48 gr. wc mold

[Guest canebreaker]

I found an old Lyman 4 cav. 357 48 gr. wc mold for $150. on a gun dealing site.

I know that with SASS they want just enough lead to ring the target. I'm thinking about getting into it. But what load to put behind it with titegroup, bullseye or hp-38. Or would I need to load with black powder?

I've got my eye on a 357 single action six shooter and lever action rifle with holsters for $900.

[Trekbike]

I'm assuming you meant to say a 148gr wc mold as this is the typical weight for that bullet. If so, $150 seems high as most of the new Lyman 4 cavity molds I see run around $90 for the mold itself.

Regarding the load, I don't run that bullet for a 357 load but do use it for 38 special. For with a 38 special, 148gr HBWC, I will run anywhere from 3.0 to 4.0 grains of W231 (same as HP-38) depending on which gun I'm using it in. Most of the time I use 3.5 - 3.8 grains.

[Jonnin]

48 grains is .22 LR sized so it has to be 148 as stated. 90 grains is almost a sphere as a 380 which is usable in a 357 but much smaller and it simply will not fit in the case properly (it will shortly become a "coin" shaped round to fit in the case -- which may be dangerous as it can turn and stick in the barrel or do funky things in flight if too thin, not 100% sure but I would not do it).

If its 148 there is plenty of published data. If you want a light load, you CAN use the 90 grain 380 bullets. Lead 380s will expand and bite the rifling and seal the barrel and should work great in a 3 inch+ barrel 357/38.

You do not have to use black powder to make a light load. Just use less powder than published, and work with it until it is stable (experiments will produce unstable bullets, IE the rifling did not spin it enough so it may keyhole and be terribly inaccurate). I strongly advise you to make in the neighborhood of 75% of a standard pressure 38 special load to start. Going too low will give erratic results and the recoil of the 75% load is very, very mild already while maintaining enough oomph to behave properly.

[Guest canebreaker]

I sent an email to one of the members of the SASS here. Waiting on a reply.

It's 48 gr. not 148 gr., The day I went to the range I picked up a bunch of lead disc. I weighed them when I got home. Looking at the base of each, they looked to be shot from a 32 to 45. Smallest weighed 30 gr. the largest weighed 75 gr.. I did find other spent bullets, looked like 357 148 gr wc and 357 158 swc.

No jacketed rounds are allowed on this range for safety reasons.

[Jonnin]

wow, ok. I am not sure where to go from here. I would say a fatter powder to fill more of the case would be in your best interest, though. The powers you listed, using this oddball bullet, are going to be using very small amounts (at a guess in the 2 grain neighborhood) leaving the case all but empty.

38 or 357 cases?

How far away is the target/ or what sort of performance did you need?

[Dolomite_supafly]

Don't use black powder. It can be a pain to clean up and will rust your gun if not done properly.

I would try TrailBoss because it is a fluffy, case filling powder.

Dolomite

[Guest canebreaker]

The targets are armor plate, bullet proof steel. Revolver targets 8" X 10" are 5 yards and rifle 10" X 15" looked to be 25 yards. All angled toward the ground. Just make them ring when hit.

[Westwindmike]

The reason you were finding just light weight discs was that when the 148 gr boolit hits the steel, it splatters. All that is left to pick up is a light disc from the base.

[VERO1]

I bet real cowboys didn,t shoot pansy bullets!

[Jonnin]

I bet real cowboys didn,t shoot pansy bullets!

The show-shooters did a lot of funky things in performances though.

[dlm37015]

lyman made a disk mould several years ago that was about 45-48 grains in number 2 alloy but to load it you had to use 4 or so in each round

[Guest canebreaker]

The reason you were finding just light weight discs was that when the 148 gr boolit hits the steel, it splatters. All that is left to pick up is a light disc from the base.

I found some lead that looked like 148 gr. wc. They didn't look like these, to big. Weren't splattered out the same.

Wild Billy called me earlier. He loads his 357 with 1.5 gr. trail boss. Glues a piece of plastic thick wall tubes to the 45 gr. bullet to make it as long as a wc. He could buy the wads that look like shotshell wads, but these are cheaper.

[Jonnin]

well go with their advice. I googled around, looked at it and all, but I didnt see a good way to use them nor a reasonable charge of powder. Didnt think of adding to it that way. 1.5 TB ... wow. I think a 22 would kick more

[Guest canebreaker]

My 22 lr revolver kicks worse than my light load 38s

[I_Like_Pie]

I have seen those before...Like mentioned above you stack 2 or 3 of them on top of each other.

I suppose you could make a really light one with one disk, but you run the risk of it tumbling when it hits the forcing cone and goes funny though the rifling. That is why you don't use bullets that are wider than tall...would not be accurate at all with one. Talking 1 foot off at 10 feet.

Wonder what the sectional density of one of those would end up being..?

Edit...sectional density is 0.065 YIKES

Edited March 23, 2012 by I_Like_Pie