358156 without the GC

Rex

Active Member
I expect everyone except me has shot this bullet with out the check. My moulds are all old and have been around the block. They just barely drop .358 diameter and some not perfectly round. I have one mould that drops a good round bullet that measures .3615, an old Lyman one hole 358156. Who has used this bullet without the check, how fast did you push it and did it perform with a bare bottom? I'm too cheap to want to check my mid-range loads.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Treat it like a solid base wadcutter or a RN of about the same weight. It will either work or it won't. I had a 156 for several years before I had a steady supply of GC's or a sizer. I shot it. They hit the target. Nothing to brag on, but they hit the target. Don't expect to push it hard and get bullseyes.
 

Rex

Active Member
Thank you for the reply. I need to set down and order a new RCBS mould, hope they size theirs larger than Lyman.
 

dale2242

Well-Known Member
I was given a 358156 that had the GC bases removed.
It had light surface rust that I removed with Evapo Rust.
I haven`t had a chance to case with it but will soon.
I will probably sell it if all goes well as I have enough 358 molds.
I will give it try none the less...dale
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Why not go with Accurate? He will make it the size you want. Bullets will drop out like nothing else you have ever used.
That bullet will do anything that needs doing in a 38 special or 357 mag revolver. Mild to wild, it will handle them all.
Tell him you want it to cast .359+ and it will drop between .359 and .360.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I have a Lyman combo mould with 358156 for one cavity & 358250 for the other. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but some knucklehead in its past reamed out the gas check step, and screwed up a really desirable combo mould. I never did cast with it although I know I should.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you could just re build that old mold.
I have a 452664 that had been opened and closed so many times on my master caster it wore the mating faces and the pins down.
I had to work the vent lines a little and lap the mold out to gain roundness and diameter again, then punch the pins out a touch, but I should be able to get another 40-50K bullets out of it.

as far as pushing a gas check design without a gas check?
my best efforts have been to cast them soft and use a faster powder at target type velocities.

you might could use some powder coat to help avoid the gas check's too.
that should gain you some diameter as well.
I got a small batch of coated 8mm bullets sitting there waiting for me to give them a low and slow no gas check try, if that pan's out I will incrementally work them up towards 1800 fps or so.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Brad gives good advice.

RCBS in my experience tends to run their molds on the small side and it takes a rich alloy to make the nominal size marked.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
RCBS uses Linotype for spec I believe. A softer alloy is most likely gonna run small.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Truth to tell here--I have NEVER run a gas-check-design casting of any size without a gas check in place. I do need to get out more, it seems. Go a little wide from time to time.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I prefer bevel base and gc type bullets for powder coating because it gives a cleaner base edge for the muzzle crown to see, or that's my story anyway because they invariably shoot better than powder coated plain-base bullets. I stand all mine to bake by the way.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I prefer bevel base and gc type bullets for powder coating because it gives a cleaner base edge for the muzzle crown to see, or that's my story anyway because they invariably shoot better than powder coated plain-base bullets. I stand all mine to bake by the way.

Huh! would have thought just the opposite, but I know zilch about PC. Interesting.

My RCBS, I have a few but not a lot, have all been a little generous in size. Not a lot, but the 30's run a good .310-.311 unlike some of my Lymans and SAECOs that are more .309-.310 as not.
 
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