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View Poll Results: What were the first mold(s) you used and how did you acquire it/them?

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  • Lee molds, purchased.

    259 47.52%
  • Lee molds, given, borrowed.

    20 3.67%
  • Other brand mold, purchased.

    214 39.27%
  • Other brand mold, given, borrowed.

    52 9.54%
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Thread: Quick poll on first molds.

  1. #61
    Boolit Master
    Bullwolf's Avatar
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    Apr 2011
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    First purchased moulds were a couple DC Lyman's.

    358311 and a 356402.

    A lee 6 cavity mould was purchased soon after, to help speed up cast boolit production.




    - Bullwolf

  2. #62
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    North of 49th
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    Good evening, I was allowed to use a single cavity 38 wadcutter mold, guessing it was a Lyman. Dip and pour, dip and pour, repeat for hours....the lead pot was gas fired and always had fumes. A bunch of 14 year olds casting, lubing and then loading our efforts. All sharing a 38 revolver to test out our product. A real bonding experience and a healthy? way to spend our weekends

  3. #63
    Boolit Master badbob454's Avatar
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    Oct 2010
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    my first mold 12 guage lee slug ...
    To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”
    ~George Mason

    my feedback page:click and give me feedback here,below...

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show....php?p=1412368

  4. #64
    Boolit Grand Master

    Beagle333's Avatar
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    Mar 2012
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    Back in the woods a piece, just outside Auburn, AL.
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    My first one was a 360160 4 cav brass RG (HP) from NOE. I had just joined the forum and had found the Swappin' an Sellin' page and saw that one up there for a smooth hundred bucks shipped and I wanted to cast my own HP's for my GP100, so I innocently threw my "I'll take it!" out there and got it. 'Talk about starting off in the deep end! That thing made beautiful boolits that shot like laser beams. But to learn to get em out of it nearly cost me my religion. Boy, that was a steep learning curve. But I didn't know any casters around me and had never seen anybody even melt lead before, so I didn't know it could be any easier than casting with that mold. I still have it and still use/like it, but I wouldn't recommend starting out on that one.

    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  5. #65
    Boolit Master
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    Sep 2013
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    SW Washington near the MX track
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    My first was a 58 Minie from Lee. Shot minit-of pop can at 100 out of my Zouave and, over 130gns FFF killed deer like Thor's hammer.

  6. #66
    Boolit Master
    marlin39a's Avatar
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    Apr 2010
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    Paulden, Arizona
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    Used Lyman 358477 DC, bought used in 1977. Still going strong.

  7. #67
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    Dec 2015
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    El Dorado County, N. Ca.
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    Beagle333...my first thoughts on those pins would be to polish them with jewelers rouge on a cloth wheel until they had a mirror chrome finish. I know they use graphite on them but if the tooling marks were not there I can't see how they could hang onto PB.
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

    Be a Patriot . . . expose their lies!

    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  8. #68
    In Remembrance


    DLCTEX's Avatar
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    Oct 2005
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    Eastern panhandle,Tx
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    My first boolit molds were RCBS two cav. Purchased from a friend's widow along with pot, lead, and other accessories.

  9. #69
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    South of Perdition
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    My first mold was a Lee 452-200-swc 2 cavity I purchased from Midway. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a mold in case I couldn't cast a good boolit. Thanks to help from this site, I've been addicted for several years now. I have cast thousands of boolits with that mold and it's still serving well.

    Jerry

  10. #70
    Boolit Buddy
    jrmartin1964's Avatar
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    Sep 2013
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    The first mold I used was an Ideal single cavity No.429421, with pins for making both solid and hollow points. This was one of a number of Ideal molds my Dad had, his favorite for use in .44 Specials, and the one I learned to cast with. The first mold I bought was a Lyman No.323470 double-cavity that I used to feed a Gew.88/05 (Commission Rifle) in the mid-1980s. The 88/05 found another home, but both molds (plus another 40+) and one of Dad's .44 Specials still live with me.


  11. #71
    Boolit Master JMax's Avatar
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    Sep 2007
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    NOVA
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    Started with some Ideal molds with my Grandfather then graduated to H&G for pistols on my own. Tried Saeco, RCBS and Lyman for rifles and now use NOE for all casting. A 40 + year journey.

  12. #72
    Boolit Master
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    Aug 2015
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    Tacoma,Wa.
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    My first mold was Lyman 311291 that came with a 310 tool reloading kit for .30-06 back in the 50's.That was followed by Lyman 356402 and 31133 molds and 310 tool dies for 9MM Luger and .30 carbine.The 310 handles were replaced by a Lyman Tru-Line Jr turret press that I used for a number of years.I still use mostly Lyman molds.

  13. #73
    Boolit Master

    skeet1's Avatar
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    Jan 2008
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    My first mold was given to me by a friend that taught me how to cast. It was a a single cavity old Lyman 357446 and I still have it and use it occasionally. This mold is my favorite mold for .38 spl. or 357 mag. it is a plain base two lube groove SWC , very accurate and just a good looking bullet.

    Ken

  14. #74
    Boolit Master
    woodbutcher's Avatar
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    First mold was a Lyman 358156 swcgc design.Way back in the early 60`s.
    IIRC,cost me $30.00 including shipping and handles to my front door.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
    People never lie so much as after a hunt,during a war,or before an election.
    Otto von Bismarck

  15. #75
    Boolit Master
    Tom W.'s Avatar
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    I bought a s c round ball mold and a SC maxi ball mold from T/C in the mid 70's . Later I bought a Lee SC .30 cal mold for my .30/30, and a DC Lee for my .357. I still Have the SC mold. In the early 70's I bought an aluminum bullet weight mold for fishing. That was more trouble than it was worth.
    Tom
    μολὼν λαβέ


    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  16. #76
    Boolit Master
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    Aug 2009
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    SE Michigan
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    First mold was 58cal Ohaus mold hollow base. I did not know what the hell I was doing but I made some nice bullets.
    Still got it some where in the collection.
    Leadmelter
    MI

  17. #77
    Boolit Master
    oldblinddog's Avatar
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    Feb 2015
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    RCBS 45-250-SWC that cast for a Smith 25-5 6" 45 Colt. I wish I still had both.

  18. #78
    Boolit Buddy
    therealhitman's Avatar
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    I borrowed some .452 and .358 SAECOs from my Dad long ago. I may have even given them back at some point.

  19. #79
    Boolit Master
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    Oct 2006
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    763
    Lee and "other?" No mention of the most prolific and well-known mold maker of all time.
    My first few molds were Lyman, and although I peppered my collection with the occasional cheap Lee, most of my mold purchases continued to be Lyman for several years.
    Now that I have most of the bases covered (and have for a long time), mold additions are predominantly Lee; including group buy and limited-run molds.

  20. #80
    Boolit Master

    avogunner's Avatar
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    My first mold was a 2C Lee 452-228-1R round nose. I had been loading commercial cast bullets for some time but had not given any thought to casting my own. A Gunny heard me talking about loading for my 1911 one day and said try these (his own cast Lyman 452374). To my shock, those "home made" boolits shot as well as the commercial so I said I got to get into this. As a young Sgt, I couldn't afford the Lyman so bought the Lee. This was around 1986 and although I have 20+ molds of various makers now, I still use this Lee every now and then.

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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