I got a .357 Lyman 170 gr Keith style bullet .I am wondering should I use it in just 357 rem mag cases or in 357 rem maximum .I only have 357 rem maximum carbines and a 8 inch pistol .I am thinking about powder coating them too .I also have a bunch of hard cast Keith .357 215 gr with the bullet cups on the bottom would these be good in my 357 rem max carbine .Also what powders should I use and what speed should I push them .I have a 15 inch barrel and a 23 inch barrel the pistol is just 8 inch .This will be great for cheaper shooting and they should be good hunting bullets .I know I will have to really clean the barrel with the powder coated bullets .I have cast muzzleloader bullets before but not pistol bullets .I got a box with about 25 molds and want to try a bunch of them before I sell or trade off what I don't need .
170 gr .357 Keith hard cast use in just 357 mag or 357 max
- Thread starter dgr416
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sixshot
Buckeye
That Lyman Keith bullet has been around for a long time & used in a lot of six guns but it won't fit most 357's, the cylinders are too short. So, you have to use 38 special brass & a reduced load. Most of us use Unique or 2400 but I won't say how much, you don't say what the 8" barrel gun is. Probably a TC Contender. If it is you can use 357 brass with that bullet, just be sure to reference a couple of reloading manuals for good information. Don't start with info that someone gives you here.
The "cups" on the bottom should be gas checks, not sure what you mean there?? Also, why are you needing to scrub your barrel if you are going to powder coat? Lots of questions need answered here & we need more info on your guns. 25 molds is a lot, good luck with your new hobby. Short answer, find some one who already casts & pick up some experience & don't forget those manuals!!!
Dick
The "cups" on the bottom should be gas checks, not sure what you mean there?? Also, why are you needing to scrub your barrel if you are going to powder coat? Lots of questions need answered here & we need more info on your guns. 25 molds is a lot, good luck with your new hobby. Short answer, find some one who already casts & pick up some experience & don't forget those manuals!!!
Dick
contender
Ruger Guru
sixshot has made some excellent points.
Lots of questions for those of us who cast, & shoot a lot of handgun bullets.
I too wonder about the "8" barrel." Ruger made the .357 Maximum in 7-1/2" & 10". And T/C made them in 10" & 14". Not sure about the Dan Wesson barrel lengths, but it's possible they made the .357 Maximum in 8". That's IF I read your post & understood it to mean you have .357 Maxi guns in carbines, AND an 8" pistol.
And as noted by sixshot, using the Lyman/Keith bullet in most normal .357 Mag cylinders, it won't fit if loaded to the crimp ring. Some folks also will deep seat a bullet with the crimp over the driving band, and get good results. You could experiment with a dummy round to check lengths.
And powder coating, as also mentioned, I question the comment; "I know I will have to really clean the barrel with the powder coated bullets." Both sixshot,& myself as well as many others shoot a LOT of PCed bullets, & the cleaning is much easier & doesn't require the level of cleaning you seem to think.
And the use of the gas checks, (bullet cups) is dependent upon a few things. First off, the cast bullet will have it designed to where you can seat a GC or not. We call cast bullets by 3 basic types; Gas Check, Plain Base, or Tapered Base. In general, a GC design is often used in higher velocity bullets, cast a bit harder to prevent or reduce barrel leading.
Casting good pistol bullets can be both rewarding & frustrating until you figure out the alloy needed, for the velocity you desire & if the design requires a GC or not.
Slugging a barrel, checking chamber throats, matching the diameter of the bullet to the gun, and then shooting things to see what works best is a fun journey.
Again, as sixshot has mentioned, you should try to find a mentor to assist you in starting this if possible. It'll help the learning curve a lot by shortening it dramatically.
Lots of questions for those of us who cast, & shoot a lot of handgun bullets.
I too wonder about the "8" barrel." Ruger made the .357 Maximum in 7-1/2" & 10". And T/C made them in 10" & 14". Not sure about the Dan Wesson barrel lengths, but it's possible they made the .357 Maximum in 8". That's IF I read your post & understood it to mean you have .357 Maxi guns in carbines, AND an 8" pistol.
And as noted by sixshot, using the Lyman/Keith bullet in most normal .357 Mag cylinders, it won't fit if loaded to the crimp ring. Some folks also will deep seat a bullet with the crimp over the driving band, and get good results. You could experiment with a dummy round to check lengths.
And powder coating, as also mentioned, I question the comment; "I know I will have to really clean the barrel with the powder coated bullets." Both sixshot,& myself as well as many others shoot a LOT of PCed bullets, & the cleaning is much easier & doesn't require the level of cleaning you seem to think.
And the use of the gas checks, (bullet cups) is dependent upon a few things. First off, the cast bullet will have it designed to where you can seat a GC or not. We call cast bullets by 3 basic types; Gas Check, Plain Base, or Tapered Base. In general, a GC design is often used in higher velocity bullets, cast a bit harder to prevent or reduce barrel leading.
Casting good pistol bullets can be both rewarding & frustrating until you figure out the alloy needed, for the velocity you desire & if the design requires a GC or not.
Slugging a barrel, checking chamber throats, matching the diameter of the bullet to the gun, and then shooting things to see what works best is a fun journey.
Again, as sixshot has mentioned, you should try to find a mentor to assist you in starting this if possible. It'll help the learning curve a lot by shortening it dramatically.
The 8 inch barrel pistol is a dan wesson 357 super mag in 357 rem maximum .I have only shot jacketed bullets in it . Yes those are gas checks on the 215 grain Keith style .357 bullets .They should be perfict for the 357 rem max loads I guess around 1200 fps or what's the fastest for powder coated with a gas check .I will probally shoot these in the carbines.The 357 super mag Dan Wesson should work with the 170 gr with 357 cases .I just wondered which case I should use the 357 rem maximum is probally going to have lots of air space with these slower loads 6.I usually shoot mostly 180 hornady xtp bulkets in these guns super fast with aa1680 powder .These slower cast loads shoukd be way easier to shoot in the revolver .I have only shot a few 357 mag loads in these guns didbt want to ring the chambers .
contender
Ruger Guru
Ok, I guessed right about an 8" DW barrel. Only one I knew of.
I'm shooting a PCed bullet, weighing about 195 grns, with a GC, at a bit more than 1200 fps in my Maxis.
If you want to study more on that,, look into the singleactions dot com Forum, & search for the "Bradshaw/Martin" bullet for the .357 Maxi.
David Bradshaw has a LOT of excellent info on the Ruger .357 Maxi's. Study carefully & you will learn from one of the best.
I'm shooting a PCed bullet, weighing about 195 grns, with a GC, at a bit more than 1200 fps in my Maxis.
If you want to study more on that,, look into the singleactions dot com Forum, & search for the "Bradshaw/Martin" bullet for the .357 Maxi.
David Bradshaw has a LOT of excellent info on the Ruger .357 Maxi's. Study carefully & you will learn from one of the best.
Going in over my head here but you may encounter problems with such a long bullet even in the "carbines" which may have maximum overall cartridge length considerations(same as revolver cylinder length).
