Odd One

[Gohon]

Ran into a funny situation tonight. Ordered a Lee double cavity 160 grain GC round nose .309 mould a few months back. Cast up a couple hundred rounds with WW and a little 95/5 added, but never got around to checking just how close I was casting to the 160 grains. Decided to check them tonight and to my surprise they were all right at149-150 grains plus 2.5 grains for the gas checks. Looked on the side of the mould and the number 90367 was stamped on it. According to the table for Lee moulds that is a single cavity 160 grain GC round nose .309 mould. I'm not that disappointed as I would rather have a 150 grain mould anyway but has anyone ever run into this? One or two grains off is one thing but 10 grains. Other Lee moulds I have seem to be very close as stamped on the box.

[trooperdan]

All depends on your alloy, the moluds are speced with some particular alloy, traditionly Lyman # 2 but could be anything, according to the mould-maker. Your alloy could contain less lead than the 'standard'.

[Ricochet]

Yep. Mine usually end up heavier. Like the 429-255 SWC mould I bought, and cast a big batch of boolits from that weighed 273 grains, more or less. They were quite soft.

[Gohon]

In this particular case using two other moulds with the same batch of lead they were very close to what the moulds were marked so I'm not sure it was strictly the alloy content. But, lesson learned for me was pay closer attention. Especially before loading and shooting.

[RU shooter]

I have that same mold and mine are fairly close with basicly the same alloy your using. I get 156 grs.with mine.

[454PB]

It's funny, I own a lot of LEE moulds, and all of them cast heavier than advertised in WW alloy.

[Gohon]

It's funny, I own a lot of LEE moulds, and all of them cast heavier than advertised in WW alloy.

That's what I found strange about this mould. I only have 4 Lee moulds and the other three cast as you described yours do, right at or a little heavier than advertised using the same mix.

[Calamity Jake]

Not only does alloy effect weight but so does dimensional size meaning not only dia. but length.

If someone cast boolets with both Gohon and RU Shooters molds in the same mix and technic then measured them, I think they will find the boolets to be dimensonaly different
Not only in dia. but one boolt will be longer then the other or drive bands will be different and or crimp and lube groove differences.

In some way the two boolets are not alike meaning they will weigh different.

That my 2¢ and I'm sticking to it. :):)

[BAGTIC]

Almost all my moulds cast heavier in WW. For example my SAECO 98 gr. SWC weighs 104.
grains. Other calibers and weights seems to be proportionally (4+ %) heavier.