What mold for 357 lever?

I’ve read countless threads and articles about 357 cast bullets in lever guns. From what I gather the Rossi has a 1-30” twist so either a 125gr at lower speeds or 158’s at around 1500fps.

This is where I’m stuck. If I wanted one mold for 38 special or 357 mag velocities, there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium that will be accurate at 100 yards.

Molds got super expensive all the sudden. I can only go with one, which should I look at? BTW I will be powdercoating these like I do with my 9mm and 45’s.

 

What are you trying to do??? I shoot 158 and 180. The rcbs 180 sil is great for steel siloette. I see no reason to shoot lead lighter than 158, but that's me.

 

Some have reported the 158’s keyhole at lower velocities, but not the 125’s. I’m just trying to find a happy medium.

 

Same here. I like the 180 WFN.
I just got the Lee 200 grain to try.
I used to like light bullets. Then I grew up and learned velocity isn't everything.

 

How 'bout a 135?

 

If I'm planning on killing something a 140 xtp sure does the job but that's not lead. I dont have a mold for a 140 but might be a more reasonable choice for your needs

 

Do they make a 140 in a RF profile? Haven't seen one yet.

 

https://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-358-140-swc.html
I am fond of the cone shape

 

Even With that lazy rifling, I would still think you would be OK with a 158grn moving along at reasonable velocity... pushed by something like Unique or slower.

 

I have Universal, Titegroup, 4227 and 3031. Seems the Universal is a good one, so you're saying the 158 will work decently at around 1200fps?

 

The shoulder of a semi-wadcutter hangs up a bit in my 357 Magnum Marlin 1894C. A little cycling of the lever gets the cartridge to align with the chamber and it chambers. Fine for plinking but can delay a follow up shot if speed is needed.

Besides, my Marlin has the micro-groove rifling and it does not like lead bullets so jacketed is about all I shoot in it.

 

I have a Rossi with the 24 barrel. I mostly shoot 38 special out of it and the most accurate load is based on this mold 360-138 RF "MAX" (arsenalmolds.com). I haven't loaded it to 357 velocities, so no idea what it would do. On the high end I did play with a 357 load based on a 158 grain JHP and lil gun. Don't own a chrono, but the published results for such loadings are screaming high velocities (2000 FPS). They were very accurate, so I think you should be find with anything from a 125 to 158 grain bullet. Given what Lee molds are going for now, order from one of the higher end mold makers. I ordered from Arsenal 3 weeks ago when they were advertising a 6 week backlog, but it was shipped a week and a half after my order.

 

I totally agree at the current prices a quality mold is the better option.

 

My Rossi 92 loves the RCBS 38-150-KT and is accurate regardless of whether it's a max load of 296 in a .357 mag case, or a light load of 231 in a .38 case.

I also recently picked up this mold:
https://www.mp-molds.com/product/359-hammer-solid-mold-multi-choice/

It casts a 170 grain solid or a 158 grain hollowpoint bullet. I cast the 170s exclusively for my Rossi 92, and it's extremely accurate as well. In fact, it probably does better at 100+ yards than the RCBS bullet does, despite the Rossi's slow twist.

 

That’s good to know, I was looking at a straight wall version as I powdercoat.

 

I've never heard of that slow of a twist (1:30) in 38/357 caliber.

 

Slug your barrel before you even start. Size the bullets to grove or no more than .001 over. You can use case lube to size powder coated. Use a taper crimp die for cast. I get good results in my 94C Marlin with the 162 RCBS and 200 RCBS, powder coated and H-110, #9 or 296. My bullets are 23 bn by design and vary by .3 gr. I shoot them in a 35 Whelen, 358 MGP, 357 Super Mag rifle and a 357 Mag lever gun.

 

If buying a mold would break the bank for me, I would try out cast bullets before hand, then buy a mold for the bullet that works best.

I’d likely send an email to https://mattsbullets.com/ and see if I could buy a sample assortment in the caliber/weight range that interested me.

 

Ditto on my marlins choking on anything with a lip. Semi -wadcutters are super out. But my marlin 1894c with microgroove shoots very well using a .359 or .360 cast bullet.

My rossi I could tune to run 38's, or 357's, but not both. It still want a fan of lipped profiles, but handled them better than the marlins.

 

Weird.. I run a 158gr lee swc in both 38 and 357 for my Rossi 92 16" barrel. Runs like a champ in them both. I powder coat them and use the last lube grove as crimp groove for both the cartridges. When I bought my 44 mag rossi I went with the same design in 44 the tl430-240swc It runs great in 44 sp and 44mag in the 44 magnum 92. My club has a 100 yard gong that get's rung on a regular basis with both of these rifles.

 

I think I've never tried anything but semi-wadcutters cast bullets in my 1894C. I have an MP 125 grain RF mold, an NOE 150 grain FN mold and a Lyman 158 grain RF mold each of which would feed well. I'll have to see how they work in the Marlin.

My 1894C does not scatter lead bullets like a shotgun, but it did not group as well as with jacketed bullets.

I also have a 357 Magnum Miroku Winchester 1873 which would benefit from cast bullets.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe I should try some powder coated bullets. It has been a couple decades since I played with different bullets in the 1894C.

 

for plinking, I like the LEE 6 CAV 358-125 RF ( or SNS 130gr in red)



for heavier, the LEE 358-158 is a nice one.




and of course, you can't go wrong with the classic NOE 360-176-SWC-V4 ELMER KIETH goodness

 

I use that 125grn lee mold. It drops between .359 and .360 and shoots well in my guns. I size the same bullet to .358 and shoot it in my 9mm's.

 

Every rifle will be different. My Marlin 1894 in .41 has no problem with any profile bullet, it does get picky about length. I had some very nice 220grn Keith bullets with the long ogive (like in Whelen's bottom photo...) and they absolutely would not feed without 'muzzle'ing up' and giving the lever a little love jiggle. My MicroGroove barrel shoots anything fine, including cast bullets... which is about 98% of what it gets... to include cheapo commercially cast bullets. Granted, I measured my bore... so I know my bullets are sized for MY bore. I've shot my .41 out to 600yds and beyond, with a reasonable expectation of accuracy.

I would actually second the suggestion to buy a variety of bullets... then see if they feed and cycle well. I was surprised when I had feeding problems with that Keith bullet, heretofore I never had issues with any bullet I ran... including SWC's and WFN cast.

I'm not a big fan of TiteGroup with cast bullets, and 3031 is a rifle powder. Universal would be a good midrange powder, but if you want the most efficiency from the rifle barrel... IMR or H4227! It's what I use in my Marlin.