Whats your go to bullet for 38 special and 357 Magnum?

I havent tried all that many designs, But i settled on the 358156 as my go to bullet. Because it can be loaded both in 357 cases and 38 cases seated out, and because I can run a gas check, it seemed to me that it is a great all around bullet.
I have a 358429 also, and am thinking about picking up a 358416. I am also trying to figure out what I want for a heavier bullet, in the 180-200 grain range. I havent dont a lot of research on this yet however. And I am wanting to get a 356242 to run both in 380 and as light 38's. Those would have to be flattened on the nose to run through a leveraction safely.

I currently am useing a marlin 1894c and a ruger blackhawk, and the wife uses a 686.

What weights and designs do yall like, why, and what dont you like and why?

I have been shooting NOE's 360160 in both 357 and 38spec. It is very accurate from both.

I use a RCBS 150 gr Keith type swc. I also have a RCBS 150 mold that they cut a little deeper and made a 170 swc out of. Both cast and shoot great, but I wish RCBS made a 4 cavity mold! Both of these work great in revolvers, but I don't know how they will feed in a lever action.

MP359640
Has a double crimp groove. I don't bother w/ 38 Special brass so that feature doesn't matter to me. How it shoots does.

Lyman 357446

My experience with #358156 is that it does not feed well in lever actions and is less accurate in lighter. 38 Special loads when used without the GC. It is for heavy loads only.

For rifle use I prefer a 180-grain LBT plainbase with .255" meplat and of head length to provide 1.59" OAL in. 357 brass and 1.55" when seated out and crimped in the top lube groove in. 38 Special brass. This bullet feeds well and is accurate either in subsonic loads with 3.5 grains of Bullseye in. 38 Special or 4 grains in. 357 for low noise or in full charges with compressed caseful of 4198 in .357 brass or alternately 9 grains of #2400 in .38 brass or 12 grains in. 357 brass. Good on game, I need no other bullet.

Lately I have found my best accuracy when using an NOE 360-160-WFN and an NOE 360-150-SWC. I can load these fast or slow and get good groups either way.

I use the Lee 158 TL in the 38 case pushed by either 4 gr BE or 8.5 gr 2400. In a mag case I use the 358429 with 12 gr 2400. These are launched from a 6" Blackhawk and the Bullseye load from a S&W model 15. I have 7 or 8 other moulds but decided to trim back and use what really works for me. All these loads are extremely accurate in my guns and very easy to shoot well.

I bought an old Ideal 358311 off e-bay some time ago...great deal ... but Single cavity. It shot super in both my 38 Spec & 357 Mag at least that is what I thought !.... until I had "Buckshot" hollow point it for me. That just pushed the CG back a bit and now it shoots STELLAR in my 38 Specials and 357 Mags Totally magic! Buckshot made it in to the Magic boolit!!! It "IS" my go to boolit when I want accuracy!!! Hands down!

I dont run the 358156 light normally. For 38s its just plinking ammo so I just lee dipper them. But for 357 im running 15 grains of 2400 with a gas check or 13.5 without. They feed well in my rifle, as its had some modifications to it, most notably, had the chamber chamferred.

I havent worked up a subsonic load yet, but am thinking about giving it a go with the 358429. Like a nice quiet round for small game for the rifle.

go to the top of this page and look where it say's cast boolits.
that's a lyman mold.
it's in 35 caliber, and weighs about 160grs.
it would be the only 38/357 mold I would keep if I had to have just one.

+1 on Lee 158 TL. Works fine in 38 and 357.

The RCBS Cowboy or RCBS 9mm bullet. I have lots of 38/357 moulds and those two are my recommended favorites. SWC have never shot as well in my 686.

I am sold on the MP moulds 359640 HP. Haven't cast any solids yet, the HP just shoots so good.

Lyman early 358477 which is 150 gr, or RCBS 38-150 K (old designation) or 38 150 SWC (current
designation) are both superb and almost identical. Lyman 358429 is heavier and also superb,
but I find it works best at near top end .38 Spl loads, or medium to heavy .357 Mag loads.

Lee 358 158 RF is also superb, but has a BB, which some do not like.

Bill

I don't load much 357 for pistol - I just prefer shooting 38s. But, I do load 357 for my Handi-Rifle.

I'm with Jim on the 358 311 - it shoots well out of all of my Smith 38s from 3, 4, 5 and 6" barrel lengths. I also like the Lee TL358158SWC as it seems to work equally as well. Both of those seem to shoot well out of the Handi in 357 loads. I have a number of 358 molds in different weights and configurations but I find myself gravitating towards those two bullets as the shoot the best for me. I'll also add that I'm not loading in close to max loads - much prefer light to moderate.

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Originally Posted by runfiverun

go to the top of this page and look where it say's cast boolits.
that's a lyman mold.
it's in 35 caliber, and weighs about 160grs.
it would be the only 38/357 mold I would keep if I had to have just one.

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Its very similar to the 358416, what number is it?

Popping on the bandwagon for the 358311 for everyday use!

Different calibers...different bullets for me. For the .38, it is the 358156 and for the .357, it is the 358429.

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Originally Posted by btroj

I am sold on the MP moulds 359640 HP. Haven't cast any solids yet, the HP just shoots so good.

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Me too.
I have two of these, one that runs about 158 grains and one that was supposed to run 140 but actually weighs in around 150 grains. They are about all that I load in my 357's these days.

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Originally Posted by Bazoo

Its very similar to the 358416, what number is it?

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Lyman's version is the 358-665. But RCBS. NOE, Mountain Molds, and Accurate all offer similar molds.

358311 for .38 Special. Shoots great in my two pre-war hand ejector M&P's - truly, a tack driver. Plus I just plain like the look of that boolit.
358156 for .357 Mag. I prefer a gas check boolit for my magnums and cast from straight Lino, over a suitable amount of 2400, I can push them fast and loud.

38 Special: H&G # 43 173gn Keith/5.5gn Blue Dot

357 Mag: LBT, 155gn WFN/9.7gn Blue Dot

I run the Magma 158 gr semi wad cutter on both 38 and 357.

I currently use a H&G #51, swc , this may not be avail to you, but I also use Lyman 358156 with no issues in revolver and Rossi mod. 92.
FWIW
John

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Originally Posted by rintinglen

Me too.
I have two of these, one that runs about 158 grains and one that was supposed to run 140 but actually weighs in around 150 grains. They are about all that I load in my 357's these days.

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They are different molds. The 359640 is a double crimp groove. Solids weigh 170, hollowpoints weigh 158. The 360640 has a single crimp groove. Solids weigh 158, large hollowpoint weighs 147. To add to the confusion the 359640 molds can be engraved 360640. I have one that's engraved like that but the engraving is on the bottom instead of the side. The molds are differentiated by the number of crimp grooves. Pointing this out for people that don't use his molds.

The 640 nose profile has worked great across all calibers. I've been waiting over two years for the 35cal light version to be cut.

Ive shot 158gr swc boolits for years and had good luck with them but after i shot the lee .358-158rf i dont shoot much swc's anymore. This boolit does everthing i want. Punches nice round holes in paper and with the large meplat, it oughta work well on critters, no matter how many legs they have.ymmv

For pure accuracy my goto bullet was always the H&G#39 which is very similar to the Lyman 358311 in .38 spl loads. It still is for the 100 yd stage of Hunters Pistol Silhouette. What I've found for me at least is that the Lee 120TC and RCBS 124CN truncated cone bullets are even more accurate but don't have the weight to take the 100 yd. ram. Both of these bullets with 4-4.5/BE will consistently stay under 2"@50yds in the handgun, are very pleasant to shoot and are also very accurate out of my 30" twist Rossi rifles. For mag loads a max loading of 296/H110 behind the Lyman Keith 358429 is very accurate out of both my handguns and rifles.

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Originally Posted by Bazoo

Its very similar to the 358416, what number is it?

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dunno.
I have used it so much I have worn the number off the side of the mold and have had to lap it out once to regain the diameter back.
the rcbs cowboy mold is similar but has a slightly different meplat diameter, and the radius on the nose is a little more rounded.
those logo boolits are the ones Ken uses in his 357 pump gun.

For 357 Mag/ 38 spec i love my NOE 360477 150gr SWC mold. I size to .358 and use Unique for my 38 spec. loads and 2400 for my 357 Mag. loads. Alloy is COWW's + 3% tin and get a BHN around 12-13. Key to the HP mold is to run her fast and hot so those pins don't cool too much. Great little mold!

Attachment 129551

Good info, and definitely some mould to look at. Im not particular to ideal or lyman, But I do like them for the history. Probably like a lot of others, I watch them on ebay regularly for anything that might peek my interests.

Another vote for the Lee 158 RF. I like that boolit much better than Lymans 358156.

I did cut out the bevel base and its now a plain base. I put plain base checks on in 357 mag. Shoots awesome and is great on deer.

Here's mine, it's a 158 gr from Accurate molds. Comes up a little light as I cast them but it shoots lights out in every thing I own. 12.5 grs of 2400 is the sweet spot in my 686. Murf

My go to boolit for 357/38spl is the Saeco #62358, It's a plain base flat nose that looks a lot like murf205s Accurate mould. It works very well pushed easy or hard. My favorite of six 35cal. moulds that I own. GP

My most accurate 38 Special bullet for me is. Magma 150 TC. It's a flat based truncated cone. Most powerful by far is a Lyman #358429 design from an NOE mold that cast 177 grains from 2:6 alloy. Big bullet may be just as accurate. Hard for me to compare as my abilities are highly variable day to day. Just depends if my eyes can focus and if I shake that day. Some days I can almost shoot like I did in my youth. 358429 is a known entity and that beautiful five cavity NOE mold makes perfect bullets. So not much doubt there. Shooting 177 grains at 890 to 912 FPS over H-Universal Clays at standard pressure load is a formidable load for a 4 inch model 15.

My 357 mag revolver is a hag. Colt Trooper III with two of six throats oversized. Si I use a bullet I designed and had mountain molds cut. Was for 357 magnum Marlin lever guns. Cast around .360" and has a gas check base with RNFP. I size it to .359" to fit the fat holes and shoot it over 2400 reduced off max for a tad over 1,100 fps to keep it sub sonic. Alloy is about BHN #8 so the nose expands some most of the time. Never shot an animal with it. Do have total confidence in it's ability to make a deep wide hole. I could size the #358429's to .359" to shoot a hard alloy bullet. But the gas check allows me to use a soft lead that will expand like a soft nose. Plus be malleable enough to shoot in a cylinder where no two chambers are the same.
Hope that didn't wear you all out reading. Synopsis: shoot whatever works in my gun.

My "go-tos" are the Lee 158gr. RNFP, Lyman 358-477, and Lyman 358-429. No particular order. They all shoot well.

For 357 mag I use Lee C358-158SW. With the gas check and lube, it weighs 166.5 grains. I use it in my Rossi 92 and in my Highway Patrolman. For 38Spl, I use a Lee 358-158RF weighing 162 grains.

I have two favorites; a Lee 125 RNFP, and a Lachmiller 160 gr SWC (don't know the model number).

It used to be my Lee 158gr TL SWC before I sold it because it was easy to work with more than the accuracy, which was pretty good. Now it would be a Modern Bond 155 gr I-358-755 in the .38, and an old NEI copy of the RCBS 150 gr SWC in .357 since the I-358 bullet is to long. I also load quite a few 358311 in both after switching from the 358250. Here is the Modern Bond bullet that shoots really great, but few have seen:

Attachment 129707

Interesting suggestions all around, i havent researched them all yet. I am leaning towards getting a round flat nosed style or, a wide flat nosed. NOE makes several double cavity moulds that have 1 cavity cut for plain based and the other for gas checks. I like that.