Lee 158 RF for GP .38/357 Boolit?

[nicholst55]

I'm looking for another mold to use for a general purpose .38 and .357 Mag boolit, and I'm considering the Lee 38 158 RF. I already have a Lyman 358477, a 357446, and a Lee group buy 358429 clone from a few years ago. The Lee is a 6-banger, but the two Lymans are one-holers and I want to increase production a bit.

Nothing wrong with the 358429 of course, I'm just looking to try something different. I'm looking for a larger meplat, and the Lee 358 158 RF certainly fits that description.

In reality, any one of the three boolits that I have now would probably fill 95% of my needs. Where's the fun in that? So, I'm looking for first-hand experience with this boolit before I buy the mold.

[AnthonyB]

No experience with the bullets yet, but I just finished my first casting session with that design on Thursday. That is the best casting Lee mould I have ever used, to include the many group buys we have done with Lee. If the bullets shoot halfway decent I'll think about having someone remove the bevel base for me. Tony

[462]

It works in my Blackhawk, and makes nice, clean, SWC-type holes. I have a two-cavity, bevel base version and got tired of wiping off the bevel, so, the other day, removed it. It'll be a while before I'm able to shoot it, though. I understand that the six-cavity mould is a plain base design.

[nicholst55]

It works in my Blackhawk, and makes nice, clean, SWC-type holes. I have a two-cavity, bevel base version and got tired of wiping off the bevel, so, the other day, removed it. It'll be a while before I'm able to shoot it, though. I understand that the six-cavity mould is a plain base design.

Interesting; I had no idea that some of these are BB! The picture that Midway has shows a PB boolit for both the two and six-cavity!

[docone31]

I use those.
They are great for me. In both my .357, and .38. Good firing castings. With pan lube I get no leading.
I use Blue Dot for powder.

[NickSS]

I have been using this bullet for several years for both hand guns and lever action rifles. I have a six cavity mold and it cast well and also fast. I can cast up three or four hundred bullets start to finish in a couple of hours without a problem. It shoots well in everything I have tried it in. I mostly use red dot in 38s and Unique in 357s.

[462]

Here's Lee's mould page. It's not the best representation, but the bevel is noticable.

http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/.../bullmol2.html

[Poygan]

I like this boolit. It seems to be better than the 358156 but I don't recall exactly which pistols I used it in. I'm fairly sure the SP 101 was one of them.

[nicholst55]

Here's Lee's mould page. It's not the best representation, but the bevel is noticable.

http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/.../bullmol2.html

Indeed it is! Guess I should go to the source for pictures.

I'd be using this in a 2.5" M66 S&W, M640 S&W, Taurus M85, Colt Detective Special, Colt Cobra, S&W M10, Ruger B'hawk, and whatever else wanders across my path in those chamberings. I probably need to add another .357 to the mix eventually.

[rhead]

Indeed it is! Guess I should go to the source for pictures.

I'd be using this in a 2.5" M66 S&W, M640 S&W, Taurus M85, Colt Detective Special, Colt Cobra, S&W M10, Ruger B'hawk, and whatever else wanders across my path in those chamberings. I probably need to add another .357 to the mix eventually.

My 6 cavity does have a very slight bevel base, almost closer to someone touching up the mold with a chamfer tool. It does not seem to have any effect on accuracy but I have no way to to a side by side comparison. It does fine in my 5 revolvers and 3 rifles. (whole family shoots) It is not match grade accuracy but then since I don't have match grade accuracy either that doesn't bother me.
My rifles will give a cloverleaf at 25 yards but will not at 50.

[MtGun44]

You already have a couple of the best boolit designs out there in this caliber, the
358477 and 358429. I get very good resluts from both of them, and from the 358 158 RF,
too.

No difference, really between the 477 and the 158 RF.

Bill

[nicholst55]

You already have a couple of the best boolit designs out there in this caliber, the 358477 and 358429. I get very good resluts from both of them, and from the 358 158 RF,
too.

No difference, really between the 477 and the 158 RF.

Bill

Bill: unfortunately, my 358477 mold is a single-cavity. I'm looking to increase my production rate a bit, and the idea (and cost) of a 6-cavity Lee mold is appealing.

Nothing at all wrong with the 358429, with the possible exception of it's weight and length. It might be a tad too long for some cylinders, and it's approaching the 'too-heavy' range for .38 Spl. Not that a metric ton of them haven't been shot through that cartridge, of course! Even Elmer admitted that it was a bit heavy for the .38, though.

[Ekalb2000]

Get used to seeing this http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=90892

[BD]

I just bought the six cavity a month ago, and I hadn't noticed that it was a bevel base. I talked to Buckshot about milling the top back to plain base, but so far the bevel base boolits have been shooting just fine so I don't know if I'll bother. My other slight gripe is that the crimp groove is too far forward. Even in my J-frame .38 there's room in the cylinder for another tenth of an inch of nose.
BD

[sqlbullet]

My six cavity has a pronounced bevel base. The bullets shoot fine out of a blackhawk however, so I am not terribly inclined to mess with it.

[mtnman31]

This is my favorite bullet design for the 38/357. I have shot a ton of these and even with the annoying bevel base, this is the first bullet I reach for when I pack up to go shooitng. As much as I use it, I can't figure out why I haven't stepped up to the six cavity mold. My 2 cavity 358-158RF was my first Lee mold and has always performed flawlessly. I guess I should get a six cavity and try my hand at removing the bevel base on the older 2 cavity. Get the mold, you won't regret it.

[excess650]

I have the 358-RF in 6 cavity form, and it has a only a very slight BB. I size and lube mine in a .360" die.

[AnthonyB]

My six cavity has what I would consider a "normal" bevel base. I have a large Planter's peanut jar full of freshly cast examples and close to 1K lubed with Big Melt Felix lube - the S&W 638 will be busy this fall and winter.
Tony

[Jack Stanley]

The first LEE six cavity for that design cast to small so it got sold . The second try is better and it works pretty well . If I had any complaints about it , it would be the crimp groove also . But for me , I could just as easily do without the groove at all .

It works in any Smith I've used it in and it feeds into a Marlin carbine pretty well also . So far I've only loaded it into thirty-eight special cases , more than likely that's all I'll use it for though .

Jack

[Dale53]

I find this (Lee 158 gr RF) to be an excellent bullet for the .38 Special/.357. The crimp groove is place where it is so it will function in the "N" frame Smith. The little "J" frame has a longer cylinder than the "N" frame (as ridiculous as that seems, it is true).

Make no mistake, the Lee six cavity will really "run the lead" in this design, also.
Dale53