.38 Special / .357 Magnum (LoB)

Series Reboot The Powder Coated Cast Lead Hollow Point Bullet Test was the series that brought me to YouTube.  In February of last year I started my YouTube channel, and the primary reason was so that I could post videos concerning the extensive tests I planned to do with cast hollow point bullet. Loads of BaconLoads […]

This is the third video in the Powder Coated Cast Lead Hollow Point Bullet Testing series, which is a long experiment testing powder coated cast lead hollow point bullets made from various alloys and fired at various velocities. In this video I cast six different bullet styles from five different alloys.

I'm reloading the hollow point and solid bullets for the first two tests in the Powder Coated Cast Lead Hollow Point Bullet Testing series. This series is a long experiment testing powder coated cast lead hollow point bullets made from various alloys and fired at various velocities. In this video I go through the process of figuring out the Unique powder charge for the .38 Special +P, and then I load the bullets.

My first casting session with the NOE HTC358-133-RN two cavity mold for 9mm. This is also my first casting session with the PID I recently assembled.

Powder coating session for my recently cast 9mm bullets. I cast these bullets from the NOE HTC358-133-RN mold.

I recently cast up a bunch of bullets with my new NOE HTC358-133-RN mold for 9mm. These bullets cast at an average of 134 grains with my alloy. I have sized these to .358", and today I decided to test them from my 4" Taurus Model 66 loaded in both 38 special and 357 magnum.

The gun I've used the most is a .357 Magnum revolver, the 4", 7-shot Taurus model 66.

I am casting 000 buck, which are .360" round balls, for loading in both shotgun and my revolvers. The mold is from Sharp Shooter USA.

I previously cast up some round balls to load into my .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 Colt, .45 Auto, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, 9mm, and .380. Now it's time to get them powder coated. I also load the initial test loads of .44 Special with Unique and Trail Boss.

Shooting the 38 Spl +P, Hollow Point, 1:40 alloy with a BHN of 8.0 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Ruger LCR. This was the very first test I shot in this series.

A redo of the test a performed a couple days prior shooting the 38 Spl +P, Hollow Point, 1:40 alloy with a BHN of 8.0 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Ruger LCR.

Shooting the 38 Spl +P, solid nose (RNFP), 1:40 alloy with a BHN of 8.0 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Ruger LCR.

Shooting the 357 Magnum (loaded to just over 38 Special +P), Hollow Point, 1:40 alloy with a BHN of 8.0 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Taurus 66.

Shooting the 38 Special +P cast with a hollow point from the 1:25 alloy with a BHN of 8.7 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Ruger LCR.

Shooting the 357 Magnum (loaded to just over 38 Special +P), Hollow Point, 1:25 alloy with a BHN of 8.7 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Taurus 66.

Shooting the 357 Magnum Hollow Point (loaded to ~1100 fps), 1:25 alloy with a BHN of 8.7 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Taurus 66.

Shooting the 38 Special +P cast with a hollow point from the 1:16 alloy with a BHN of 10.4 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Ruger LCR.

Shooting the 357 Magnum (loaded to just over 38 Special +P), Hollow Point, 1:16 alloy with a BHN of 10.4 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Taurus 66.

Shooting the 357 Magnum Hollow Point (loaded to ~1100 fps), 1:16 alloy with a BHN of 10.4 into Clear Ballistics Gel from my Taurus 66.