High quality mold makers

[Quigley_up_Over]

Who are the "high end" mold makers? I am looking for 230 grain .45 ACP, 125 and 158 grain .357, and 150 grain .308 rifle. I have a Paul Jones .45-70 mold that I absolutely love, but unfortunately Paul does not makes the other molds I want.

I have a few Lyman molds but am not happy with their quality. For one, there are a ton of machine marks in the cavities. Two, I don't feel that the vent slots are deep enough as I constantly have problems with incomplete fill-out, even with an adequately pre-heated mold. Looking to take it up to the next level with a high-end mold maker, looking for advice, thanks!

[btroj]

Accurate moulds, NOE, and Mihec all make a good mould.
Look in the vendor purchase section, should find some things you like.

[stubshaft]

In addition to the above there is also LBT and Mountain Molds.

[cbrick]

Accurate moulds, NOE, and Mihec all make a good mould. Look in the vendor purchase section, should find some things you like.

All of those and throw in Mountain Moulds also. No doubt there are others but these I have experience with.

Rick

[cbrick]

In addition to the above there is also LBT and Mountain Molds.

Oh yeah, Veral, how could I have forgotten Veral?

Rick

[KYCaster]

Ballisti-Cast, they have all the original H&G designs.

Jerry

[Bullet Caster]

Also there is General Ordnance Development moulds. I understand that they are "high end" mould makers. BC

[Norbrat]

Jim Allison, Cast Bullet Engineering.

Very fortunate for those of us DownUnder, but of course he does ship worldwide.

[geargnasher]

I'm probably going to get my chops busted for saying this, but I do not consider NOE "high end". Decent, yes. Custom, in runs, yes. Great customer service, too. Other than that, same basic quality as Lee six-cavity moulds.

I DO consider MP, LBT, Accurate, and Hoch to be top-notch these days. I hear superb things about Mountain Molds but don't have one yet.

Gear

[bobthenailer]

The only custom moulds i have are from LBT and 2 from Mountian Moulds , i can highly recomend them.

[Reload3006]

Accurate moulds, NOE, and Mihec all make a good mould.
Look in the vendor purchase section, should find some things you like.

+1 Ditto that

[41 mag fan]

Also there is General Ordnance Development moulds. I understand that they are "high end" mould makers. BC

Before I'd even think of buying a mold from them, you'd better talk to MikeS on here. He got in a test mold to review and post on here, and to say the least in his words" lower quality than a Lee"

[jonk]

I agree wholeheartedly with Norbrat. While many of the others listed make very fine molds, I have not seen ANY better than CBE of Australia. I just cast 100 .300 bullets from my single cavity mold (brass) that I have from them this weekend. Not sure what it is about brass, but even the first one was perfect, and I think I had only one reject from the whole batch. None frosted, and they all drop with simply opening the mold, no tapping required.

Makes me think I need to order another CBE mold... :)

[Casting_40S&W]

Lee Precision Inc. has some of the highest end molds money can buy.

[Colorado4wheel]

Accurate Molds Makes a very nice mold.

[cbrick]

Lee Precision Inc. has some of the highest end molds money can buy.

http://www.lasc.us/z7shysterical.gif http://www.lasc.us/super_smilies007.gif

[warf73]

Lee Precision Inc. has some of the highest end molds money can buy.

That is a joke right?

[warf73]

Accurate makes a high quality mold with your material choice.

[geargnasher]

http://www.lasc.us/z7shysterical.gif

I dunno where you got that smiley from Rick, but you NAILED my reaction! I don't know any casters who could make that statement or read it with a straight face!

Gear

[Humbo]

In addition to the ones already mentioned I'd say Redding also makes high quality molds.

[Aunegl]

Hoch Moulds - Dave Farmer

[williamwaco]

Ballisti-Cast, they have all the original H&G designs.

Jerry

I have two of these molds.
They are spectacular.

[Colorado4wheel]

Big thing to me about Tom at Accurate Molds is that he sizes the mold to your lead. I told him I want .XXX size with "range scrap". It came out just the way I wanted it. Not sure how well the others do with this process. That is a big deal to me.

[cuzinbruce]

Rcbs!

[cbrick]

I'm probably going to get my chops busted for saying this, but I do not consider NOE "high end". same basic quality as Lee six-cavity moulds. Gear

Chop bustin time.

http://www.lasc.us/116.gif http://www.lasc.us/z7shysterical.gif

There is NOTHING remotely similair between NOE and LEE starting with the aluminum alloy they are made from and then of course the quality of machining & specs to even the careful packaging for shipping or the possibility of needing any customer service and the quality of that service.

Rick

[Casting_40S&W]

Cbrick, What type of Alum. Alloy does NOE use?

[cbrick]

NOE uses an aircraft grade aluminum alloy, the exact terminology (alloy) would be a question for Al. LEE uses the cheapest aluminum extrusion they can get their hands on. There is a huge difference between the two and if they were of the same quality do ya think they would use the same stuff in airplanes that LEE uses for molds?. To say that they are of the same quality is the silliest thing I've ever heard Gear say

Rick

[41 mag fan]

NOE uses an aircraft grade aluminum alloy, the exact terminology (alloy) would be a question for Al. LEE uses the cheapest aluminum extrusion they can get their hands on. There is a huge difference between the two and if they were of the same quality do ya think they would use the same stuff in airplanes that LEE uses for molds?. To say that they are of the same quality is the silliest thing I've ever heard Gear say

Rick

Amen to that. We all have our prefered mold makers we like.
Maybe gear was meaning to compare NOE to those high end Lee molds :bigsmyl2:

[Casting_40S&W]

C Brick, Lee Uses 6061-T6 Heat treated Aluminum Material, AKA Aircraft Grade. I understand its your opinion, but lets get the facts straight.

[338RemUltraMag]

guys, of course lee uses aircraft grade aluminum...

Model aircraft grade aluminum that is, you can scratch that stuff with a hard fingernail... aircraft my ***...

[HangFireW8]

C Brick, Lee Uses 6061-T6 Heat treated Aluminum Material, AKA Aircraft Grade. I understand its your opinion, but lets get the facts straight.

I see no evidence of heat treating after the cavity is cut, and I doubt they would do it before they cut the cavities.

Not sayin' it ain't so, but I want more evidence before I believe it.

When referring to Lee molds, the words value and/or for the money need to come into play. As an owner of more than a dozen of their recent production, and having sent nearly half back, one twice, I simply can't list Lee molds as highest quality. I am the quality inspector at the end of Lee's production line. My effort is worthwhile only because the price is so low and the results, once attained, are good.

HF

[Themoose]

I have several stock mold, RCBS, LYMAN, and Lee.... but I only have 2 "custom" molds... One a Mihec for my 45ACP and the other a LFN by Veral of LBT... Not being a handy person with tools, after talking with Veral, I slugged the barrels and sent the slugs to him for measurement as well as a description for it's end use(hunting deer with a 44 mag rifle) and shortly I had a brand new mold built for my guns... as discussed with Veral, I had never seen a mold quite like his as it seems like it was a hybrid by having a completly different venting system and sprue plate than I was accustomed to... I think he is spot on in combining the best of several different types... I love the Mihec mold, but if I ever need another mold built, I will send Veral my order.

Themoose

[geargnasher]

Rick and others.....

My opinions are based on these things, comparing multi-cavity NOE moulds to Lee six-cavity moulds:

1. Handle mounting screws. Al uses Lee's sorry, wobbly, lousy handle mounting method with pin-tip screws that "peg" the tongs to the blocks with screws. I understand the NOE moulds are designed for Lee handles, but the pins are undersized compared to Lee's as well so it make the problem worse. At least Lee counterbores a pocket for the tip to fit, NOE just butts the tip on the handle tong groove where it galls metal and the tip "walks."

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f47e8f74b488.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4104)

2. Alignment pins. This is PARAMOUNT to a good mould and one of the worst things about NOE moulds, at least the example I have. The alignment pins bind in the sleeves terribly and make opening the mould a huge hassle with every cast because there is no TAPER to the pins. The blocks have to be maintained parallel when opened or they stick, and with the Lee handles and undersized pins, this is impossible. Casting with my NOE 4 cavity is a long, ardous fight. I don't use it any more. The Lee six-cavity moulds use very nice, tight pins with a polished ogive on the tip that find home quickly and easily every time, and the blocks will swing open like a door from one end or the other without binding.

3. Sprue plate pivot and stop: Lee uses a shoulder bolt, flat washer, and large diameter wave spring washer for BOTH. NOE uses small diameter screws, set screws for retention, and no bushing on the stop bolt. The sprue plate gets chewed up where it galls under the stop screw head and closes against the threads, which makes the sprue plate tension erratic and a royal pain to get the sprue plate closed fully. Poor hardware choice. This 4 banger cost me IIRC near a hundred bucks, an equivalent Lee would have cost me less than half that including shipping, I would expect better hardware on an expensive, custom mould, or at least hardware that doesn't chew itself up in a few sessions.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f47e97daa1e5.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4105)

4. Fit and finish. Both NOE and Lee moulds require a great deal of Lee-menting to remove burrs from the cavities so they will drop the boolits without beating them half to death. The particular NOE design I have mechanically locks the boolits in because there is no draft on the meplat, perhaps Ranch Dog is to blame rather than NOE for that nuisance, but it makes the mould virtually impossible to cast with. That is not a general issue of course, just this design. As far as exterior finish, Al's shop makes a nice product, nicely machined, broken edges, pretty script, no burrs, beveled edges on the set screw holes, etc. Things that don't make a bit of difference to the way it casts, and I could care less about how it looks on the outside. It's like a $30K paint job on a car with knocking engine.

5. Material. I don't know or care what Al makes his stuff out of or what Lee makes theirs out of, the material choice of each is plenty good for the tool. If you have to have something better than Lee aluminum (if it's lower-quality than any of the other aluminum mould makers choices), get brass or steel. I've never worn out a Lee six-cavity mould, and only one two-cavity, and that was about 12K boolits through it without Bullplate! (the aluminum wore out where the steel pins at the bottom engage it so vertical alignment is sloppy).

I haven't bugged Al about this or said anything negative about it before, because Al is a STAND UP GUY, great to do business with, and takes time to provide individual service. He was also going though a particularly tough, stressful period with the machine shop that makes his products around the time this mould was due for production, and while I was a little peeved that I waited a year and a half for this mould and ended up with about a dollar's worth of scrap aluminum to show for it, I still want him to succeed, and improve, and he certainly didn't need to hear my ******** at the time. I wasn't like he could FIX any of my complaints, they're all basic design flaws. If I hadn't have lapped the meplats trying to add some draft I would have returned it and asked for a refund, but since he couldn't resell it it would have just been a hole in his pocket he didn't need. I probably should have given him some feedback when things smoothed out for him but maybe he'll read this and take notes. I'm sure he would have worked with me, but again, the guy didn't need the stress at the time. It's water under the bridge at this point, but I will not buy another one of his moulds until he figures out how to make alignment pins that function, and spends a few dollars more on some decent sprue plate hardware.

I had the displeasure of using one of the NOE custom "Cramer" type HP moulds belonging to another member here a while back, and I WON'T be buying one of those goofy contraptions, EVER. Just call it a "Bind-O-Matic", even after meticulous de-burring, smoothing, adjusting, and lubricating several times.

So, YES, NOE and Lee are about the same in my book, in fact, Lee is better because I have a whole fleet of them that work great, cast very consistent, accurate boolits, and one NOE mould that cost more than twice as much and sits in a box because it's unusable.

Gear

[ballisti-cast]

Big thing to me about Tom at Accurate Molds is that he sizes the mold to your lead. I told him I want .XXX size with "range scrap". It came out just the way I wanted it. Not sure how well the others do with this process. That is a big deal to me.

We do that too. If you give me the alloy of lead you use or what percentages of tin, antimony, and lead you use we calculate the shrinkage and allow for it when making the mold.

[geargnasher]

Ballisti-cast, that's good to know. How come the staff didn't give you a "banner sponsor" title? I see your ad in the parading banner section.

Gear

[ballisti-cast]

I have no idea why they didn't give us a "banner sponsor" title. I don't think it really matters too much though. My main concern was having the logo up at the top of the page and being able to get into doing group buys.

[kenyerian]

i ve had good luck with redding products.

[SharpsShooter]

I had the displeasure of using one of the NOE custom "Cramer" type HP moulds belonging to another member here a while back, and I WON'T be buying one of those goofy contraptions, EVER. Just call it a "Bind-O-Matic", even after meticulous de-burring, smoothing, adjusting, and lubricating several times.


I had the exact same issue / experience when using one to cast for a friend and decided if I ever ordered a NOE, it would NOT include HP Pins. I looked back over some emails and found what I told him....



The Cramer type HP is a love / hate thing. When it works, it is great I'd suppose, but now that I have used one, I know not to spend money on that option

SS

[skimmerhead]

I'm probably going to get my chops busted for saying this, but I do not consider NOE "high end". Decent, yes. Custom, in runs, yes. Great customer service, too. Other than that, same basic quality as Lee six-cavity moulds.

I DO consider MP, LBT, Accurate, and Hoch to be top-notch these days. I hear superb things about Mountain Molds but don't have one yet.

Gear

i have to disagree with you on this. noe are fine molds, i own 7 to date and waiting on another. the quaility of there work is A #1 in my opinion. i also own many mihec molds which speak for them self. i am replaceing my lyman and rcbs molds with custom molds, some are noe, and some are mihec. i will try accurate molds for the ones i don't want hollow pointed. if tom would make hp molds i would probably have more of his molds than what i have now. i also have an nei mould from walt before he passed away and his work was first class. lee molds are not even in the same ball park as noe molds. ( C'mon Man" )

skimmerhead:not listening:

[dnotarianni]

Lee Precision Inc. has some of the highest end molds money can buy.

Has somebody been sniffing too much powder? Either that or their head has been in the smelting pot fumes too long!!!:kidding:

Dave

[waksupi]

I have no idea why they didn't give us a "banner sponsor" title. I don't think it really matters too much though. My main concern was having the logo up at the top of the page and being able to get into doing group buys.

Give 45nut a poke, to change it. I just tried, and am not smart enough.

[45nut]

I did make the title change just now.

I do have to say I am a bit taken aback on some of the posts in this thread, it's as if nobody savors choices that were driven by the market here that resulted in the various mold makers that we have now. Attacking different vendors and choices seems to be the sport instead of relishing the variety and price points that makes this all available to so many of us that live below the poverty line and above it as well. I would certainly be out of it were only RCBS price lead pots on the market and nothing else was offered nor even allowed by the princes in the swamps.
Imagine going back to the paint choices of the Model A, anything you want as long as its black.
Everyone has a right to opinions and everyone has them, but driving nails into the hearts of the competition instead of choices seems wrong. Evil triumphs in the vacuum of mandates, I prefer the liberty to buy twice and cuss twice if that is all I can afford. and driving harder to attain quality out of a bargain tool does not make me the fool. I also buy used cars and shop at the dollar store. Any further discussion should not seek to shame us into thinking only the best is the law, for that only serves to intimidate and deprive of of freedom the liberty so precious as to give up our lives to protect. Those special views declaring my gear as unfit because my choices do not match yours might want to think on what liberty is all about.

[btroj]

We truly love in the golden age of mould makers right now. We have so many good makers of moulds that we should consider ourselves lucky.
In the not so distant past we pretty much had Lee for group buys. The wait times got long and the products were at times spotty. Between NOE and Miha we have come a long way from that.

I have a couple mould from NOE and they produce a great bullet. I will admit to preferring the brass moulds I have from Miha but those suckers are heavy!

I do have a single mould from Ballisticast. It is easily the finest iron mould I own. Far better than any Lyman or RCBS I have.

Again. We have some awesome mould makers today. We should cherish them and realize how good we have it. A custom mould for the price they charge? How much better could we hope for?

[Colorado4wheel]

We do that too. If you give me the alloy of lead you use or what percentages of tin, antimony, and lead you use we calculate the shrinkage and allow for it when making the mold.

Very good to know. I didn't know that so I didn't look at your options when I ordered. Do you make a 4 cavity Steel mold for 9mm? Not that I need another but I have a friend who does.

[MikeS]

I believe the original question was asking for 'high end' mould makers, and in my experience that would be Accurate Molds, NOE, Mihec. Of these only Accurate is truly a custom mould maker. Both Mihec & NOE are SEMI-custom mould makers, because they only make group buy moulds, and each group buy has a few options (HP or not, sometimes choices in diameter). If the boolit you're looking for isn't currently in an active group buy, then you have to wait for it to be rerun, or hope there are overruns available. Accurate Molds on the other hand makes all moulds on a custom basis, so if you want a boolit design that's not currently in his catalog, Tom will work with you on the design, and add it to his catalog. If you want a mould that drops a boolit at .456 cast from Lyman #2 alloy, you'll get it! And, when you order a mould from Tom, you'll get it within 3 weeks (his current stated wait time), and probably even quicker than that. With Mihec & NOE, they're so busy you have to wait months, to get your mould, unless you get into the group buy just as it's ready to close.

Now I'm not saying that Accurate's quality is any better than NOE or Mihec, only that the way his business is setup is different than the others. All 3 make great moulds, and in my opinion their brass moulds are equal or better than the old H&G moulds. All 3 of them make moulds in either aluminum, or brass, and casting with a brass mould is an experience unto itself! Also, with Accurate, while you can get your mould fast, if you want a round nose, or pointy boolit, you're not going to get it, all his moulds have to have a flat point (I believe the minimum size is .180?) due to his manufacturing process.

I can't say how Ballisticast moulds are, I've never used one, and now that they're under new ownership that's come here to learn how to better serve the casting community, chances are the moulds will also be up there in quality, comparable to the old H&G moulds (they have all the original H&G designs, plus some). While I do think that Lee makes a good mould for the money, I would certainly not say they're one of the 'high end' mould makers, more like the Dodge of the casting world, they're inexpensive, but work, and with a little bit of attention they can cast a fine boolit. Lyman may have been top end at some point years ago, they certainly are not now. SAECO & RCBS are also fine moulds, but again, not truly 'top end', maybe more like the Buick of the casting world.

And off topic, but Ken, just a correction, the Model A was available in colors, it was the Model T that between the years of 1913 & 1925 were "available in any color you want, as long as it's black". The reason for that was that when Ford started making cars on a production line (the first for any car maker) they were making a new Model T every 8 minutes, and the other colors of paint dried too slowly. Back then Henry Ford did lots of things that would be against the law today, his business practices were certainly not a model that anyone would want to follow!

To finish up, and keeping with the automotive comparison, I would say that Accurate Molds are the Lincolns, NOE are the Cadillacs, Mihec are the Mercedes, SAECO & RCBS are the Buicks, Lyman are the Pontiacs, and Lee are the Dodges of the casting world. Just my thoughts on the matter, and I'm sorry for the long post.

[MikeS]

Before I'd even think of buying a mold from them, you'd better talk to MikeS on here. He got in a test mold to review and post on here, and to say the least in his words" lower quality than a Lee"

Another correction, the mould I got from General Ordnance was a reject mould accidentally sent to me. Currently the owner is making changes to his mould's design based on feedback I gave him, and I'm waiting on a corrected mould of the new design, so disregard my quote because I was talking about a mould that was sent to me in error. If the replacement isn't much better, then my original quote would be valid, but right now I'm waiting with an open mind, and when I get the next mould, I'll do a complete review of the mould here in the Moulds sub-forum.

[Blammer]

MikeS, well put.

[cbrick]

yep, and that's why we have so MANY Lee GB moulds going on right now.

I wouldn't get in on a LEE group buy even if the mold were free. It very simply wouldn't be worth the aggravation of trying to use it as is the case with every LEE mold I've had.

There is a sector of bullet casters that believes in one thing and only one thing. Is it the very cheapest I can do this. Nothing else matters to this crowd, not how much time & work is needed to get it or keep it working, not how many will I have to buy to keep using it. Nothing matters but cheap. For this crowd LEE molds are a great buy.

Rick

[cbrick]

C Brick, Lee Uses 6061-T6 Heat treated Aluminum Material, AKA Aircraft Grade. I understand its your opinion, but lets get the facts straight.

Not the LEE 6 cav molds I've had, super soft & made from stock aluminum extrusions.

Rick

[ballisti-cast]

Very good to know. I didn't know that so I didn't look at your options when I ordered. Do you make a 4 cavity Steel mold for 9mm? Not that I need another but I have a friend who does.

We have 16 bullet designs for the 9mm. Our molds are made out of cast iron, not steel. Cast iron holds up to the high temperatures of casting much better than steel. We are going to be adding brass and aluminum as mold material options sometime this summer. Aluminum mainly for 6, 8, and 10 cavity molds to deal with the weight issue. We don't make 8 and 10 cavity molds yet, but in the future will get into it as I believe we will be able to do it for a reasonable price and we have the H&G designed blocks and handles for them already.

[HangFireW8]

I wouldn't get in on a LEE group buy even if the mold were free. It very simply wouldn't be worth the aggravation of trying to use it as is the case with every LEE mold I've had.

If I had that track record with Lee, I'd give up on them too.



There is a sector of bullet casters that believes in one thing and only one thing. Is it the very cheapest I can do this. Nothing else matters to this crowd, not how much time & work is needed to get it or keep it working, not how many will I have to buy to keep using it. Nothing matters but cheap. For this crowd LEE molds are a great buy.


Fortunately I'm not a member of this crowd, even though I still use Lee molds. They give me results like shown below on the first try. Since only results matter to me, cheap price is just icing on the cake. Oh, and by the way, this mold only needed typical minor prep.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=424&pictureid=5047

Yes, only 25 yards, and only 5 round groups, as I was doing load ladders in sets of five. I usually shoot for accuracy testing in groups of 10, especially with Cast Boolits. Lee mold on left two and the Lyman on right. All groups (no matter the boolit) tended to tighten up once I got to 12+ grains of Red Dot so I think there's a lot more potential here to get rid of the flyers. I've had more (and less success) with other Lee molds, but never felt the need to cast aspersions on users of any brand.

Since there is obvious potential here, I would like to develop on this load some more, but I've got limited time and two new MiHec and a new NOE mold to work up loads for first.

HF

[DrCaveman]

I have been casting for about 3 weeks. Lee 20 lb furnace, Lee TL358-158 swc. Followed directions, got usable boolits within about 4 pours. To me, this is 'high quality'. I have since cast about 1000 more and I have no complaints. Of course I cannot compare them to MiHec or GOD molds, or anything for that matter.

Everyone's definition of 'quality' is different, and the Lee molds meet my rookie definition. One would probably be best served starting off with something less than the highest end (while still reliable and functional), and learning the craft. A new driver doesnt start with a high-performance machine like a porche. You learn to drive with the cheap, reliable honda.

[cbrick]

I have been casting for about 3 weeks. Lee 20 lb furnace, Lee TL358-158 swc. Followed directions, got usable boolits within about 4 pours. To me, this is 'high quality'. I have since cast about 1000 more and I have no complaints. Of course I cannot compare them to MiHec or GOD molds, or anything for that matter.

Hhmmm . . . Do yourself a favor and never use anything else, once you do you'll spend a lot of money. :mrgreen: The difference can be remarkable.


A new driver doesnt start with a high-performance machine like a porche. You learn to drive with the cheap, reliable honda.

Not me, it was a reliable American Chevy. :mrgreen:

Rick

[Jammer Six]

Chevy!

LIKE A ROCK!

[DrCaveman]

Hhmmm . . . Do yourself a favor and never use anything else, once you do you'll spend a lot of money. :mrgreen: The difference can be remarkable.


I'm betting that your first comment isn't without a serious dose of truth, despite the possible reality of the second. I briefly glanced at other reloading packages when I was considering starting the craft, and was blown away at how reasonably priced the Lee equipment was, as well as the accessories. The few people of my acquaintance who reload use Dillon, as I learned after purchasing my stuff. I realized that they had spent about 8X what I had, for the same final goal.

Sure, they had well-established loads running through Progressives at 600+ rounds per hour, but that was not and still is not where I am at. I'm still figuring out optimal loads for various purposes, and trying to become familiar and competent with each one in its appropriate gun.

Now that casting has been added to the equation, it once again seems most useful for me to stick with what is simple and repeatable. Within this framework of usage/expectations, do you think that a more expensive mold (and other casting/reloading equipment) is worth it? Maybe I am taking on too many levels of this craft at one time, but in any event it is working out great and I am saving lots of money, shooting more rounds. And accuracy is great.



Not me, it was a reliable American Chevy. :mrgreen:
Rick
Yeah I figured I might generate some wrath for that remark. I was just working with what I did, I didnt turn 16 til the 90's, and Hondas were pretty efficient machines compared to many of the economy American cars of similar years.

Yes, I would probably be more American if I had my Trans Am story, and I always did want a Charger, but I will not make up things about myself to appease anyone. I learned to drive with the german Volkswagen Bug, and drove Honda and Toyota cars extensively. Like Lee molds, I did not walk in with a negative attitude, and I found the quality that I was looking for.

I do not want to stir any foreign-car debate and the multitude of issues to which it pertains, and am kind of sorry I used that as a metaphor. I am just being honest.

[Bullet Caster]

Well, say what you will, I had a VW when I was in HS in '69. Went into the USMC and drove from Cherry Pt. NC, to Stockbridge, GA, and return on "swoops" usu. with a 96 hr. pass. Had to leave it with my sister when I went to Vietnam, republic of, and never got it back. I ended up coming out of the Marine Corps with an MGB-Morris Garage, '72. Drove it till I got married. I was the original post #7 about General Ordance Development, not that I ever used one, but it was just a suggestion to the OP. I was keeping up with the thread on the use of the mould by MikeS, and I've not seen anything on this until his last post.
MikeS,
Please post your findings on the Mould forums, as I was interested in what you had previously posted as I see these moulds come up for auction on fleabay every now & then. Thanks for sharing as I thought the thread on hold for being of time.
Thanks to all who have posted here as I am a beginner too at this. I learn something everytime I log onto my favorite internet site. Now I got to go and empty the brass. BC

[bld451]

ought I'd chime in. I just recieved a mold (45-230L) from Accurate Molds. I haven't cast with it yet, but if my experience with Tom up to this point is any indication, I think I will be one happy caster. First, looking at his lineup of molds makes one think about what one really wants. Lots of choices, and just fun. The website is easy to navigate and asks the right questions. Once I had decided what I wanted, I was done with the order in about 5 minutes. I had a Paypal balance I needed to use, so I hit the button. Well, here I sit, 5 days (I repeat----5 DAYS) after payment went out, and I have in my hand a great looking mold, custom made to my specs. I don't know how this could be any better, except to get perfect boolits by the thousands. I'll find out about that soon.

The mold looks great. Nice finish in the cavities, steel tapered pins that hold the mold in tight alignment, good venting, decent sprue plate hardware, no noticeable burrs in the cavities, and shipped carefully packaged. I've got years of experience making molds for industry, but I figured if I could work a few extra hours and have Tom make this one, I'd be time & money ahead. Boy was I right. I would not have even had materials yet. I think I would have been months making a mold in my (nonexistent) spare time, and he already has the specific knowlege and tooling needed to hit it the first time.

One vote for Accurate Molds!!

One thing about alloys.... "Aircraft aluminum" covers a lot of ground. There are several aluminum grades used in aircraft. Saying you use aircraft aluminum to make a product doesn't mean much in and of itself. A similar ad catchword is "milspec". There are thousands of military specifications. ( for example , "finish shall be black in appearance") 6061 is one of the less expensive materials, and while it will suffice for molds, 2024 and 7075 are more durable. That being said, you shouldn't find out how durable or fragile your mold is by abusing it.

There........that's my .56 cents worth.

[geargnasher]

BLD, I designed that one. You'll like it, and your guns will like it. Mine is a 3-cavity brass mould from his earlier non-setscrew sprue plate pivot design. He redid it to make the sprue plate tension adjustable, but I have three of those and found it was perfect from the get-go, almost wish he hadn't gotten away from the shoulder bolt he used to use, but either way works.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27892&d=1293080265

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27893&d=1293080301

Gear

[bld451]

Gear, you sent me some samples some months ago. I appreciate that. My guns do like it! I don't know why I took this long to order one. I got the 5 cavity aluminum mold. I think I'm going to try it tonight if I can swing it. Joining CB has been somewhat expensive for me. I now know how good it can be, though. I have several in the que for group buys, but if I can't wait months, Tom is the way to go! Even if I can wait, he has some great designs available.

Again, thanks for pointing me to this mold. I tried several and the too short/too big at the casemouth/wrong ogive/small as-cast diameter, etc. problems drove me nuts. Now I have one that will work in all my 45's.

[geargnasher]

:oops: Don't I feel stupid! I'm way too young go be this forgetful. I'd love to hear how that five-banger in aluminum works out, might get one myself.

Gear

[DrCaveman]

Gear, that is a fantastic looking mold, kudos to Tom (and crew??) at Accurate Molds. Based on sheer beauty and the variety of designs I am seeing on their web page, I think you may have convinced me to give them a whirl. Despite my previous attitude, I am not really finding the options in Lee dies that I am looking for. I could develop a custom mold for $100 plus mold price...but I am not in any position to do that, not nearly enough experience. I do have my temptations...but I try to know my limits.

As for Accurate Molds, is the brass block worth the premium over aluminum (how about iron for that matter)? I understand that the heat capacities are different but what are the real-world brass tax of the matter.

[MikeS]

MikeS, Please post your findings on the Mould forums, as I was interested in what you had previously posted as I see these moulds come up for auction on fleabay every now & then.

Ok, here's the situation as it is as of today. He (Brad, the owner of General Ordnance) sent me a mould that had several issues. After several emails he figured out that he accidentally sent me a second quality mould, which he said he sells on eBay (so I would say avoid ANY of his moulds for sale there!). I made several suggestions of ways to improve the quality of his moulds, and he's modifying his tooling to make moulds with the improvements I suggested. Once he gets done he's going to be sending me another mould, and once I get that mould I will give a full review. I don't feel it would be right for me to comment on the mould I got from him, first because he's already said it's a second, and secondly because he's supposedly not going to make moulds like this one anymore, instead making them considerably different, so I wouldn't want anyone either buying a mould based on anything I say about this one, or not buying one based on anything I say either.

And as I said before, while Lee moulds have worked fine for me so far, they are certainly NOT 'high end' moulds, and I think even Lee would agree with that assessment. Some people have had bad experiences with Lee, and that colors their view of them, and others have had nothing but good results with Lee moulds, and that too colors their views. I have several NOE moulds, and one of them has given me lots of trouble, I've sent it back to Al, he cast with it, polished the cavities, and returned it to me, and I still have some trouble with it, but most of the trouble is due to the design of the boolit I think, and every other NOE mould I have works great, with none of the trouble of that one mould, so I don't let the one boolit mould give me a bad impression of NOE. I've had similar experiences with SAECO moulds, had one particular one that gave me fits, but all the rest were great casting moulds, so I think that no mould maker is immune from making an occasional bad mould, or rather a mould that's not really up to their normal high quality. I suspect it will always be this way.

[MikeS]

As for Accurate Molds, is the brass block worth the premium over aluminum (how about iron for that matter)? I understand that the heat capacities are different but what are the real-world brass tax of the matter.

Without a doubt YES. Unless you have a physical reason why you can't handle a heavier mould, brass moulds are better everytime! Iron moulds are ok, and do weigh slightly less than brass moulds, BUT they do rust, so need to be coated with a rust preventative (or stored in an airtight container with vpi paper, or something similar) after each use, which can be a hassle. The thing with a brass mould is that once it's at the proper casting temp, it tends to stay there longer than either iron or aluminum. I have one aluminum mould that due to it's design tends to have boolits sticking in their cavities, and so it takes some work to get them out, and the extra time involved is enough for the aluminum blocks to cool off too much. If that mould was made in brass, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have as much trouble with it.

[Bullet Caster]

Know what ya mean, there MikeS. I've got a Lee mould that I have to gently pry out each cavity and the mould cools off too quickly. I've been over the mould with a fine tooth comb and cannot for the life of me figure it out. Only thing I ain't done is Lee-ment the mould. That may solve the problems I am experiencing. Of course these are "skinnies" in .30 155gn gas check for my AK. Thanks for all of you for your posts. BC

PS: I wuz thinkin' that my next mould should be brass 'cause I've done seen too many purdy boolits droppin' from brass moulds here on the forum. Just gotta decide which to save for.

[Jammer Six]

And correct me if I'm wrong, I've never cast a boolit, but it seems to me that brass is shinier.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, I see no one has mentioned Fred Leeth at Pioneer Products..makes tool-room quality nose & base pour moulds. The only mould that allowed me to duplicate best match jacket accuracy in my .22 Hornet at 100yds. Another good one is Steve Brooks.

[DrCaveman]

MikeS you address well my thoughts about the options in mold block material. I am glad to hear about the benefits of brass, and I think I will make that switch. It makes a lot of sense, and we all know that lead & brass go together like peanut butter& jelly. With some black pepper.

Thanks for the first hand advice.

[BCall]

Hello, I see no one has mentioned Fred Leeth at Pioneer Products..makes tool-room quality nose & base pour moulds. The only mould that allowed me to duplicate best match jacket accuracy in my .22 Hornet at 100yds. Another good one is Steve Brooks.

You have my interest, any details or pics you could send my way about the Pioneer?

[RugerFan]

...Attacking different vendors and choices seems to be the sport instead of relishing the variety and price points that makes this all available to so many of us that live below the poverty line and above it as well...

I didn't view posts in this thread as attacks as much as honest feedback. Before I pay 100+ dollars for a custom mold, I want to know exactly what others have experienced from that particular manufacturer (I would be peeved if folks kept quiet about certain flaws and I had to find out the hard way). I expect members here to be brutally honest about their casting equipment. Certainly we will all benefit from the shared experience.

[Jammer Six]

I expect members here to be brutally honest about their casting equipment.

That is exactly why I'm here. I don't know enough to make reasonable choices without guidance from more experienced casters; I depend on honesty from those who are leading the way here.

Furthermore, honest feedback and referrals are the kindest, best thing a customer can give a businessman.

Referrals lead directly to sales and income, honest feedback is the information a businessman needs to grow the teeth and claws necessary to survive in the open marketplace.

Finally, I note that honest feedback can be given kindly, and certainly it can be given politely.

But one of the worst things a dissatisfied can do to a businessman is remain silent, or, worse, mention what's wrong to other customers but not directly to him, and let him drown without knowing why his sales stopped.

Honest. Polite. Kind.

In that order.

[Josh Smith]

I like Lee molds. I have Lee, I have old Lyman, and a few other older iron molds.

The two materials have completely different "attitudes". None cast badly. The Lee molds have their quirks but so do the iron molds.

I've turned a couple Lee molds into hollowpoints and sold them. They take modifications well.

I would not own a high-end mold. I can't see it doing anything that the Lee wouldn't, and I don't want to fear breaking a high-end custom mold.

Josh

[Frank]

How do you measure what is a good mold? Does the company know anything? Was it the weight you specified? Or more like, could they get it right? Can they do their job properly? How did it shoot? Can you improve switching to another brand, and why?

[Josh Smith]

How do you measure what is a good mold? Does the company know anything? Was it the weight you specified? Or more like, could they get it right? Can they do their job properly? How did it shoot? Can you improve switching to another brand, and why?

Hello,

I would measure it with lack of machine marks, tolerances (1/10,000 instead of 1/1000, say), and polish.

Mostly precision.

If it doesn't cast precisely, I have no use for it.

If it has two cavities, I want them to throw within a grain of each other. Half a grain is better.

Lee usually does all this, except for the tighter tolerances and outside polish. I've never had a Lee mold with marks inside the cavities.

I do drill out the sprue plate and resharpen the holes. This provides faster pour and better fillout. Maybe this is where I get better luck with their stuff? Dunno.

But I digress. Those are how I measure quality. Polish is a bonus, but I'm not going to cry if it works!

Josh

[Bullet Caster]

I am in complete agreement with Jammer Six. That's why I'm here too. And I also like frank honesty, as opinions are like...well, you know. That should be the first thing to remember on any forum whether or not it hurts your feelings. You with experience are expected to guide us beginners and that is where opinions come into play. I try to treat everyone here fairly and with respect as you guys know a whole heck of a lot more than I. Honesty, politeness and kindness should be at the forefront of our demeanor.

And thanks for the tip, Jousha M. Smith! I wondered why some little lead bits began to clog up the hole in the sprue plate. It occurred to me to open up the hole a little as I had come to the opinion that the hole wasn't quite large enough for a good pour. Now I'm gonna try that for sure. BC

[bld451]

Well, I finally had a chance to cast some with my new AccurateMolds 230L 5-banger. I guess that's too crass a term for as nice as this mold is. There were only two problems I noticed. I've got an email in to Tom to be sure it's not operator error. I would say Tom is definitely in the high quality mold maker category. I emptied a 20 pounder full of WW lead in about 20-30 minutes. I didn't time it, but start to finish (cold lead in the pot to sorting culls) was a little over an hour and a half. A guy can cast a pile o' boolits fast with this thing. I preheated the mold on my hotplate to around 450. That wasn't enough. The first 6 or 8 casts were pretty wrinkly and not full. Once I got it up to temp, I was rocking and rolling. I had one or two stick on every other cast, but they dropped with a little shake of the handles (not sure you can say that is "sticking"), and a few took a gentle push with a gloved finger. This is with no mold prep at all on a brand new mold other than a swab with alcohol to get the oil out. No smoking or anything. I noticed that every few casts I would have the first and last cavity not fill out. A temp management issue or pour technique? I was running 650-700 in the pot and casting reasonably quickly, I thought. I ended up culling about half of my first pot, but I think when I figure out what this mold likes, I'll be churning them out hand over fist. Well, the best part was inspecting the end product. I specified a .452 sized diameter, and Tom gave me .453 just like he said. They were round as can be, and the parting line was barely visible. The keepers in my pile were 232.7-233 grains.

The mold was delivered in record time, exactly what I wanted, finished nicely, the cavities were nicely machined and very consistent, I was dropping good bullets the first time, and I expect that Tom will be answering my email soon to respond to my questions, just as he did before I ordered. I was running this mold with light thumb pressure to cut sprues, and a little shake when the occasional boolit hung up. After the first couple casts, the wood "knocker" never got picked up. I am a very satisfied customer.

Gear, I don't know you, but I suspect you'll like this mold. I'll respond back here when I get a response from Tom. Look at the web page, and you'll notice the sprue hinge on the 5 holer is away from the handles. You'll need to get a shorter screw or cut the existing one (or relieve your handles) if you like the hinge screw closest to the mold handles. I think I will be cutting the screw. I like the "thumb push" off the end of the mold.

At any rate, +1 for Accurate Molds!!

[bld451]

Well, I got a prompt email as expected from Tom. While I prefer the sprue lever off the far end of the mold, he makes them so the plate starts closest to you and pivots away from the hands to avoid burns for people who cast un-gloved. The second issue was that if I held the mold just wrong, the alignment pin could crash in to the last cavity. His response demonstrated his care for his customers. He has made some changes to the sprue plate, and volunteered to send one to me gratis. A small shim will be all that's needed to fix the cavity/pin problem, and I'll be flying!

While a particular design of anything will leave some wanting it "the other way", Tom has done a good job of helping me cast "my way". Seems to me the man can make it any way a guy wants, and I highly recommend him.

Gear, if pics wopuld help you decide, I can do that too. I probably can't do 'em better than his site, but if there's anything not shown there, I can oblige. Great mold, though.

[Axton1]

Read thru this thing and really enjoyed it.
+1 on 45NUT - nice to have so many mold makers to choose from!
Also great to hear everybodys REAL opinion on them. Thanks from a noob!

Every man’s date may be a beautiful Cinderella
That he gets to take to and fro the dance,
If only he gets lucky afterwards,
And finds himself in her p………aaahh-hmmm!


Looks like what most people LIKE about their molds is that they WORK - brand notwithstanding.
so, I want to own one of each - well maybe two of some.
And there is just something about those Crammer-pin molds from Mihec that makes me drool...........

[dbarnhart]

ought I'd chime in. I just recieved a mold (45-230L) from Accurate Molds. I haven't cast with it yet, but if my experience with Tom up to this point is any indication, I think I will be one happy caster.

My first couple hundred boolits were cast with a Lee mold. I switched to an Accurate (45-230M)in brass and the difference was like night and day. I absolutely love this mold.

Tom's molds are so beautiful they are almost too pretty to use.

[Jailer]

Tom's molds are so beautiful they are almost too pretty to use.

Yup, and that's why I just placed an order for a 5 cavity H&G 68 clone last night. This will be my 4th Accurate mold and just 4 of many more to come. Unless Tom can't produce a mold that I want (tooling limited) I'll be making all my mold purchases from him in the future.

bld451, I dare say your initial casting efforts were hampered by poor mold prep. Try scrubbing a new mold with an old toothbrush in HOT water with dish soap. I get perfect fill from the first few pours as long as the mold is clean and properly pre heated.

[bld451]

Jailer, I did that with my newest Mihec, but not sure why I decided against it this time. I used a swab with alcohol, and I must admit I was antsy to use this mold. Might have been a little hasty. I have had that problem since I was young. I remember wanting my model planes to be done NOW, so I glued them all together in one night. Well, you can imagine how that worked. HA.

[Jtarm]

Dunno about the others, but LBT for sure, especially if you like heavy bullets that make big holes.Oh, and accurate too.

[honus]

I must admit I have a some Lee molds that cast some great bullets. I also have several Saeco, NEI, Lyman and ohaus-rcbs molds. Overall, I prefer the ohaus-rcbs from 25-30 years ago.

[bld451]

Well, another update now. I have had 3 sessions with the 5 cav 230L from Accurate. Last run was 236 good (Real good-no defects), 18 culls, and about 20 minutes to empty a full pot o' WW+2%. I think I have the hotplate and temp dialed in, leaving a big sprue puddle, and this thing throws some GREAT boolits. One day soon, I'll have a case of "Star arm" to recover from so I can go to town on the Dillon. Yee-Haa! Thanks Tom for a great mold!

[geargnasher]

Pour a good-sized puddle, pour at an angle, and make sure you pour fast enough, i.e. large stream, or the bases will be rounded for sure. That thick steel sprue plate needs some encouragement to get hot enough, but once it is the deep sprue wells actually aid fillout by adding a little "head pressure" to the alloy. If you don't fill the cavities fast enough, no amount of heat will prevent rounded bases.

Gear