lee mold ?

[Franklin7x57]

I going to buy a 6 cavity lee mold. I've only used rcbs 2- cavity molds and sized and lubed with a rcbs luber. I trying to decide which 45 acp mold and don't understand tumble lube. They don't need sizing??? how do you lube? If you had to choose would you get the tumble lube mold or one without? The one without I'd just use the rcbs luber? Speed of producing bullets is important.

[Dale53]

I have never tried tumble lubing. I started casting and reloading before there was a Lee Precision.

I would pick the Lee Six cavity bullet mould of your choice and use your RCBS luber. I have cast, sized, and shot tens of thousands of bullets using this method with excellent results. I still have my Lyman and RCBS sizers but use my Star luber/sizer for all of my pistol bullets.

Dale53

[HeavyMetal]

The tumble lube designs are great for guys starting out on a budget. They are supposed to not require sizing and use Liquid alox that is dipped / poured / tumbled over the boolits.

The down side of this is some times it takes to coats to prevent leading, you have to lay them all out to dry, it's very messy and I never found it to be any faster than a lube sizer.

Once you figured from cast to seated in a case.

Since you already own a sizer any "advantage" the tumble lube designs have is gone unless your just looking to play with a new idea.

I have several Lee 6 bangers in 45 auto and no tumble lube. Both the TC and the H&G 68 clone are good shooters if that helps.

[docone31]

I would not start with a 6-banger. That is just me. I use only Lee molds and they do have their personalities.
I can cast what I need with a two holer. I have read nothing but a large learning curve with the six holers. Since Lee Molds are aluminum, they need to run hot. The six banger also needs to run hot.
I have never tumble lubed. I pan lube, and frankly, with Lee sizeing dies, pan lubeing is relaxing and effective. I can control what does what.
With all two holers, I keep myself in castings, my wife can empty a casting run in an heartbeat, and I have no leading.
I water drop wheel weight, with just a touch of zinc. I keep the pot on high, run the molds so they take six seconds to "freeze", and cast untill I am bored. I size to .452, and have had no leading to this point. The TC molds seem to work very well, my ACP loves 200gn FP.
If you get the six banger, remember, it needs to be hot. Different from steel molds.

[lostchild0]

I've got a Lee 6-banger 200grswc tl mold. I must have gotten lucky I just cast water drop let the boolets dry then tl let that dry over night then load and shoot. I shoot IDPA when I can I don't get any leading and my load is much more accurate than I am ( 5.8gr unique and cci large pistol primer mixed brass ). While I can barely keep 5 shots on a t-1 target, a fellow shooter put 8 rounds in a quarter sized group at 50 yds, ( this guy can shoot any thing ). I hope this helps.....lost

[Springfield]

Get the 6 cavity, they are better moulds. No one said you had to use all six cavities at once if you don't want too. Just pour into the first 2 or 3 until you get the hang of it. Since you already have a sizer then I wouldn't bother with the TL bullets. Just remember to pre-heat the mould and you should be fine. I dip the end of the mould into the molten lead myself, some prefer to use a hotplate. Using some Bulplate Sprue lube helps quite a bit, it is the best lube for the pivots and it also keeps the lead from sticking to the mould and sprue plate, makes things much nicer. www.bullshop.gunloads.com

[will-mo]

I just cast some boolits for the first time. I used the Lee 6 cavity SWC mold. I used WW with a little 50/50. A friend helped me get setup. I was cranking out perfect boolits in no time. Drained a 20# pot in a jiffy.

I will say the Lee .45 SWC profile a little smaller than my friends SWC designs. His a little larger and closer to the H&G #68.

I plan to test these bullets and then I'll get another 6 cavity mold to keep production moving if they shoot well out of my pistols.

Have fun.

Will