Thanks, Mainehunter! I've been struggling to get back on this project, just a lot going on outside.
I added Federal brass to the mix, and it too delivers 2.000" after resizing, so it was either going to be that or the 2.040 delivered from the 38-55 short brass.
I cast both the Lee C358-200-RF and the NOE SC360-230-RF, about 100 each, and along with my TLC359-190-RF started to see what would fit. I should have held off on the SC360, just looking at the drawing I knew the nose was too long but I bought it anyway, and it is... too long! Another $100 in the wind! With the .357" groove on this rifle, I can go with a .358 bullet so I set to seeing what cartridge overall length the throat to ogive contact would produce with the other two. Both were doable with the Lee being the better of the two for matching up the crimp groove.
Well, ran into another problem as I started this work. The chamber cannot accept 2.000" brass. I knew it might be a problem and it was. As the cartridge is chambered and the bolt closes and is held up tight by the lever linkage, a pretty little .035" crimp is applied to the cartridge by the throat's step!
If you look at the case mouth of the cartridge on the left side of the image, you can see the crimp as applied by the chamber. You can even see the three groove rifling applied to a portion of the case, looks like the collet of the Lee Factory Crimp Die!
So, I called and talked to JES about it, and he said he cut it like he cuts all the others. Using a fresh Remington 30-30 Win case that has been resized. My Rem case measured 2.000" after sizing. He said he would cut it any length I want if I would ship it back to him and provide both dummy cases and cartridges. I told him I would do that, but it would be at least a week before I could send it.
I had some stuff rolling around in my head because of the steep curve of the C358" ogive. I left the bullet at the cast diameter of near .359", stuck it in the throat and then measured want OAL it would produce, .2430". So, a 2.425" cartridge OAL would place the ogive .005" off land contact. The math was easy with that, trim another .010" off the case to match the crimp groove for a case length of 1.955".
The next step is to see how this arrangement shoots. I need to get the unfinished stock back on the rifle for a quick range session. Hopefully, it will as the return shipping is going to cost me about a buck a .001" and I really don't want the rifle gone as I probably would loose interest in the project and end up boxing it all up for some other time. I'm like that, the best cure for a hassle is to get rid of it. Hopefully, the next step works and I can get this finished.