358156 boolits WITH A GC

[Bill.68]

Does anyone know anywhere to buy these besides montana cast bullets? If anyone is able to cast me about 500+ of these Id probably pay a dollar for them.😁

[El Bibliotecario]

The attached bullet isn't a 358156. but is similar, and available from Matt's Bullets, who offers excellent quality, but will ask a bit more than you offered to pay.

[Bill.68]

Ah man. Really? How much? Just kidding, Im aware of MattsBullets and have bought from him a number of times. Thanks for the tip.

[gwpercle]

Lyman still catalogs this mould ... if you would like to own one .

In 1967 the only way to get cast Lyman #358156 boolits was to buy a single cavity mould (couldn't afford any more cavities) and pour them yourself !
Skeeter Skelton liked this one for 357 magnum and my new Ruger Blackhawk needed a magnum boolit so the 1-cavity was bought .
Skeeter was right ... it's a good 357 / 38 mould ...don't fear the gas check ... they work !

You may want to buy a mould just to have in case the "Shortages" and "Price Increases" keep happening ... having a mould could keep you shooting when everyone else has no boolits !
Gary

[El Bibliotecario]

Based on Skelton's enthusiasm for the 38156 I began casting bullets using that mold, and over the years have fired thousands. I used pure linotype because that was all I had. Despite my ignorance of the more sophisticated aspects of bullet casting, the bullet shot more accurately than I could. I don't like the skimpy front driving band, but this seems to make no practical difference.

The 358156 bullet affords crimping to adjust the height of the bullet in the case, which increases powder capacity to allow loading very hot loads in .38 Special cases for use in .357 weapons. This is a topic in itself, and a practice which a faction of handloaders delight in condemning.

[gwpercle]

Based on Skelton's enthusiasm for the 38156 I began casting bullets using that mold, and over the years have fired thousands. I used pure linotype because that was all I had. Despite my ignorance of the more sophisticated aspects of bullet casting, the bullet shot more accurately than I could. I don't like the skimpy front driving band, but this seems to make no practical difference.

The 358156 bullet affords crimping to adjust the height of the bullet in the case, which increases powder capacity to allow loading very hot loads in .38 Special cases for use in .357 weapons. This is a topic in itself, and a practice which a faction of handloaders delight in condemning.

Back then 38 special cases littered the shooting range , free for the picking up ... But 357 Magnum cases were nowhere to be found and if you wanted them ... expensive .
The loading of heavy loads with the 358156 seated in the lower crimp groove in 38 spcl case , that could be fired in your 357 magnum revolver ... was a Huge Advantage for cash poor young fellows like myself . About 5 years ago I "bit the boolit" and bought 300 brand new , unfired 357 magnum cases ... just to experience what loading new 357 magnum brass was like .
It was Okay ... but I still like #358156 loaded into 38 special cases ... why you ask ...?
they are easier to eject the fired cases from the 357 revolver !
Gary

[Larry Gibson]

Back then 38 special cases littered the shooting range , free for the picking up ... But 357 Magnum cases were nowhere to be found and if you wanted them ... expensive .
The loading of heavy loads with the 358156 seated in the lower crimp groove in 38 spcl case , that could be fired in your 357 magnum revolver ... was a Huge Advantage for cash poor young fellows like myself . About 5 years ago I "bit the boolit" and bought 300 brand new , unfired 357 magnum cases ... just to experience what loading new 357 magnum brass was like .
It was Okay ... but I still like #358156 loaded into 38 special cases ... why you ask ...?
they are easier to eject the fired cases from the 357 revolver !
Gary

Got my 358156 mould back in '72 for the very reasons Skeeter designed it for. I also was knee deep in 38 SPL brass but 357 was almost unobtainable on my meager LE pay back then. The 358156 mould have cast thousands of bullets, mostly of COWWs and they've served me well with 357 level loads in 38 SPL cases.

[Walks]

The private commercial casters that I knew of have all passed on.
It's a bullet that My early NM Blackhawk digested 35,000+ hot .357Mag MAX loads out of it in the 1st 15yrs that I owned it.
I used to load a great many "Skeeter" loads. Until I realized that when I do finally pass over, leaving those loads behind. That My Wife's relations will likely come along and use them to blow up My alloy frame Colts & Smiths due to their advanced states of stupidity.
So much for the .38/44 loads for My old Smith H/D and Colt OP too.
But it is a great bullet. Used to get one hole groups at 25yrds out of the NM Blackhawk. Back when the eyes were good and the hands strong.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Does anyone know anywhere to buy these besides montana cast bullets? If anyone is able to cast me about 500+ of these Id probably pay a dollar for them.��

https://mastercast.net/ftp.mastercast.net/Welcome.html

Call them up and ask them.

[Kosh75287]

BILL.68, I'm wondering what is your intended use for the bullet you seek. If it is for "General Purpose" shooting and hunting, I pretty much think there's not a better projectile (maybe with a hollow point?) to use in a .38 Spl./.357 Mag. revolver. If you intend never to use your .357 revolver in situations requiring a fast reload, so be it. If it is possible that your .357 would need to be pressed into service for "less enjoyable" shooting missions, I offer the free advice (deouble your money back guarantee)
If you seek a projectile for defense or action competition in which serious time pressure is present, another projectile may be more to your liking. For the first 5 or 6 rounds from a revolver, there probably is not a better bullet for use against "two-legged varmints", but the sharp shouldered driving bands and flat, sharp, wide meplats will invariably play heck with the sharp edges on the ejector star (DA revolvers) and rear surfaces of the cylinder, making fast and smooth reloads something of an ordeal.
You may find that projectiles of a RNFP or WFN design (see Arsenal Molds, 360-155 or 360-162) will make fast reloads easier and...well...FASTER, while retaining most of the Lyman 358156's attributes that make for its excellent terminal performance. From the (small) game and varmints that I've had occasion to shoot with .357s, the loads I've used, topped with RNFPs or WFNs give up little or nothing to loads using the excellent Lyman 358156 (and similar) LSWCs.
I hope you don't mind the "Master's Thesis" on LSWCs in the .357 Mag. (and for that matter, revolvers of ANY caliber that might be used for defense). I just don't want you investing serious money in a bullet mold that might not throw the very best bullets for all your uses. Been there, done that, don't wanna hear about it happening to others...

[Green Frog]

Got my 358156 mould back in '72 for the very reasons Skeeter designed it for. I also was knee deep in 38 SPL brass but 357 was almost unobtainable on my meager LE pay back then. The 358156 mould have cast thousands of bullets, mostly of COWWs and they've served me well with 357 level loads in 38 SPL cases.

Friend Larry, I thought something looked a little off about your post, then it hit me. While Skeeter certainly raised the level of awareness in the reloading community to the efficacy of the 358156 in 38 Specials loaded to 357 Mag level, the design was made years earlier by the great Ray Thompson. I've always thought of Mr. Thompson as a sort of Elmer Keith with gas checks.

One of the first bullet moulds I ever owned was a double cavity 358156 which I still own. I can't even begin to calculate how many of these I've cast and shot, but I have to admit the vast majority of them were shot bare butt (no GC). Any time I get the urge to cast a batch of 38/357 bullets for general range use. as like as not, that mould still gets the nod.

Froggie

[Hick]

Long before I owned a 357 Magnum revolver I acquired a Lyman 321427 single cavity for my 32 WS-- but could not find small lyman handles at a decent price. Then I found a guy online who wanted to sell a mold I never heard of-- but it was single cavity and came with the handles-- so I bought it ($25 as I recall-- about 10 years ago). Turned out it was 358-156 GC. As soon as I got a 357 I quickly learned how good it was!

[gwpercle]

Got my 358156 mould back in '72 for the very reasons Skeeter designed it for. I also was knee deep in 38 SPL brass but 357 was almost unobtainable on my meager LE pay back then. The 358156 mould have cast thousands of bullets, mostly of COWWs and they've served me well with 357 level loads in 38 SPL cases.

LIKE !
Skeeter Skelton was sure responsible for a lot of 358156 moulds being sold and I appreciate the fact he wasn't against using gas checks and gave us the okay to use them when they were useful . He is still my favorite writer .
Small correction , I believe Ray Thompson actually designed #358156 but Skeeter Skelton's writings promoted it more than any thing else I know of ... Thanks Skeeter !
Gary

[stubshaft]

The 358156 was the second mold I had ever bought (about 173 molds ago), and it was solely due to Skeeters stories. It has and still does serve me well in my magnums and special loads with and without GC's.

[Good Cheer]

Molded soft it was a very nice shooting boolit with WW296 out of a four inch barrel or the Rossi lever gun.

[Frank V]

The 358156 is one of the truly great bullets.

[pworley1]

The 358156 was the second mold I had ever bought (about 173 molds ago), and it was solely due to Skeeters stories. It has and still does serve me well in my magnums and special loads with and without GC's.

Skeeter sold me one back then too.

[Streetwalker]

LOVE the 358156 as well. It was the first mold I ever bought but that first mold was purchased, used, at a gun show back in the early eighties. It's a double cavity and when it is up to temperature, it turns out piles of bullets quite rapidly and without fuss. Incidentally, if one has a rifle chambered for 357 Mag., that bullet over 13 gr. of 2400 in a 357 Mag. or 38 Spl. case is one accurate load!

[Texasflyboy]

One of the best performing .38/.357 designs I've ever come across. The Lyman 358156 Gas Check, but in Hensley Gibbs form, as design #135.

https://www.hensleygibbs.com/Design135.htm

[Larry Gibson]

What was I thinking......

I know it was Ray Thompson that designed that bullet........