How to pick just one bullet

Reloader762

Reloader762

Active Member
I have quite a few molds for my 38/357s, and they all shoot very well, usually better than me, but of them all my favorite has to be the Lyman SWC 358156 GC or its NOE clone of the 358156 GC HP version. Beside both being one of the most excellent bullets for 38/357 loads, the double crimp groove gives me the option to load a midrange 357 mag. Skeeter loads in 38 special cases, of which I have more than I will ever use up.

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38 Special no gas check tumble lubed on the R dressed up for the 357 Mag. on the L.
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StrawHat

StrawHat

Well-Known Member
While I still have multiple molds for each caliber or cartridge, I have very much found a single favorite for each. The advice given as to which cast does your revolver prefer is the one to follow.

Unless you have another motive. For me, I have about a dozen and a half ACP revolvers. The thought of finding a specific load for each revolver is more than I am willing to undertake. I selected a bullet that did well in many of them and developed a load that is acceptable in all of them.

For me, that is what works.

Kevin
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
StrawHat said:
...The thought of finding a specific load for each revolver is more than I am willing to undertake. I selected a bullet that did well in many of them and developed a load that is acceptable in all of them.

For me, that is what works.

Kevin
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Sometimes, good enough is good enough, especially when perceived perfection isn't that much of an improvement over good enough.

Where good enough really shines is when it works in multiple guns and I've spent a fair bit of time working toward that with mine. I can't brag on the highest velocities or the smallest groups, but what I get is quite acceptably fast and accurate for what I need to do.

When I say "acceptably fast and accurate," it's still pretty darned good - not worse enough to worry about, compared to a finely-tuned load per gun.

EDIT: I said the last part backward - corrected it.
 
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Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Jeff H said:
Sometimes, good enough is good enough, especially when good enough isn't that much of an improvement over perceived perfection.

Where good enough really shines is when it works in multiple guns and I've spent a fair bit of time working toward that with mine. I can't brag on the highest velocities or the smallest groups, but what I get is quite acceptably fast and accurate for what I need to do.

When I say "acceptably fast and accurate," it's still pretty darned good - not worse enough to worry about, compared to a finely-tuned load per gun.
Click to expand...

Brings to mind a poem, I had to memorize in 7th grade, and recite in front of the class!

“GOOD ENOUGH”​

My son, beware of “good enough,”
It isn't made of sterling stuff;
It's something any man can do,
It marks the many from the few,
It has no merit to the eye,
It's something any man can buy,
It's name is but a sham and bluff,
For it is never “good enough.”
With “good enough” the shirkers stop
In every factory and shop;
With “good enough” the failures rest
And lose to men who give their best;
With “good enough” the car breaks down
And men fall short of high renown.
My son, remember and be wise,
In “good enough” disaster lies.
With “good enough” have ships been wrecked,
The forward march of armies checked,
Great buildings burned and fortunes lost;
Nor can the world compute the cost
In life and money it has paid
Because at “good enough” men stayed.
Who stops at “good enough” shall find
Success has left him far behind.
There is no “good enough” that's short
Of what you can do and you ought.
The flaw which may escape the eye
And temporarily get by,
Shall weaken underneath the strain,
And wreck the ship or car or train,
For this is true of men and stuff—
Only the best is “good enough.”

—Edgar A. Guest.
 
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RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
Ok ,well ,I have a grossly oversized 430421 that drops a .448 . Now I have , based on "if it's stupid and it works it's not stupid" , wrapped it up to .453 and poked it in a 45 ACP . It actually shot well from the 1917 Ms September 1918 , in fact much better than most of the 255 class bullets on hand . I hate to say it, but , sometimes just because it's a good design and works well in a particular arm doesn't always make it worthwhile or worth the effort. Unfortunately in some cases I feel the same way about checks . I have a RN 220 gr GC cut 45 .452 (452460?) . Maybe if it were being loaded in the Raptor to prove I could get to 25 or 2800 fps but otherwise it's just not worth it ........ especially when I could just roll a few 430421s .........

For whatever it's worth I probably didn't give the 4-5 Lyman moulds a really fair shake . That is mostly because the old 358-158 RF Lee shot so well in a Colts and S&W 38s , a pair of 357 Rugers' and a 38/357 Marlin and the new 6 banger made so many so fast . It also has a satisfying meplat and in the 1-16" twist flys well out to 325 yd although that holdover used the barrel band instead of the front sight about 6" back .
 
StrawHat

StrawHat

Well-Known Member
Jeff H said:
Sometimes, good enough is good enough, especially when perceived perfection isn't that much of an improvement over good enough.

Where good enough really shines is when it works in multiple guns and I've spent a fair bit of time working toward that with mine. I can't brag on the highest velocities or the smallest groups, but what I get is quite acceptably fast and accurate for what I need to do.

When I say "acceptably fast and accurate," it's still pretty darned good - not worse enough to worry about, compared to a finely-tuned load per gun.

EDIT: I said the last part backward - corrected it.
Click to expand...
I was inspired by the factory, specifically Federal’s 38 wadcutter load, that they would crank out thousands, no millions of the same load that shot well in all the revolvers. Good enough? They were the standard by which we judged our reloads!

Kevin
 
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StrawHat

StrawHat

Well-Known Member
Winelover said:
Brings to mind a poem, I had to memorize in 7th grade, and recite in front of the class!

“GOOD ENOUGH”​

My son, beware of “good enough,”
It isn't made of sterling stuff;
It's something any man can do,
It marks the many from the few,
It has no merit to the eye,
It's something any man can buy,
It's name is but a sham and bluff,
For it is never “good enough.”
With “good enough” the shirkers stop
In every factory and shop;
With “good enough” the failures rest
And lose to men who give their best;
With “good enough” the car breaks down
And men fall short of high renown.
My son, remember and be wise,
In “good enough” disaster lies.
With “good enough” have ships been wrecked,
The forward march of armies checked,
Great buildings burned and fortunes lost;
Nor can the world compute the cost
In life and money it has paid
Because at “good enough” men stayed.
Who stops at “good enough” shall find
Success has left him far behind.
There is no “good enough” that's short
Of what you can do and you ought.
The flaw which may escape the eye
And temporarily get by,
Shall weaken underneath the strain,
And wreck the ship or car or train,
For this is true of men and stuff—
Only the best is “good enough.”

—Edgar A. Guest.
Click to expand...
So, factory target loads? Not good?

As I mentioned in another post, the standard by which we mere mortals measure our reloads.

Kevin
 
Brad

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Good enough means it satisfies my needs.
If I am shooting mostly at 10 to 15 yards with a handgun do I need to know how it shoots at 50 yards? Do I care?

yep, if it fits my needs then it is good enough
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Brad said:
Good enough means it satisfies my needs.
If I am shooting mostly at 10 to 15 yards with a handgun do I need to know how it shoots at 50 yards? Do I care?

yep, if it fits my needs then it is good enough
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THAT, right there!

To exceed that is either for the sake of entertainment or just folly. If I put a slug .002" left of perfect center of a woodchuck's forehead, neither he nor I will know.
 
johnnyjr

johnnyjr

Well-Known Member
JonB said:
You've given us lots of posts to get to know you. I feel like you are a close friend. Because of me thinking I know you so well, I'm just gonna say my opinion. You should stick with the 358156 GC mold ...and use GCs in every bullet you load. Work up a load and COAL, that works best in your rifle and then, and only then, see how it shoots in the 686. I bet your rifle load will shoot as good in your revolver, as you are able to, at 25 yards off hand.
That's my 2¢
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I do all my shooting at 50 yards or beyond. 25 is just to boring. Some day I want to try 200 yards. I guess that's my main reason to pick just one or two bullets. Waiting on a new spotting scope to arrive. No idea what happened to the old one. I could barely see the holes at 100 last week. But it's an old one. Probably had it 25 years.
 
358156 hp

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
johnnyjr said:
I do all my shooting at 50 yards or beyond. 25 is just to boring. Some day I want to try 200 yards. I guess that's my main reason to pick just one or two bullets. Waiting on a new spotting scope to arrive. No idea what happened to the old one. I could barely see the holes at 100 last week. But it's an old one. Probably had it 25 years.
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I have an old Bushnell Spotter in my range box. It was pretty much a cutting edge optic in its price range when I bought it several decades back. Now it's not so cool. Neither am I :)
 
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