Anyone using this bullet?? Mr. Shelton really loved it in his .357s.
Lyman 358156
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cowboy4evr
Member
Yes , I have it in gas checked and plain base . Accurate Molds provided the plain base version . I like it so much I have 2- 4cav molds , plain base and 2- 2cav molds for gas check . I can't tell you how many thousands of those I have cast , in both versions . It is a very accurate design . One of my favorite loads is in a 357 case , 16 grs of H110 / W296 with the gas checked bullet crimped in the top groove . That load has the powder up to the bullet base but not compressed . For my mid range 357 loads i use either 7.0 grs of Unique or 7.5 grs of Winchester Super Field with the plain base version . My Old Model Colt Trooper loves that bullet gas checked , crimped in the top groove in a 357 case over 13.5 grs of Ramshot Enforcer . So as you can see , it has great favor with me . Regards Paul
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OP
Multiple moulds..........that's the way to go for our bulk shooters.
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No doubt a good bullet design; I've had this mould for many years. However, it's worth doing an accuracy comparison. #358156 is not magical; you may find other similar designs that are just as accurate or may do even better in your revolver(s).
OP
True for sure.
I'm on my 4th box of Hornady gas checks.
OP
Used a few of those also. They fit.
Alk8944
US Veteran
I have been casting that bullet, a Ray Thompson design, for over 60 years. I also use the 357446 which is a plain base bullet very similar. I have no idea how many thousands I have shot. There are no "Magic bullets", but for .357 and .38 Special it is hard to do any better than the 358156!
You will only waste time and money trying to find a better .38/.357 bullet. The only thing I would suggest though is to contact Tom at Accurate Molds [email protected] and ask what number his mold for a plain base version of 358156 is. I think it is 36-160K, it is very close. Then order a 2, 3, 4 or 5 cavity mold from him. Tom recommends his Aluminum molds and I have several. He also makes molds in Iron and Brass, but i do not recommend Brass. I had one made in Brass, it is an excellent mold but HEAVY and tiring to use. Aluminum molds are not "cheap", but his work as well as or better than any Iron molds I own!
You will save a bunch by not buying gas checks at the current price! Added: When it comes right down to it gas checks are not needed for any handgun cartridge! Bullet alloy, size and proper lubricant do everything gas checks are intended to!
Web site is Custom Bullet Molds | Accurate Molds Catalog is at Bullet Design Catalog | Accurate Molds Look at the catalog and do some browsing.
Tom does not answer the phone and he says he is quite deaf, so he doesn't list one, you have to contact him by E-mail. He usually answers within an hour or so. I have several molds from him, both his designs and ones I designed in several calibers.
Yes, this is an endorsement for Accurate! His products are excellent, cast better than Lyman, and even custom designs I have ordered have been delivered in a week every time. Note though that the web site indicates current turn-around time is 5 weeks. Tom's shop is in Salt Lake City.
You will only waste time and money trying to find a better .38/.357 bullet. The only thing I would suggest though is to contact Tom at Accurate Molds [email protected] and ask what number his mold for a plain base version of 358156 is. I think it is 36-160K, it is very close. Then order a 2, 3, 4 or 5 cavity mold from him. Tom recommends his Aluminum molds and I have several. He also makes molds in Iron and Brass, but i do not recommend Brass. I had one made in Brass, it is an excellent mold but HEAVY and tiring to use. Aluminum molds are not "cheap", but his work as well as or better than any Iron molds I own!
You will save a bunch by not buying gas checks at the current price! Added: When it comes right down to it gas checks are not needed for any handgun cartridge! Bullet alloy, size and proper lubricant do everything gas checks are intended to!
Web site is Custom Bullet Molds | Accurate Molds Catalog is at Bullet Design Catalog | Accurate Molds Look at the catalog and do some browsing.
Tom does not answer the phone and he says he is quite deaf, so he doesn't list one, you have to contact him by E-mail. He usually answers within an hour or so. I have several molds from him, both his designs and ones I designed in several calibers.
Yes, this is an endorsement for Accurate! His products are excellent, cast better than Lyman, and even custom designs I have ordered have been delivered in a week every time. Note though that the web site indicates current turn-around time is 5 weeks. Tom's shop is in Salt Lake City.
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OP
It is a great bullet for sure.
Next to DEWC its the only bullet I cast for .38/.357. Gas checks are kind of a pain but its worth the efforts. Just a great bullet. I have so much .38 brass I use this bullet and 8.5 gr of Power Pistol crimped in the lower grove. This load is on!y shot in my .357 and does 6 shot one hole groups in my GP100
StrawHat
Member
I use a plain base version of 358156 for my 38/44 HD. I use Skeeter's recipe and as he wrote, as accurate as wadcutter rounds.
I no longer shoot a lot of the 38 S&W Special but when I do, that load is what I use.
Kevin
I no longer shoot a lot of the 38 S&W Special but when I do, that load is what I use.
Kevin
OP
Tom is the best IMHO. Use several of his moulds & zero complaints.
I also have plain base and gas checked versions. This is my all-time favorite bullet. For some reason the 173 grain Keith bullet (I don't recall the number) gets all the glory, but this one works properly in any 357 Magnum revolver without the funky deep seating.
pantannojack
US Veteran
Iv'e been shooting the Lee Precision 158g GC mold without GC's sized .358 with 6.5g 4756 wsp in 357 mag cases just fine; no lead in my 4" 586 nd. I put the copper bottle caps on if using 2400, or H110.
Not only are the "Thompson" bullets highly accurate. They're extremely efficient. I did a bunch of head to head testing using 10 different 35cal bullets with multiple powders.
4 of those 10 bullets consistently had higher velocities then the others using the different powders/same powder charge for all the bullets.
2 different lyman molds/Thompson 356156 bullets. The difference between the 2 is that 1 hp was cast with the standard .125" hp pin. The other had a special order .140" hp pin. Both have my home made gc's on them.
Another favorite Thompson design is for the 44cals. Bought this mold decades ago to be used in a snubnosed 44spl. The bullets is a H&G 142, the mold casts a 220gr gc swc (supposed to be 230gr) and a 200gr hp. Again wearing my home made gc's.
There's a lot of different bullet designs out there & the Thompson design is still well worth looking into.
More Thompson style bullets. The mold is the heavy Thompson 44cal bullet. The bottom left is plain based cramer 35cal (,358") 158gr hp called a "hunter" bullet.
4 of those 10 bullets consistently had higher velocities then the others using the different powders/same powder charge for all the bullets.
2 different lyman molds/Thompson 356156 bullets. The difference between the 2 is that 1 hp was cast with the standard .125" hp pin. The other had a special order .140" hp pin. Both have my home made gc's on them.
Another favorite Thompson design is for the 44cals. Bought this mold decades ago to be used in a snubnosed 44spl. The bullets is a H&G 142, the mold casts a 220gr gc swc (supposed to be 230gr) and a 200gr hp. Again wearing my home made gc's.
There's a lot of different bullet designs out there & the Thompson design is still well worth looking into.
More Thompson style bullets. The mold is the heavy Thompson 44cal bullet. The bottom left is plain based cramer 35cal (,358") 158gr hp called a "hunter" bullet.
gwpercle
Member
Skeeter Skelton also liked this bullet ... along with Mr. Shelton , whomever he is/was .
One of Skeeter Skelton's magazine articles was the reason I bought this mould in 1971 to go with my new Ruger Blackhawk ...357 magnum .
The 1970 Speer Reloading Manual #8 showed a max. load of 8.0 grs Unique ... and a start load of 6.0 grs. Unique ... So for the next 40 odd years my Rugers pet load was the #358156 over 7.5 grs. Unique .
Now I see the "books" have mostly revised their max load to 6.0 grs. of Unique or don't show any data for Unique at all ...strange .
Me , Skeeter and the Blackhawk have been doing just fine since the 1970's ... So ...
We just going to Keep On Keeping On with #358156 and 7.5 grs Unique.
Gary
One of Skeeter Skelton's magazine articles was the reason I bought this mould in 1971 to go with my new Ruger Blackhawk ...357 magnum .
The 1970 Speer Reloading Manual #8 showed a max. load of 8.0 grs Unique ... and a start load of 6.0 grs. Unique ... So for the next 40 odd years my Rugers pet load was the #358156 over 7.5 grs. Unique .
Now I see the "books" have mostly revised their max load to 6.0 grs. of Unique or don't show any data for Unique at all ...strange .
Me , Skeeter and the Blackhawk have been doing just fine since the 1970's ... So ...
We just going to Keep On Keeping On with #358156 and 7.5 grs Unique.
Gary
OP
Mis-spell on my part.
DeplorabusUnum
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This thread stirred my curiosity...I haven't cast any #358156 in a good while. As I've done for many years, I've been shooting the H&G #51 SWC at about 158-160 grs. in both .38 Special and .357.
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Alk8944
US Veteran
The nominal 173 grain Keith bullet is 358429 You will find it listed from 170 to 175 grains in Lyman lists There was also at one time a 358431, which was the hollow-point version of 358429
GT Bullets sells versions of both bullets with the hollow-point being listed at 160 grains because of the very large hollow-point reducing the weight.
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