.38 Special with Lee cast bullet #358-150-1R

[LonesomePigeon]

 I want to load some .38 Special with cast bullets from a Lee #358-150-1R mould. This is a 150 grain round nose bullet. I would be shooting them from a 2nd Generation Colt New Frontier in .357 Magnum.

I have the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Edition and it does not have any loads for that bullet.

Has anybody used the Lee #358-150-1R or know where I could find data for this specific bullet?

[Drydock]

Use 158 grain lead bullet data.

[LonesomePigeon]

Thanks Drydock. Since we all like pictures I may as well show a pic of the gun.

[Niederlander]

What Drydock said.  Nice pistola!

[Coffinmaker]

  "Ol Lonesome 

Nah.  None of the above.  Don't need no "data." (Star Trek Character)  Uber simple, just load 3F APP to the base of the bullet and GO.

Lets Have Fun Out There

[LonesomePigeon]

Coffin, I would like to try APP but I have never seen it around here. I did try a full case of Goex 3F but the accuracy was poor with this Lee 150 grain bullet, which I attribute to not carrying enough lube. There was hard fouling in the last couple inches of the barrel. I know AAP might help with that. I will probably order a Big Lube mold or something similar.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

If you have .38 Special cases (they are very common, and likely can be found as range pickups.) just use them with .38Spl Data. Unless you load to the max, any data for cast bullets from 150gr. To 158gr will do. Don't go below starting loads, but you really don't have to load to the max anyway.

For black powder you need a softer lube. Big lubes are fine, but for pistols, they might not be needed.

[pony express]

If you used regular smokeless lube on your bullets, then that would cause that hard fouling
you encountered. BP + modern smokeless bullet lubes aren't compatible. However, as Coffin maker says, APP doesn't need any lube at all.

[Froogal]

For what it's worth, I use the SPG lube on everything. Seems to work just fine.

[Sedalia Dave]

Coffin, I would like to try APP but I have never seen it around here. I did try a full case of Goex 3F but the accuracy was poor with this Lee 150 grain bullet, which I attribute to not carrying enough lube. There was hard fouling in the last couple inches of the barrel. I know AAP might help with that. I will probably order a Big Lube mold or something similar.

As Pony Express stated the smokeless lube is the problem. As a temp fix after you load the revolver put a dab of Mobil-1 synthetic grease or another BP compatible lube on top of the bullet of the first chamber fired. This will help keep the fouling soft.

If you find Shooter's World Black try it. It is made by the folks that manufacturer APP.

Your best bet to find APP or Shooters World Black is at a match large enough to attract a few vendors.

[DeaconKC]

Dave, Bustin Head Lead is usually at matches we hit. They have had APP, so check with them.

[pony express]

If you want to try Sedalia Dave's idea, you could use plain old Crisco, that's what I always used in my C&B revolvers. Some say they have problems with it in hot weather, but I never did, including Missouri in July-August.