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Thread: which bottom pour melting pot is best, and why?

  1. #61
    Boolit Master
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    Lee 10lb pot is cheap works OK for me drips now and then so what I keep ingot mold under the spout catches drips ,whole pot is in an old baking tray on my bench so no worries .holds enough lead to cast for an hour or so ,that's all my wrists can take .would never have started casting if it cost much more .

  2. #62
    Boolit Man
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    I bought the Lee pot as a starter pot to see if casting was something I wanted to do bad enough to stick with. The pot was inexpensive and cheap. The Lee didn't get the name "Drip-O-Matic" because a "few of them dripped". Most of them do. If yours don't you have the exception not the norm.

    I am not a Lee basher, there is more Lee stuff on my bench than anything else. Lee makes good products for a good price but that casting pot ain't one of them. If I had not gotten a better pot I would have quit casting I believe. I use Lee molds, sizers, dies, trimmers, and a turret press. All of that works great for me. The pot don't.

    If Lee would up grade the bottom pour spout, even if they charged a few dollars more it would still be a good buy. They could put $50 dollars in to the spout upgrade and it would still be a great buy.

    I now have an RCBS pot and really enjoy casting. It holds a steady temp and has never dripped, not even a little bit. I don't think I have heard anyone complain about an RCBS pot dripping. It did cost about 4x what the Lee did but I guess it was worth it. I have already recouped about 1/2 of the cost in savings by not having splatter holes burned in my long sleeve shirts.
    A bumble bee is considerable faster than a John Deere tractor

  3. #63
    Boolit Master
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    RCBS: Bought in the 1980's, still casting like crazy!
    Leadmelter
    MI

  4. #64
    Boolit Master

    Moonie's Avatar
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    I am really enjoying my new Lyman 25.

  5. #65
    Boolit Bub
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    anyone use the 90 lb magma cast master?

  6. #66
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by bajacoop View Post
    anyone use the 90 lb magma cast master?

    I believe there are 1 or 2 people on here with them. I believe it is 220 which limits most folks. I have the 40 lb'er myself and love it.
    At one with the gun.

  7. #67
    Boolit Buddy
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    Apr 2016
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    I've had a Lee 10 bottom pour for 20 years, doesn't leak. It uses a conical shaped pintle into a conical shaped valve body, which I assume the Lee 20 also uses. Any of you know exactly what kind of valve RCBS uses in their $400+ thang? I'm curious as to how it doesn't leak working in the same environment with liquid metal as the Lee's.

    Best design would be some kind of circular knife edge on the moveable part that seals on the valve body. That would be a higher seat pressure to cut thru any crud that would tend to hold it open. They would have to be made of heat treatable steel and accurate in dimensions, but CNC would make that easy and cheap enough. Some kind of spring to push it closed as well.
    Last edited by No Blue; 10-01-2016 at 05:06 PM. Reason: Update

  8. #68
    Boolit Buddy
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    No doubt the RCBS & Lyman are better units, five times the price of a lee but not 5 times as good the lee is easily the best value for $.
    Another thing to keep in mind is the numbers in service, I would guess there would be more lees in use than every other brand combined, goes some way to explaining the increased complaints about lee.
    I'm looking at adding a second pot and am more than happy with my lee and PID, will probably set the second pot up as a feed for the first giving me a continual molten lead supply.

  9. #69
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by bajacoop View Post
    anyone use the 90 lb magma cast master?
    I bought one not too long ago. I had to run a new dedicated line, but not that big a deal. I've cast with it a couple times. Pour spout is a bit back and takes some getting used to. Total heating output is 3000 WATTS. It's like sitting beside a volcano. It pours some great boolits. After the spout clears from your pour there is absolutely NO DRIP.

  10. #70
    Boolit Buddy
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    Nov 2012
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    Cast Master isn't that for smelting and cleaning dirty lead? I've also thought about this pot if I can also cast with it. I see that you can remove the orfice plate for ingot pouring.

    Sent fra min SM-G900F via Tapatalk

  11. #71
    Boolit Master
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    You can remove the orifice plate from the bottom to pour ingots or leave it on and cast. Pours great boolits or 1 oz RB's.

  12. #72
    Boolit Buddy
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    Have a Bud that hates is RCBS Pot...
    He's getting up there, He said when my pot dies he's done casting..
    Won't Die.....

  13. #73
    Boolit Master


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    I have had a PRO-MELT since RCBS brought them out, Hate mold guide. RCBS fixed it once about 20yrs ago. Don't remember why, no charge. Talked to RCBS 2 months ago, they said they would fix a PRO-MELT for $90.00 regardless of the problem, return s&h included.

    LYMAN MAG 20 is fantastic too. Had 1 20+yrs BEST MOULD GUIDE I've every used. Had same guide on old LYMAN 61 (STOLEN).

    MAG 20 is now out of production. No longer covered by warranty. Replaced by cheap chinese **** called mag-25.

    Buy PRO-MELT, find and fix LYMAN MOLD GUIDE (no longer made) to yet. Best thing going.

  14. #74
    Boolit Master

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    Save yourself some grief & get the RCBS. Customer service is 1st rate & the pot works great. I've had the Lee for 3 days, packed it back up & sent it back. To me anyway, they are an accident waiting to happen & not worth the monetary savings. Also, there's a $75 on all RCBS products right now making the gap a little closer.

  15. #75
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimkim View Post
    If I couldn't find a Lee, I guess I would buy the RCBS.
    Okay, this is called baiting and not generally accepted on this type of forum, in fact too much baiting could make you a, wait for it, a master baiter.

  16. #76
    Boolit Master
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    I started casting with an old pot and ladle on a Coleman stove sometime in the 70s. Still do on big boolits.
    Several years back my sil bought me a 10 lb drip-o-matic for Christmas. When it starts dripping I run a piece of wire up the spout while catching the excess in an ingot mold. Only takes a moment and usually fixes it for quite a while.
    Being the thrifty sort that I am when this one quits I'll just buy the 4-20
    Some people live and learn but I mostly just live

  17. #77
    Boolit Master Half Dog's Avatar
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    I have a RCBS and I have no complaints.
    The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with

  18. #78
    Perma-Banned



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    I am sure the RCBS is a good pot...but, I am also sure, that it is not 6x as good as the LEE.

    However, there has to products to support the saying..."A fool and his money are soon parted"...green pot, is one.
    Last edited by shoot-n-lead; 10-07-2016 at 07:43 PM.

  19. #79
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shoot-n-lead View Post
    I am sure the RCBS is a good pot...but, I am also sure, that it is not 6x as good as the LEE.

    However, there has to products to support the saying..."A fool and his money are soon parted"...green pot, is one.
    shrug, it was worth it to me =). my hobby is supposed to be relaxing not an exercise in frustration. Constant fiddling with the knob and it not flowing properly bugged me.
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  20. #80
    Boolit Master
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    Apr 2009
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    New York
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    I started with the LEE 10 LB then the 20. I now have the Lyman 25. I love it!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check