Best Lee Cast Bullet for Both .38sp and .357

C

Cactus

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Thunder Bay ON
Hi all,

Picked up an older but mint Ruger GP100 6" for my winter shooting and while waiting for the Ont CFO I am looking at my Lee catalog trying to decide on the best bullet mould for .38sp and .357 reloading.

The two I am deciding between are the 150gr round nose or the 150gr semi wad. The other thing is should I be looking at a lighter 125gr RF (round with flat) instead for plinking?

My shooting is paper punching and can/jug blasting at 10 tp 20 yardslike most. Is one better that the other feeding or accuracy wise? I have load data for all so I am left with picking the shape and weight.

Thanks,
Cactus
 
What I consider the best bullet for 38S/357 will not be found in the Lee catalogue. A well proven design, used by a great many shooters over a very long period of time, is the Elmer Keith designed Lyman #358429.
A special note for you here. This bullet is too long for some of the most common 357 revolvers, if it is crimped in the crimping groove designed for crimping. If you had a S & W Model 27, or a Colt Python, I would not recommend this bullet, as neither will accept it in the cylinder if it is crimped in the proper crimping groove in 357 brass. That bullet has been satisfactorily used in each of those two fine guns for half a century, or so. But, if using it in a shorter cylinder gun, with 357 brass, the bullet must be seated deeper and crimped on the shoulder.
38 Special brass can be used and the bullet crimped in the proper crimping groove. This has also been done for half a century or so, using full power 357 loads. However, apparently the modern loading books state to not use 38 brass in a 357 magnum, and our modern reloaders won't do it.
But, you stated you had a Ruger GP 100. I think the cylinder in this is the same length as the Ruger previous to this, the Security Six. This very strong gun, typical of Ruger, had a cylinder long enough to handle the Lyman 358429 bullet crimped in its proper groove. This made the great bullet design perfect for the Ruger.
 
Thanks for the great info... I was looking for a Ruger GP100 or Security Six because of the strength of the gun. When I picked it up and inspected it yesterday, my first thought was this is a tank and will take full power loads easily.

I quoted the Lee moulds because that was the catalog I had on hand. My main question is which is better, a heavier or lighter bullet?

Cactus
 
I couldn't say which is best, heavy or light bullet. However, it could be argued that Elmer Keith was the all time greatest revolver experimenter and practical revolver shooter. He never used light bullets, period. Another great 357 shooter was the late Skeeter Skelton, one time pistol editor of Guns nd Ammo. He used the Keith designed bullets almost exclusively, 358429 and the gas check model, I think it was 358156, in the 357.
The Ruger Security Six was a great revolver. When it came out Ruger set it up at their display at the Vagas Shot show, to dry fire. They had a mechanical machine rigged up to dry fire it at the rate of once a second. They had it running steady, 24 hours a day, for the seven days of the show, firing at a rate of one a second. At the end of the show a gunsmith took it apart and examined the parts. I think the wording was that the gunsmith couldn't find enough wear to measure!
We had a 357 Security Six, 6 inch barrel, and at the same time, probably the best 357 Smith and Wesson ever made, the first model that came before they came up with the model number, 27. I thought the Ruger was better in every way. Using a rest for shooting, we got better groups with the Ruger. I was just looking at my reloading notes and the Ruger could handle 1½ grains more H110, than could the S&W. This could have partly been because we had to seat the Keith bullets deeper for the Smith, because of the shorter cylinder, but our chronograph records show at least another 100 fps for the Ruger.
 
When I was casting for .38 and .357 I was using the Lee 358-158-RF product number 90303 and it was a perfect bullet for whatever I was shooting. Mold only cost 25-30 if I remember...
358158rf.gif
 
I use both the Lee tumble lube 158 gr. SWC and RN in my 6.5" Blackhawk and Taurus 4" SS I shoot them as cast with two light coats of Alox/JPW mix. I generally shoot them at 1200+ fps. using Alliant 2400 with no leading and excellent accuracy.

I also have the Lee 158 gr SWC gas check mold,bullets are cast lubed and gas checked and sized to .359 which my BH likes just haven't had time to work on any loads.
 
The 150 or 158 semi wadcutter is a nice paper puncher that shoots well in most guns and makes nice holes. The more round nose shapes can be a little easier to load fast and have a bit more cowboy look to them.

The lighter bullets might be nice if you are looking for higher velocity though that doesn't apply so much with lead bullets. They can be handy if you are wanting lighter recoil plinking loads. Elmer Keith and many of the old time developers were into the big heavy bullets with an eye to making heavy long range and hunting loads.

All depends on the kind of shooting you are thinking of doing.
 
Thanks for the great input guys...

I was leaning to the heavier bullets after doing some reading and settled on the Lee TL-358-158-SWC for my 38 and 357 winter shooting.

Thanks,
Cactus
 
Cactus said:
I was leaning to the heavier bullets after doing some reading and settled on the Lee TL-358-158-SWC for my 38 and 357 winter shooting.
Thanks, Cactus
Click to expand...

Excellent choice. I hope you got the 6-cavity mold, like mine. I suggest re-sizing your bullets to .357 or .358 (whichever you or your barrels require). Mine are cast with WW, re-sized .357, tumble-lubed before and after. Loaded to .38 spl +P levels in mixed .38 spl brass over 4.3 grains 700X, chrono average of about 1,000 fps out of a 6 inch GP100.

Initially, I followed the instructions which didn't require re-sizing...bad idea. Half my loads wouldn't chamber in my 686s and the GP100. Resizing to 357 solved the problem.

This load shoots 4 inch groups at 25 meters with my GP100 iron sights. Opens up to about 6 inches if I shoot slow DA, standing two handed hold. I am at best an average shot due to ageing nearsighted and astigmatic eyes, mind you. So I attribute this decent accuracy to the gun and the loads.

Lee TL bullets work well for me as well in 9, 40 and 45, all truncated cone.
 
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easyrider604 is right. Size your bullets to your gun bore.
How to find your real gun bore? You can push a soft lead slug down any bore with even number grooves then measure it with a micrometer (calipers won't do). Odd number of grooves ... too complicated... (GP100)
Then size the bullet 2 thousands over the bore's groove diameter.
 
easyrider604 said:
Excellent choice. I hope you got the 6-cavity mold, like mine.
Click to expand...

+1. If you shoot any type of volume, the 6 cavity molds make bullets at warp speed.

I also run the 158 TL's. Keep your mold hot and the bullets come out quick. I've found that any stoppage makes the bullets stick in a bit more stubbornly.
 
For odd number groove bores wrap a piece of a known thickness brass shim stock tightly around the slug. Measure the outside dia. of the wrapped slug and subtract the difference of the shim stock times 2 from the measured dia. and you have your bore dia.

Do it several time to make sure you get a reliable measurement.
 
Thanks for all the good advice guys,

It's good to hear that I made the right choice. I was looking at the 125gr rf first to use in the 357 and size down for another 9mm cast bullet choice but the fact that MsgDrew had the bigger mould in stock and all of the reading I did made the bigger bullet choice a no brainer.

This place is the best, since buying the gun Saturday, I got a die set and bullet mould from here and will probably have them in hand and working on a batch of brass before the Ont CFO finishes the transfer LOL.

Cactus
 
adriel said:
+1. If you shoot any type of volume, the 6 cavity molds make bullets at warp speed.

I also run the 158 TL's. Keep your mold hot and the bullets come out quick. I've found that any stoppage makes the bullets stick in a bit more stubbornly.
Click to expand...

Nope, I prefer the two cavity moulds. I find that I have better control and even pouring with them. It may take a little longer but I can knock off 100 in no time once everything is hot and I get into the casting zone.

Do you guys water quench your pistol bullets? I quench my 9mm bullets made from a mix of WWs and pure lead. All of my rifle bullets are WW only and quenched. My Slugs, buckshot and round balls are pure lead, sometimes quenched sometimes not.

Cactus
 
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