Lee vs Lyman

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SpecRacer

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I am considering 2 molds for my new 9mm.

1. Lyman 4 Cavity 135 gr 356402 $100

2. Lee Precision 6 Cavity 356-125gr 2R $50


The Lee is 50% less expensive and produces 50% more bullets. The Lee also has bullets of the same weight as I intend to carry.

Any preferences from you guys?
 
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I've had bad luck with Lyman molds, and while I know a lot praise Lee molds--there should not be a term associated with fixing your molds (Lee-menting). My recommendation is RCBS, or if you want a great 4 cavity mold check over on Castboolits to see if Mihec has any of his 359-135 9mm molds in stock.
 
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Lyman or RCBS. I have three Lee molds and several Lyman and RCBS molds. The bullets I get from the Lees are not the quality I get from the other two. I have 2 Lee 6 cavity, 9mm and 45. After a few runs I've gone back to my 2 cavity's from RCBS and Lyman. Takes longer but he results are superior. Just my experience.
 
I have several Lee 6cav & if you get lucky & get a good one, a fine choice. The issue is their qc sucks. So give the Lee a try, you can always send it back to them if it isn't throwing good bullets or starts coming apart. If I was going to spend $100 on a 4cav, I would look to accurate molds & get the exact bullet I wanted for a bit more.
 
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In my experience,
Lee molds wear out. They do. They are aluminum and they wear where the sprue cut off plate contacts the mold itself. Hardened steel pressing and rubbing against aluminum.....
The lyman molds have been much better for me. They are indeed heavier and don't cast as many rounds per pour, but they have much more longevity.
 
Safestuffer said:
In my experience,
Lee molds wear out. They do. They are aluminum and they wear where the sprue cut off plate contacts the mold itself. Hardened steel pressing and rubbing against aluminum.....
The lyman molds have been much better for me. They are indeed heavier and don't cast as many rounds per pour, but they have much more longevity.
Click to expand...

Are we talking a few years or decades to wear out. I am 70 years old. LOL:D
 
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I have never had much luck with LEE products of any

kind. Got one of those autoloading presses, what a

disaster. I would use Lyman as a Q minimum, but

seek Dillon, Hornady, and RCBS.

I would advise you to spend up on the gear. Save money

buying the lead...
 
Safestuffer said:
In my experience,
Lee molds wear out. They do. They are aluminum and they wear where the sprue cut off plate contacts the mold itself. Hardened steel pressing and rubbing against aluminum.....
The lyman molds have been much better for me. They are indeed heavier and don't cast as many rounds per pour, but they have much more longevity.
Click to expand...

I am convinced Lyman. I am planning on carrying Winchester Defend 147 gr, 950 fps in my carry gun. I would like to replicate the load as close to point of aim as I can. I will be using Unique. Which Lyman mold would be best?

Oh, and thanks for your help all.

Lyman 4 Cavity 356637 4C Mould 9mm 147 Grains

Lyman 4 Cavity 135 gr 356402
 
My Lee molds wore in two places, and the heaviest used mold, a 148gr. .38 wadcutter, is pretty much done after 5k rounds or so.
The first wear spot is a design weakness...where the steel alignment pins enter the mold.
they gradually wear the aluminum until there is a sloppy fit, resulting in oversized or wonky bullets.
The second wear spot is where the sprue plate is levered open. The lever wears the plate over time, until it doesn't function. This can be exacerbated by not allowing the mold to heat up...six sprues are a lot to cut when cold.
All is my experience, and yours may vary.
 
mtgianni said:
Try the NOE 135 gr pb mold. If you are not familiar with them they do a great job. 358-135-FN 4 cavity PB, NOE Bullet Moulds
Click to expand...

This mold you recommend is .358 and actually on the charth they show it's width was .359. I thought this was for .38's. Which is ok because two of my guns are 38'3.

Do you resize this bullets after you make them? If so to what size?

Can I use the bullets from this press for my 38's without resizing?

Thanks.
 
My Mihec mold casts a .359" 135gr. bullet. I size these to .358" and shoot in my 9mm's without any leading using traditional lube. I do use a Lee FCD die, and never had any issue with these oversized bullets in the 9's I've shot them from: 5906, M&P Fullsize, and M&P Shield.
 
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Another question I am afraid. If I get the .359 mold, but my gun slugs at .356 can you safely size down that much, .003 of an inch, without distort the bullet?

I based on this question I can make a decision on what mold size I should order. However, I just saw this great video on slugging and I am thinking of doing that first.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuNoo4m6jso[/ame]
 
Not disagreeing with any of the above, just want to add some personal experience with Lee Molds.
First, if I were getting any Lee mold larger than a 2-holer, I'd get the commercial grade mold with the steel bushings in the aluminum to avoid the accelerated wear Safestuffer mentioned.

Second, for pistol use at normal pistol ranges, I much prefer the TL (tumble lube) bullets with the fins and shoot them as cast, sizing in the gun. No, I don't have leading problems.
Unless you can control the temp of the mold closely, especially the long molds, the bullet sizes vary. I have never gotten the accuracy from 9mm cast that I get with jacketed, but it is close enough for action pistol practice. YMMV

I can't cast as fast as I want with one mold without it getting too hot, so I prefer to use 2 2-cavity molds at a time. If you don't keep aluminum molds lubricated and at the right temp, it shortens their life.
 
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SpecRacer said:
This mold you recommend is .358 and actually on the charth they show it's width was .359. I thought this was for .38's. Which is ok because two of my guns are 38'3.

Do you resize this bullets after you make them? If so to what size?

Can I use the bullets from this press for my 38's without resizing?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I resize to .357 for my CZ 75 in a RCBS lubesizer. You will need to lube these, if you pan lube you can buy a Lee sizing kit for .356, .357, .358 r whatever bore size you need and run them through it on a standard press with 7/8x14 thread.
 
Last year I shot over 100lbs of lead roundballs with a number of muzzleloaders. I have never cared for any aluminum moulds until I bought a custom made Moosemold because I needed a .677 ball for my .68 caliber smoothbore.
I'm not speaking for all of the guys I now that cast their own bullets but from those dozen or so that I know Lee is OK if all your doing is casting balls for offhand shooting or for plinking with a cap and ball revolver. Some guys like the extra small sprue that Lee moulds have which I believe is referred to as tangient in that it does not stick up above the ball like Lyman's sprue, it cuts across the top of the ball. RCBS makes an excellent mould as well and has a shorter sprue than Lyman.
If I run my furnace upwards of 850-900 degrees I will have very few balls out of a hundred that will vary more than .3 gr, with a Lyman.
I've only tried a couple of Lee's moulds and would not even recommend them to someone that wanted to try out casting bullets and wanted to stay cheap, unless as I mentioned all your doing is playing around or shooting offhand.
I also cast bullets for 45-70, 32-20, 45acp, .38sp, and .44 spl, all Lyman moulds with a few RCBS. The moulds that are highly valued are the old Lyman Ideal moulds, they really hold their value.
Another thing I've picked up is that multiple moulds are OK again for plinking, if you want to cast as close to perfection as possible stick with a single mould. In the muzzleloading game you have to eliminate as many variables as possible, starting with an accurate concentric weighed ball is essential, every shot is a custom reload.
 
SpecRacer said:
I am convinced Lyman. I am planning on carrying Winchester Defend 147 gr, 950 fps in my carry gun. I would like to replicate the load as close to point of aim as I can. I will be using Unique. Which Lyman mold would be best?

Oh, and thanks for your help all.

Lyman 4 Cavity 356637 4C Mould 9mm 147 Grains

Lyman 4 Cavity 135 gr 356402
Click to expand...

Obviously if you want 147gr duplication, then you need the 147gr.
 
SpecRacer said:
Another question I am afraid. If I get the .359 mold, but my gun slugs at .356 can you safely size down that much, .003 of an inch, without distort the bullet?

I based on this question I can make a decision on what mold size I should order. However, I just saw this great video on slugging and I am thinking of doing that first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuNoo4m6jso
Click to expand...
Way easier to size down, too big is always better than too small. You need to know that the alloy you choose & temp you cast at affects as cast size. Don't expect any mold to throw a bullet exactly the size you want.
 
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