ID a mold type

[targetshootr]

I bought a couple of used 6 cav molds in nice shape off SASS but I'm not familar with the style. It looks like they have 2 lube grooves but I never used such a bullet and don't know how. Haven't heard back from the seller but I have a feeling these are for 'pan lubing' which would have been nice to know beforehand but Lee doesn't post pics on their website so the mold number wasn't any help. Don't care to get into pan lubing either. Am I right?
:confused:

[Four Fingers of Death]

I don't understand your problem, it sounds like you have you only used tumble lubed boolits. Is that the case? I tumble lube all styles in pistols with good results.

[versifier]

It's kinda hard to figure out what you've got with no more description than "2 lube grooves". As I freely admit to having flunked Clairvoyance 101, some numbers would be a big help. [smilie=1: :mrgreen: Regular boolits can be tumble lubed with good results.

[targetshootr]

Here's a pic. I started casting not long ago so I don't describe things so good.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/targetshootr/Im002498.jpg

[KYCaster]

Looks to me like yer standard modern-day RNFP for the hyphenated BP cals. (38-40, 44-40, etc.) can't tell the size from the pic. These are designed for smokeless powder; the BP style would more likely have one very large lube groove to carry more lube.

Bases are well defined, so doesn't look like there's a problem with the sprue plate fit.

The "flash" on the nose indicates the blocks aren't closing completely. Look for something holding them apart, a spot of lead, sliver of Aluminum or crud around the alignment pins. Be careful removing anything from the face of the blocks, the Al molds are very easy to damage.

Look under "Molds, Maintence and Design"...."Sure Fire Lee-Menting Techniques" for a very good primer on prepping Lee molds.

Plenty of guys here have more experience with Lee molds than I have. They should be able to answer any specific questions you have.

Jerry

[RayinNH]

targetshootr, looks like Lee 429-200-RF. A 200 gr. round nose flat point for the .44 cal. The LEE stock # for the six cavity mold is 90428. If this agrees, then that's what you have. Lee mould pictures can be found here http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1150514838.1934=/html/catalog/bullmol2.html

Ray

[targetshootr]

Hooh-boy. Looks like I bought something I have no use for. How do you lube these? I'm pissed at myself for not asking questions, and at the seller cause I told him I was a newbie.

[RayinNH]

target, to lube you can either tumble lube, use a lubrisizer or pan lube if you don't have a need for many at a time. If your looking for the quick and easy method that would be tumble lubing...Ray

[Jumptrap]

Well.....don't get all discouraged. In the first place...why can't you use them? Surely you own a gun in the same caliber? How did you intend to lube them....lubrisizer? Go for it. Tumble lube? Hell, that's easy as pie. The bullet doesn't have to be one of Lee's 'tumble lube' designs to use liquid alox on them....and you'll be surprised at how little liquid alox you need...no need in worrying about having gobs of it on the bullet. With any kind of bullet lube.....the very least you need to prevent leading, is the correct amount. This is one area of life where less is better......I am still trying to figure a reasonable alternative to the 'other' area as I have always came up short:)!

If the bullets will chamber as cast....don't worry about sizing them, if that is an issue you are worried about. Here again...the girth factor comes into play...with happy returns. If you can get that thick bullet started down the hole in the barrel...your gun will love you for it. The opposite is never true... a skinny bullet just wobbles around in there bouncing off the sides of the hole.....er, bore and about the only moans you'll produce are when you examine the target.

So, a tight fit....with little lube, is the key to happiness.

[CaptDave]

If it is the 429-200-rf, I have one of the Lee 2-cavity molds sitting about 18" from me. I ordered it by mistake from Lee thinking I was ordering the 30 cal soupcan mold. ( I deleted the wrong one before placing the order.) But since I have recently acquired a mod 29 SW I decided to keep it. I think it will make an ideal plinker for the .44. For me tumble lubing is the way to go on all bullets until proven otherwise. I shoot almost everything "as cast" ie. without sizing and without gaschecks since most of my loads are under 1550 fps. I haven't yet used the mold, but it looks like it will make a great plinker and medium game load at about 1200 fps.

Capt Dave

[versifier]

I have the similar (or possibly the same) mould in .358 (358-150-1R, mine's a 2cav) and it's a great plinker for .38's and .357's. I can't tell the size from the picture, but the bigger ones are great, too. I tumble lube with LA with good results. Definitely check out the above mentioned sticky to prep the mould properly, something is preventing it from closing completely. Sometimes all that is needed is a little tap on the handle's hinge bolt as you are closing it. Your bases look good, so you have a good alloy and you're in the right temperature range. I think that it's a good starter mould - you don't have to worry about gas checks, and odds are you may not need to size them as long as they chamber. And if you do need to size, an inexpensive Lee sizing kit is all you need. It screws into your loading press like a loading die, and it includes a bottle of Liquid Alox.

[mattc]

I have the same mold in 2 cavity and 6 cavity, it seams to be a great plinker, I have a lyman lubsizer but I have also used the lee tumble lube and their sizer and they seamed to work good, the only time I had any leading form that bullet was when pusing them a little over 1800 fps from a smith 629 (just playing around I knew it would lead the bore) though it did not lead it as bad as I expected but I could not get my crimp to hold so it kept pulling the bullets so I quit with the insanity

[Pepe Ray]

Let me jump in ----please,
Targetshooter has given us "0" info here. BUT , I love a puzzle so here goes nothing.
The bullet does NOT look like a Lee to me. I think it's too long for the Lee 200gr. .44, and the lube grooves look too square for a Lee design. Am I rite Tgtshoter? NO?? Oh well.:confused: Pepe Ray