[exflatlander]

I bought I box of cast 158 gr swc for use in my blackhawk and win 94.

Anyone have experience loading 158gr lswc over W296.

Do you need to use a gas check?

How hot before the leading gets bad?

Should I just save the cast stuff for Unique and use the W296 for jacketed fare?

All comments, criticizisms appreciated.

 

[MikeG]

Depends entirely on quality of alloy, lube, condition of gun, etc.

You would just have to try them and see. Odds are, without a gascheck you would get some leading. Contact the manufacturer and see what they recommend.

I use WW296 with cast bullets all the time but almost all of them are gas-checked.

 

[longhunter]

I agree with MikeG. I would use another powder for the cast SWCs, and reserve the 296 (GREAT POWDER) for the jacketed or GC bullets.

 

[JohnK]

As Mike said it depends on the alloy but I use H110/Win296 with cast bullets all the time.

15.0gr of H110/Win296 is a VERY consistant load in my M27, around 1,250 fps as I recall (can't find the notes right now). 16.5 gr H110 averages 1,400 for me with either 158gr LSWC or 173gr Keith LSWC, both without gas checks.

 

[Allen Foraker]

Just my observations, but in the last 2 months I have been shooting the Lyman #358156 Gas Check over 14.5 gr of AA#9 @1404 avg. fps (chronographed) with no appreciable leading. I shoot them in a SS Blkhwk with 4 5/8 bbl. They are very accurate but print 6 inches high @ 50 yds. Am working with plain base 150 gr. and bevel base 158 gr. now over H-110. My alloy is WW with 2.5% tin(+/-) and water dropped. These loads with #9 also work well in my 92 carbine.

The 150 and 158 gr. NON-Gas Check stuff I have been shooting in .38 Spl cases on top of 5 gr. of W-231 in the same guns plus an SP-101. Get quite a bit of leading in the revolvers but not the carbine. The Blkhwk has .359 cylinders and .357 bore and still leads with bare lead bases.

Mysteries like these are why I like casting.

Allen F.

 

[Rrusse11]

Allen,
Are you water dropping the lighter loads? If so, might be too hard and the bullets aren't obturating enough. Try some air cooled and see how it goes, or load them in , 357Mag cases and get the bullet closer to the throat. Also you don't say what ur sizing them too, another variable.
Cheers,
R2

 

[Allen Foraker]

R2,
Yes I have been using the water dropped bullets in .38 cases. Will try both, air cooled in .38 cases and mag cases with water-dropped bullets next go-round. These bullets come out of my die at .3595.

I got talked into and shot my first CAS today. Got hooked. Darn I hate/love new hobbies. My wife is not going to like my NEW excuse to buy another gun. Thanks for the reply.

Allen F.

 

[Rrusse11]

Allen,
And you might want to try sizing them to .358, the LEE push thru type is cheap enuff. Standard rule of thumb is .001 over bore. Lube type and amount is another thing to experiment with. You should have no problem getting 1500fps before a GC is needed.
LOL, and if that wasn't enough to play with, the barrel could be a bit rough. JB's on a tight patch can work wonders. Only go in one direction, revolvers often have restrictions on the bore where it screws into the frame. Polish the forcing cone,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I'll stop now, that should keep you busy for a while. )
Cheers,
R2

 

[Allen Foraker]

R2
I just happen to be using Lee sizing die. I have all of the complicated equipment, but I am trying to see how simple I can make things. My shooters are lapped. I started out with the die spitting out .358 dia. bullets and am using Liquid Alox. I was told that the liquid alox doesn't work that well over 1k fps so I slowed them down. Next, I thought that a .358 bullet through a .359 chamber would get to much blow-by so I honed out the die to .3595, so at this point, I am shooting .3595 bullets and grease the skids with Alox. I have a .358 die loaded up in the lubri-sizer and stuffed with LBT Blue, just haven't eliminated all of the other variables yet. I am ultimately trying to shoot unsized bullets with Alox to make things as simple as possible. On the Alox thing, I shoot a 7 TCU in Contender with 130 grain cast bullets (GC) at 1700 fps lubed with Alox and do not get any leading. So I know that bullets can be pushed over 1k fps with Alox, I just haven't figured out the right combination yet. Incidently, my lead base bullets are all from Lee moulds, my gas checks are all lymans. I am definitely going to use your suggestions and go back to .358 dia bullets but switch over to the LBT Blue friction reducer.

Thanks again
Allen F.

 

[Rrusse11]

Allen,
Sounds like you're workin at it! Acheivable no doubt, just getting that right load, lube, speed balance is the trick. I find a load for a bullet that I like, and then leave it at that.
Course then I go out and get another mould and start again.
Lyman checks ehhhhh, I use the Hornady's, but I do have a problem with one bullet, I mihgt order a box and see if that helps. It was my understanding that the Lymans were designed to not crimp the same, or something about them, was different to the Hornady's. Each mould, like firearms, seems to be an individual. And somebody else's solution may not work for you. Part of the art of all this shooting stuff.
Cheers,
R2

 

[bulletsbob44]

296 in 357 loads

This is a little off the subject of 296, but if you are having problems with leading in plain base loads try IMR 4227. This powder burns cool and usually reduces leading quite a bit.

 

[exflatlander]

After firing some test rounds last week, I am going to stick with Unique for these cast 158's

Over 5.9 grains of Unique I was able to shoot a six-shot ragged hole at 25 feet with my blackhawk.

Over 15 grains of 296, all I got was mare noise and a larger spread.

I'll save the 296 for the jacket stuff and my .357 max.

 

[Rrusse11]

flatlander,
I wouldn't touch that load!!!!!
Whatever it takes to get that kind of result in your gun, with the bullets ya got, sounds like ur getting that golden sweet spot where accuracy is limited by the operator.
NICE SHOOTING!
Who cares what kinda' velocity,,,,,,
More ooomph, IMO, you're approach is quite correct, go to the bigger cartridge for whatever other purposes you have in mind.

accuracy=placement=results

Cheers,
R2

 

[exflatlander]

Rrusse,

Believe me, I thought I was seeing things as I was shooting it and actually pulled the target in after only one cyclinder full to make sure it was true.

That is definitely my 158 gr cast load for the blackhawk.

I can now concentrate on my new toy, the DW 357 Maximum.

 

[Rrusse11]

flatlander,
I remember reading a fascinating article on bear attacks.
The RCMP did an exhaustive study on 'stopping power' and all of it's complications/implications should you find yourself in the situataion of a 'close encounter' with a big brown.
To their astonishment, the 'lowly 38Special' was capable of penetrating the skull of one of the big bears. Course, you had to hit it in the right place.
I rest my case.
{)
Workin on putting a 357/44 Bain&Davis together here,,,,,

Let us know how ya go with the Max.

Cheers,
R2