Visiting old friends.....

by Glen, Sunday, December 21, 2014, 14:32 (3630 days ago)

Sometimes it's good to go back and visit old friends, and so that's what I did the morning. Without any question, some of the worst results I've ever gotten with a handgun cast bullet came with the Lyman 358429. My fondness for the Keith SWCs is no secret, but some of the early work I did (25+ years ago) with the 358429 was simply awful -- 6-12" groups at 25 yards, some shots were even keyholing, and a few missed the target completely! I was very confused because these results were obtained with a revolver that is a legitimate "one-ragged-holer" at 25 yards with good jacketed ammo. This led me to dig a little deeper to try to figure out why. I learned a lot working with the 358429. Long story short, it turns out to have been kind of a "perfect storm" -- a combination of tight throats, cylinder endshake, over-sized cast bullets, and less than optimal lubrication. Cast bullets sized .357" and lubed with 50/50 beeswax/moly grease shoot every bit as well as jacketed ammo. For .357 Magnum, the most accurate load I've found with the 358429 is 12.5 grains of 4227. I'm currently out of 4227, so this morning I loaded this batch with 2400. If at first you don't succeed, dig a little deeper, you might just learn something....

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Visiting old friends.....

by Cherokee @, Medina, Ohio, Sunday, December 21, 2014, 16:06 (3630 days ago) @ Glen

I shot some 357 loads last week with 358156 from about 10 yers ago and outperformed the light loads I was also shooting. 2400 was always my performance powder. It pays to go back some time and "visit old friends". Enjoy...

Visiting old friends..that's the 1st bullet I cast in 1973 &

by Creeker @, Hardwoods, Tuesday, December 23, 2014, 09:59 (3628 days ago) @ Glen

I used this bullet for the 586 Smith with 5.5 grs. of 231 in 357 brass to shoot some of the smallest groups I'd shot at that time. Also had some fine work with 12.5 to 13.5 grs. of 2400 in the same case.

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