What is the best all around .38/.357 mold diameter?

I know in an ideal world you should get a mold that matches the slugging results from any particular firearm and there would be some overlap between guns. Never going to have a micro groove marlin so my question, is "What is the best all around .38/.357 mold diameter?" I realize that my single action revolver may not match my J Frame or Ruger LCR or the soon to add 1873 lever action or Blackhawk, or GP100 or whatever. Have two .357s now and I know the inventory will grow. Would like to keep the mold count down if possible and would probably get rid of a gun that fell outside the parameters of the molds I get, rather than the other way around and add another mold. Want to stick with .357 for all my guns and keep it simple. Thanks for your input.

"Had his shooting been as good as his running, he might have given a better account of himself."
James. C. Henderson

Boolit Mold Join DateJan 2013LocationMilan, MIPosts16

Not sure why you wouldn't want to increase your mold count............. but if it were me, I would keep molds that cast large and get a few Lee push through bullet sizing dies in .357, .358, .359,.........got it covered.

The determing factor for me is cylinder chamber not bore...my 357's won't chamber a loaded round with a .360 sized bullet unless it's been run through a LFCD. If I use the seater die to seat and crimp, no joy...so .358 is what I size to. The cylinder chambers on my guns measure .380...(throats are .358 bore is .357)

JM - If I had my choice in your situation, I would get a mold that dropped boolits at .359 anyway. That way, you can size down some, or not. Good advice regarding the cylinder throats. Small throats will wreck the whole program. Don't be afraid to accumulate a few molds. After all,
the 2 cav Lees are available for 20 some bucks. How bad is that ?? Good luck. Mike

I saw Elvis at 1000 feet. John Force

"Not sure why you wouldn't want to increase your mold count."

Money and simplicity.

"Had his shooting been as good as his running, he might have given a better account of himself."
James. C. Henderson

a good rnfp mold sized to 358 is what you'll want.
for all my revolver cartridges I have two molds, a rnfp and a swc of some sort.
I generally have one-two revolvers in that cartridge and a levergun or three.
358 for the 35's, 430 for the 44's, and 452 for the 45's.
I occasionally do something different for a special gun.
and if pressed to one mold only it would be a rnfp style with a fairly short nose.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

Too many to pick from. I have LEE and Lyman molds. LEE 140 gr WC is sperb so is the Lyman 148 gr WC boolit.
I have others that shoot well also. Mine drop at .358+. The largest is .3604. Tweaking the alloy would change that. I use .358 in the nines as well. How big are your cylinders miking at??

Shiloh

Last edited by Shiloh; Yesterday at 07:03 PM.

"A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
Bertrand de Jouvenel

?Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.? ? Joseph P. Martino

?If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.? ? Milton Friedman

I order molds, for 150 grains and up, that drop at .360, if possible, and size down to .359. My Marlin requires it and my 586 shoots that size just fine. I don't like having loads for only one firearm when I have multiples that take the same cartridge. I order .359 molds for lighter bullets so I can size them to work in 9mm as well.

I like the Lyman or RCBS 158 grain Cowboy moulds (these drop slightly larger). Bullets drop out around .361 from my RCBS cowboy version mould, and size easily to .358 using the RCBS Lube-a-matic. When using the Lee type sizer to size these .361 bullets down to .358 it will leave fins around base of bullet (not good).

If .361 is too large then I would get maybe the Lyman 358477. These should drop smaller and size easily using both types of sizers.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mould-details.php?entryID=9

I would say a .358. That is what works most of the time and if you need one a little bit bigger, you can "beagle" the mold or change the alloy or temp to get a different diameter.
Also: what runfiverun said.

The RCBS 9MM bullet drops exactly .358" using 20/1 lead tin (i have this mould). Shoot as cast
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0004482077

I really appreciate all the replies. Every post was helpful in my quest to simplify my life and save some time and $$$. Thanks and God Bless

"Had his shooting been as good as his running, he might have given a better account of himself."
James. C. Henderson

Boolit Master Join DateAug 2009Posts693

I'd go .359" too and agree with runfiverun on getting a rnfp. It will work better in the leveraction and still do all you need in the revolvers.

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Newbie Alox question...

I casted/sized/lubed a bunch of 10mm bullets and decided to let them dry outside, overnight. It happened to rain on them. Should I lube them again, or should they be good to go?

Boolit Master Join DateJan 2012Posts194

Bring them in and let them dry off. How do they look? I do not think alox will dissolve in water so they should be a ok. If you are worried, do another little tumble and you will be good to go. I would not leave them outside in case of any contamination sticking to the alox. The last thig you need is debis stuck to the lube being fired down your bore.

Never have heard of water-soluble Alox. Unless you found some and used it, you're all right.

"You are not a hoarder until you have exceeded a lifetime supply"

I brought them in...they're in my spare bedroom on the floor with wax paper...I don't think my wife is a fan of it, though!

Boolit Master Join DateJan 2009LocationNashville, TN.Posts156

She "let you" bring them in ? Wow good women. The smell should of got you kicked out of the house ! Your ok as posted above. I personally hate the smell of it and wont even try to bring them inside till very dry.
I made the mistake of giving my wife a revolver years ago,..... I never thought ahead about bringing in alox boolits and cleaning guns inside the house !

Mike

I don't care for the Alox odor much, either. That stuff stays in the garage. I like its work as boolit lube, but as a room deodorizer......not so much.

Specific to Lee Liquid Alox......I used it for paper-patch lube in the past, and it seems to have a water-proofing effect for the patches to some degree. I don't think water exposure causes harm, but rain and runoff can have grit and dust within it. No good for bores if the grit has any size to it.

History is always ambiguous, if honestly presented--Stephen E. Ambrose

Boolit Man Join DateNov 2011Posts95

Something I learnt some time ago, if you want to keep the woman in your life out of your `Man Cave` make sure that you have 3 things in there. Lee Liquid Alox, Hoppes No.9 and Ballistol.
Works every time!

ukrifleman.

Apparently, they're OK. I took them into the "man cave" to do some loading, and all of the Alox is still there...

Retired Law Enforcement
NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
NRA Certified Basic Instructor
SC Law Enforcement Division CWP Instructor

alox is used as spray on rust proofing under car fenders and such.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

Something I learnt some time ago, if you want to keep the woman in your life out of your `Man Cave` make sure that you have 3 things in there. Lee Liquid Alox, Hoppes No.9 and Ballistol.
Works every time!

ukrifleman.

Wisdom in its natural, free-range state is a sublime thing to behold.

History is always ambiguous, if honestly presented--Stephen E. Ambrose

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inconsistent/crooked seating GC

I noticed while lubing/seating GC some would not seat uniform. I could easily inspect the gap from top of GC to where the profile changes on the shank of boolit. This is actually the first time using this boolit. I culled any out when casted that did not have nice sharp profile of the boolit.

RCBS Lubasizer
.311" sizer die
Gator GC's
311165 NOE boolit dropping at .311-.312"
for got what lube, but was purchased from Vendor on here....its kind of light pink color

ALSO something i have never questioned after a dozen i start to have a build up of lube on the top of die. I usually just scrape it off. Is this normal? How can i prevent?

Also with the above happening i am getting lube on bottom of GC. Will this have any effect on performance as i'm sure some powder will stick to the lube?

thanks
DWD

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Surprise!!!

So I've been biding my time during this latest craze. But I'd been gathering items to start reloading for my ARs. I had bought dies about 6-7 months ago. And I had bought 4k of 5.56/223 50/50 mix brass back in November for a price I couldn't turn down. (It was so good, I bought it to also cut some of the more dinged up cartridges down to 7.62x25) Well, I was talking with a guy the other day who was wanting to trade some WC844, to got my attention. He wanted primers, and more then what the powder was worth. So the deal fell through. But in the effort of going through my stash and looking at what I actually had I found two bricks of Small Rifle Magnums!!! I must have accidentally purchased them thinking they were Small Pistol Magnums.

Long story short..... Now I just have to find some suitable powder and a good mold and sizing die.

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Gas check ?

I am loading for 30 Herrett and 357 Herrett and am trying to get a cast boolit load worked up. Question is , do you have to have the boolit seating depth such that the check is kept in the neck area of the case. I have plenty of chamber depth to almost have the boolit totally out of the case so it is no problem with keeping it out far enough but some of the lube grooves are exposed in order to keep the check in the neck and not below it. I am using the Lee 30-180-SP in the 30 and Lyman 358315 200 gr in the 357.The 357 at 1st workup seems to shoot well but the boolit is way out there to keep the check in the neck. I do have it as deep as possible trying to keep as much of the lube grooves in the case as possible. Does it hurt to have the lube grooves out ? It is not an issue for me as it is a single shot and not a problem to use them like that just did not know if it was a good practice or not.

I will also be doing the 357 SIG soon and that will be the same issue I am sure.......if I decide to use Gaschecks.

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LS Stuff 45/45/10

Boolit Bub Join DateMar 2013Posts40

I just ordered a bottle LS Stuff 45/45/10 from the folks here on this site. My question is: Do you use it straight out of the bottle or cut it with something like alcohol? If you cut it what ratio do you use?

Their 45-45-10 should be ready to use. I have always made my own so far. I prefer to warm the lube by putting the bottle in warm water, and leaving my boolits in the sun first.

Straight out of the bottle, and only a very SMALL amount. For the first coat, heat your boolits up and you'll get a better, more even coating. Size 'em, then lube 'em again and load 'em up.

Above Reproach A novel in which a series of mass-shootings coordinated by anti-American officials inside the U.S. government threatens not only the Second Amendment, but the entire Bill of Rights until one armed citizen finds himself with his back against the wall and fights back.

Boolit Bub Join DateMar 2013Posts40

Sounds good, THANKS............................................ ...............................

if you have it for a while you will wanna throw some more mineral spirits in it.
adding more changes nothing.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

I keep mine in a plastic squirt-top barbeque sauce bottle. I run it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm it up before I put it in the tub with the bullets. Seems to give me a better coating that way. I haven't been warming the bullets themselves but will probably give that a try as well. It's kinda like Horseradish, a little goes a loooong ways. If you can see it on the bullets you've probably used too much.

definatly heat the boolits up it makes the lube flow over them soooo much better.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

I use an old pie pan on my hot plate. I set the hot plate on low, dump the tumble-lubed boolits into the pan and let it heat just until it starts to fume. Then I pick up the pan using my casting gloves and sloosh the boolits gently around for a couple of minutes to get a more even coating, then set the pan on the cold concrete floor to freeze the lube. In 10 minutes, they're ready either to be sized or loaded.

_________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

Boolit Bub Join DateMar 2013Posts40

Rintinglen: Sounds good, I will use your method, Thanks.

Boolit Man Join DateApr 2012LocationUtahPosts120

Ive warmed my bullets a few times before adding lube and a few times I just added lube to the 68 degree room tempature bullets and I really can't tell a difference so I don't warm them anymore. I do keep my lube in front of the heater vent so it flows easy. The trick of adding a bullet or two to the lube bottle really helps when shaking the bottle to make sure the lube is mixed.

Who made the original 45-45-10?? Recluse?
Didn't even know it was commercially available. I'll definitely try some.

Shiloh

"A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
Bertrand de Jouvenel

?Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.? ? Joseph P. Martino

?If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.? ? Milton Friedman

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NOE .35 200Gr. FN (RCBS) Re-run

Received the mould today. Barbara brought it to the shop [sweet girl] so I washed it well & went to work.

I got my RG in the mail today! Sweetness for sure!

looking forward to casting with it, it's blowing snow and 30? now, so I'll have to wait.

Got mine today but have to wait til I get the sprue plate in better shape. This is my first 2C NOE mold, so what handle are reccommended for their 2C molds?

Boolit Master Join DateAug 2007LocationBeaverton, OregonPosts623

My 5 cavity mold arrived today as well. What a thing of beauty..
I'm in the middle of a household move, so the lead pot is cold. I'd be interested in knowing what diameter the bullets are dropping when someone has a chance to cast some.

John

That is one nice mold and that is an outstanding boolit design. Works well in every 35 cal bore I've run it through. My 5 cav is from the first run and it casts CWW +2% Sn at .360" and my alloy at 210 gr.

Rick

"The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke

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One side is for Liberty and the Constitution and they are called domestic terrorist, anti-American, nazi's and mobsters. Just what is the side using these terms for?

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Rick I cast those from straight COWW & they are .361 & 213 grains naked. I was hoping for something closer to 200 but for some reason it seems most my moulds cast heavy.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
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