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.358 cast for .38 and 35 Whelen
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Ok, have yet to cast anything other than fishing weights. In your opinion, what mold would I want to use for a cast bullet, approx 200 grain that I would use in both my 38 Special and 35 Whelen.
 
Posts: 253 | Location: Texas by way of NC, Indiana, Ark, LA, OKLA | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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A 200 gr bullet is really too heavy for a 38 special.

One mold I have found that works well in a 38 sp, 357 mag and 35 whelen is Lee's 158 rf bullet.

A spendy but excellent 200 gr bullet is made by balisticast, and is the mold that Cast Perfomance uses for their 200 gr bullet. Again, I think it is too heavy for a 38 special, but it's great in a 357 mag.


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Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Cylinder length comes into play here. You could probably use Lyman 358215 in some .38 Special revolvers, but it's long in the nose for others.


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Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002Reply With Quote
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May choice would be the Saeco 200gr FNGC. Sorry, I don't remember the number. If you can't find out, I'll get off my lazy butt, go get mine out and give you the number. I've used it in a 35 Whelen, but never in a 38 revolver. I've thought about trying it. I don't use mine much any more as I have a Saeco 250 FNGC that works even gooder in a Whelen.

Trying to use one mold for such diverse applications may not be such a hot idea.


Mark Pursell
 
Posts: 544 | Location: Liberty, MO | Registered: 21 January 2003Reply With Quote
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The factories once offered 200 grain .38 Special loads so it's not a new idea.

Probably more practical is the 180 grain RFGC group buy mould that was designed specifically for dual use in .357s and .35 Remingtons. You could check on the Cast Boolits Board to see if someone is doing another run. It's been run about four times already,


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Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Leftoverdj; you are correct, nothing new except to me. Got the idea from an ex cop friend of mine, told me I would get excellent penetration and controled recoil. Not familiar with Cast Boolit sight but that won't take long to fix. Thanks for the heads up.
One last question, would I want a gas check ?
 
Posts: 253 | Location: Texas by way of NC, Indiana, Ark, LA, OKLA | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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The cast boolit sight is the sight for cast bullet info!

As far as gas checks, if you are going for max velocity in the rifle, you'll need one. Asside from that use, with a properly sized bullet, a good lube, and a proper alloy, there is no need for gas checks.


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Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001Reply With Quote
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Thanks to everyone. I rarely shoot cast but looks like that may change.
 
Posts: 253 | Location: Texas by way of NC, Indiana, Ark, LA, OKLA | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Lost Oki. I would think that you would need at least two molds for what you would like to do.
The first, for the .38 Spl. would be the Lyman #358430. You have to be a bit careful with that one as it came in two weights; 150 gr. and 195 gr. it is a plain base bullet with a rather bluff round nose. I load that one with 3.5 gr. of Unique which duplicates the old Winchester and Remington "Police" load for the .38 Spl. My mold casts a 205 gr. bullet. I imagine it would also work as a plinking and mid-range bullet as well in a .358 Win. or .35 Whelen, although I have not gotten around to trying it in that capacity.
For a more powder Whelen load, I'd try the RCBS #35-200-FN bullet which takes a gas check.
FWIW, that old police load for the .38 Spl. was considered quite a thumper by an old time cop I knew who used them in his snubbie back up gun.
Paul B.
 
Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001Reply With Quote
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You are going to need a GC for anything resembling a hunting load in the Whelen. You don't really need one for the .38. Trying to make one mould do for both guns is a bit of a stretch. The 180 GC I mentioned will do it, but at the cost of adding GCs to your .38 loads.

Me, I buy lots of moulds.


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Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002Reply With Quote
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Paul H; thanks for the pointer, I got on the Cast Boolit sight and ended up contacting Dan at the Bull Shop; Custom Cast bullets. Looks like I will end up with two bullets (you guys are good). a 170 grain Keith and a RCBS 200 grain for the Whelen Improved. But he also has a round nose 200 gr for the .38 that I might try at a later date.
Thanks again to all for the pointers
 
Posts: 253 | Location: Texas by way of NC, Indiana, Ark, LA, OKLA | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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