A little different spin on the 35cal bullets. (no pun intended)
Decades ago (1980's) I cast/shot only 2 bullets for the 38spl/357mags. The lyman 358311 158gr rn and the h&g #50 148gr wc. By the 1990's I got interested in molds and swaging bullets. Did a lot of testing/shooting over the years with different firearms chambered in 38spl and 357mag. Contenders, s&w's, colts, dan wessons, charter arms, rugers. Along with custom 1 in 10 twist and 1 in 11 twist barrels.
Several years ago, I decided to thin the herd and sold off all of my swaging equipment and most of my molds. Before selling everything off I decided to do head-to-head testing with the bullets I cast and swage. I tested the bullets in 38spl cases and 357mag cases. I used firearms with 2", 2 1/2", 4" (2x), 6" (3x), 8" & 10" bbl's. Twist rates were 1 in 10, 1 in 11, 1 in 18 7/8. Only used 6 different powders in the testing, 3 standard powders (bullseye/be-86/unique) and 3 magnum powders (2400/h110/mp-300).
Used these bullets for testing.
Top row left to right:
Home swaged 158gr jacketed hp using a 380acp case for the jacket.
Mihec 640 series 158gr fn hp
Lyman 358439 158gr swc hp
cramer #26 150gr swc hp
lyman 358156 150gr gc swc hp
Bottom row left to right:
Lyman 358477 140gr swc hp
cramer 158gr rn hp "hunter" bullet
h& g #51 swc hp
I also tested these hb bullets, left to right
lyman 358431 155gr hb swc
raphine 150gr fn hb
Mihec 148gr hbwc
The back of the bus:
Bullets with a bigger/thicker bullet base (bottom drive band) tended to not only have higher velocities for the same load. They tended to be more accurate. Of the 4 different " Keith style swc molds I had, the cramer #26 performed the best velocity and accuracy wise. Sold the rest, still have the #26. As you can see in has the largest bullet base.
The lyman 358311 has a large bullet base also.
The front of the bus:
Where the front drive band or bullet's shoulder end up in the leade of the cylinders plays a huge roll in accuracy. The bottom bullet is seated out further into the leade improving accuracy.
Bullets like the lyman 358156 and the Mihec 640 series bullets have a high & low crimp groove/2 crimp grooves. This allows the reloader to set the bullet out further (longer oal) into the leade of the chambers.
Left, that mihec 640 bullet (sized to .358") crimped in the bottom crimp groove loaded in 38spl cases.
Right: The h&g #50 (sized to .357") loaded long/crimped in the middle crimp groove loaded in 38spl cases.
Both reloads have a heavy, consistent crimp. Crimping is subjective & I've always used a heavy crimp on everything I reload. I also use a expander designed for cast bullets, no wasp waist in the reloads/can't see the bullet in the case.
Try to stay away from too hard of an alloy if you use cast bullets. I use 8/9bhn alloy to cast 99%+ of my revolver/pistol needs. On extremely rare occasions I use a 12/13bhn alloy to stop the cast bullets from "skidding" with hot magnum loads.
I don't do much @ 50yds anymore but I do have plinking/blammo ammo loads for the 357mag and the 44mag.
A mihec 640 series 250gr fn hp in a beater s&w 629/blammo ammo load for 50 & 100 yards. 6-shot group @ 50yds.
More blammo ammo 357mag loads shot with a s&w 686 and garbage mixed brass. Doesn't matter if I use the Mihec 640 158gr fn hp or the cramer 158gr rn hp. Or 5.5gr of bullseye or 6.0gr of bullseye. They shoot +/- 2" 6-shot groups @ 50yds.
All measurements are outside to outside.
Anyway, I'd be looking for bullets:
with large bases
soft alloys
multiple crimp grooves or the ability to crimp them out in the leades of your cylinders
bullets that don't have sharp shoulders or if they do have sharp shoulders they have a large/long front drive band like these swc's. They also have a generous crimp groove.
Decades ago (1980's) I cast/shot only 2 bullets for the 38spl/357mags. The lyman 358311 158gr rn and the h&g #50 148gr wc. By the 1990's I got interested in molds and swaging bullets. Did a lot of testing/shooting over the years with different firearms chambered in 38spl and 357mag. Contenders, s&w's, colts, dan wessons, charter arms, rugers. Along with custom 1 in 10 twist and 1 in 11 twist barrels.
Several years ago, I decided to thin the herd and sold off all of my swaging equipment and most of my molds. Before selling everything off I decided to do head-to-head testing with the bullets I cast and swage. I tested the bullets in 38spl cases and 357mag cases. I used firearms with 2", 2 1/2", 4" (2x), 6" (3x), 8" & 10" bbl's. Twist rates were 1 in 10, 1 in 11, 1 in 18 7/8. Only used 6 different powders in the testing, 3 standard powders (bullseye/be-86/unique) and 3 magnum powders (2400/h110/mp-300).
Used these bullets for testing.
Top row left to right:
Home swaged 158gr jacketed hp using a 380acp case for the jacket.
Mihec 640 series 158gr fn hp
Lyman 358439 158gr swc hp
cramer #26 150gr swc hp
lyman 358156 150gr gc swc hp
Bottom row left to right:
Lyman 358477 140gr swc hp
cramer 158gr rn hp "hunter" bullet
h& g #51 swc hp
I also tested these hb bullets, left to right
lyman 358431 155gr hb swc
raphine 150gr fn hb
Mihec 148gr hbwc
The back of the bus:
Bullets with a bigger/thicker bullet base (bottom drive band) tended to not only have higher velocities for the same load. They tended to be more accurate. Of the 4 different " Keith style swc molds I had, the cramer #26 performed the best velocity and accuracy wise. Sold the rest, still have the #26. As you can see in has the largest bullet base.
The lyman 358311 has a large bullet base also.
The front of the bus:
Where the front drive band or bullet's shoulder end up in the leade of the cylinders plays a huge roll in accuracy. The bottom bullet is seated out further into the leade improving accuracy.
Bullets like the lyman 358156 and the Mihec 640 series bullets have a high & low crimp groove/2 crimp grooves. This allows the reloader to set the bullet out further (longer oal) into the leade of the chambers.
Left, that mihec 640 bullet (sized to .358") crimped in the bottom crimp groove loaded in 38spl cases.
Right: The h&g #50 (sized to .357") loaded long/crimped in the middle crimp groove loaded in 38spl cases.
Both reloads have a heavy, consistent crimp. Crimping is subjective & I've always used a heavy crimp on everything I reload. I also use a expander designed for cast bullets, no wasp waist in the reloads/can't see the bullet in the case.
Try to stay away from too hard of an alloy if you use cast bullets. I use 8/9bhn alloy to cast 99%+ of my revolver/pistol needs. On extremely rare occasions I use a 12/13bhn alloy to stop the cast bullets from "skidding" with hot magnum loads.
I don't do much @ 50yds anymore but I do have plinking/blammo ammo loads for the 357mag and the 44mag.
A mihec 640 series 250gr fn hp in a beater s&w 629/blammo ammo load for 50 & 100 yards. 6-shot group @ 50yds.
More blammo ammo 357mag loads shot with a s&w 686 and garbage mixed brass. Doesn't matter if I use the Mihec 640 158gr fn hp or the cramer 158gr rn hp. Or 5.5gr of bullseye or 6.0gr of bullseye. They shoot +/- 2" 6-shot groups @ 50yds.
All measurements are outside to outside.
Anyway, I'd be looking for bullets:
with large bases
soft alloys
multiple crimp grooves or the ability to crimp them out in the leades of your cylinders
bullets that don't have sharp shoulders or if they do have sharp shoulders they have a large/long front drive band like these swc's. They also have a generous crimp groove.
