Advantages of Aluminum Molds vs Steel Molds?

[Bret4207]

A guy can cast as good a boolit with a $13.00 clearance sale Lee as he can with a $200.00 custom LBT. It's all in the man operating the mould. For learning "how" to cast I don't think anything beats single cavity Lyman of +150 gr in 35 cal. Gas Check or not. The boolit will be big enough to be able to see the defects, the iron holds it's heat better and the mould is stout enough to go through the beatings novices give their moulds.


As to longevity I think a well cared for aluminum will last as long as an H+G. It just takes a different grade of "care". I've seen H+G molds that were trashed by abuse and Lee moulds that never made it through the first session. As with guns- each case is individual.

[Marshal Kane]

I have iron/steel moulds and I like Saeco moulds the best for handgun bullets. They are built to last so are a bit heavy. I can deal with that so long as there are no more than four cavities since I bottom pour them. I like Lyman moulds too but find they cast best ladle poured (at least mine do) when casting big bullets. Most of my moulds were purchased used, in excellent condition from eBay. Being retired and on a fixed income, that was the only way for me to afford good moulds. I would not hesitate to purchase a used quality mould or any other piece of reloading equipment, if it has been taken care of properly.

[Dale53]

I have moulds from all of the major manufacturers and some custom moulds. Used carefully, regardless of the material, they will last a lifetime. I am a believer in Bull Shop's Sprueplate Lube and still cast a lot of bullets. Due to age and certain infirmities I now only cast a pot full at a time, but can do 700 or so in an hour to a hour and a half of match grade bullets. I still, very much, enjoy casting bullets.

Having a dedicated casting area in my utility barn with good ventilation (plus heat and air conditioning) contributes to my ability to cast at any time I want or need to.

I NEVER put off a range trip because of lack of ammunition or bullets. THAT would be sacrilege.

LONG LIVE THE SILVER STREAM!

Dale53

[Slogg76]

When I first started casting I bought a used steel RCBS mould and a few cheap Lee moulds. It was easy to tell that the RCBS was of higher quality, but I never use it. I found the aluminum Lee moulds to heat up faster, cast faster, and be easier to use it general. I casted well over several thousand bullets with one Lee 2-cavity mould in particular and it still runs fine. Yes, the Lee moulds will break or wear out faster, but their cheap price makes them almost disposable. One good casting session will more than pay for a Lee mould. I have also used other high dollar steel moulds and really can't tell any difference between the bullets dropped from them and my cheap Lees. I guess as a novice caster I would have to cast my vote for aluminum.

[Marlin Junky]

I'll buy an aluminum mold before a brass one only because I've warped a couple brass molds (probably during the pre-heating process) and I'll pay up to about 80 bucks for a quality custom aluminum mold. I'm starting to hold back at 80 bucks when it comes to buying ferrous molds from the big 3 but a SAECO 356 from Graf is on my short list when they become available. I'd rather have a ferrous mold than an aluminum mold because of clean up ease and resistance to scratching of the former. Corrosion of a ferrous mold is not an issue if stored properly. I just spray them with a light coat of Birchwood Casey Barricade and remove with brake and/or carburetor cleaner from Wally World. If I get stubborn lead deposits on the face of a ferrous mold, a few days soaking in Hoppes #9 (and sometimes a little buffing with bronze wool) followed by a degreasing will take care of it. Normally, lead won't stick to aluminum block faces but it's a heck of a lot easier to scratch the aluminum block top with an improperly lubed sprue plate than it is a ferrous block. Aluminum molds can be pre-heated quicker than ferrous molds (they also loose heat quicker!) but an electric hot plate (go to Wally World) should be a standard piece of equipment for pre-heating ferrous molds. You don't have to worry about ruining a ferrous mold on an electric hot plate but don't pre-heat the mold on a red hot burner for 20 minutes while your melt is being heating to its pouring temperature. If you play with the temperature on your hot plate a bit, you can just about keep the first or second cast from a ferrous mold. When pre-heating the mold though, set it on its bottom rather than on its side... they seem to heat more evenly that way.

Obviously, the mold's design enters into the purchase decision too. I have more of an objection to the way Lee molds are vented and the thinness of their sprue plates than I have to the block material. That said, if Lee starts producing .35 caliber rifle molds I'll try every design they offer, especially if they're double cavity molds. I don't even mind adding a set screw to the lil' Lee blocks to keep the sprue plate pivot screw in place... obviously, one needs a few tools to accomplish this mod.

MJ

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I have only had experience with one aluminum mold and I am not sure but as I recall it was a design for the 38-55.I could not get the bullets to fall out no matter how much I tapped on the handles. I think I gave it or sold it to my friend Buckshot,he swears by them.Of course he uses mostly multi cavity molds. As for as I am concerned aluminum belongs on screen doors and airplanes and not on anything related to guns.Especially on guns. Could I get an Amen on that? I have several iron molds in 38-55 and they start to drop good bullets almost immediately.

[jcharb]

I have both, aluminum and steel molds and I don´t notice any difference right now but then again I´ve only been casting for about half a year.

i have been casting for several years and the aluminum molds work great

[Whiterabbit]

Advantages of Aluminum Molds vs Steel Molds?

I have a VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE here. But it is not zero.

and IMO, the advantage is they are cheap and still cast a bullet.

[largom]

I have Lyman/Ideal, RCBS, Modern Bond, LBT, NOE, and a couple of Lee molds. I like them all, iron or aluminum, and they cast good boolits. As Bret4207 said, it's all in how you take care of your tools. I have one Lee mold [single cavity] that is over 25 yrs. old and still casts great boolits. I recently bought a double cavity Lee of the same boolit and had to spend several hours to get the mold to work. Boolits would not drop or fill out. There were burrs in the mold and vent lines were almost non-existent. All of my LBT and NOE aluminum molds have produced great boolits from the start as have my iron molds.
Used with care all molds will last a very long time, mistreat them and they will all fail.

Larry