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Thread: Mihec 358429

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    573

    Mihec 358429

    I am copy-pasting my initial responses to this mold from the GB thread and hoping everyone else will also follow suit with their experiences. The 358429 has always been a bullet of interest to me due to its heritage. Until now however I had not purchased one.

    Here's my details so far:

    Great casting mold, like them all. I was confused when initially the molds wouldn't align on my lee handles. I thought maybe the mold was cut too tight but it turned out just to be the insert that the sprue plate latches on to was too tight, and part was protruding into the channel for the handles. Just very slightly loosen the bolt and your problems will disappear.

    Casts dropped free easily, I never once had to tap my mold. I cast about 250 or so at a very fast cadence. I am using the 8 cav aluminum. I for one am a gigantic fan of the new Lee style MP molds and really like them. If Lee would release a "premium" line with half the care and finish these have at a 50% upcharge they would have a real world beater of a product.

    Average weight was 169.6 out of a sample of ten, max deviation was about 1.5 grains. Right on the money far as I'm concerned. My alloy is mostly wheel weights with a touch of lino thrown in- run of the mill "mystery metal", good for general purpose.

    Base band reads 0.359, middle was 0.358, and front band was 0.3555-0.356. I honestly didn't know if this one would be 0.358 on all bands like elmer would have wanted but personally I am glad it is like it is. This will get you a little leeway with long loads in short cylinders. In all fairness I could get away without sizing in most of my guns with this size as-dropped. This would be a great bullet for tumble lube with lighter loads with cast sizes like that.

    I powder coated mine in "magenta chrome". I got this off a member here not really knowing what to expect. I figured it'd be a metallic magenta color. The powder is, but the color actually cures to a chrome silver finish. Looks pretty good, but I wonder if it might make seeing damaged spots in the coating hard to see? Beside the point, I inspected mine closely and they all looked fine, so good deal.

    Momentary shout out to the NOE bushing system for the star sizers- I love this tool and being able to buy a blue million different diameters for $9 a pop is great. I had lathesmith make me a ton of punches for every common caliber and I was ready to rock. I always found the stars fantastic for massive amounts of fewer different bullets but I'm an experimenter at heart and love to make adjustments and try new designs, so being able to quickly change things out and buy new sizes for whatever weird gun I might find is great. That, and spending $45-50 for a lube die for a star is a painful experience! You cannot lube with the NOE bushing system but I have mostly been doing hitek and PC lately anyway. It would be great for tumble lube too.




    I sized to 0.358. Minimal sizing on the middle band and none on the front, just a touch on the base.




    A group photo with some fairly conservative lyman load data. I plan to go with the 2400 load for this initially and probably load it fairly hot.



    If it ever stops raining I might get to shoot!

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    573
    Additionally, the 358429 is known to be too long for the cylinders of some N frames and some rugers when loaded in 357 Mag brass. I can't conclusively tell you if yours is too long or not, but one of my modern n frames was just barely able to fit it in the cylinder. Recessed model 28 or similar? probably not going to happen. If you have one of those, you can either use 38 special brass or crimp over the shoulder of the top band (which would pretty much give you the OAL of a 38 special anyway). If you are using a shorter n frame I'd recommend a hearty crimp- if this were to back out at all it would probably lock up your gun.


    My R8 and a loaded (dummy) round.



    Way too long!




    My solution?




    A moon clip is just wide enough to give me what I need. If you have a newer 686/627/327 etc and it IS NOT cut for moons or recessed, you may be fine anyway, but it's going to be close!. Since my gun is cut for moons, using the moons gets me just enough to work.


  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
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    573
    So far I have found these to be wonderfully soda can dancing accurate at 25 yards. 3.2gr bullseye in a 38 special case and you will be very happy with the mild report, recoil, and accuracy.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Low Budget Shooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    Texahoma
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    464
    I use a 2-cavity brass hollowpoint version of this mold. In all my experiments to duplicate and improve on the "FBI Load," this bullet has performed the best. Made of soft lead, the bullet drops .358". Lubed, it weighs 162-163 grains. Bullet sits deep in case for most uniform velocity. Large round HP cavity produces expansion of about .60" starting way down at about 800 fps. Bullet doesn't come apart until about 1000 fps. Expansion and penetration through denim into wet paper have been very good.
    I'm not sure where all the money is that I've "saved" by casting and reloading!

  5. #5
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
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    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Echd View Post
    So far I have found these to be wonderfully soda can dancing accurate at 25 yards. 3.2gr bullseye in a 38 special case and you will be very happy with the mild report, recoil, and accuracy.
    +1 Great..

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check