bullet mold question

ar15man2009 · March 19, 2009, 04:13 PM

i am new to bullet casting so this maybebe a dumb question,but if i want to load 357. diameter bullets for my 357 and 38 special,what size molds do i need? does the lead shrink when it comes out slightly maybe? also i plan to use the lee sizer die for them to size them to 357 anyways but i still need to know what molds to buy.help would be greatly appreciated.thanks

kyle663 · March 19, 2009, 04:43 PM

if you are using lee molds. mine say .358. most of the time the lee molds dont need resizing, i never resize them but i do check them with a caliper just to be sure.

dahermit · March 19, 2009, 05:04 PM

Any mould will drop bullets from .375 to .377 in diameter. The rule of thumb for a .357 mag. and 38 spl. is to size them .002 in diameter over cyclinder throat size is optimal, .003 over throat size is still o.k. If they are Lee moulds, Lee says that they can be fired as cast diameter.

SL1 · March 19, 2009, 05:16 PM

I think "dahermit" means .357" to .359".

You really don't want to size bullets more than a couple thousandths, or you will distort the driving bands.

So, you really should slug your cylinder chamber throats to determine what their diameters are. (They may not all be the same).

Then, try to get a mold that drops bullets the size of your smallest throat plus no more than 0.002". Then you can size it just enough to fit all of your throats. A bullet just fits the throat gives the best accuracy. The best situation is when all of your chamber throats are identical in diameter and you have a die that drops bullets of that diameter. You don't need to size and you get the best accuracy.

If your chambers are substantially different in size, you may want to get them uniformed to the same size or just not shoot cast bullets out of the smallest one, so that you can use bullets that are sized to the diameter of the larger ones.

SL1

ar15man2009 · March 19, 2009, 05:36 PM

thanks guys youve helped quite abit.i have a nother question though and i didnt want to start a new thread. what would the difference be between a semi wadcutter in 158 grain and a ogive radius in 158 grain.will either be easier to load or shooot better. plan to get one of these but havnt decided on which one and have no personal preference. and also would you recomend to get a sizer or just measure with a caliper like the person in the first reply since i do intend to use the same molds.thanks

March 19, 2009, 04:13 PM	#1
ar15man2009 Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Harlan County,Kentucky Posts: 81	bullet mold question i am new to bullet casting so this maybebe a dumb question,but if i want to load 357. diameter bullets for my 357 and 38 special,what size molds do i need? does the lead shrink when it comes out slightly maybe? also i plan to use the lee sizer die for them to size them to 357 anyways but i still need to know what molds to buy.help would be greatly appreciated.thanks

March 19, 2009, 04:43 PM	#2
kyle663 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: IL Posts: 311	if you are using lee molds. mine say .358. most of the time the lee molds dont need resizing, i never resize them but i do check them with a caliper just to be sure. __________________ NRA member 22LR,17hmr, 9mm, 9mm makarov, 38 S&W, 38/357, 41mag, 44mag, 45ACP, 7.62x39, 7.62x54, 222rem

March 19, 2009, 05:04 PM	#3
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	What diameter bullets for my 357 and 38 Any mould will drop bullets from .375 to .377 in diameter. The rule of thumb for a .357 mag. and 38 spl. is to size them .002 in diameter over cyclinder throat size is optimal, .003 over throat size is still o.k. If they are Lee moulds, Lee says that they can be fired as cast diameter.

March 19, 2009, 05:16 PM	#4
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	I think "dahermit" means .357" to .359". You really don't want to size bullets more than a couple thousandths, or you will distort the driving bands. So, you really should slug your cylinder chamber throats to determine what their diameters are. (They may not all be the same). Then, try to get a mold that drops bullets the size of your smallest throat plus no more than 0.002". Then you can size it just enough to fit all of your throats. A bullet just fits the throat gives the best accuracy. The best situation is when all of your chamber throats are identical in diameter and you have a die that drops bullets of that diameter. You don't need to size and you get the best accuracy. If your chambers are substantially different in size, you may want to get them uniformed to the same size or just not shoot cast bullets out of the smallest one, so that you can use bullets that are sized to the diameter of the larger ones. SL1 Last edited by SL1; March 19, 2009 at 05:38 PM.

March 19, 2009, 05:36 PM	#5
ar15man2009 Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Harlan County,Kentucky Posts: 81	thanks thanks guys youve helped quite abit.i have a nother question though and i didnt want to start a new thread. what would the difference be between a semi wadcutter in 158 grain and a ogive radius in 158 grain.will either be easier to load or shooot better. plan to get one of these but havnt decided on which one and have no personal preference. and also would you recomend to get a sizer or just measure with a caliper like the person in the first reply since i do intend to use the same molds.thanks