.44 Special Moulds

[Alan in WI]

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with Lee .44 calibur bullet moulds? I was thinking about the 6 cavity mould. I would really appreciate any pros or cons.
Thanks much!

Alan

[Kuato]

Can't comment on the LEE mold. I use a Lyman 429421 & it works beautifully in my Rossi 44 Spl.

Which mold were you thinking about? they have several. Is this for a revolver or levergun?

[reloader28]

I have the 2 cav RN 240gr. They are only $20 so I tried one. I had to lap it a little for 431 size but it drops a nice bullet and I've made over 2500 bullets for $20 dollars and its still going good. Works good in my rifle and pistol. I've heard the 6 cav molds are much better.

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 on the Lee .44 RN. Mine drops at 246 gr from a 50/50 mix of WWs and range scrap and I load it for both "cowboy" loads in my OM Vaquero and practice/plinkers in my S&W M24.

Bill

[runfiverun]

i use the lee 240 swc with a light coat of alox in the 44 special but only with 4 grs of titegroup.
it does take down the rams at 100 easily though.
these were acquired in a trade with a friend, and i hemmed and hawed around too long when i had a chance to buy a 6 cav for cheap.
i already have a few molds for the 44 from 200 to 260 grs and couldn't see adding anything less than 300 grs to the group.

[Guesser]

I have a Taurus 441, 6" SS. I use the Lee 214 gr. SWC sized .430, very good performer and cheap due to its light weight and I cast it soft, saving expensive alloy.

[MtGun44]

I have the opposite experience with the Lee 215 gr SWC. Not particularly accurate in
any gun or load that I have tried.

Bill

[Guesser]

MtGun44: I found that if I pushed the Lee 215 too hard, accuracy fell off, and casting it harder didn't help. I load it to 800 FPS+/- and use a fast powder(AA#2) and it works well. Slower powders and higher velocity was not good, I was looking for cheap and I found it with soft alloy and small charges.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Lee 200g RNFP, feeds thru my 1894 and very accurate in my Super Blackhawk. Ask the 100 m piggy about the SBH.
I do run them thru a .429 Lee sizer and lube with LLA. A slightly oversize bullet will not chamber in the 1894. Only has about 10-12 of them beore I got the sizing die but that may have been the 2 cav vs the 6 cav mold. Shot as cast before that.
CF

[BoolitBill]

I like the 240 gr. RN from Lee. A six cavity mold will give you plenty of boolits in no time. 4.8 grains of Bullseye will give you a mild recoil and accurate practice load. If you are thinking of a hunting boolit then a SWC would be your best bet.

[Farmall 1066]

429421 or the Lee 200 RNFP for me.

[Jack Stanley]

I have one of the six cavity molds for the two hundred (or thereabouts) grain in the round flat design . I wanted a bullet that I could find one load for both a Marlin 336 and my four inch revolver .

Fortunately for me LEE got the size wrong at the right time and these drop out just a tad over .433" so when I send them through the die they just get touched . The Marlins big chamber likes them fat and the Smith and Wesson tolerates them so both guns give good results .

If you are going to shoot them in a lever rifle the round flat is just great for feeding .

Jack

[Wally]

I have the opposite experience with the Lee 215 gr SWC. Not particularly accurate in
any gun or load that I have tried.

Bill

I agree---I tried many loads with this one and it was never accurate--then I got a Lee 429-200-RF (90285)---Wow...I could not find a load that wasn't accurate with it!

[Cherokee]

The Lee 44-200 RNFP works fine for me in 44 Special and 44 Mag.

[Bent Ramrod]

I use the Lee 429240-2R,which is pretty close to the regular factory roundnose and the Ideal 429383. They cast, size, crimp and shoot well. It's a single cavity mould.

[That'll Do]

Not a Lee mold, but my Saeco 446 (200gr Flat Nose) is incredibly accurate in nearly every load I've tried in 44 SPL.

[NHlever]

I've just started working with the Lee 200 rnfp boolits, and so far the results have been pretty good out of my Ruger Flattop. Mine casts a bit on the fat side too, and that has worked out well.

[jforwel]

I also use the Lee 6 cavity 200gr RNFP. A 6 banger will give you a pile of boolits in no time. Mine drop at .430 so I size them in a 430 Lyman die with Carnuba Red lube. They are for my Ruger Super BH and .44 Special BH.

I haven't loaded any yet so I don't know how they will perform but I cast them with 50/50 lead/WW for mild loads with Unique and/or Trailboss.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive tried about all the lee 44 molds and the only one that shot well for me is the 300 and it took quite a bit of load developement to get there. Youd be much better served by a 250k rcbs or a 429421 lyman

[timkelley]

My Rossi 92 sure seems to like the Lee 200 RFP.

[MtGun44]

Guesser,
Thanks, I may try some day but I have had such excellent success with
other molds that I should probably get this one down the road.

+1 On what Lloyd said.

Bill

[Slow Elk 45/70]

The real question about jumping in with a 6 banger mold , is how much casting have you done??? starting out with a 6 cavity mold is hard at best... buy a cheap Lee in 2 cavity and get used to it , then go 4-6 if you are shooting enough to warrent a larger mold....IMHO... Good Luck