A Good Cast Bullet Load For 585 & 686 Ysers

[.45mtngun]

Gentlemen,
I have been casting bullets for about 45+ years and awhile back came up a very nice cast bullet load for my 4" 586.The gun is a 586 no-dash in very good shape. The mould is the RCBS 38-150-SWC. The bullets are cast of the old,not new, wheel weights that come out at 156 grains and are lubed with LBT Blue and sized .357 for S&W cylinder throats. The cases are Winchester .357, CCI 550 SP Mag primers, used with 14.5 grains of H-4227 powder. I recently chrono'ed the load on a 45 degree day and got 1163 FPS. When my supply of H-4227 dries up i'll find a new load with IMR-4227 powder. This load averages 1/2" off hand at 15 yards. There is just a slight haze of lead in the barrel after shooting and that is it.
Hope this data will give you 586 and 686 owners something else to try in you shooters. Also when this bullet is cast of 1-20 mix of tin and lead it makes a great .38 Special bullet.
Jim C.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Try sizing them .358, makes a world of difference.

That haze of lead will disappear.

Currently I have a 586-1 and a 696ND, but I have had 3 other L frames.

Personal favorite for 357 is 2400 under a 358156 or 358429.

 

[sniper]

That is my favorite bullet!

 

[cowboy4evr]

My personal favorite 357 bullet is a copy of the 358156 cast bullet that Tom @ accurate molds made , w/o the gas check . I like it so much that I have 2 / 4 cavity molds . I size .358 and lube the bottom crimp groove also . I shoot them over 7.5 grs of WSF as my std " everyday " load . It's very accurate , powerful enough for std use and shoots clean .
I too like the " Keith " 358429 , 173 gr swc . I just have a 2 cavity mold so it's slow going casting with it . It drops bullets .359 . My favorite magnum powders in 357 are 2400 followed by Ramshot enforcer . I recently worked up a load using HS-6 that I really like when I want something approaching magnum performance . Regards , Paul

 

[.45mtngun]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the replies! The idea to use H-4227 came from some of John Taffin articles. I also have used 2400 for .357 cast bullet loads as well as jacketed bullet loads with good success. Another cast bullet that looks good and i have had good luck with in a 2 1/2" 19-5 is RCBS 38-158-SWC which is basically the same as the first bullet i mentioned except it has a gas check. Cast with wheel weights and lubed and gas checked it weighs 166 grains. The load with the 19-5 is 6.0 grains of the "new" Unique which shoots clover leafs at 7 yards off hand. This should be a good full velocity bullet i'll try in the future. Thanks again for all your replies.I shoot my cast bullets in most all of my handguns.
Jim C.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Like Snapping Twig said;I size mine .358 and don't have any trace of lead.And accuracy should not degrade;quite the contrary.