News flash! Bear Creek Bullets now producing .357" hollow base round nose bullet

[Tuolumne Lawman]

After a long (over two years) cooperative project by myself, Walt from Kirst Konverters, Debbie Sims at EMF, and Steve at Bear Creek Bullets in California, Bear Creek Bullets now producing .357" hollow base round nose bullets for .375" bore converted 1851/61 Colts and 1863 Remington revolvers!  No need to line barrel, and will also work in standard .357" bore pistols and lever action rifles.  More to come.

This allows you to replicate the original 1892 Army load for the .38 Colt, which could be used in converted .36 percussion or all modern .357" bore guns.

More to come.

[Abilene]

I look forward to seeing that.  They already made a hollow base bullet for .38's but it had very thick skirts and was not intended to expand.  The hollow base just made the bullet longer.  So this new one must have thin skirts.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I have a pre-production sample, and they look great!  We have had an in the family health crisis, though, so I have not had a chance to load any yet.  I sent STeve an original 1892 HBRN bullet to model it after, so it should be good.

[Abilene]

What weight is the bullet?  I don't see it on Bear Creek's website yet.  Although I do see a 147gr HBWC which I do not recall seeing before.  I'm thinking that one should work as well, if it is the same dimensions as others I've heard of.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

This sounds very good. I look forward to hearing how they perform. Hopefully those will be in full production soon.

Sorry to hear you are dealing with a family health crisis. That is no fun.

[Rube Burrows]

I have a pre-production sample, and they look great!  We have had an in the family health crisis, though, so I have not had a chance to load any yet.  I sent STeve an original 1892 HBRN bullet to model it after, so it should be good.

Sounds interesting for sure. Looking forward to seeing the product.

Hope all gets better soon with the family health crisis.

[Coffinmaker]

  PLUS ONE for the Health Best Wishes TL 

I to look forward to the new bullet.  I have actually had excellent results with swaged hollow base Wad Cutters.  The only down side to the Wad Cutters, they look funky being loaded in Conversions.  No matter, I like shooting my conversions enough I put up with funky looking Wad Cutters.  A "correct" round nose bullet will be a huge improvement.  Hope that was them "dead soft."

People are Still Contagious.  Avoid 'Em

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Weight will be 150 grains, just like the original.  I sent Steve an original .38 Colt, 150 grain bullet, to model it after.  Because it is hollow base you can load it long to work in rifles, too.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Is the bullet design like this drawing depicts?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Similar but NO grease grooves as they are moly coated.  I use them with any of the BP substitutes but not with BP without a grease cookie

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Similar but I grease grooves as they are moly coated.  I use them with any of the BP substitutes but not with BP without a grease cookie

Thanks. Do you grease the grooves with a lube/sizer or just rub some grease in them with your fingers?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Argh.... Tried answering on my phone. NO grease grooves!

[The Pathfinder]

TL, just curious...did the mold for the original bullet have grease grooves? This sounds like something I'd like to try as I have a few of the 1901 version and an Army/Navy model in 38 Colt.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Argh.... Tried answering on my phone. NO grease grooves!

Ah, that explains it. Thanks. I look forward to seeing them readily available.

[Coffinmaker]

  Aarraagah 

Allow me to wade my 3 cents in.  A moly coated bullet with NO grease groves is not going to play well with Black Powder.  I grease cookie "may" help but also may not.  I don't shoot swaged HBWC bullets with Black Powder.  I only shoot them with APP which does NOT require lube.

I cannot recommend anyone "Load Long" to use in ANY tube magazine rifle.  PERIOD.  A round nose bullet in a tube magazine is asking for disaster.  Also, a grease cookie is NOT going to carry enough lube far enough for a rifle barrel.  A rifle barrel will foul out rapidly.

Some folks have "claimed" good results with Moly Coat and Black Powder.  I wanna know what they are smoking.  Without a goodly amount of BP lube, carried in generous grease groves, a rifle barrel will rapidly foul out.

Play Safe Out There Boys and Girls

[Abilene]

...Without a goodly amount of BP lube, carried in generous grease groves, a rifle barrel will rapidly foul out....

Well, depends.  I've shot an awful lot of 125gr TC bullets with the crayon lube melted out and replaced with my BP lube.  No problems with accuracy or cleaning.  Same thing in other calibers.
Now, my barrels are no longer than 20" so that might be part of the "depends".  Recently started loading Springfield Slim's 125gr RNFP but that one is not a big lube.

[Coffinmaker]

  Well Oopsies 

Sorry Abilene.  I failed to specify and define "goodly" in my commentary.  "Goodly" in my lexicon means a "sufficient" amount of lube.  If you get a little splash of lube around your muzzle, it's sufficient.  Mark Whythe's 125Gr carries a sufficient amount of lube.  Smokeless bullets with the lube replaced may be marginal.

On the other hand, "Big Lubes" carry a "Boat Load" of lube.  Another analysis might be described as "A Gob" of lube.  Both definitions descriptive of sufficient lube for "Anything."

My personal choice, for using Real Black Powder is for "Over Kill" in the lube department.  For more mundane applications, I shoot APP which allows me to do away with messy and bothersome lubes altogether.  I find that really helpful since I'm lazy.  It's also much easier to order Big Lubes from Mark and get em already lubed.  Lazy again and very convenient.  Burma Shave

[Abilene]

Coffinmaker, it's not laziness.  It's efficiency, making the best use of your time.