I've finally gone to a gas check bullet to stop the barrel lead in my S&W 686. Part of the problem is probably my alloy, if it melts I pour it. But the GC lets me get away with that. I've sized the bullet to the throats and tried many lubes but nothing else worked. At 77 I'm not real demanding of my revolver, a 6"X6" swing plate at 20-25 yards is all I ask of my loads. 7.3 grains of Unique does this quite well at a recoil lever my arthritis can handle. One drawback is that my mould is an old Ideal one hole job, makes nice bullets but is slow. I've never tried the RCBS 158 grain GC mould but suspect that it is also a good one. Does anyone here use the RCBS and what are your thoughts?
358156 GC
- Thread starter Rex
- Start date
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
I have the #358156 in a two-cavity mould. It was among the first moulds I bought when I started in 1981. I have cast ZILLIONS of these for my 357 Magnum revolvers, and loads seated and crimped into the upper crimp groove run in my Henry 357 levergun very smoothly. Great design--its only flaw is that its shank size doesn't see eye-to-eye with Hornady gas checks. I flare the checks' sidewalls a bit, and all is well. I seat GCs as a discrete step prior to sizing and lubing; that little gas check seater stop that comes with the 450/4500 presses enables that easily.
uncle jimbo
Well-Known Member
The Lee 358gc swc is all I use in my 357 mag. IMO they a good bullet. My Lee mold casts them good with very few rejects, mostly my fault.
JonB
Halcyon member
I recently acquired an old sgl cav. Ideal 358156 at a gunshow.
The bullet likes to stick in the cavity, so it needs a bit of maintenance.
The old style brass Lyman GC's fit the bullet real nice, luckily I have a stash of those.
I have found, that once a sgl cav mold is working well, so the bullet drops freely, it is nearly as fast as a two cavity mold.
A Lee 6 cav or NOE 5 cav is the way to get a lot of bullets quickly.
I have a NOE 360-160-SWC 5 cav mold, while mine is plain base, a GC style is available...it is very similar to the Lyman 358156.
The bullet likes to stick in the cavity, so it needs a bit of maintenance.
The old style brass Lyman GC's fit the bullet real nice, luckily I have a stash of those.
I have found, that once a sgl cav mold is working well, so the bullet drops freely, it is nearly as fast as a two cavity mold.
A Lee 6 cav or NOE 5 cav is the way to get a lot of bullets quickly.
I have a NOE 360-160-SWC 5 cav mold, while mine is plain base, a GC style is available...it is very similar to the Lyman 358156.
358156 hp
At large, whereabouts unknown.
I seem to have accumulated a plentitude of both 358156 & 357446 moulds. I do like them both. I also have a 162 gr RCBS 2 cavity GC mould that languishes unused in my accumulation, as well as the Lachmiller PB version of the same.
Rex- I think you would be well served with the 158 gr RCBS mould, I did notice that your load with Unique is right at the top end for 357 mag, but that's where I prefer to run things too. If you're shopping for a new mould I'd suggest trying to find one of the older RCBS moulds from the cardboard box days. I still see a number of new, old stock RCBS moulds on the auction sites. I've been hearing some talk of current production RCBS mould casting a bit on the small side. The guess is that the new moulds may now be dimensioned for linotype as appears to be the fashion these days. NOE also offers a number of 357 designs that can be bought in two cavity versions if that's what you want. I don't know what other moulds you own, but whatever you choose will almost certainly require different handles as well.
Rex- I think you would be well served with the 158 gr RCBS mould, I did notice that your load with Unique is right at the top end for 357 mag, but that's where I prefer to run things too. If you're shopping for a new mould I'd suggest trying to find one of the older RCBS moulds from the cardboard box days. I still see a number of new, old stock RCBS moulds on the auction sites. I've been hearing some talk of current production RCBS mould casting a bit on the small side. The guess is that the new moulds may now be dimensioned for linotype as appears to be the fashion these days. NOE also offers a number of 357 designs that can be bought in two cavity versions if that's what you want. I don't know what other moulds you own, but whatever you choose will almost certainly require different handles as well.
Just about the only 38cal Lyman Mold that I never switched to a 4cav. Started with a 2cav and got another passed onto me. The bullets were so good that I never wanted to gamble with switching to another mold. I cast from that pair of 2cav just about as many bullets as I get out of a 4cav.
And no problems with gaschecks at all. Seat them with the Lyman gas check tool on the old 450, they size on straight and true.
I am talking about the #358156 here, it's just worked out so well for Me.
It seems most of My favorite bullets/loads came from My Dad. At least in .38cal, I've done my own experimenting with .44cal, Dad was satisfied with the #429421 or H&G equivalent.
I've got at least 20+ 44molds. And more .38molds.
There is always another bullet/load to try.
Isn't that why we cast and load our own ammo.
And no problems with gaschecks at all. Seat them with the Lyman gas check tool on the old 450, they size on straight and true.
I am talking about the #358156 here, it's just worked out so well for Me.
It seems most of My favorite bullets/loads came from My Dad. At least in .38cal, I've done my own experimenting with .44cal, Dad was satisfied with the #429421 or H&G equivalent.
I've got at least 20+ 44molds. And more .38molds.
There is always another bullet/load to try.
Isn't that why we cast and load our own ammo.
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I use a Lee push through sizer to size and seat the check at once. I should just keep using this 358156 single hole Ideal as it makes a beautiful bullet. I do own a 2 hold 358429, 2 hole 357446 and a single hole 358477 that casts a really out of round bullet. Adjusting the pins doesn't seem to help. At any rate my Smith leads like crazy with anything but a GC bullet so I'll probably keep plugging away. When you are retired and old what else you got to do anyway. Though I will watch for the RCBS 162 grainer.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I think he was the first to add the GC to a designated revolver bullet, or at least a production model. That was back when the 357 was known for leading, even with factory ammo. We all understand why now, but back then it was more of a mystery. It's a fine design and for me it shoots so well in so many guns that screwing around and paying for a GC is worth it for hotter loads.
Reloader762
Active Member
REX here is the Lee 158 gr. SWC with GC, it's been a good shooting bullet for me in the 357 Mag. You can buy a Lee six cavity and handles for less than the RCBS mold as well. I used to lube this bullet but these days everything just gets powder coated.
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
I don't recall where I read what follows here; I would like to credit its source. This is specific to the Lymans #358156 and #429244. I have both designs, and have used TONS of both castings over the years. They just work so darn well!
Ray Thompson's goal was to design a "do everything" SWC bullet for revolvers. Paying considerable homage to Elmer Keith, he used the SWC form AND offered two crimp grooves to enable users to mimic Keith's goal of getting as much bullet base OUT of the case in order to create powder space in Keith's "enhanced" 38/44 (38 Special) and 44 Special loadings. Thompson also knew that early N-frame 357 Magnum revolvers still used 38 Special-length cylinders, and the upper crimp groove on his #358156 addressed the need for crimping in N-frame 38s and 357s.
When I read this, it finally dawned on me what a brilliant design Mr. Thompson's revolver bullets truly were. No doubt about it--I LIKE SWC-form cast bullets for revolvers--Keith, Thompson, Lee, whatever. Add on that Thompson designs feed flawlessly in my leverguns (and Keiths can be balky-feeding and seat/crimp over-long when conventionally-assembled), the Thompson designs do more things well in more firearms for me.
I am slowly gaining an appreciation for the round-flatnose form, esp. for use in lever rifles. But SWCs stole my heart 40+ years ago, and I won't cheat on them (a lot).
Ray Thompson's goal was to design a "do everything" SWC bullet for revolvers. Paying considerable homage to Elmer Keith, he used the SWC form AND offered two crimp grooves to enable users to mimic Keith's goal of getting as much bullet base OUT of the case in order to create powder space in Keith's "enhanced" 38/44 (38 Special) and 44 Special loadings. Thompson also knew that early N-frame 357 Magnum revolvers still used 38 Special-length cylinders, and the upper crimp groove on his #358156 addressed the need for crimping in N-frame 38s and 357s.
When I read this, it finally dawned on me what a brilliant design Mr. Thompson's revolver bullets truly were. No doubt about it--I LIKE SWC-form cast bullets for revolvers--Keith, Thompson, Lee, whatever. Add on that Thompson designs feed flawlessly in my leverguns (and Keiths can be balky-feeding and seat/crimp over-long when conventionally-assembled), the Thompson designs do more things well in more firearms for me.
I am slowly gaining an appreciation for the round-flatnose form, esp. for use in lever rifles. But SWCs stole my heart 40+ years ago, and I won't cheat on them (a lot).
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Reloader762
Active Member
I've had the NOE clone of the Lyman 358156 HP mold for several years now and it's my favorite bullet to cast and shoot for 38/357 loads, so much so it's basically the only bullet I cast for both those cartridges these days. The Lee molds hardly ever get used but I holding onto them as they ain't eating anything. I can cast FN bullets as well with the NOE mold by just changing out the pins but I just leave the HP pins in all the time. The bullet on the right was fired in a S & W 686 at +P velocity, tumble lubed with the gas check left off.
Noe still has a few of the 358156 clones in stock in the HP configuration and number of cavaties but they are all brass molds if those are to your liking.
noebulletmolds.com
Noe still has a few of the 358156 clones in stock in the HP configuration and number of cavaties but they are all brass molds if those are to your liking.
360-165-SWC-T5 | NOE Bullet Moulds
noebulletmolds.com
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