Casting ? - Why the cost difference..?

[Leftheart]

So i would like to try casting.. but i am really curious to the cost difference... is it just brand. or quality?
$39 bucks and 6 cast...... Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 401-175-TC 40 S&W (401 Diameter) 175 Grain

or $169 for 4 cast --> Saeco 4-Cavity Bullet Mold #047 40 S&W 10mm (401 Diameter) 200 Grain

do you know of a better place to purchase?
i know most everything is backordered.. but wanted to find some that i could order on backorder... searching for something good for 40SW for my M&P 40c

 

[blujax01]

You will find Richard Lee's philosophy is that most products are overpriced and over-engineered. He made it his life's work to take every nickel out of a thing until it no longer worked then put a dime back in.

That's why his molds are 1/4 the cost of the other ones.

I have not owned any Lee products therefore have not had any problems (or good experiences) to report. I have no further opinion.

 

[johnfly45]

I have several Lee molds in .38, .44, and .45 caliber as well as some Lyman and RCBS. I don't own a lube/sizer, so used to used the pan and cookie cutter method for traditional design cast bullets with one or two large lube grooves. The Lee sizer die sets work well enough for the limited quantity. For higher volume target shooting, the Lee Tumble Lube designs are nice - very convenient and fast. If you're just getting into casting, the Lee products make an economical way to get into it -- and I think you'll find many satisfied users who see no need to replace those molds with other brands. Don't get me wrong, I really like my Lyman and RCBS molds as well and have no problem with owning a mixed bag. For some reason, it just seems right to shoot a Lyman 429421 out of my single action Super Blackhawk, but with most of my applications, the pedigree doesn't seem as important.

Midway is a fine supplier and does a lot to support the shooting sports, I order frequently from them.

For a wealth of info on bullet casting, search for the "cast boolit forum" (spell it like that). Good luck and enjoy! John

 

[Bart45]

I have Saeco and Lyman. The Lyman are nicer in that they have a set screw on the sprue adjustment screw. Seems to work better than the mold without. Both of my brands are very well made, and fit my "buy it once' philosophy. Can also buy rebuild kits for the Lyman as far as screws and sprue plates.

 

[gregintenn]

Aluminum versus cast iron. Which do you think would last longer or cast better?

 

[gwpercle]

It's like the price of cars...some people just want to get from point "A" to point "B" so we drive Chevy and Fords. Some folk's want to go from "A" to "B" in style and want to impress others with how much money they have , so they drive Cadillac's, Mercedes-Benze and Porsche's. Both get where they are going it just depends on how much you want to pay or can afford. I prefer Lyman moulds but all the new moulds I have bought in the past 15 years have been Lee. For the price they are great. The 6 cavity moulds are of excellent quality and the best value around. I am greatful for Richard Lee's affordable bullet moulds , sizing kits and electric furnace's. I need moulds for 41 magnum and 303 British and have narrowed down my search to Lee's because of price and availability.
Gary

 

[Nframecollector]

Lee blocks are aluminium and Saeco are cast iron. I have both types but mostly cast iron from Lyman and RCBS and Hoch. Cast iron being much sturdier! Like all LEE stuff you get what you pay for.

 

[Titegroups]

Find a source of lead before you start casting, realize there is more to it than you think. Much more to it than just filling mold cavities with lead and opening it and letting the drop out. I own half a dozen or so of the lee moldd and have no issues. I like my lymans better. The lees are nice and light and make many bullets fast but aluminum heats and cools rather quickly and will give you some headaches, the numner one thing to keep in mind is never let water get into the pot when hot it will turn to steam instantly and you will be wearing that 750deg faster than you can blink an eye. Wear a face sheild and protective clothing like long sleeves at least.

 

[Nick B]

Lee molds =Taurus
Saeco=S&W

 

[Harrison]

I have owned two Lee molds. They didn't cost much and that was about what they were worth. Neither one cast a decent boolit. Castboolit.com has several stickies telling how to rebuild Lee molds so they do a reasonable job. I don't want a mold that needs major rebuilding.

I have six Redding/Saeco molds and they do pretty good job of casting decent boolits, without going to a lot of fuss and bother. I also have six molds from Accurate Molds, which are custom made molds, and they are works of art that cast perfect boolits. In the boolit casting game, you pretty much get what you pay for when it comes to molds. It is not cheap to produce a top quality mold, so don't expect a top quality mold for a cheap price. Lyman molds are hit and miss. Some are top notch and some are not so good. I have heard RCBS molds are pretty good. Any of the many custom mold makers produce top drawer stuff.
Life is too short to mess around with finicky skanky molds.

 

[David LaPell]

You can find some decent used Lyman moulds on Ebay and occasionally gunbroker all the time for under $100. I know my #358156 single cavity mould cost me about $30 and then I spent another $30 getting it turned into a HP mould. I also have a second single cavity mould for the 358156 SWC mould I left alone, I paid $25 for that one. As far as the cost, well I was given well over 50 pounds of wheel weights and I still have plenty of them. My Lee Lead pot was $30, pretty basic but it works for me. I found a little Lee bottom pour for $20 at a gun show. I have cast a couple thousand bullets over the last year which doesn't sound like a lot but there was several months out of each year where I wasn't casting at all. Figure even $25 for those same bullets per 100 from a company like Montana Bullet Co. and you can see where the saving comes in. I figure I have cast over $750 in bullets for a lot less than I spent doing it.

 

[YARDDOG]

As far as Lee mold go,, Not too bad & I have 3 or 4. Lyman molds are great I have 4,, But I do use the Lee molds problem free & many a Boolits cast from them ; ) PS I had 350 lbs of lead give to me to start years ago

Y/D

 

[Engineer1911]

Lee molds

My Lee moulds prior to 2013 (1992 to 02005), about 8 of them, could be accurately described as junk. The moulds are delicate, poorly machined, don't drop the bullet from the mould -- if it can go wrong it does.

I just got a Lee 6 cavity, .358 diameter 148 grain wadcutter tumble lube mold -- WOW ! ! It casts perfect bullets after the third filling, opens easily, bullets fall out without pounding/picking at the mould -- everything the others don't do. I also have new 45 acp, 44, and 40 S&W 6 cavity moulds to try out. Quality in Lee molds has improved.

 

[Bart45]

Lee blocks are aluminium and Saeco are cast iron. I have both types but mostly cast iron from Lyman and RCBS and Hoch. Cast iron being much sturdier! Like all LEE stuff you get what you pay for.

Only Lee product I own for casting is their 20# ladle pour Magnum Melter furnace. Works very well, and a good deal at the price of about $50.

 

[planojack]

I have SAECO 4 cavities that I've used for forty years. They continue to produce great bullets. They are real quality. I regularly use Lee molds. They are inexpensive and don't hold up like a SAECO or RCBS. For the price, they are adequate. I love to see the bullets pile up when casting from the Lee 6 cavity mold. Your choice.

 

[leas327]

I have a little bit of everything. I wouldn't spend money on a Lee 2 cavity. I also wouldn't spend the money on a Lyman or Saeco that is a common design. Lee 6 cavity molds are hard to beat for price and production. You can run them hot and pump out a lot of good pistol bullets in a short amount of time. My biggest beef with the 6 cavity is the aluminum sprue plate. I run the so hot and push them so hard they want to warp or bow.

 

[imashooter2]

You will find Richard Lee's philosophy is that most products are overpriced and over-engineered. He made it his life's work to take every nickel out of a thing until it no longer worked then put a dime back in.

That is stating it about as eloquently as I have ever seen it said.

The Lee 6 cavity molds are a bargain. They work well and I have some that have cast many thousands (upwards of 25,000 easily) and are still going strong.

That said, a SAECO mold is a Cadillac compared to Lee's Chevy. Using one is an absolute pleasure.

 

[noylj]

Lee molds are aluminum. They are not cut with expensive cherries but machined. The problem, for me, was the aluminum. it heats and cools very fast, thus you need to cast fast to keep the mold hot or you need to dip a corner in the molten lead all the time to keep it hot. Also, aluminum is soft and easily damaged.
I own several Lee molds and they work quite well. They are cheap enough to replace if you screw them up.
I really prefer steel molds, particularly Lyman and RCBS, but the cost is high. Thus, I look for old ones in good shape at gun shows.

 

[AzRedleg]

So i would like to try casting.. but i am really curious to the cost difference... is it just brand. or quality?
$39 bucks and 6 cast...... Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 401-175-TC 40 S&W (401 Diameter) 175 Grain

or $169 for 4 cast --> Saeco 4-Cavity Bullet Mold #047 40 S&W 10mm (401 Diameter) 200 Grain

do you know of a better place to purchase?
i know most everything is backordered.. but wanted to find some that i could order on backorder... searching for something good for 40SW for my M&P 40c

Price difference: Brand and Quality. Both are capable of casting some really good bullets. A high quality mold is a thing of beauty, just like a fine firearm.

Purchase advice: I've purchased most of my iron and brass molds from various online auction sites. The good molds don't really wear out if cared for. Make sure the seller has posted lots of pictures of the cavities and "face" of the mold. They need to be perfect and free of rust. Dings and dents on the outside of the block don't really hurt anything. Quality used molds have much higher resale value. Used Lee molds are very inexpensive and I wouldn't purchase a used one unless I could inspect it first. I view the Lee molds as pretty much disposable.

 

[Clovishound]

I have just started casting. I bought a Lee 2 cavity mold because they had the one I needed on the shelf at a LGS for less than $25. Even if they had been available, I would not be getting one of the $100+ molds to get started with. I want to make sure I will still be casting in a couple of years before dropping that much money on molds.

I consider the Lee molds to be a consumable. I have also found that they work. Mine will produce bullets decent enough to get very small groups at 7 yds with my model 10.

If I am still casting next year, I may look into better quality molds. In the meantime, I will be using my cheap Lee mold and make bullets, learning, and enjoying shooting.

To get the whole casting ball of wax could easily run me over $500. Between a couple of high quality molds, a lead melter, and a lube sizer, it adds up. I am a firm believer in getting started with equipment that works, but won't break the bank. Once you know what you are doing, you can spend the big bucks, having a better chance of knowing what will work best for you. Others believe in buying the best right from the beginning. That is OK too. I just prefer to get to know what I am doing before dropping the big bucks.

 

[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.

Sized 358