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1989toddm
03-08-2014, 02:58 PM
Ok I have been watching ebay for awhile now and have picked 3 lee molds that look decent. 90336 - 214gr SWC, 90338 - 240gr SWC, and 90285 - 200gr RF. I am looking hard at the 214gr and 200gr simply to stretch boolits per pound of lead. I am shooting them in a Pietta 44 mag and will be recoil friendly loads. 100% target/plinking as I have no plans to hunt with it. What advice do you have for a new caster? Any certain boolit better or no?

Guesser
03-08-2014, 03:05 PM
I shoot all my 214 Lees from my 44 Specials; great bullet, consistent and accurate. They drop at 215+ from my mold with WW.

W.R.Buchanan
03-08-2014, 03:15 PM
The Lee 429-240 SWCGC mould was my first boolit mould in 1976 and I still have it and use it occasionally. It has been a consistent good performer.

It works equally well in .44 Specials and Magnums and from plinking loads at 750 fps right up to full Magnum loads of 1400 fps.

Randy

taco650
03-08-2014, 03:19 PM
Ok I have been watching ebay for awhile now and have picked 3 lee molds that look decent. 90336 - 214gr SWC, 90338 - 240gr SWC, and 90285 - 200gr RF. I am looking hard at the 214gr and 200gr simply to stretch boolits per pound of lead. I am shooting them in a Pietta 44 mag and will be recoil friendly loads. 100% target/plinking as I have no plans to hunt with it. What advice do you have for a new caster? Any certain boolit better or no?

Those smaller boolits will stretch your lead. I only have the Lee 310 FPGC and it definitely DOES NOT stretch your lead supply LOL. I would like to get a lighter 44 myself for the same reason as well as less recoil.

runfiverun
03-08-2014, 03:32 PM
advice?
don't look at e-bay.
you can buy those [2 cav] molds brand new for about 20 bucks.
they come with a warranty of some sort too..

azrednek
03-08-2014, 03:48 PM
If you can find one, the now discontinued Lee 44 cal button nosed wad-cutter was my favorite plinking load. Working from memory and not records. I believe the casting drops about 185. I'd roll them in Lee goo, load them un-sized with apx 5grs of Bullseye and shoot them in a S&W M-29 with a 4 inch barrel. I got excellent accuracy in my S&W but not so good in my Ruger with 10 1/2 barrel. Recoil in my S&W felt some where between a 38 Spec and 45ACP. I could shoot the mild load flinch free for an extended time frame without fatigue. The mild recoiling load was great for practice shooting double action with a smooth trigger pull without the tendency to jerk the trigger.

Old School Big Bore
03-08-2014, 05:11 PM
I have the 120 & 210 .44 WC molds, both single cavity. I wish there were one around 160-180, and I wish Lee would bring them all back so I could have a six-cav of each one, but only if they'd get rid of that useless button & make the front band taller & wider.

Wally
03-08-2014, 05:25 PM
I have a DC Lee 90334 429-208-WC bullet mold. An excellent choice for the .44 Spl and medium .44 Magnum loads. Also have the Lee 214 SWC and it is also an excellent bullet to use in both calibers.

Cherokee
03-09-2014, 12:10 AM
The Lee 44-200 RNFP works for me in 44 Spl and 44 Mag for light to medium loads, cast from COWW+2% tin @ 212 gr sized .430

DLCTEX
03-09-2014, 01:59 AM
I have the Lee 430-200 RF in a two cav. And we liked it so well I just bought a six cav. from a fellow member. Saves lead and is fun and accurate.

Tatume
03-09-2014, 09:28 AM
Why buy used on Ebay when you can get a brand new six cavity mold at Midway for $40?

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=lee+44+mold

taco650
03-09-2014, 09:37 AM
advice?
don't look at e-bay.
you can buy those [2 cav] molds brand new for about 20 bucks.
they come with a warranty of some sort too..

Yep, ebay is too high every time I check it. I get better results from Midway.

JonB_in_Glencoe
03-09-2014, 11:04 AM
You can't go wrong with the Lee 429-200 RF [90285]
Here is the best place to buy one, IMHO
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000690285
I highly recommend that one for 44 light loads.
Look to Unique or Red dot as a powder.

While you're surfing fleabay, look for the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4Th Ed.
OR better yet...
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000159817004

This is the "GO TO" book for casting and loading boolits.
Be sure to completely read the first half of the book,
it'll give you a great Base of knowledge to start casting successfully !

Wally
03-09-2014, 11:17 AM
If you can find one, the now discontinued Lee 44 cal button nosed wad-cutter was my favorite plinking load. Working from memory and not records. I believe the casting drops about 185. I'd roll them in Lee goo, load them un-sized with apx 5grs of Bullseye and shoot them in a S&W M-29 with a 4 inch barrel. I got excellent accuracy in my S&W but not so good in my Ruger with 10 1/2 barrel. Recoil in my S&W felt some where between a 38 Spec and 45ACP. I could shoot the mild load flinch free for an extended time frame without fatigue. The mild recoiling load was great for practice shooting double action with a smooth trigger pull without the tendency to jerk the trigger.

Yes, this was Lee's 90334 429-208-WC, an excellent bullet. With WW alloy casts out at 215 grains and @ .4305". Great choice for the .44 Special with 5.0 grains of Bullseye/Red Dot/Promo.

Lee also had a 255 SWC bullet that I started with in the .44 Magnum..same bullet with a SWC nose. When learning to master the .44 Magnum (maybe one day I'll succeed) I gave up on it and went the 250 grain Keith 429421...years later I found that the Lee 255 (90343) was just as good....I had a winner all along. Great bullet in the .44 Magnum with 10.0 grains of Unique.

Wasalmonslayer
03-09-2014, 11:29 AM
Good morning.
I have been cast the lee 214 for about 8 years for my 44 Ruger SRH. It has always shot great for me loaded over 7.5gr of unique. It helps stretch the pound a bit further.

mdi
03-09-2014, 11:44 AM
advice?
don't look at e-bay.
you can buy those [2 cav] molds brand new for about 20 bucks.
they come with a warranty of some sort too..
Yep, and you're sure you'll be getting a new mold. I just bought a Lee rifle mold from Titan Reloading for $19.49 + shipping...

1989toddm
03-09-2014, 12:14 PM
Wow I didn't realize how cheap lee molds are new from other companies! Yea I will forget ebay for this anyway. I have the Lyman 3rd edition on loan from my fil, it has a wealth of info in it!

vernb
03-09-2014, 02:36 PM
Titan always seems to be cheaper than ebay

stubert
03-09-2014, 04:52 PM
Try looking at www.fsreloading.com They are the Lee authorized distributer,

azrednek
03-09-2014, 05:19 PM
Yes, this was Lee's 90334 429-208-WC, an excellent bullet. With WW alloy casts out at 215 grains and @ .4305"... Great bullet in the .44 Magnum with 10.0 grains of Unique.

You're probably correct about the weight. I was working from memory been at least 5 or more years since I loaded it. I do recall having a bit better accuracy on paper blending wheel weights 50/50 with scrap rain gutter sheets that were probably close to pure. I'd hop it up with 10.0 grs of HERCO instead of Unique and got satisfactory results on paper especially when I'd move the target beyond 30 yards.

I kick myself for trading away the 6-cavity WC mold getting the same in 2 cavity and another mold in the trade. After running my last batch with the 2 cavity I decided I'd order another 6-cavity only to discover it had been discontinued.

sidecarmike
03-09-2014, 07:48 PM
Titan

http://www.titanreloading.com/molds/bullet-molds/44-special-44-mag-4440

$37.89

Tatume
03-10-2014, 06:14 AM
Go to all the places you're considering and put the items in your "cart" before making a decision. Some companies make their sales by advertising low prices and then charging high shipping. Compare carts with shipping included.

taco650
03-11-2014, 05:45 AM
Go to all the places you're considering and put the items in your "cart" before making a decision. Some companies make their sales by advertising low prices and then charging high shipping. Compare carts with shipping included.

+1

I do this frequently with Cheaper Than Dirt and Midway. Midway often ends up less $$$ because of lower shipping/handling fees even though CTD's list price is less than Midway.

ubetcha
03-11-2014, 07:27 AM
Titian reloading and FS reloading are both in Hartford Wi. Just on the opposite sides of town.

bruce381
03-12-2014, 09:07 PM
Titan relaoding is as cheap and very fast shipping aswell as they are also a sponsor on this site I use them.

45fan
03-14-2014, 04:06 PM
Titan always seems to be cheaper than ebay

EVERYBODY is cheaper than ebay, even midway usa with their over inflated shipping charges.

paul edward
03-14-2014, 08:28 PM
I have been using the Lee 214 since 1975 in .44 Russian, Special and Magnum. Even feeds through the 1894 Marlin lever action rifle. Is easier on the lead supply.

azrednek
03-14-2014, 08:30 PM
EVERYBODY is cheaper than ebay, even midway usa with their over inflated shipping charges.

Please take this as a polite challenge. Not necessarily that everybody is cheaper than Ebay. Occasionally but unfortunately not as often the past few years. If it is a fairly common mold there might be several posted and ending about the same time. Competition sometimes and I emphasize "sometimes" will drive the prices and opening bid down.

There are several Ebay sellers that are legitimate dealers of Lee products that have some reasonable buy-it-now prices on all Lee products. There is a married couple in particular whose Ebay name I don't recall. They run their part-time business out of their garage that does or at least a year ago. Had the lowest prices I could find anywhere on the net on Lee products they had in stock. If I can recall their name I'll edit it in. In an email exchange with the wife. She told me their molds usually sell the same day as posted. She claimed she could not take special orders. At the time she claimed they were lucky to receive 30% of what they ordered.

In summary, if you're a cheapskate like me. I check as many sources as possible for the best price, Ebay being among them. I am a bit hesitate buying used iron molds on Ebay. Ignorant sellers with no knowledge of bullet casting. Think they are doing the buyer a favor by wire brushing or other methods such as an acid dip cleaning up or removing oxidation from a mold so it will photograph well.

I got burned big time by an unscrupulous creep on a Lyman mold. He some how removed the rust and it appeared that he used gun bluing or black oxide to bring the color back. It looked good in the pictures and despite his "as is" I took the risk. I got a mold with heavily pitted cavities. Since then I message the seller asking for close-ups of the cavities. If I get an excuse instead of pictures I simply wont buy or bid.

EDIT: This is a picture of the casting the new looking mold dropped. The mold was touched up and photographed to look in excellent condition.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/dnisbet/AAAAA-45bullet.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/dnisbet/media/AAAAA-45bullet.jpg.html)

I already know that is not a gas check base as I was advised a few years ago. Darrel's Gator checks snap right in place and it turned the sick looking casting into a boolit. I've since discovered the pits really soak up Lee goo and it shoots as almost as well without as it does with a gas check.

larrupin
03-15-2014, 12:12 AM
+1 for FSReloading
Have ordered several molds and pot from them recently in several orders (yes I am infected and the disease is worsening) Fast and reasonable shipping, backordered items are shipped later, no additional shipping
Lee six cavity molds are $32.97

https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cavity-molds/


I have been pleased

Larrupin

azrednek
03-15-2014, 12:32 AM
+1 for FSReloading
Have ordered several molds and pot from them recently in several orders (yes I am infected and the disease is worsening) Fast and reasonable shipping, backordered items are shipped later, no additional shipping
Lee six cavity molds are $32.97

https://fsreloading.com/lee-6-cavity-molds/




I have been pleased

Larrupin

Didn't know you could order "pot" from them. Do they include a free pipe or do you roll your own?? Sorry Larrupin I couldn't resist taking advantage of the typo.

Old School Big Bore
03-15-2014, 01:01 AM
Besides the 120 & 208 WCs I also have the 255 SWC, 180 RN and 215 SWC/HP single cavity, and a couple of the 215 SWC double cavity 44s. Back when I bought all these single cavity molds, I was loading everything on a single station press; a Star was out of reach and Dillons were just coming out and casting was fun and I was raising a houseful of boys on Deputy pay, so it was single cavity Lees or nothing. Lyman doubles were out of reach and any other brand pure fantasy. I never got the 255 to work out of a short 44 but the SBH shot it fairly well. I used to stack two of the 120s in a magnum case for fun. At one time the alleged rangemaster in my Department made a racket out of betting rookies a sixer or a case of beer and spanking them in one game or another at the range. I got tired of it (he was obnoxious anyway) and tricked him spectacularly out of some hard cash with those double boolit 44s and split the cash up to a couple of his victims. Never did tell him how I did it but every time I heard about him trying to trap a new rookie I'd threaten to bet him again. Anyway if Lee would come out with some decent wadcutter designs I'd stand in line for the six cavs.

larrupin
03-15-2014, 01:30 AM
No worries azrednek wasn't really a typo just short for melting pot......:D excuse my newbie terminology.[smilie=1: