Casting ? - Why the cost difference..?

[Maximumbob54]

The usual Lee bashing. Meh.

I have several Lee molds in the cheap two cavity and the six cavity that have cast me piles of bullets and continue to cast me piles of bullets. I don't beat the molds to death and I keep them clean and lubed.

Steel rusts, needs to be oiled between use only to have to be cleaned for casting, and if not heated correct is prone to warp or crack.

Brass molds are sort of between the two. They won't rust on you but they are easy to ding up or warp. But they heat up good and cast well.

I buy Lee six cavity molds for bulk bullets for range fodder and get in on group buys for Mihec brass molds for some very nice HP bullet molds. Both serve all my needs and I've yet to need to replace any of them.

The Lee melting pots will work if you are trying to stay cheap but you will find they MUST be kept clean or they will drip. I found the 10# model easier to use than the 20# version although the 20# of course holds more lead between melts. But now that I finally bought the RCBS Pro Melt I love that it hold even more and find the design to be better although even used they are not cheap.

 

[Frank237]

Cast Boolits

NOE Bullet Moulds

Mountain Molds Cast Bullet Molds

Accurate Molds: Custom Bullet Molds

I'd suggest visiting the Cast Boolits site. BEST bullet casting site on the net.

Next are three links to custom mold makers. I'm a big fan of NOE and Accurate. On the CB Forums they occasionally do group buys and one of their builders is a fellow in Slovenia, Miha Previc. He builds the most beautiful and useable brass moulds going. I have five right now and they are shiny perfection.

I use an electric furnace. Quieter and quicker to set up than a gas pot.

I ladle pour, meaning my furnace does not have a bottom pour feature. So I can't comment on those. I use a made in the USA, WAAGE brand furnace. Built in Jersey...so it has to be good.

My ladle is a ROWELL brand bottom pour. Meaning the alloy comes from the bottom of the ladle. Leaving the crud that can float at the top OUT of my bullet molds.

I've got molds from Lyman, LEE, H&G, Lachmiller, NEI, Miha, NOE and Accurate. A "good" Lyman iron 4 cavity is tough to beat. Issue now is their quality is down. One gets out of round, not to Spec, etc.
For a few bucks more one can get a custom mold that's near perfect, and an exact design YOU want, though in brass or aluminum.

Molds were cheap on E Bay, GB until the current idiocy hit a few months back.

I have both an old Lyman lubrisizer as well as a STAR. The STAR is another one of those Rolls Royce deals...but an RCBS/Saeco or Lyman lube sizer is fine too. The STAR is simply much faster.

http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/

For bullet lube I use a couple of blends from the White Label folks. Their lubes run about 40% or less (in quantity) of what one pasy from the mail order guys or at a store. Big difference between $6 a stick and $1.65 a stick. I buy 40 sticks every other year.

#1 I would make sure YOU have a Supply of cheap or FREE lead. Otherwise unless you are casting for some oddball design or caliber...it isn't worth it. Buy them commercially cast.

As far as the LEE products. One can chop a tree down with a rock on a stick, or a dull axe. I much prefer to use a finely tuned, properly sharp CHAINSAW.

I like owning high quality tools. I'm fortunate in that price isn't a huge deal for me. But buying quality doesn't ever seem to bite me. I have a few LEE molds...but they are on the bottom of my LIKE and USE list. YMMV. Many are happy with ALL of the LEE products...Good for them.

FN in MT

 

[GP100man]

Here`s a new NOE 358429 5C & fresh boolits .
They fall from the mold at .360 on all bands .
If maintained & lubed properly the mold should last as long as I want to cast my own. Cost to my door $102.80 , That includes mold, wrenches to make adjustments,top punch for Lyman or RCBS lubesizer,a small bottle of BullShops sprue plate lube , & directions on cleanin & break in.

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