357 Mag. revolvers ever made. :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=88176

[JIMinPHX]

I'll second what RobS & Ben said.

[beagle]

Bought onesecond hand in 1958 when they first came out and an acquaintence needed $$$$. It digested over 20K of Lyman's 358495 and 357446 over the years and underwent two rebuilds and a reblue and traveled all over the world with me in the Army. It's semi-retired now but still as good as they come with a fresh Colt reblue and about a 2 pound trigger.

It did seem to prefer bullets sized at .356" over other diameters so I'd slug it and see what you're prefers.

Only gun that ever shot the 357446 consistently for me.

You got a gem./beagle

[Buckshot]

...............Apropo of nothing whatsoever, but once about 20 years back one of my daughters' girlfriends' dad called. He said a friend of his just gave him a Colt Python and he was calling to find out if it was any good:-) Nice friend.

.................Buckshot

[Mntngoat]

Coworkers dad bought it new in 64' shot maybe a 15 times.
He passed away 8 years ago and she didn't want it.
This is my first Colt Python.

ML

[Echo]

The mind boggles at the number of possible boolit molds to suit your requirements. I'll go along with the Lee 105. Although I have not been able to achieve good accuracy with it, it still makes a good low-recoil boolit for the girls and boys, and I have heard of others using it in 9mm's. For medium power loads, select a non GC model. The aforementioned Lee 158 is a good choice, but I would also suggest getting on eBay and checking availability of Lyman, RCBS, or others of that ilk.

Also, understand that you will have to re-adjust the sights, going from one load to the other. I loaded 105's as popcorn for cases at the range when someone wanted to teach their GF or 12-yr-old son to shoot, but only had a .45/.357/.40/whatever. I would loan them my Smith 15, and give them a bag of popcorn. Had to raise the sights about 3 turns to put them on target @ 25 yds, and you will have the same situation.

And I recommend buying the 6-gang Lee molds rather than 2-cavity - yes, costs twice as much, but the quality is higher and you will have less trouble than with the 2-banger.
Or am I telling you something you already know?

[David2011]

Yes, it will shoot anything that's .358 diameter. You don't need a light boolit for light loads, though. For powder puff plinking I like 2.3 to 2.5 grains of Bullseye and anything from 125 to 160 grains. Recoil is slightly heavier than a .22 and you get about 3000 loads per pound. Round nose, semi-wadcutter or wadcutter will work but round nose is easier to load into the cylinder, especially if using speed loaders. I have several .38s and .357s and use the powder puff loads in all of them when teaching new shooters.

NICE GUN! There's nothing like the old Colt bluing.

David

[MtGun44]

Top molds are 358477 in 150 gr wt or RCBS 38-150-SWC (used to be 38-150-K or KT).
Also Lee 358-158-RF is a great mold, too. Never owned a Python, but that is a beautiful
example. I hear that they have tight throats and tighter barrels. Pull the cylinder and
either measure with machinists plug gages or drive a pure lead soft slug thru a few
throats to know the throat diam. Size to .001 over throat and all will be well.

Bill

[sundog]

I'd throw in the Ly 358156 also.

[Mntngoat]

thanks for the feedback.

ML

[scrapcan]

For a lighter bullet I like the Saeco #377 TC. It is billed as for the 9mm/38super but the one i have casts large enough to use in the 38spl/357mag. It is easily loaded with speedloaders and can go from mild to wild for your preference.

I would think a good candiate in the 148 to 160 range would fit the bill also. You shoudl have no problem with fidnign one that it will shoot.

[Green Frog]

I'd throw in the Ly 358156 also.

+1 to sundog and the 358156. Load somewhat long in .38 spl cases with mild powder charges for the wife and just plinking, and in .357 mag cases with the gas check and heavy loads for serious applications. This was one of Skeeter Skelton's favorite bullets for the .357.

froggie