Too Many molds for .357/38

bruce381

bruce381

Well-Known Member
Ok went to range shooting Model 586 4 inch over bags, 23 yards good light and my new cataract replaced eyes

Shot 358429, H+G 73, Lee 160 RNFP, Lyman 358311 and Lyman 357446
38 special range brass 3.4gr 231/HP38 over solid rest

all ok but supposed best there is per H+G catalog H+G 73 was second.

358429 1 1/2 to <2inch
H+G 73 2 inch
Lee 160FPRN 2 inch
358311 2 1/2 inch
DEAD LAST
357446 3 inch to 3 1/12

Im I way off here?
 
358156 hp

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
How fast were you pushing 357446? That's a bullet that really seem to appreciate being pushed hard. That said, your results are very good indeed.
 
hc18flyer

hc18flyer

Member
Honestly, I have 13 molds for .38 Special thru .358 Winchester. I could easily get rid of 5 or 6 without missing anything. I wish I could see well enough to find the difference in the pistol bullets. Now that I have a good micrometer, at least I can match bullet diameters up to my S&W Mo. 15 throats. I might have to open up a Lee push thru sizer die? I think narrowing the focus a little is in order? hc18flyer
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I'm pretty hardcore about not having stuff I don't need or use and have been ruthlessly paring down over several years DECADES to what I REALLY want and need.

Moulds were on the list, of course, and I have TWO moulds per the few calibers I now support, except for the one I feel is THE most important to me - the .357"/.358" - the 35 caliber.

I have TWO moulds I use for the 22, TWO moulds I use for the 30 cal and TWO moulds I use for the 44. If I had to go to ONE for each of those, I already know which ONES would stay and which ones would go - EASY decision. GONE in a heartbeat would be the superfluous to my NEEDS.

For my most used/most useful cartridge/bore - the 35s, I have not been able to make this decision so easily. As ruthlessly pragmatic as I've been able to be on everything else, I've failed miserably on the 35. At one time, I was mistakenly settled on TWO for the 35s. Then it went back up to THREE. THEN, FOUR again! And I'm a "take-no-prisoners" type on this type of thing. Die-hard, dyed in the wool pragmatist on the matter.

I honestly think that the single hardest caliber to "limit" is the 35 caliber. I made it ll the way down to TWO 35 cal moulds, but then went back up to three. Just recently (and this is @Glen 's fault), I found what I THINK is THE perfect 35 cal mould for my uses and it's currently in the Netherlands, en route from Slovenia - of al places. Bear in mind that I'm a child of the Cold War, the propaganda of which let us feel sorry for and believe that all Eastern European nations were superstitious, oppressed, suppressed, backwards, third-world countries under the Soviet Iron Thumb.

Will THIS one be THE one mould I need for most of my uses in the 35s?

It sure looks like what I've imagined, but probably not. I really do not think that one can have "too many" 35 cal moulds. Not just because I have not achieved it personally, but because it just does not make sense. It's just TOO versatile a caliber to try to limit the variations of bullet moulds.

Side Note: I also revel in the fact that I can now associate with, do commerce with countries which were "black holes" in my time.

I'll admit it - there is no such thing as "too many" moulds when it comes to the 35 caliber.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Waiting for the pot to heat, counted 14 38/357/360’s. From original #358250 the black powder 38 Special to the new 280 grain plain base.
 
bruce381

bruce381

Well-Known Member
"357446, My very first mold.
A 1 cavity Lyman.
I never could make that bullet shoot."

yeah this way first also never did shoot
 
M

Mainiac

Well-Known Member
bruce381 said:
Ok went to range shooting Model 586 4 inch over bags, 23 yards good light and my new cataract replaced eyes

Shot 358429, H+G 73, Lee 160 RNFP, Lyman 358311 and Lyman 357446
38 special range brass 3.4gr 231/HP38 over solid rest

all ok but supposed best there is per H+G catalog H+G 73 was second.

358429 1 1/2 to <2inch
H+G 73 2 inch
Lee 160FPRN 2 inch
358311 2 1/2 inch
DEAD LAST
357446 3 inch to 3 1/12

Im I way off here?
Click to expand...
That 357446 don't surprise me,,that mold is a complete turd,in everything I ever tried it in.
358429,,,no surprise either,that guy shoots in any 35,I've ever shot it in.
 
RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
My problem with the 35 cal and moulds is that I feed 6 cartridges and 2 of them don't really overlap with anything....... Well I mean I guess I could PC the fat moulds for the 38 Short/38-200 and the 90 gr .380 bullet would be amusing to send at 3400 fps out of the 358 Win but otherwise......

It's not so much that I have a 35 cal dependency its just that they are so capable. If you have a 357 there's no reason not to have moulds of 125 and 158 and you should have a WC too . If your 380 or 9mm will feed a WC then you should have a like a 75 or 90 gr and put 2-3 in 38 and 357 cases because you can . Of course a PC RB at .360 . All of which work fine in a 358 or 35 W or 9×57 ......

I'm too excitable.......

I tried once to pare it down to one all around mould for 9/38/357 what I found was that there wasn't a 130 gr SWC , much less one that will HP down to 105 ..........
90 ,125,148, 158 ,200,230,&250 gr with at least 2 stops in the 158 window and I think I still have that 280 gr RN also .
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Brad said:
I am down to 2 moulds and most of it is A single mould. I like to keep it simple...
Click to expand...

I'm all about SIMPLE. The 35 cal is the one which still keeps me from getting down to one (or two) though.

Maybe the one coming soon will be that "ONE."
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of cabinets and tool boxes full of moulds. I only really use a few. If I don't wake up in the morning I simply will not be able to give a wet fart.
Ya ya, I should sell 80% of them. Makes my butt tired just thinking about it.
I should cull a bunch of guns, I should make out a will, I should lose 20 lbs., blah blah blah. It just doesn't matter and so what if it did?
 
M

Mainiac

Well-Known Member
L Ross said:
I have a couple of cabinets and tool boxes full of moulds. I only really use a few. If I don't wake up in the morning I simply will not be able to give a wet fart.
Ya ya, I should sell 80% of them. Makes my butt tired just thinking about it.
I should cull a bunch of guns, I should make out a will, I should lose 20 lbs., blah blah blah. It just doesn't matter and so what if it did?
Click to expand...
Love your logic!!!!
 
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