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Lee Precision MidSouth Shooters Supply

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

Voters
545. You may not vote on this poll
  • 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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Results 81 to 100 of 223

Thread: Quick poll on first molds.

  1. #81
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Outside Rolla, Missouri
    Posts
    2,170
    As with many others my first was a Lee. Back in the early 70's I had just gotten into muzzleloaders and bought a .440 mold for my 45 cal. cheap, really cheap, longrifle. Still have and use the mold but the rifle has been gone for decades. Round ball molds are the only Lee molds I use. All the rest are Lyman, RCBS, or Accurate with one NEI for my 45-90. Must be over 50 molds in the shop.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

  2. #82
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    The 13th colony
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    596
    Bought the Lee 7mm 130 grain soupcan mold first. Decided to start casting when I couldn't find the 7mm sierra pro hunter I had been using in my 7mm-08 and 7-30 waters because of the Sandy Hooke debacle. Have sense got molds for most of my hand gun calibers and the 45-70. Bought a RCBS 45-70 mold because Lee didn't make a gas checked 45-70 mold.

    Rosewood
    Evangelical, deplorable redneck and proud of it.

  3. #83
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    SE Ohio
    Posts
    768
    The first mould I ever bought was a Lyman. I don't recall Lee even being in business then. I tried a couple Lee moulds after reading all the hype about the new inexpensive aluminum moulds. I wasn't impressed. Years later I've came to learn that the 6 cavity Lee's can be a decent mould after some tweaking. Anymore I go with Accurate or NOE moulds.
    Chuck

  4. #84
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    218
    I started out in the 1980's with SAECO molds. Still using them.
    "... he who knows most, knows best how little he knows." T.J.

  5. #85
    Boolit Buddy KMac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    377
    My first mold was a new RCBS 35-200 for my Marlin 336 35 remington.
    " My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance for idiots that needs work."

  6. #86
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Eastern Kentucky
    Posts
    37
    My first was a Lee 58cal minnie ball mold with the pin in the bottom. A very strange looking thing that was a real pain in the butt, but I still have many boxes of boolits I made from it.

  7. #87
    Boolit Master


    Ickisrulz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Shawnee, OK
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    2,949
    I went with an RCBS. RCBS makes nice stuff and all the molds I have made by them work great.

  8. #88
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Lenore, WV
    Posts
    2,840
    My interest was Bullseye pistol. My first molds were saeco. A 4 cavity 452- 200 SWC and a 2 cavity 452-185 SWC.

  9. #89
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    State of Denial
    Posts
    4,192
    The first molds purchased in the casting hobby were for guns that you just can't go out and buy a Sierra Game King for:

    A Dyson .451 hexagonal hollow-base Whitworth mold for my dad, and an RCBS .455 Webley hollow-base for me.

    It figures that we'd start with things that are notoriously difficult for beginners to cast with, but if not for the oddball guns, we'd have probably never started casting at all.
    WWJMBD?

    In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.

  10. #90
    Boolit Buddy MaLar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Free state of Idaho
    Posts
    457
    First for me was a Lee 312180R. I didn't know about alloy or lube at that time leaded like 7734! Drilled it out and tried pouring lead in a 5/16" copper tubing jacket worked kinda (not). That was in the mid 70's. How times has changed.
    Those who choose violence as a first option are typically confronted by somebody else using violence as a last resort.

    Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

    Do not confuse my being polite for weakness.
    Using MX Linux 21


    From the free state of Idaho

  11. #91
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Sanford, NC
    Posts
    377
    Got a box full of Lee 2 cavity molds. Had to learn the hard way ( no internet or someone to teach me), reading what I could and trial and error ( lots of error). Now a few Lee six bangers for pistols but gaining a lot of NOE and Arsenal molds. Have a few RCBS 2 cavity but don't use them much.

  12. #92
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    South Central PA
    Posts
    760
    Lee, all the way. 1 rcbs that I didn't sell or trade and 0 Lyman left. No custom dies to date.

  13. #93
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    Posts
    33
    I was given a Lyman 358156 2 cavity by my Dad who also let me borrow/use his before that. Still have it and cast with it occasionally.

  14. #94
    Moderator
    RogerDat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Michigan Lansing Area
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    5,742
    Lee DC TL358 158 SWC and I still have it around someplace as well as the one after it.... Lee let me buy at least some mold for everything I wanted to reload for without breaking the bank or overwhelming dear wife's patience. The NOE and Lyman molds were slower to find their way here, like them too but takes longer to work them into the budget.

    Developed a real fondness for NOE multiple cavity molds. Especially in the slightly different diameters or weights that are sometimes just the ticket.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

    Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.

    Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat

  15. #95
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    3
    Just ordered my 1st two Lee's 6 cav: 356 120 tc and 452 200 swc.
    Midway had them on sale, guess I'm joining the club.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

  16. #96
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    South Central PA
    Posts
    760
    Welcome to the addiction, atanger

  17. #97
    Boolit Master

    fiberoptik's Avatar
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    May 2005
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    Was Mid-Michigan, 2 Orlando, 2 Jacksonville, Fl.
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    1,364
    Lee .315 rb & .50 rb. 1st mould for non-ml was a group buy .20 for a 5mm Craig I didn't have. I did pick up a Rem 591. Now have lots of Lee moulds!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  18. #98
    Boolit Master

    fiberoptik's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Was Mid-Michigan, 2 Orlando, 2 Jacksonville, Fl.
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    1,364
    Quote Originally Posted by gpidaho View Post
    I got my first moulds in 1958 or so. They weren't bullet moulds they cast little toy soldiers. How's that for a toy for an eight year old. Wouldn't folks have cow now days. lol Gp
    I picked up a toy soldier making set at a thrift shop. All there- $35


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  19. #99
    Boolit Master Ithaca Gunner's Avatar
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    May 2013
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    Between two mountains
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    1,591
    Back in '73 I think it was, I joined the N-SSA and started casting Minnie bullets for a Zoli-Zooie I was shooting. The mold was a Lyman 575213NS ordered from DGW along with a Lyman 20# cast iron pot I would put on a Coleman stove and cast away. I still have it, but much prefer the 575213OS.

  20. #100
    Boolit Master Pine Baron's Avatar
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    Jun 2015
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    Jersey Shore
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    Late seventies, Lyman single cavity round ball .454. Still going today.
    Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

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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