Guess the main differences are:
1. Use reliable lead bullet data, and start from the low end and work up.
2. Select a bullet that matches bore size (in revolvers, it wouldn't hurt to match the cylinder-moth size).
3. Flare the case necks enough to not catch the edge of the lead bullet and nick it. You do that with jacketed bullets already, but would flare it a bit more.
4. Start with what is MOST likely to be accurate..something in the middle range with powders in the burn rate of Unique or 231. Get confidence, then try the full charge stuff.
5. Try to find a seating stem that matches the shape of the bullet you select....taht's good advice for any load.
6. good idea to start with a truely clean gun. Jacket fouling is a great lead attractant.

Other than that, it's just a matter of fiddling arround to find a load that works...may have to juggle bullet dieamters or powder charges, but you can find a load that does all you want without that jacket.

There are other requirements as well:

1. Bullet alloy must be matched to the application.
You may cast a pistol bullet of pure lead and push it at 650 to 700 feet per second with smokeless powder, but that same alloy at a higher velocity will surely leave a mess of leading.
As you increase velocity and pressure, you need a stronger alloy, when using smokeless powder.
Conversely, black powder requires a relatively soft bullet. This includes black powder use in cartridges such as the .45-70 and .44-40.
Which leads me to another point:

2. Your bullet lubricant must be matched to your propellant. Most smokeless powder bullet lubricants contain greases made from petrolum. This works well.
However, when such lubricants are used with black powder accuracy suffers. Petroleum products, generally speaking, turn black powder fouling into a hard, tarry mess.
For black powder bullets, you need a fairly soft lubricant made of natural substances: fats, oils and waxes from animals or plants.

If all you're going to do is reload smokeless powder, you'll get by fine with moderate to hard alloys and petroleum-based lubricants.
But don't think you can take that same hard, Alox-greased bullet and drop it into a case full of black powder and have anything approaching decent accuracy.
This is the reason, I believe, why so many smokeless powder shooters dismiss black powder as inaccurate. In a good gun, with the proper bullet alloy and lubricant, black powder will amaze you with its accuracy.
I shoot and cast bullets for smokeless and black powder. One pot is filled with pure lead, the other with a hard alloy approaching Linotype in its hardness.

Gatofeo: Agree with your additons.

Made the assumption (prhaps in error, but it's still my assumption) the poster would buy over the counter cast lead bullets for his first efforts...and if that is corect, he's pretty well going to get hard cast and waxy-hard commercal type lubes.

Before I screwed up and over worte his post, he mentioned loading 38's and 357's and that he'd loaded jacketed bullets before this...so i assumed his needs were going to be pretty wll covered by the commercail cast versions avaialbe (although I sure wish they didn't use that rock-hard lube).

SO..will add one more.

IF you are buying bullets, buy a small lot of them first...if you like what arrives and can work up a good load with them, buy more of the same in a bigger quantity. If you get hooked, then look into casting your own (may only look...apartment dwellers and people pressed for time often like cast bullets, but don't have the time to do it themselves).

the basic question boiled down to: What does a jacketed bullet, bottleneck rifle cartridge loader need to know to start loading 38/357 pistol cartridges with commercial hard cast bullets. follow up questions are: bullet recommendations powder recommendations and additional equip to load commercial cast bullets

Want success - start with this:

Beartooth 185gr. FNGC.

Load with H110 or WW296. I've worked up to 16 grains, don't start with that :) It's a top-end load, and very accurate. Not recommended for snubbies :eek:

Use a Lyman "M" expander, that is about all you need as far as specialized equipment.

Can't speak for any other brand of bullets, but that ought to give you very good success.