I load 38spl and 357mag with the same hard cast lead 158gr. SWC's. Cheap, accurate..hard to beat! I'm running out of 45acp bullets and about to order coated bullets. If they work like advised I'll be ordering coated for all my handgun loads.
As for cleaning brass most manuals say to clean before sizing as burnt carbon will scratch and eventually wear out the die. Just recently I started reloading 308 with a old die set I thought NIB. Had sizing problems and found the inside of the sizing die looked like it had been honed. Replaced the dies and problems went away. Not saying it was from dirty brass but it has me thinking.