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View Full Version : How many has dropped Lee molds ?



Tenbender
12-17-2015, 11:57 PM
ME ! I am replacing all my molds. "don't have that many" Lol Just fed up with out of round, mixed weight booits.
Am I alone ?

Wally
12-17-2015, 11:58 PM
I'd never want to drop mine...

vzerone
12-18-2015, 12:13 AM
I can understand your feelings, but I have many bullets cast from LEE molds that just shoot so outstanding. If you take care of them they will give you a good long service. I admit the aluminum they use is rather soft, but again take care of them and they go a long way. Price is right too.

nagantguy
12-18-2015, 12:27 AM
I'm slowly upgrading to "better" molds but my Lee's have served well and don't cost a mortgage payment to aquire, so trying this flavor and that is possible. Had a few unleemented molds which they swiftly replaced with no hassle.

Shiloh
12-18-2015, 12:39 AM
I've got LEE molds that cast as good a boolits as anyones.

I have LEE molds that are small. I have TL LEE molds that work well and ones that are too small.

SHiloh

bangerjim
12-18-2015, 12:56 AM
To each his own. I get quality boolits out of most if not all my 38+ Lee molds. I never drop them! No wonder you are getting out-o-round drops. [smilie=s:

I have NOE, MiHec, and SAECO molds also and like those too. I buy those because they have designs I cannot get with LEE....especially brass.

Do what you want. I will always keep and use my Lee molds on a regular basis.

banger

VinceG
12-18-2015, 01:04 AM
I can't complain about mine. They drop nice bullets at an affordable cost

runfiverun
12-18-2015, 01:27 AM
I'm just starting to actually buy a couple of lee molds, if I get 10 years out of them I'm fine with that.
when I was 25 or 30 I wanted life-time stuff, now just about anything I buy is life-time stuff.

Silverboolit
12-18-2015, 01:27 AM
For handgun boolits, LEE is getting a lot of use here. In my .308, I go to Accurate! I am not a great pistol shot, so the mold is probably the least of my concern. I have many LEE pistol molds and they have always worked well for me.

retread
12-18-2015, 01:29 AM
I like Lee's six bangers. I was not so pleased with the old style 2 cavity, had to continually check mold alignment but the new 2 cavity are pretty good molds. I have been lucky I guess as far as cavity consistency and roundness. I have other molds (Lyman, Rcbs, NOE etc). They are all great but I would not have as many or the variety if I had to spend the amount of money required to have all premium molds.

RobS
12-18-2015, 01:29 AM
Lee molds can be a great value however some are just not up to par when the alignment pins don't say in place or the sprue plate doesn't sit flush with the top of the mold. I started on Lee molds many moons ago and still own some of them. Like others I'll use the Lee molds if the design is what I'm after however if not then I'll go semi custom or custom for a better design and a better mold.

Jupiter7
12-18-2015, 01:55 AM
1 left of 10-ish or so. 312-155 2cavity. Drops good bullets, works in all my 30's. All the rest are NOE, MP and Hm2 now.

swmass
12-18-2015, 02:21 AM
I've owned 7 of them. 6 double cavities and a 6 cavity. The quality on the 6 banger is much better than the 2 cavities. I've had trouble with the sprue plate screws, pins, and out of round bullets on 4 of the double cavities. For the price I cant complain. My 9mms were all out of round/undersized and I've tried 3 different molds. I now use a 38 mold for 9mm. I plan on switching to all 6 bangers from now on. I will say the 3 molds that I have not had trouble with have been great especially for the price. If only they could all work out like that.

RogerDat
12-18-2015, 02:28 AM
They work, and at a price point that allows me to load for everything and even have some choices. The make a decent baseline to start from. Then if you have something more you want or need in a mold you will have a clear idea of where you need to put your money.

For me it was a fatter and heavier cast for 303 British I think I got good value for my money from NOE in that mold. I also got good value for my money in a 255 RFN for 45 colt from Lee. Expecting a $20 mold to be the same as an $80 mold is not reasonable. Getting good value for the $20 or the $80 is reasonable and as far as I can tell that is what I have gotten.

Garyshome
12-18-2015, 03:02 AM
I have cast quite a bunch of handgun boolitz with lee molds, they work really well for how I use them.

GabbyM
12-18-2015, 03:22 AM
Up until we had this new generation of mold makers. Saeco, RCBS, Lyman or Lee were pretty much equal opportunity to send me a piece of junk. RCBS had good consistency except they regulated there molds to Linotype alloy. Nobody has shot that since 1973.

rbuck351
12-18-2015, 03:57 AM
I bought two recently, I already have a dozen or more. The first is a single cav hollow base 459-405 and is the worst I have ever cast with for size. It's out of round, under size by.008 in spots and the mold halves don't line up. The second is a six banger 358-200. This mold casts as good a bullet as anything I have including 5 NOE molds. It casts all 6 round at .358 with the nose at .350+ and almost exactly 200grs with ww and all 6 fall out by just shaking the mold a bit and because it is a Christmas special, it was about $35 delivered. This mold I will not drop. The other I won't drop but I might throw it on the concrete floor. How can one company make such good molds and such bad ones? So, no, I'm not ready to give up on Lee molds if they have what I want.

Hannibal
12-18-2015, 04:47 AM
I have discovered I like the way iron moulds run better, and SO FAR I have not found an iron mould that drops out of round bullets. I have yet to find a Lee mould that WILL drop a round bullet out-of the-box.
I have yet to try a brass mould, so I have no opinion of them.

So the answer is yes, as I can the Lee moulds are being replaced.

clum553946
12-18-2015, 06:11 AM
I'm with you. I guess I haven't had the same luck as most other Lee mold owners. The two six holers I have do cast slightly out of round. I just bought two .452 two hole molds last month to try a certain weight to see if it would work in my gun and one of them drops the alignment pin out when it heats up. Really bad out of round when that happens! Last time I buy a Lee mold! I am going to box all of my Lee's up & sell them on Swap & Sell really cheap as someone may have more knowledge about tweaking them to keep them running than I do. I use Noe & Accurate now & there is no comparison in quality. You pay for what you get! The Lee's were shootable, but that's about it for the ones I got.



ME ! I am replacing all my molds. "don't have that many" Lol Just fed up with out of round, mixed weight booits.
Am I alone ?

OverMax
12-18-2015, 09:07 AM
40 years of casting and I've never considered buying a Lee mold. I've have always purchased RCBS molds for my pistols. Quite a few Lyman's for my rifles. Recently I purchased a few NOE specialty molds for the sole purpose of Paper Patching their boolit casts for use in a couple model 94s I have. 30-30__32 Special.
Frankly. I have always thought of Lee as having done well filling the niche demand for those fellows who required entry level economical casting tools. And that's a good thing. As I believe many reloader /casters may have not gotten into casting without having Lee's products available.

Maximumbob54
12-18-2015, 09:25 AM
If they are out of round or dropping mixed weights that are off enough then why aren't you contacting Lee for a replacement?

Hickok
12-18-2015, 09:50 AM
Really I would like to know if there are molds that drop perfectly round exact boolits every time. I have expensive molds from $70 to over $100 that cast boolits .001 to .002" out of round that after sizing will still cut ragged holes at ranges the boolits were intended for.

The mold maker can use a perfect round cherry/reamer for the mold, but the seam line/mold halves will cause a boolit to vary slightly in diameter at that point compared to the boolit diameter 180 degrees from the seam due to variances in temperature in the alloy, and mold temperature.

Same thing with complaints on boolits sticking in the molds. A lot of times it has do due with alloy temperature and mold temperature. When both are right, boolits will fall out of the mold. Some designs and other factors can cause boolits to stick in molds, but a lot of the cause is simply temperature of the alloy or the mold.

I use a lot of Lee molds, along with Lyman, RCBS, and custom.

I figure I will get ripped for the above, but just things I have found over the years.

Duckdog
12-18-2015, 09:57 AM
My thought exactly. I must have upward of 30-35 Lee molds, with some steel molds in addition to those and I really do not see where the Lee molds cast any worse bullets than the steel, and in many of the molds, probably better.

I do not consider them an entry level mold by any means. I cast for upward of 20 calibers, so I think I passed the entry level classification a while back. I personally think they are a good value for the money. If I get a good deal on any mold I might want, I will buy it. I definitely am not brand specific. To each his own, I say!

If two guys walk into a bar and order a whiskey sour, and one says a Kesslers and sour, and one says just whiskey and sour, would the one who ordered the Kesslers and sour know it if the bartender gave him just plain old cheap whiskey like the other guy? Some would say they would know, but I know I most likely would not know. Point being, I doubt a target or deer will know if your bullet comes from a Lee mold, or a RCBS, Lyman, or others. I also doubt it will know if the bullet is slightly out of round, as long as it hits where you aim. It's all about your individual perception of value, plain and simple.

matrixcs
12-18-2015, 10:00 AM
If you are leaving the Lee molds for something else. Please post them on the swap and sell threads I am sure we will buy them in short order..
I will never give up mine................(unless it is a 2 cav I replaced with a 6 )

rbuck351
12-18-2015, 10:20 AM
The reason I don't contact Lee is because I can turn that out of round, undersized, uneven bottom edge bad shooting boolit into a perfectly round .4585 all over, square bottom, accurate boolit real easy. I lube them to fill the grease grooves then run them through a .4585 die I made for my Swag-O-Matic and now early testing has them shooting 3/4" groups at 50 yds rather than 6" patterns. The mold makes a slug with grease grooves at a good weight that forms nicely into a very good boolit. No reason to contact Lee. All of my pistol molds from Lee cast decent boolits. The rifle molds have not been so good with all the nose riders having undersize noses

JeffG
12-18-2015, 10:35 AM
Same thing here, all I have can randomly be out of round a touch. Everything is going through a sizer anyhow, except for a couple that get TL'd and used as it. They all work like a charm in the pistols.


Really I would like to know if there are molds that drop perfectly round exact boolits every time. I have expensive molds from $70 to over $100 that cast boolits .001 to .002" out of round that after sizing will still cut ragged holes at ranges the boolits were intended for.

The mold maker can use a perfect round cherry/reamer for the mold, but the seam line/mold halves will cause a boolit to vary slightly in diameter at that point compared to the boolit diameter 180 degrees from the seam due to variances in temperature in the alloy, and mold temperature.

Same thing with complaints on boolits sticking in the molds. A lot of times it has do due with alloy temperature and mold temperature. When both are right, boolits will fall out of the mold. Some designs and other factors can cause boolits to stick in molds, but a lot of the cause is simply temperature of the alloy or the mold.

I use a lot of Lee molds, along with Lyman, RCBS, and custom.

I figure I will get ripped for the above, but just things I have found over the years.

williamwaco
12-18-2015, 01:55 PM
I have the Lee 170 grain. 30 Cal bullet. Of course they are not round. In 60 years I have owned only two molds that cast round bullets. After sizing, they are round within 3 or 4 tenths.

I am sorry to report that the best I can do with them is around 0.75" at 100 yd. I plan to dispose of it as soon as I can accumulate about 5000 of them.

twc1964
12-18-2015, 03:59 PM
I only have lee molds as of now. Around my house, lees are the only molds i can afford to buy. Id dwarly love an accurate hp mold for my .38-357 but id have to buy em at tax time if any dough is left after the must pay bill pile is done. I have one lee six cav for each of my calibers and they seem to work fine so far. I do have the occasional problem with em but so far, ive been able to work em out. Lee suits me for the forseeable future.

gwpercle
12-18-2015, 04:13 PM
Not me !
The new double cavity moulds do just fine and are well worth the $20.00 and that includes handles.

The new NOE mould I just recieved is very nice, but it was near $100.00 and didn't even include handles. It should be nicer , it cost 5 times as much.
A few casting sessions will tell me if the NOE is worth the extra $$$$.
I like Lee and am not complaining about them !

Gary

Victor N TN
12-18-2015, 05:17 PM
A long time ago my older brother dropped a Lee mold for 9mm bullets. Scrap...! It never cast right again.

Wolfer
12-18-2015, 05:33 PM
I don't know how many Lee molds I have. I also have Lyman, RCBS, and NOE. That the last three are of better quality than Lee there is no argument. There is a price difference though.

My most accurate 45 cal boolit is cast from a Lee 452-255 RF which drops from the mold at 452x457. I have a good selection of 45 molds many of which throw a good boolit. None are as accurate as this one though.
Lee is what it is and I'll continue to use them as the need arises.

merlin101
12-18-2015, 05:58 PM
I have a half dozen Lee moulds some are good and a couple are 'not bad', the only bad one was bought from another member here and is BAD! But I really think it's been modified so it's not Lee's fault.
If your going to sell them they'll go quick!

tazman
12-18-2015, 06:01 PM
Really I would like to know if there are molds that drop perfectly round exact boolits every time. I have expensive molds from $70 to over $100 that cast boolits .001 to .002" out of round that after sizing will still cut ragged holes at ranges the boolits were intended for.

The mold maker can use a perfect round cherry/reamer for the mold, but the seam line/mold halves will cause a boolit to vary slightly in diameter at that point compared to the boolit diameter 180 degrees from the seam due to variances in temperature in the alloy, and mold temperature.

Same thing with complaints on boolits sticking in the molds. A lot of times it has do due with alloy temperature and mold temperature. When both are right, boolits will fall out of the mold. Some designs and other factors can cause boolits to stick in molds, but a lot of the cause is simply temperature of the alloy or the mold.

I use a lot of Lee molds, along with Lyman, RCBS, and custom.

I figure I will get ripped for the above, but just things I have found over the years.

I currently have 5 molds that drop round boolits(as well as I can measure) when up to temp. One is a Lyman, 2 are NOE, and 2 are Lee. All the others are less than .002 out of round and drop a bit large so I need to run them through a sizer anyway. It has never been an issue for me.
Currently I use a lot of Lee, Lyman, and NOE molds. I like them all since they all work well and give me the selections I want.
I have no idea how many molds I have since I have been accumulating them for about 40 years now. I buy some and if they don't work out for me, I sell them.

gwpercle
12-18-2015, 06:49 PM
A long time ago my older brother dropped a Lee mold for 9mm bullets. Scrap...! It never cast right again.
Drop ANY aluminum mold and guess what happens ? They aren't designed to bounce off a concrete floor...aluminum is soft.

Crash_Corrigan
12-18-2015, 07:39 PM
I cannot remember how many thousand .38 Spcl boolits I have cast with a Lee 6 banger mold. See http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?41217-Can-you-top-this-NOPE Then I bought a few 9 MM weapons and then another 25 firearms over the years. Although my mold collection has also grown to include Mihec's Cadillac molds and some from NOE along with RCBS and Lyman offerings none of them cast as fast and easy as my ancient 6 banger from Lee.

It is light and very easy to use. The more modern brass and iron offerings that cost much more are heavy and require very precise mold and alloy temperatures to produce excellent boolits. The Lee boolits in .38, 9 MM and .45 ACP all go thru a sizer and if any are out of round the sizing operation takes care of it. Most of my target and plinking is done at 20 yds or less and an out of round boolit does not really matter too much at these ranges.

However when I go out to 50 and 100 yds with handguns and more I am very careful. First the cases are matched in length, headstamp, weight and are all super clean. The charges are thrown with care and every 10th charge is weighed. The boolits are generally cast in iron or brass molds and are carefully monitored temperature wise with appropriate equipment including the dandy mold temp device from NOE and a PID controller for the alloy. The alloy is carefully blended and kept separate from run of the mill alloys. The results are recorded including chrono readings, target groups and weather info.

With all this I really enjoy hammering away at a steel gong at 50, 75 and 100 yds and sometimes beyond with my beloved Smith 586's. I have one with a 6 inch tube and another with a 8 3/8 inch tube and an aimpoint sight. This thing is awesomely accurate but very unhandy to lug around. I also regularly smack steel with my Taurus 1911 .45 ACP and EAA Witness Match Elite 9 mm at up to 100 just for fun.

In the long guns I have not ever used a Lee mold other than the cruise missle 160 grainer that I bought on our site in a group buy some years ago. When properly sized and lubed my Custom Mauser 98 in 6.5x55mm will slap steel at out to 350 yds with boring regularity. This will only happen if I do my part and take due care when making my reloads. All of my brass was once US Gov'mt once fired and then converted by me to 6.5x55mm. Some of these cases have been reloaded and fired over 20 times and are still delivering excellent accuracy. I do not load heavy as I have no need to impress a steel plate of a piece of paper.

Even my handgun rounds are modest and generally in the mid range category save for the long range stuff which requires a stiffer charge at least in 38/357.

I have yet to give up on a Lee mold. Some of my look really janky and nasty but they cast fast and seldom does a boolit dare hang up in a cavity. For the money you cannot beat a Lee mold. I only have a few steel or brass molds (less than 5) that can hold a candle to the Lee in productivity and ease of use.

Oh, by the way, I generally use handles now!

bedbugbilly
12-18-2015, 07:42 PM
I have had a few Lee molds over the years and have purchased some in recent years . . .

I have several that work very well and drop good boolits . . .

I have and have had some that are/were just "so/so" . . . over time, the ones I used the most have and are being replaced with a similar Ideal/Lee/RCBS, etc. mold

I purchased one Lee mold a year ago that should never have left the factory . . . alignment pins not installed so they extended through the side block . . . it was a "two banger" and after I fixed the alignment pins . . . all edges of the two blocks were even and aligned . . . only problem was that the cavities were offset by about .004 or so . . . I followed with the vendor (who was very good about it) . . . he followed up with Lee CS and I was told by whoever handled it at Lee that it was "my fault" and "you don't know how to cast bullets" . . . hmmmm . . . . I guess I must have been doing all wrong for the past 50 years then.

After that, the only way I'll buy a Lee mold is to try the boolit weight and design out . . . if it works well in my firearm . . . I'll either find a Ideal/Lyman or similar or look at NOE. I know from experience that their molds are good and that their customer service is even better . . . .

A $20 Lee mold is just that . . . a $20 mold. If the mold works out for you then you got a bargain and cast the heck out of it . . . if it is not up to snuff . . . . then try lapping it . . . . if it doesn't work . . . chalk it up as a lesson learned and move on to a different make. In the end, I've learned that I would rather wait and accumulate the $ to buy a better quality mold that is not going to frustrate the heck out of you than to go the cheap route and have a mold that will not drop what it's supposed to. IMHO

GhostHawk
12-18-2015, 10:21 PM
I have somewhere between 15 and 20 Lee Molds, most of which work well enough for my needs if I do my part.

To me it is a bit like a rifle, you can take the best MOA rifle and if you can't hold it or see the target you get minute of 5 gallon bucket groups. Do you blame the rifle?

In my case if A mold no longer works correctly after I have tried everything I have learned to do, I rack it up to operator error. Yeah, that is me. I dropped it, beat on it, tried to cast with it too cold, with the lead to hot or cold, or otherwise buggered up the works. Lee's fault? No way.

You want precision, fine, it is expensive. You will pay 5 to 10 times as much for a mold that is 1 or 2 thousandths closer to perfect. If that is what you need, fine. Me, I don't need that, and I can't afford it.

To replace all my molds with new 100 to 150 dollar molds I'd have to take out a loan on my house.

Instead of a new mold every month or 2 I'd be looking at 1 or 2 a year.

I won't call them cheap, I will call them the best you can get for the price that the average guy can afford.
And if I do my bit right they work and make thousands of boolits.

But, it is up to me to do my bit right and not abuse the poor thing.
I will say since I discovered the liquid wrench dry lubricant and treated all my molds even the touchy molds have boolits that just fly out, clean, no wrinkles, no problems.

If it helps consider a lee mold a kit. Some knowledge, some experience, and some tuning may be required.

melloairman
12-18-2015, 10:48 PM
I have over 20 2 cavity Lee molds . Had a issue with a couple . But I have not had any more problems with them at $ 20.00 than I had with Accurate , RCBS or Lyman which all got sold off a few years ago here . I do have 3 LBT molds as well as the Lees which require no work right out of the box . And I have never had a problem with them at all . But they are $125 not $20 a piece . I might add that I am beginning to think that Veral knows more about heat exchange differences between mold blocks and cutters than any other mold maker around . With Lee molds I have learned to dress and clean the blocks , stake the alignment and handle pins . And to leave the pivot screw alone on the LH molds . Marvin

DocSavage
12-18-2015, 10:49 PM
I'very never had good luck with the Lee molds I purchased. No matter how I tried I just couldn't get a decent looking bullet.
I have RCBS,Saeco,NEI,LBT,Mihah and NOE blocks and get very good bullets out of them and I'm not a stranger to casting.
Of the aluminum blocks I have the Noe are the best machined blocks I'very seen in a very long time. Lighter to use than iron or brass and quicker to get to temp and the nicest part lead doesn't stick so the bullets drop without having to beat on the the handles to to get the bullets to fall out. In fact I did some casting today using an Noe 200gr 45 swc and the bullets literally fell out on there own.

Mark454
12-19-2015, 12:24 AM
I've got a 452-252 swc mold that is so out of round its ridiculous. However I lapped the **** out of it until the smallest OD was at least .452 and size them to where at least their round. Well worth the $20 and a little bit of trouble.

I also have a 452-200rf and it is my go to bullet for all my 45 pistols/revolvers. Shoot, I cast up 600 bullets this week with only 12 bullets worth of fallout. The bullets are so round and fall at .453 I don't even bother sizing. Just tumble lube in thinned alox and go. It has paid me back 10 times over with the amount of bullets I've cast with it.

I'd love to buy all custom quality molds, but for plinking the Lee molds suit my fancy.

Kraschenbirn
12-19-2015, 12:49 AM
Without going out to the workshop and counting, I'd say I've got 9 or 10 Lee moulds...3 handgun, 3 BP cartridge rifle, and the remainder modern rifle...and I cast all but 2 or 3, at least, twice a year. Yeah, I've had to "Leement" or "Beagle" most of them to achieve my desired level of quality/consistency but I've also had to "touch-up" a few of my Lyman and RCBS, too. While I haven't been casting as long as some of the members here, I've poured my share of lead and see minor corrections and maintenance as part of the process of producing good boolits.


Bill

shoot-n-lead
12-19-2015, 01:12 AM
I wouldn't dream of dropping mine...and if you have some that you want to drop...drop'em over, my way.

lwknight
12-19-2015, 01:13 AM
I have been happy with my Lee 6 bangers. Admittedly some have been a bit of a hassle to get to cast what I wanted but mine are all pistol molds.
I use a sizer so roundness is not an issue. My only complaint is that many are a little under sized from the start.

If anyone thinks that plus or minus a grain or 2 in a pistol load makes a difference they are a lot better shot than I am.

Most pistol shooting is not about hair splitting accuracy anyway. Revolvers and hunting rounds are a different story and one may very well benefit from being persnickety about the bullets in that case.

hermans
12-19-2015, 01:19 AM
If have lots of time to waste and like to be frustrated......then Lee molds would suite you just fine. You get what you pay for.

pretzelxx
12-19-2015, 02:01 AM
I'm still convinced the op meant drop as in stopped using not drop as in let them fall.

Either way, I've dropped a brass mold and it's alive and well. Haven't dropped my Lee mold yet. It's precious to me.

sghart3578
12-19-2015, 02:49 AM
I have 13-14 Lee molds, 3 NOE molds, and 1 Accurate mold.

Yes, the NOE and Accurate molds drop perfectly from the start but they should considering what they cost.

My Lee molds are all serviceable. I have beagled a couple and lapped a couple. But for the money they perform.

I cast and shoot a lot. The Lee C312-185 drops a perfect bullet for my 1903 Springfield. The 38 caliber molds are great in my revolvers. And the 457 molds shoot great in my 45-70.

I went with NOE when I wanted a .360" bullet for my Marlin and a .291" bullet for my 7X57. And I wasn't disappointed.

Lee molds fill a niche and they fill it well. I will keep my Lee molds.

guicksylver
12-19-2015, 11:49 AM
Need a real reason to complain, buy a lyman for four times the price and have the same problems or worse.

Buy NOE molds and be happy.

I only have about three Lee molds and have been happy with the results ,especially for the price.

You do have to treat them gingerly.

quilbilly
12-19-2015, 01:33 PM
I have too many sub-MOA rifle boolits from Lee molds to drop them. I like some of my older Lyman molds as well though.

jim 44-40
12-20-2015, 05:57 AM
I just picked up my first Lee mold 45 cal 220 1R for $ 22.00 from ebay free shipping. Cast 50 with lyman #2 Worked fine in Remington R1,

rondog
12-20-2015, 06:14 AM
Unless a big windfall of money lands in my lap or I find some good used others, I'll be using Lee molds forever. Too stinkin' poor to buy any of the others. I do have a 2 cavity RCBS .452-230 RN that makes outstanding bullets, but it came with a bunch of stuff I traded some 9mm brass for.

clum553946
12-20-2015, 08:57 AM
Say you buy a Lee six hole mold for around $35. If you time it right, get in on a group buy or special, you can get a 5 hole Noe for $85. Difference of $50. Let's say you load 5000 pills (& if you love the bullet & the gun that shoots it, it'll be much more than that!) then each bullet costs you 1 penny more. Is it worth it?

avogunner
12-20-2015, 09:43 AM
The first mold I bought was a DC Lee 452-228-1R, and that was around 1986. I've dropped close to 10K boolit out of that particular and still use it to this day. Yes, I have Ideal and Lyman molds now but still by Lee's too.

DerekP Houston
12-20-2015, 10:15 AM
I'm new I use em for testing purposes. $22 for a 2 cavity to test a new caliber design works for me. The one Mihec mold I have is obviously superior though.

HangFireW8
12-20-2015, 01:34 PM
I have the Lee 170 grain. 30 Cal bullet. Of course they are not round. In 60 years I have owned only two molds that cast round bullets. After sizing, they are round within 3 or 4 tenths.

I am sorry to report that the best I can do with them is around 0.75" at 100 yd. I plan to dispose of it as soon as I can accumulate about 5000 of them.

Lol that's terrible. :) If you're serious, dispose of it in my direction'

HangFireW8
12-20-2015, 01:53 PM
I can understand if anyone doesn't have the time, patience or inclination to Leement and/or RMA Lee molds. I have had to return some, one twice, but the rewards are worth it.

Harter66
12-20-2015, 03:00 PM
I know this is an echo ,but, if not for Lee I wouldn't be casting. The idea of having to spend $200 to get started kept me from it too long.
If there is a copied design in a 6C I will buy it for a pistol . Their 401-175 SWC is a gem and the 452-255,358-125 and 358-158 RNFP get good marks too , as much I can't say for the 452-252 . I also didn't have good success with the rifle moulds but I blame myself.
Sure I've bought better moulds and those moulds work more efficiently with less fidgeting . I don't have the where with all for H&G so the production from the 6C Lee is appreciated. I wish actually that more of the 4+ cavity moulds had that 3rd handle , I like it.

Every maker occasionally let's a mould slip past that is a little off ,probably more so now in this era of such high demand.

str8shot426
12-20-2015, 03:15 PM
Broke record here too. Lee molds got me into casting. I am slowly replacing my rifle molds with higher quality molds.
But for volume revolver loads, lee is still my go to mold.

Landshark9025
12-23-2015, 10:59 PM
when I was 25 or 30 I wanted life-time stuff, now just about anything I buy is life-time stuff.

That's gold right there.

flint45
12-24-2015, 03:08 PM
Lee molds have always been good for me no major problems plus the price thank you Lee you got me started.

therealhitman
12-25-2015, 02:15 AM
I have always cast with iron, RCBS mainly. But I have several great SAECO and Lyman molds also. I recently went to 6 cav Lees for my 452 and 356 boolits to up my productivity. I'm still trying to find the right combo of temp and technique to get the same quality of drops out of aluminum that I did from iron. If I can adjust to my satisfaction I will get 5 cav replacements from Tom at Accurate down the road and pay the Lees forward.

sw282
12-25-2015, 04:29 AM
40 yrs ago my first mold was a Lee, pot too. ln fact everything l had back then was Lee. Since then l have gone EXCLUSIVELY to steel.. A young friend of mine got a Lee Pot for Christmas last year. l gave him my Lee mold..

Jpholla
12-25-2015, 01:40 PM
Say you buy a Lee six hole mold for around $35. If you time it right, get in on a group buy or special, you can get a 5 hole Noe for $85. Difference of $50. Let's say you load 5000 pills (& if you love the bullet & the gun that shoots it, it'll be much more than that!) then each bullet costs you 1 penny more. Is it worth it?

I would be willing to take as many fifty dollar bills off your hands as you like!(Since they don't matter, and all.)[smilie=w:In short, if they cast the same, why pay more for less (cavity-wise)? Extra quality is sometimes meaningless if the end product is the same. I'm not bashing NOE, and I have both iron and LEE molds. I like RCBS and Saeco the best, but I will stand up for the LEE six-cavity molds as being a good design and an excellent value. Their new design two-hole molds are not too shabby either. I just bought LEE's new 22 mold and it casts beautifully with wheel weights right out of the box. With a bottom-pour pot at that (which everyone just knows can't cast good boolits). Even if anyone doesn't like them, just think how much higher other molds may be if it wasn't for the bottom tier ones.

dragon813gt
12-25-2015, 02:23 PM
Ditched all my Lee molds during the height of the Sandy Hook panic. Wish I had owned more at the time. Who doesn't like getting $100 for a two cavity Lee mold. Suckers are born every minute and I cashed.

I will simply say, to each their own. I have no desire to gamble on a Lee mold. A custom mold drops bullets exactly to spec right out of the box. Time is worth more than money to me and I'm willing to pay more for a mold that works perfectly every time.

richhodg66
12-25-2015, 02:48 PM
I've actually kinda gone the other way. Hated Lee molds a long time, never could get good bullets from one and generally gave up on them.

It was Ranchdog that changed me. I wanted one of his for the .30-30, so I bought one while he was still selling them, but it's a Lee six cavity, which I had never tried one of their six cavity ones. Got around to using it, followed the instrutions for prepping it and cast a pot. All rejects, couldn't believe it. Threw 'em all back in the post and went inside to drink some coffee and sulk. Tried again when the melt was good and it cast like a dream, all goo bullets, still don't know what I did differently.

Since then, I have obtained a few more six cavity Lees and like them a lot. I had two double cavity molds I had never gotten to work for the .45-70 and now they cast quite well and make good bullets that shoot well (they are the older type before Lee started making them with steel alignment pins). STrangely, I think the reason they work better now is I upgraded from the Lee pot to a Lyman, I cast better bullets now with all my molds.

I have several NOE multi cavity molds now and thenk they are the best, so after years of shunning aluminum molds, I'm now on board and am about to go exclusively to Lee six caivity molds for handgun bullets.