Been away from casting for about a year. Cast so many in 2013 that I only did a few sessions last year.
In the mean time I bought a new NOE , Night Owl Enterprises, five cavity aluminum, 220 gr .45 acp RN design. Basically a H&G #34 clone of their 230 gr RN, though the front driving band is a bit narrower...maybe that's were the 10 grs went?
I took a chance on an aluminum mold as it was so much cheaper than brass. I've been quite happy with the MIHA brass molds I have accumulated, but have NEVER done well with the LEE aluminum molds.
The instructions recommend heating the mold to operating temperature 2 or 3 times to break it in a bit. Last night i sat it on a hotplate then cast enough to get good bullets. Then stopped and let it cool. Did the same this morning, then started breaking in another NOE I have a 2 cav, brass .358" 160 gr flat point, similar to an LBT type.
I eventually came back to the .45 mold and I guess the 3rd time IS a charm. It started turning out beautiful bullets almost immediately. Maybe my cursed past with LEE's aluminum blocks has been purged?
BOTH NOE molds turning out nice, round slugs.
FN in MT