Best bullet for 38 spl & 357

[rustybayonet]

I'm into casting my bullets and wondering a good all around bullet I can use for 38 spl and 357? I just picked up a Single Action Army and My wife stole my S&W 686+ both are 357. So now I am ready to start reloading. So far I have been using berry's plated in 125gr fn, not bad at all. Not sure if I want to go heavier or stick with a light bullet for plinking?

Edited September 28, 2017 by rustybayonet

[Banacek]

Just started looking into the same thing and after doing some powder research, I am going with 125gr Rainier and the 158 gr Rainier.  One for a nice fast bullet and the other for a slower target load.  I used to really like the hollow base wad cutters if you are really into a soft target bullet but the are really great for the 357 case and I only wanted two types of bullets.  I also used the fact that I only have 4 powders that will work and one that is a magnum only option.  Now if you find a deal on a 140 gr or 148, I would consider those too, the Rainier bullets were on sale.  

[practical_man]

As a general purpose cast bullet the 158 Semi Wadcutter is had to beat. The RCBS 150 grain mold is good, as are many others. 

 

If you like casting, Look at Accurate Molds. Tom has many good designs and his work is excellent. 

 

I cast 125 grain round nose revolver bullets for 9mm and 38 SPL light loads. For General purpose, I use a 158 grain Keith Style Semi Wadcutter. The heavier bullets seem to be consistently more accurate at distance. 

 

Measure your throat dimensions in both revolvers. Cast to fit the cylinder throats will give best accuracy. 

 

White Label Lube has excellent bullet lubes for sizer or tumble Lube. They are very affordable and good people. 

 

If you want to buy cast bullets, just pick one of the major HiTek Lube dealers and purchase by the case. I use Bayou Bullets when I don't cast my own 

[TDA]

I use 158gr Acme coated  LSWC's for both.

 

.38 Spec runs around 800 fps from a Ruger LCR, and .357 runs at 1150 fps from a 2" barrel Security Six.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2017 by TDA

[NuJudge]

For cast or swaged Lead in a revolver, fit is King, and you need to have a mold that fits your pistol, particularly your pistol cylinder throats.  I bought a set of pin gauges awhile ago and was shocked by what they told me about some of my pistols.  You want a bullet that is right at throat diameter, and you want the throat diameter slightly larger than barrel groove diameter.  Some barrels have issues, which makes them difficult to get good results with cast bullets, some of which can be dealt with by a gas check and/or a really good lube.  

 

You would do well to look at the articles on these websites:  

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm  

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?21598-A-beginner-s-guide-to-revolver-accuracy

 

I like a 158 grain semiwadcutter for all around use in the .38 Special, a Thompson- or Kieth-type, with a large diameter front driving band. There are specialized uses where I prefer something else.  If I need to reload quickly and surely, I prefer a round nose.  For self defense, I like a JHP.  For targets on a range, I want a wadcutter, probably hollow based.  For less recoil, I like a lighter bullet.  

 

Plated bullets are hard to get the plating even, so usually don't shoot really well at longer distances.  

[Livin_cincy]

On 9/28/2017 at 4:30 PM, rustybayonet said:

My wife stole my S&W 686+ 

 

[Steve RA]

130 gr LSWC.

 

 

[rustybayonet]

The bullets I cast, I also powder coat them so hopefully this will help with sizing. I plan on getting a lever gun so I need a flat nose profile.

[Livin_cincy]

I started shooting ACME 148gr WC & 158gr SWC with Trail Boss powder.
I used the Hodgdon Trail Boss 70% min & 90% max load calculation to determine grains of powder:

You can use your caliper to measure the depth of the powder in your case.

 

On the burn rate chart it has an interesting position:



The Hodgdon Load Data Center is somewhat helpful.  

 I found the loads to be to light for the 148 grain and not to far off on the 158 grain when I measured the ACME Bullet.
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol
They have load for the 158 in 357 Magnum that maxes out pretty close to a 38+P loading.  

I think that pretty much illustrates how this powder functions.

It shoots really soft and smooth. This is a nice feeling out of a Ruger LCR.  

[Kosh75287]

I'm kinda late to the party on this question, but I'd like to suggest a 158gr. LRN Flat Point for general purposes. It has a wide meplat that seems to work well on whatever gets shot with it, and is bereft of the sharp shoulder of the SWC, which always seems to hang ME up, when loading from a speed loader. The design is safe for use in tubular magazines, and lends itself to feed through a lever-action carbine far better than the LSWC. I haven't exhaustively tested these projectiles on bowling pins, but the limited experimentation I did suggests that they'll work well in that application.

 

I get MY cast projectiles from Missouri Bullets (whom I recommend unreservedly), but I'm pretty sure that there are other sources for them. When I try other sources, I usually find that Missouri Bullets" product is a shade more accurate, so I use them for matches, and the locally sourced ones for practice. 

[Livin_cincy]

3 hours ago, Kosh75287 said:

I'm kinda late to the party on this question, but I'd like to suggest a 158gr. LRN Flat Point for general purposes. It has a wide meplat that seems to work well on whatever gets shot with it, and is bereft of the sharp shoulder of the SWC, which always seems to hang ME up, when loading from a speed loader. The design is safe for use in tubular magazines, and lends itself to feed through a lever-action carbine far better than the LSWC. I haven't exhaustively tested these projectiles on bowling pins, but the limited experimentation I did suggests that they'll work well in that application.

 

I get MY cast projectiles from Missouri Bullets (whom I recommend unreservedly), but I'm pretty sure that there are other sources for them. When I try other sources, I usually find that Missouri Bullets" product is a shade more accurate, so I use them for matches, and the locally sourced ones for practice. 

I looked at that shape they seem to be a DEWC with an end.  The barrel shape works well in handguns as a target round or hunting round.   I recently read that the round shape is good for the forcing cone.  Same idea as a auto pistol needing a pointed bullet.   I like how Missouri makes coated bullets and adjusts their BHN on the 38 Caliber & 44 Caliber bullets so you have the right bullet if you are shooting Magnums or Specials. 

[Kosh75287]

If you try the bullets I mentioned would you please keep in touch about how they work out for you?

BTW, Missouri Bullets also makes a wide-meplat 215 gr. .452" SWC that works WONDERFULLY in .45 ACP!  Let me also suggest that you get in touch with Brad Alpert at MB, and ask him what he recommends.