Anyone still use the "cheaper" 2 cav Lee molds??

[Brother_Love]

When I started casting in the early 80s that all I could afford. I had great success with them in 357 & 44 Mag. I am thinking of trying one now in 30 caliber. If it does work I am out less than 20 bucks.

Anyone still using them?

Thanks, Malcolm

[WVHunter129]

That is all I have been using for 9mm, 38/357 and 45 is LEE molds. Just bought a 30 caliber mold to load for my 308.

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[largom]

I have a couple of Lee 30 cal. molds and they shoot good, not the best but OK. The Ranch Dog 165 gr. mold is very good. As with any mold/boolit, your gun will tell you what it likes.

Larry

[captaint]

First mold I ever bought was a Lee 2cav for the 45ACP. Still work fine. They just don't last forever, that's all...

[ScottJ]

I'm only 3 years into this game and have more Lee molds than anything else. I have great success with them.

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[Pete P]

I like their two cavity molds more than the six cavity. I would like to see them make a four cavity mold using the six cavity handels, steel locating pins and the steel spruce. Sounds like I need to by one from one of the custom makers.

[Guesser]

All my Lee molds are single and double cavity, as well as all my Lyman/Ideal and RCBS/Ohaus. I prefer single cavity due to the fact that every boolit is the same.

[Ola]

I have couple of those. Like the 9mm 124 gr tumble lube but dislike the .430 240 gr tumble lube. In fact a have no need for other 9 mm mold. I just cast it couple of times a year and have excellent supply of high quality bullets.

For .44 mag I use mainly other molds.. IMO the bigger the boolit the more difficult LEE double is to cast consistently. I've been practicing with it lately and the last patch does not seem to be too bad at all. Maybe I'll get there..

So if I was in OP's situation, hmmm... it's "only" .30 cal, so probably I would give Lee a chance.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The term you should be using is "inexpensive". These molds are priced so that anyone can afford them. Yes they don`t last forever and won`t last very long if you don`t know how to use them. If you think they are junk then go buy some of Lyman`s current molds. Aluminum is used by many mold makers, so perhaps you should look before you speak.Robert

[Brother_Love]

Thanks everyone. I ordered one and I hope it does as well as the ones I had/have in the eighties. I still have the 38 wadcutter mold from the 80s and there is no telling how bullets have been cast with it.

I ordered the 200 gr 30 cal mold for my 30/06 rifles.

Robert, did not mean to get your dander up. I was not slamming the molds, just wanted to see if others were still using them.

Malcolm

[geargnasher]

If you have trouble casting good boolits from a Lee two-cavity mould, don't blame the mould. Some sort of sprue plate lube like Bullplate or Randyrat's zip lube is essential for the alignment points so it locks up the same each time you close it, and every once in a while a bad one gets turned out because they don't seem to have a QC department at Lee, but I have a whole fleet of their moulds and they all cast excellent boolits.

Gear

[Dman4321]

Lee is all I have for molds. I cannot justify the current expense for more expensive molds, while still being able to buy everything else i need to reload, especially being recently married. I know they wont last forever, but if i can keep a few of mine around for 5-10 years, I will be(hopefully!) in a better position to upgrade my molds, and will be able to justify the increased cost. I dont have anything but great luck with my lee single and double cavity molds. I did buy two molds that needed a bit if work on the venting lines, but it took an hour or so and some very careful scraping with a scribe. Now they all cast well, and as long as a little lube is used, they seem to show no signs of wear after a couple of years.

[pdawg_shooter]

Just looked, 16 1 and 2 cavity Lee molds I use all the time.

[rexherring]

Yup, all I have is single and doubles. I don't like all the fuss with the 6 cav. pre-heating, etc. I just keep about three molds going at once, sometimes four or 5 molds. I can still put out a lot of boolits that way and not overheat them.

[Brother_Love]

I am also glad I have a LEE bottom pour pot. When I started back there in the 80's I had a Lee dipper and a iron skillet on a Coleman camp stove. I was young then and that heat did not bother me as much then.
Malcolm

[excess650]

One of my favorite molds is a Lee C-309-150-F SINGLE CAVITY! I've purchased several double cavity molds (all 30-cal) over the past year, and they have all been pretty good. Bull Plate is a must!

Lyman? I've purchased several over the past couple of years, and again, all 30cal. There was not a bad one in the bunch. 311644, 311672, 311299, 311679.
The 311299 and 311672 both cast .3095-.310", but that suits me and my rifles just fine.

[Larry Gibson]

I've several single cavity Lee moulds i got back in the '70s. They still work fine. I've not had a Lee mould go south om me yet. I don't use a knocker to knock the sprue plate open, I use a heavy leather work glove on my right hand to break open and cut the sprue off. Ithink more moulds get beat to death from opening the sprue plate than anything else.

Larry Gibson

[6.5 mike]

What Larry said.

[Bullet Caster]

I've got 4 Lee moulds. Two are .45 and one in 9mm. The other is a .30 for my AK-47. They're all double cavity. I'm thinking of trading my .452 255 gn. mould for a .30 cal. 200 gn. if anyone wants to do a trade. BC

[Elkins45]

I started casting in 1988. I bought my first non-Lee mold in 2010. If it weren't for the Lee molds Inseriously doubt I would have ever started casting.

I used one last weekend.