.45 ACP Bullet Mold Recommendation?

[federali]

I'd like to buy a 6-cavity RN bullet mold to cast and shoot unsized bullets in two .45 ACPs (non-Glocks). The Lee molds have mixed reviews at Midwest Shooters Supply with users complaining of misaligned mold halves.

Might any of you gentlemen recommend a bullet mold? I'd like to keep the loads at 200-230 grains, round or flat nose and tumble-lubed Thanks.

 

[fredj338]

If you want 6cav, you are getting limited, unless you want to spend quite a bit. The Lee molds are truly hit or miss. Get a good one, they make good bullets. Get a poor one, then they aren't worth the even the modest price. Roll the dice with a Lee. If you just want near perfect, Accurate molds has 5cavs that are a work of art but at nearly 4x more, should be.

 

[venomballistics]

Lee seems mostly hit and miss on a per design basis.
the 230 TCFP is one of the good ones.
Avoid the tumble lube designs.
While not a horrible idea overall, they have a nasty habit of overdoing it and compromising the integrity of the bands, leading to premature leading issues when they skid across the rifling rather than engage.

 

[Fishinfool]

I have a Lee 2 cavity aluminum mold that throws a 240 grain .431 semi waddcutter, and it works well.

The rest of my molds are RCBS or Lyman, and they are of very good quality, though none are of the 6 cavity persuasion.

I have read somewhere that 6 cavity molds are hard to get consistent bullets out of due to uneven heating? Don't know for sure, but something to think about.

I have compared the accuracy of bullets fresh from the mold, and those with a trip thru the sizer, and as long as the bullet is cast properly for the guns bore / chamber mouths, I have not seen any real difference in accuracy. I guess that could change if the bullet isn't cast "square" to begin with.

Larry

 

[CBH44]

NOE molds. Great molds.

 

[4barrel]

I have a 2 and a 4 and prefer using the Lyman 2 bullet H&G 68 mold. A cast bullet when dropped from the mold isn't round and needs to be sized to .452 to make it so if you are shooting to be accurate. I can do 250 at a time out of one pot with the 2 about as fast as the 4 will. Lees are ok for plinking. Tumble lube works as long as the bullet is nearly round and not to large or small.

 

[novalty]

Mihec M&P 452374 clone. Mihec still has some available over at Castboolits.

 

[fredj338]

I have a Lee 2 cavity aluminum mold that throws a 240 grain .431 semi waddcutter, and it works well.

The rest of my molds are RCBS or Lyman, and they are of very good quality, though none are of the 6 cavity persuasion.

I have read somewhere that 6 cavity molds are hard to get consistent bullets out of due to uneven heating? Don't know for sure, but something to think about.

I have compared the accuracy of bullets fresh from the mold, and those with a trip thru the sizer, and as long as the bullet is cast properly for the guns bore / chamber mouths, I have not seen any real difference in accuracy. I guess that could change if the bullet isn't cast "square" to begin with.

Larry

It's also the 6cavs. Almost impossible to get them all identical. I have a couple 6cav Lee, they throw mostly good bullets. The issue is size & roundness. Some cavs will throw slightly smaller or out of round. I also have a couple of Accurate molds. The 4-5cav are just as fast as a 6cav, takes a little less time to fill & the heavier alum seems to dissipate heat better. NOE & Mihec are great as well. Starting out though, nothing wrong with the Lee, just don't expect perfection.

 

[OKFC05]

I'd like to buy a 6-cavity RN bullet mold to cast and shoot unsized bullets in two .45 ACPs (non-Glocks).

If you are as inexperienced at casting as you sound, I'd get one 2-cavity Lee TL 230 RN and use it until it is easy and you feel very confident in getting the lead the right temp, full fill, not frosted, in other words, good bullets.
Then use your experience to branch out and try others.
I suggest NOT: (1)buying a non-TL and expecting to get away without sizing, and (2) buying a 6 cav to learn on.

Cost will be minimal, and a mediocre-cast egg-shaped TL will still do for plinking and learning. Not everybody decides casting is fun.

 

[bigsteve113]

I use the LEE 6 cavity 230 gr TC tumble lube, LEE 2 cavity 230 gr RN tumble lube, and the LEE 200 gr RNFP conventional lube. For my .45 acp casting. All of them work flawlessly. I shoot them in my RIA 1911, Xd .45 Tactical, and Ruger P345. The bullets shoot accurately and flawlessly. The only one I size is the 230 TC. The rest I shoot as cast.

 

[Doubless]

There is no substitute for the best, and that was and always will be Hensley and Gibbs.

I would keep an eye on ebay; the H&G #34 comes up reasonably often. It won't be cheap, but it is a 230-grain RN that feeds like a dream, and the H&G moulds are phenomenally consistent between cavities. You will need to get a sizer, but if you are going to cast for your 45 you need that anyway. And probably best of all, if you take care of the mould you will probably make money on it if and when you decide to move it.

For my money the Lyman 452374 is NOT a good option. That particular profile has very little room forward of where the bullet has to be seated, and if sized the least bit too small is very prone to setback. Lyman made a whole lot of good moulds with very good designs; to me the 452374 just missed the boat entirely... but that is one man's opinion.

 

[growr]

If you can find a Saeco mold you have as good as it gets...but heavy. Mine is a H&G #69 200 grain SWC that is simply fabulous.

Randy

 

[fredj338]

If you are as inexperienced at casting as you sound, I'd get one 2-cavity Lee TL 230 RN and use it until it is easy and you feel very confident in getting the lead the right temp, full fill, not frosted, in other words, good bullets.
Then use your experience to branch out and try others.
I suggest NOT: (1)buying a non-TL and expecting to get away without sizing, and (2) buying a 6 cav to learn on.

Cost will be minimal, and a mediocre-cast egg-shaped TL will still do for plinking and learning. Not everybody decides casting is fun.

I would buy the 6cav anyway. Not much more $$ & you can jut cast 2-3 cavs if you like. No TL for me, often suffer accuracy issues & you can tumble lube a conventional lube grooved bullet. Also, late on, if you decide to go luber/sizer, you are GTG. No magic to running either unsized.