4 Banger Rejection rate

[murf205]

Marvelshooter just ask a question that has me thinking of a question I've been wanting to ask for a while. With a 4 banger mold, what is the rejection % for some of our members here? I am wanting a new 44 mold and I am leaning towards a 4 cavity but I have a 3 holer from Accurate that gets up to temp easily and runs like a sewing machine with almost 0% rejection when I do my part. When I cast, I like a PILE of boolits (who doesn't), so a 4 cavity will make that pile a little quicker, but I don't want to waste the effort with a larger rejection rate. Also, if I go with the 4 banger, does aluminum have an advantage over brass or iron with the larger mold block?

[Boolit_Head]

It's pretty much the same. Once the mold is up and running the mold is either all good or all having issues just like a lesser cavity mold. I've got a Aluminum 5 cavity NOE that runs like a top once it is up to temp. I've got a similar 4 cavity Brass HP from NOE that I am still getting to know. Looks like if I get the temp a little higher it will run like a top as well.

[Mytmousemalibu]

It's pretty much the same. Once the mold is up and running the mold is either all good or all having issues just like a lesser cavity mold. I've got a Aluminum 5 cavity NOE that runs like a top once it is up to temp. I've got a similar 4 cavity Brass HP from NOE that I am still getting to know. Looks like if I get the temp a little higher it will run like a top as well.

My experience mirrors yours. Once you have the mold up to temp, the premium grade molds practicality rain perfect boolits if you do your part and keep everything in the proper operating parameters.

[robg]

I cast with 3 double molds at once different boolits 30 and 35 once set up and running cast about 300 an hour .the lighter the mold the better as my wrists are shot.

[fecmech]

I don't know that "premium grade" molds are required for low rejection rates. If the mold is running at the right temp and pace for that mold, rejects will be minimal. I run a number of Lee 6 bangers from 100-160 gr in the .35 cal that have excellent weight uniformity and very few rejects. The same goes for my 4 cav Lyman and H&G molds. Find the "zone" and rejects are not a problem.

[clum553946]

I agree with the above posts. I use an accurate 5 cavity for my 45 acp & it casts a heap of bullets quickly. Also have some noe 5 cavity mold that cast very well & fast. Low cull rate & much faster than a 3 hole.

[murf205]

I cast with 3 double molds at once different boolits 30 and 35 once set up and running cast about 300 an hour .the lighter the mold the better as my wrists are shot.

I know the feeling about wrist being shot, my "everything" is shot. That is the reason I don't have a brass mold although they are beautiful. I imagine a 4 cav in a large block would work on you after a long session

[C. Latch]

Once a mold is hot, assuming it's clean and your alloy is clean, I see no difference between 2 cavities or 4 or 6.

[murf205]

It's pretty much the same. Once the mold is up and running the mold is either all good or all having issues just like a lesser cavity mold. I've got a Aluminum 5 cavity NOE that runs like a top once it is up to temp. I've got a similar 4 cavity Brass HP from NOE that I am still getting to know. Looks like if I get the temp a little higher it will run like a top as well.

How much hotter do you run the brass mold? One reason I don't have one is the warnings about ruining a brass mold with too much heat. I cast my aluminum molds at around 700 degrees.

[Boolseye]

Agree with others, number of cavities is immaterial if mold is up to temp. I don't know about 700º, but my AL molds are probably over 400º when they're running smooth. Enough heat is a major requirement for good casting, particularly that the mold is up to temp. Once it is, it will cast good boolits with alloy that's 650º or even less. Until it is, 800º alloy will make wrinkly boolits.

I avoid brass or iron for 4-gang molds and up. Too heavy. a 4-cav NOE AL mold is heavy enough.

[gwpercle]

Agree with others, number of cavities is immaterial if mold is up to temp. I don't know about 700º, but my AL molds are probably over 400º when they're running smooth. Enough heat is a major requirement for good casting, particularly that the mold is up to temp. Once it is, it will cast good boolits with alloy that's 650º or even less. Until it is, 800º alloy will make wrinkly boolits.

I avoid brass or iron for 4-gang molds and up. Too heavy. a 4-cav NOE AL mold is heavy enough.

I've decided NOE 3 cavity aluminum moulds are what I like to dipper cast with best . The NOE 4 cavity aluminum's weight surprised me , just too much of a good thing for an old dipper caster . The large aluminum blocks do hold the heat rather well .
Gary

[castalott]

I had a Lee 6 cavity mold that the inner 4 bullets would frost but the end (either end) would not. Slow the pace down little and all was well. But all molds are laws unto themselves. There is usually something in one cavity if it won't produce while the other 3 or 5 look great.

And SOME days...nothing works right... Phase of the moon or something....

[Mytmousemalibu]

I don't know that "premium grade" molds are required for low rejection rates. If the mold is running at the right temp and pace for that mold, rejects will be minimal. I run a number of Lee 6 bangers from 100-160 gr in the .35 cal that have excellent weight uniformity and very few rejects. The same goes for my 4 cav Lyman and H&G molds. Find the "zone" and rejects are not a problem.

I don't mean to say premium molds are required by any means, i also have inexpensive Lee's that work great but some can be temperamental. Generally speaking, you can pull an NOE, Accurate, Mihec, H&G, etc, right out of the box, throw handles on it, clean it and get to work. Sometimes the Lee's for example need to be Leemented to get it running on all cylinders.

[44man]

Can't rain on any responses. It is up to your pace and temp control. I have often used 3 two cavity molds at once with no rejects. Darn some here have used more then 3.

[runfiverun]

I can barely get one mold to work right.

[44man]

I can barely get one mold to work right.
Hey my friend, you are a youngster! :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

[HeavyMetal]

make notes!!

keep a note book on each mold, don't have to be big just correct for the production on each mold.

Some of my molds go into "hiding" for awhile because of the amount I can cast when everything works right, so a small batch of notes for each mold keep me sharp when I dig one out once every year or so.

Hot plates help and working molds in rotation, on and off the plate while filling, helps keep the molds just right once they hit the sweet spot.

Now for guys with a hundred molds this may be an issue and some other option will be needed but notes make the difference.

HM

[MKN]

The only volume I cast is 9 mm. On start up of the 6 cavity, I examine the first 3 -4 sets of casts, after that I am confident the mold is up to temp and casting well, then just spot check a cast set every 5 - 10 minutes, or after pot refill. Unless a boolit is staring at me in the pile, or when manipulating for lube or loading, I don't check them all, it's 9mm and the targets are close. I load on the lighter side and "If it Fits, It Ships" down range.
Matt

[Boolseye]

I like to run two 2-cavs in series. The 4s, 5s and 6s occupy me enough on their own. Hey VT, welcome! I'm down in the banana belt, how's the snow up there? We got whacked.

[murf205]

Sounds like I am headed for a 4 cavity mold. I know that the boolits fall out of my 3 cavity Accurate really easy but the design is a round/flat PB mold and IMHO this type drops from the mold easier than a Keith boolit. I would guess it's because of all the sharp edges on the 429421 Lyman. It makes good stuff, just needs a little tap or two to release the boolit. But it's a 2 banger, and a pile of boolits takes a while to make. Thanks to all for the advice.

[MKN]

Boolseye, we have a bunch, hard to give it a number because the winds have blown it all over the place, snow blow the driveway, 2 hours, can't even see any driveway anymore. Lost power for a few hours, not bad. Going to Ski Stowe tomorrow !! and find all those nice places that collect the blowing snow !!

[Mk42gunner]

Sounds like I am headed for a 4 cavity mold. I know that the boolits fall out of my 3 cavity Accurate really easy but the design is a round/flat PB mold and IMHO this type drops from the mold easier than a Keith boolit. I would guess it's because of all the sharp edges on the 429421 Lyman. It makes good stuff, just needs a little tap or two to release the boolit. But it's a 2 banger, and a pile of boolits takes a while to make. Thanks to all for the advice.
Not necessarily, I had a four cavity H&G #256 that dropped .41 cal SWC's like it was raining. The last time I used that mold before selling it to another member that actually had a use for .41 cal boolits, I ran 147 good boolits out of 37 fills. The one bad boolit was my fault, I only put in enough alloy to fill the nose.

A good mold that drops cleanly should have a miniscule reject rate once it is warmed up, and you figure out what it needs. I have an old two cavity Lee 312-185 that does almost as well as the aforementioned H&G. It is all in figuring out just what you need to do for any particular mold you are using. Both the H&G and Lee were operated by twisting the sprueplate by hand, then opening and giving the mold a shake.

Robert

[bobthenailer]

Have been casting since the 1970s , I have 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 and 8, cavity moulds all cast excellent with almost no rejects after mould is up to temp

[RogerDat]

4 seems to me to be the perfect size. Productive but at a manageable weight.