.45 acp moulds

[hungryhuntergirl]

What is the best/least expensive 2 mould set to get. I have been looking at a Lee 230gr but I have a lube/sizer now and I am not sure about the top punch with that mould...any ideas or any one want to sell one? The 6 cavity is too heavy for long periods of time for me (especially since the mule I USED to own cut the muscle in my forearm when he ran over me...long story)...any ideas?

[dubber123]

At least with the Lee 2281R mould, the regular Lyman or RCBS nose punches fit fine. Best/least expensive are kinda different. Least expensive, Lee hands down. Best, LBT in my book, RCBS probably least expensive truly "good" mould.

[timdco]

I use the Lee 230 Grain round nose tumble lube mold and it works great for me. I doubt that you can beat the price on it. I got mine for right around $20 at grafs. www.grafs.com .

[dubber123]

What is the best/least expensive 2 mould set to get. I have been looking at a Lee 230gr but I have a lube/sizer now and I am not sure about the top punch with that mould...any ideas or any one want to sell one? The 6 cavity is too heavy for long periods of time for me (especially since the mule I USED to own cut the muscle in my forearm when he ran over me...long story)...any ideas?

Buy the 6 cavity Lee and make your husband cast your boolits for you, you gotta keep him around for something right?:-D

[jjamna]

The Lee 230 gr Round Nose tumble lube shoots better than any factory I have put in my 1911. I think you would be happy with it. I have the 2 cavity and it don't take long to get a bunch of boolits

[wiljen]

Best 45 ACP bullets:

Lyman 452374 RN - the original and the standard by which other RN designs are judged.

Best hunting bullet = BD45 - largest meplat available for the 1911 platform
(group buy coming soon on this one)

H&G #68 200gr SWC - the target bullet (RCBS and lee make a duplicate of this design).

[DLCTEX]

The 200 gr. SWC gets my vote. Dale

[35remington]

If you're gonna get the Lee bullet in ~230 grains, get the 230-2R instead of the 228-1R. The 2R is the correct bullet to duplicate the 230 factory ball and is more likely to feed in most 1911's as it produces a round of the correct overall length.

If you're going to try to make the Lee mould last read some of the stickies on Lee-menting and handle it gently and lubricate it properly. Mine have lasted a long time, but I'm a gentle fellow with a mould. A moment's ham handedness can wreck a Lee (possibly any mould, for that matter) in short order.

The price of lead being what it is, you may want a 200 SWC of the H&G 68 pattern. Lee makes one of those too - it's the one with the long nose. Not an exact copy, but close enough for most .45's and shoots well. This SWC style is the most likely to feed in most 1911's.

[Ricochet]

I'm having good success with the Lee TL452-230-TC. I've got the 6-hole, and it is more tiring to cast with than a 2-hole. Faster production, though. Easier to have problems getting the mould all the way closed with a 6-hole; can lead to high rejection rates.

[calsite]

Shot some test loads out of my 1911, Lee 230 Trunicated, Tumble lubes and was quite impressed. I use a Lee Lubrisizer on all of my cast bullets Lee or otherwise, at least right now. Tumble/pan lubing is a bit messy but that's all you're limited to with the Lee lubrisizer.

[Leftoverdj]

You know your own limitations, but you only have to use a six cavity mould a third as long as a two cavity. The six cavities are FAR better constructed.

I'm partial to the Lee 452-200-SWC, the H&G 68 copy.

I tend to make odd nose punches from quarter inch allen head bolts.

[colbyjack]

isnt there a group buy going on on this mould? -chris

[hungryhuntergirl]

If you're gonna get the Lee bullet in ~230 grains, get the 230-2R instead of the 228-1R. The 2R is the correct bullet to duplicate the 230 factory ball and is more likely to feed in most 1911's as it produces a round of the correct overall length.

If you're going to try to make the Lee mould last read some of the stickies on Lee-menting and handle it gently and lubricate it properly. Mine have lasted a long time, but I'm a gentle fellow with a mould. A moment's ham handedness can wreck a Lee (possibly any mould, for that matter) in short order.

The price of lead being what it is, you may want a 200 SWC of the H&G 68 pattern. Lee makes one of those too - it's the one with the long nose. Not an exact copy, but close enough for most .45's and shoots well. This SWC style is the most likely to feed in most 1911's.


What top punch can i use with the TL452-230-2R ? I think that is the one the one they have picked out...I have no shortage on lead, we acquired 2 70# weights from a forklift and we also have 2- 55 gallon drums full of WW...

[9.3X62AL]

If the Lee 230-2R duplicates the "Ball" bullet profile, Lyman top punch #374 should serve the purpose.

[Char-Gar]

When it comes to reloading equipment in general and bullet molds in particular, best and least expensive are contridictions in terms.

[Woodwrkr]

[QUOTE=(especially since the mule I USED to own cut the muscle in my forearm when he ran over me...long story)...any ideas?[/QUOTE]

You'll have to tell us that story some day!

[hungryhuntergirl]

LOL, you wouldnt believe it!! My hubby and I acquired a mule from a friend that couldnt take care of him so we took him out for a spin, to keep the saddle from sliding back on him we had to put a breast strap on him which actually fit my horse so it was big on him. It worked okay but rubbed his chest raw in one spot (we didnt realize this until we had gotten back home) so I broke out the "blue" wound spray and I got on one side and the hubby on the other...well...he didnt like the spray and he came directly at me, stepped on my ankle and knocked me down, he jumped over me and only stepped on my arm (which cut the muscle) but didnt tear my skin. I thought my arm was broken because the dent went all the way down to the bone...another trip to the er where I sat for 3 hours to get an x ray which they gave me to take the the orthopedic surgeon the next mornin. A lot of aspirin later he thought it looked broken so I got a week at home to chill. The next week he ripped the muscle that had torn and attatched to the bone off the bone...AHHHH that hurt!! Needless to say, the bone wasnt broken, flaw in the film but I did get a week off!! Now I have a funny dent in my arm!!

[MT Gianni]

Fun with Mules 101. It's all a learning experience and I'm glad you just got a dent. Gianni

[Woodwrkr]

Makes me glad I've never had to mess with a mule!

[hungryhuntergirl]

Oh yeah, if he'd a stepped on my belly he mighta ripped my abdominal aorta or even my face...dont wanna think bout that!! Since then (older and wiser) I dont have any horses but we are slowly workin our way back to the country and probably get back in the horse business...

[crowbeaner]

You should see the email a friend sent about the mule in Kalifornia that killed an attacking mountain lion recently. Pretty tough mule! Stomped, bit, and stomped and bit some more until the canyon cat was DRT. The woman along for the ride got pictures of the mule with the cat in his mouth, and the mule stomping the cat. WOW! CB.

[hungryhuntergirl]

I think i have seen that before..it was crazy...i was always told you could run swampwater through a mules vein and it wont kill him!!

[Ricochet]

This is surely a century-plus old song, to the tune of Auld Lang Syne:

On mules we find two legs behind,
And two we find before,
When we stand behind the two behind,
We find what they be for.
When we stand behind the two behind,
We find what they be for,
So stand before the two behind,
And behind the two before.

[crabo]

Best hunting bullet = BD45 - largest meplat available for the 1911 platform
(group buy coming soon on this one)

I want to hear more about this!

Crabo

[MakeMineA10mm]

isnt there a group buy going on on this mould? -chris

Yes, there is. The Group Buy for the 230gr Govt.-Profile Round nose is going on now at: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=265302#post265302


The group buys for the BD45 and H&G68 haven't started yet, but I plan on running the #68 mould in a couple weeks, and I THINK wiljen is going to run the BD45 about the same time.

[wiljen]

Yes, there is. The Group Buy for the 230gr Govt.-Profile Round nose is going on now at: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=265302#post265302


The group buys for the BD45 and H&G68 haven't started yet, but I plan on running the #68 mould in a couple weeks, and I THINK wiljen is going to run the BD45 about the same time.

It is looking like I will start running the BD45 here shortly seeing as we have enough interest to get it going. The boolit was designed to have the largest meplat that would reliably feed in a 1911 design. Pictures of it are on castpics or in the feeler thread under group buys.

[Arrow66]

I like the Lee 200 grain SWC with AA#5 or Win 231, I have been using it droped straight from the mold, air cooled about 11BH lubed with Johnson Past Wax. It just don't get better that this.