I would like to know what you guy's think of lee bullet molds? I am looking to start casting my own bullets. I want to use a 158gr.RN. I will be using them in a 586. the reason I want to use the round nose is because I had my cylinder cut for moon clips. FMJ bullets work well, but I am looking to cut down on cost.I have been reloading for 19 years but never made my own bullets. any suggestions or comment's. thanks in advance.
bullet casting
- Thread starter Mr.parker
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I've used Lee molds for almost 40 years. Still have my first one, a 252 gr. .45 cal SWC. It still works as good as new.
Lee molds are aluminum, which some folks may not like. I've got Lyman and RCBS molds, too. I can't figure out which I like best. Aluminum warms up quick and cools off quick, too. You'll be casting good bullets quicker with an aluminum mold, so aluminum is probably a real good mold to start with.
My favorite size is two cavity. Single is too slow, and four, in a steel mold, is a little clumsy.
Casting is easy to do. I started out with a plumber's lead pot, a ladle, the Lee mold, and a two-burner gas stove. I've graduated to bigger and better (more expensive) equipment, but I if I still had that gas burner, I'd probably use it. I've never really liked my electric lead pot.
Metal is probably going to be harder and more expensive to find now days. I used to get wheel weights by the bucketful and they were plenty good enough for what I do. I think that the composition of wheel weights has changed, though, so they might not be a good source any more.
You'll also need a sizer, something like a Lyman 450 unless the bullets come out of the mold the right size.
Lee molds are aluminum, which some folks may not like. I've got Lyman and RCBS molds, too. I can't figure out which I like best. Aluminum warms up quick and cools off quick, too. You'll be casting good bullets quicker with an aluminum mold, so aluminum is probably a real good mold to start with.
My favorite size is two cavity. Single is too slow, and four, in a steel mold, is a little clumsy.
Casting is easy to do. I started out with a plumber's lead pot, a ladle, the Lee mold, and a two-burner gas stove. I've graduated to bigger and better (more expensive) equipment, but I if I still had that gas burner, I'd probably use it. I've never really liked my electric lead pot.
Metal is probably going to be harder and more expensive to find now days. I used to get wheel weights by the bucketful and they were plenty good enough for what I do. I think that the composition of wheel weights has changed, though, so they might not be a good source any more.
You'll also need a sizer, something like a Lyman 450 unless the bullets come out of the mold the right size.
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
Well, Lee moulds work just fine, most of the time. I simply hate their 2 cavity moulds. Not worth the money in my book. The 6 cavity moulds are good.
But personally, I like cast iron moulds much better. Are they more expensive? Yes. In my mind they are worth it. I like the out of production moulds best, H&G and some of the Saeco ones.
You will never be sorry buying the best when it comes to bullet casting. Much less frustrating.
With a 4 cavity mould, I can cast 500 bullets in just a couple of hours, depending on weight.
You don't need anything to size with to start. Get some White Label Lube Xlox, much cheaper than the Lees Alox, and shoot as cast. You aren't going to hurt your firearm. Simply tumble lube them and let the dry and load them.
Just get started. There is no time like the present and soon, you may not be able to acquire components easily. I have what I want, when I want, regardless of any shortages other may experience.
But personally, I like cast iron moulds much better. Are they more expensive? Yes. In my mind they are worth it. I like the out of production moulds best, H&G and some of the Saeco ones.
You will never be sorry buying the best when it comes to bullet casting. Much less frustrating.
With a 4 cavity mould, I can cast 500 bullets in just a couple of hours, depending on weight.
You don't need anything to size with to start. Get some White Label Lube Xlox, much cheaper than the Lees Alox, and shoot as cast. You aren't going to hurt your firearm. Simply tumble lube them and let the dry and load them.
Just get started. There is no time like the present and soon, you may not be able to acquire components easily. I have what I want, when I want, regardless of any shortages other may experience.
Dan Cash
Member
+1 on what Smith Crazy says except for the Lee moulds. I have to disagree. Save your money and get a real mould such as RCBS, Saco, Mountain Moulds, LBT, to name but a few. Some folks have had problems with Lyman recently. I bought a 4 hole from them about 6 months ago and it is flawless so go figure. Lees are cheap and you get what you pay for.
flash60601
US Veteran
If it wasn't for casting, I could not have afforded to shoot so much for 45 years. I have molds from Lyman, Lachmiller, Lee, RCBS, and one or two "something".
IMHO, it does not matter so much WHO made the mold as it does how YOU take care of it.
Be sure the bullet profile is what you want before you lay out the $$$.
Aluminum or cast iron ("Meehanite" was the best of the cast iron, seasoned and tempered before manufacture) - either one will work well, but they will not work the same. Learn the characteristics of the mold you are using, and it will be a pleasure for you. Proper preparation is essential, scrupulously clean the mold before even heating it, lube it with colloidal graphite, and coat the insides of the cavities with the same.
Be aware of the venting of the air from the cavities when casting. (It's gotta get out so there is room in there for the lead, you know). Having proper temperatures of mold and lead is key to getting good bullets, and as sp1969 said,
. . . . and I would second that sentiment.
When you are done casting, let the mold cool completely, and then sink it in motor oil until you are next ready to use it. To use it then, just clean the oil off, reapply colloidal graphite, and CAST. You will prevent rust in the cavities, which is a real bummer for a good casting process, and even if you ever DO get the rust out, it will cast a "non-standard" bullet. Some folks argue that to leave the last cast bullet uncut in the mold will prevent rusting, but there are as many on the other side of that argument, saying that is a ready trap for moisture, and you won't see it until it is too late. I use the oil method, after "losing" one good Lyman (357 DEWC) mold to rust.
Good lead can be had still - scrounging is not all that hard. Cleaning out the backstop at the range is easy, the stuff is concentrated, and relatively pure for your purposes.
Flash
IMHO, it does not matter so much WHO made the mold as it does how YOU take care of it.
Be sure the bullet profile is what you want before you lay out the $$$.
Aluminum or cast iron ("Meehanite" was the best of the cast iron, seasoned and tempered before manufacture) - either one will work well, but they will not work the same. Learn the characteristics of the mold you are using, and it will be a pleasure for you. Proper preparation is essential, scrupulously clean the mold before even heating it, lube it with colloidal graphite, and coat the insides of the cavities with the same.
Be aware of the venting of the air from the cavities when casting. (It's gotta get out so there is room in there for the lead, you know). Having proper temperatures of mold and lead is key to getting good bullets, and as sp1969 said,
"Aluminum warms up quick and cools off quick, too. You'll be casting good bullets quicker with an aluminum mold, so aluminum is probably a real good mold to start with".
. . . . and I would second that sentiment.
When you are done casting, let the mold cool completely, and then sink it in motor oil until you are next ready to use it. To use it then, just clean the oil off, reapply colloidal graphite, and CAST. You will prevent rust in the cavities, which is a real bummer for a good casting process, and even if you ever DO get the rust out, it will cast a "non-standard" bullet. Some folks argue that to leave the last cast bullet uncut in the mold will prevent rusting, but there are as many on the other side of that argument, saying that is a ready trap for moisture, and you won't see it until it is too late. I use the oil method, after "losing" one good Lyman (357 DEWC) mold to rust.
Good lead can be had still - scrounging is not all that hard. Cleaning out the backstop at the range is easy, the stuff is concentrated, and relatively pure for your purposes.
Flash
I've been casting since 1972. Fact is all my Smith's live on cast bullets. I have and use Saeco/Lyman/RCBS and Lee molds. Lee molds will give you good bullets and last along time if you are careful with them.
I've killed a lot of deer with the Lee .44 cal. 310 grain w/GC out of my .444 Marlin. NO problems with smack-factor or accuracy.
I started in 1972 with a single cavity 9mm Lee mold. I still have it and it still cast a good bullet.
I've killed a lot of deer with the Lee .44 cal. 310 grain w/GC out of my .444 Marlin. NO problems with smack-factor or accuracy.
I started in 1972 with a single cavity 9mm Lee mold. I still have it and it still cast a good bullet.
Paul5388
US Veteran
I don't have a problem with any of my Lee molds, whether they are 1, 2 or 6 cavity. Most of the time, they will cast as good as Lyman or RCBS and do it for a whole lot less money. If it doesn't work right, you can throw it away (and another one) and repurchase for less money than a single 2 cavity Lyman or RCBS.
I'm not Lees biggest fan, but I do have a lot of their moulds and they work alright for me. You may have problems with their quality control and might have to deburr the mould a little. You will also want to make sure the halves line up properly. If your bullets stick in the mould you can tap the mould handles at the joint to rattle them free, but if they do this a lot you will want to look for the cause and try to remedy it or you might experience a lot of misalignment in the halves.
They do have their pecularities but they are inexpensive and can turn out some very nice bullets. I found some old unused ones in a gun shop that were no longer in production and bought them at $5 each, they are some of my favorite moulds. As Paul said, they are less expensive and are actually a good bargain and not all that bad for beginners.
Lyman used to publish a booklet on casting bullets. I'm not sure if it's still available but it was a very good reference for beginners.
They do have their pecularities but they are inexpensive and can turn out some very nice bullets. I found some old unused ones in a gun shop that were no longer in production and bought them at $5 each, they are some of my favorite moulds. As Paul said, they are less expensive and are actually a good bargain and not all that bad for beginners.
Lyman used to publish a booklet on casting bullets. I'm not sure if it's still available but it was a very good reference for beginners.
I've been a caster for almost 30 years and at one time had a casting business for a couple years. I've used most of the common brands of moulds, but mostly Lyman and Lee. I really like vintage Saeco, Lyman and Hensley & Gibbs moulds, but they're pricey.
The really nice thing about Lee 2-cavity moulds is their price. They are virtually disposable. Cast up a few thousand bullets with them, and you can throw them away and you're out less than $.01 per bullet for the cost of the mould... Unfortunately, the alignment system and quality of materials put into them is not the greatest, so a few thousand bullets is about what you'll get out of them...
I use the 6-cavity Lee aluminum moulds a lot more. Like everything else, they have their pros and cons. Pros: lightweight for such a large number of cavities, quick heat-up, rapid production. Cons: Still cheap metals resulting in some broken parts and parts that come unaligned, they often need some finish "fitting" to cast well, aluminum is easily malformed if you have an accident like dropping it (this can often ruin the mould).
Overall, if I were in your shoes, I'd start off with the 2-cav mould of your choice and cast a few thousand bullets. You'll learn all the good and bad points for yourself, while learning about the general techniques of casting. Never forget if the bullets don't look good enough for you, they can simply go back in the pot for another try.
For help with handling mods to the Lee moulds to make them work better, check out: castboolits.gunloads.com Great group of guys over there.
Nothing wrong with a RN bullet design. It fits in perfect with your moon-clip conversion, and don't let anybody fool you -- they'll shoot just as fine as a WC or SWC.
The really nice thing about Lee 2-cavity moulds is their price. They are virtually disposable. Cast up a few thousand bullets with them, and you can throw them away and you're out less than $.01 per bullet for the cost of the mould... Unfortunately, the alignment system and quality of materials put into them is not the greatest, so a few thousand bullets is about what you'll get out of them...
I use the 6-cavity Lee aluminum moulds a lot more. Like everything else, they have their pros and cons. Pros: lightweight for such a large number of cavities, quick heat-up, rapid production. Cons: Still cheap metals resulting in some broken parts and parts that come unaligned, they often need some finish "fitting" to cast well, aluminum is easily malformed if you have an accident like dropping it (this can often ruin the mould).
Overall, if I were in your shoes, I'd start off with the 2-cav mould of your choice and cast a few thousand bullets. You'll learn all the good and bad points for yourself, while learning about the general techniques of casting. Never forget if the bullets don't look good enough for you, they can simply go back in the pot for another try.
For help with handling mods to the Lee moulds to make them work better, check out: castboolits.gunloads.com Great group of guys over there.
Nothing wrong with a RN bullet design. It fits in perfect with your moon-clip conversion, and don't let anybody fool you -- they'll shoot just as fine as a WC or SWC.
I use the Lee six banger moulds for my .38 RN, .44 205 and 240 grains, .312 for my Mosin Nagant. I find them to work very well. The package says you don't have to size them. They do come out the size marked but I run them through my Star to make sure they are round.
Very satisfied with all the Lee products I have.
Very satisfied with all the Lee products I have.
fredj338
Member
Lee has such poor QC, you never know what yo are going to get. I also do NOT like their 2cav designs. The 6cav is a better mold & not that much more money. You can cast 2,3,4 all the way to 6 at one time. I prefer iron molds, but anything above a 3cav gets heavy & expensive. I'm also not a fan of the Lee TL designs. I would go conventional lube groove, even if you still want to tumble lube.
BSkerj
Member
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Go over to Castboolits.com. They have all the answers you will need. Smithcrazy was the first one to get me thinking about casting and was very helpful with suggestions. Now literally 2 1/2 tons of WW's later I have several molds including a couple of Lees. As said above, you can't beat their 6 cav molds, but recently I have been using Lyman and getting into group buy molds from a gentlemen from Slavania who makes a awesome brass mold on the Castboolits site.
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Lee 6 cav molds are great. Their 2 cavs can be a little tempermental but usually not. I found that you need to lube the plate ,hinge, and alignment pins with some sort of high temp lube. Bullplate lube seems best. If you lightly deburr them and keep them lubed, you will be happy. If you are thinking about Lee's 158 gr RN #90319 while a good bullet, it might be a little long in a 357 mag. They are to long in my Marlin, and won't feed properly. The 158 RF #90692 works well.
acl864
Member
I just got started casting back last October. The Lee 2-cavity tumble lube molds were a cheap and easy way to get started. I followed the instructions that came with the molds, fired up my Lee bottom pour pot and was making useable bullets right off the bat. The 158 gr. SWC and 148 gr. DEWC both shoot great out of my S&W's. I cast straight wheel weights, tumble lube them and shoot them unsized. As someone else mentioned- for $20 it's hard to go wrong. I could throw both molds in the trash now and still feel like I've got my money's worth out of them. I am going to start upgrading to better molds, tradional lube groove bullet designs and a lubrisizer at some point in time. But I have no regrets on purchasing the Lee molds.
I have several Lee molds, and most work fine. Some are hard to get the bullets to release and drop out - even after removing the machining burr from the edge of the cavity. I have used Lee double cavity exclusively, so I can't really make a fair comparison to other brands. Welcome to bullet casting - the only way I can afford to shoot extensively.It is a very rewarding hobby.
