NOE Mold review

[Slim Chance]

Not long ago, I asked for information on NOE molds. Didn't get a single negative comment. Took four days to get a mold and matching top punch. The mold arrived looking beautiful with clear instructions. It casts better every time I use it. Seems a bit fickle on filling out bullets at the start of a session. I think the small cavities and large amount of solid mold block may contribute to this. Or, I may need to juggle temp a bit.
I have zero complaints, and I am picky about my equipment. I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions on my original post.

[toallmy]

They are nice aren't they .

[Slim Chance]

They are!

[Taterhead]

Congrats on the new mold. I have a couple of NOE molds, and they are nice to use. Good people to deal with too.

[kungfustyle]

you could try a hot plate to warm up the mold will start out with perfect bullets in a cast or two.

[CamoWhamo]

I have 2 brass NOE moulds and they do take a few pours to start dropping wrinkle free boolits.

What i have found is that a very light smoking with a butane lighter really helps. It doesn't take much, i just wave the lighter under each cavity half for 1-2 seconds. You can't even see the "smoke" but the difference is night and day.

I also put my moulds on a Hotplate while my pot is getting up to temp.

[Beagle333]

A hot plate really changes the game. I can get keepers after the first or second pour, instead of having to drop 25-30 just to get the mold hot. And my setup isn't complicated.... it's just a hot plate with a gallon coffee can (metal) set over the top, to hold the heat in and make a crude "oven". I cut a slot in the side to fit over the mold handle so the can will sit flat over the hot plate. I really like my NOE molds and the hot plate makes them even more enjoyable since the mold and HP pins are ready to go when I am. Have fun!

[Harter66]

The cast only thing wrong with NOE moulds I'd that I can't afford them all .....
But when the lottery comes in look out !

I do have a fair collection of them , and they are very nice to work with . I would have to say they are among the few tools I have that consistently delivered worth beyond their cost .

I haven't had an Accurate yet .
I have had a few of the old master's , Cramer and H&G for example and an LBT , Mountain , M-P and the NOE is as good as any of them for less money without being cheap . I sold the LBT 40 cal because the similar and same weight Lee made 3 times as many bullets per pour and the target and gun didn't know the difference . I paid the same for 2 cavity absolutely custom Mountain Molds that poured exactly what I wanted for the NOE 3 cavity that also poured what it was supposed to be or a version of a popular pistol bullet in a 5C that at least in my use so far is a good as the original .
For value return quality per quantity they cast more bullets per $1 spent than M-P and in my example of one are better quality too ....... Example of one M-P though so probably not a good example .
Turn around on group buys , CS , and the extra mile when there is really no call for it in the business or customer service part of the business model (hey maybe those 5 moulds that popped up in inventory a week after the 3 hits for a particular mould in the forums were misshelved in the warehouse and not a special run or piggy back) .

I found a cast iron kettle plate that just holds a #10 can and just covers the standard hotplate burner . Pure gold for preheat/reheat/hold for me . It is just about as good as I can imagine it getting .

[Slim Chance]

I set the mold on the top of the pot to preheat it. Usually takes a couple of fills to get it casting good bullets. No big deal for me.
I already have my eye on a possible plain base mold for my Yugo 8mm Mauser.

[GRUMPA]

NOE moulds are all I use now. I got rid of the old steel moulds some time ago and wont get any mass produced moulds ever again. The key quality issues I look for is how well the mould halves always line up, producing actually round boolits. I never got that using mass produced moulds in my life. Any moulds that are of a gas check design work better than anything before, never to small where you sound like a drunken sailor using the other moulds.

So in a nutshell those NOE moulds are all I'm planning on using.

[FredBuddy]

Just got my 4th NOE mould and am anxious to put it
to work. Should solve my fussy 30-30 problem.

I also use the NOE push-thru sizer system with great results.

GRUMPA, posted above, has also provided me
an excellent product !!

[Teemu]

I haven't had an Accurate yet .

Make a reason to get one from Accurate. Top quality molds. Haven't hear anything bad about those molds. I have several Accurate's mold. Aluminium and one iron.

[Green Frog]

I only own two NOE moulds, the first being a 314008 from a group buy many years ago. Aluminum 3 cavity blocks for plain base bullets that drop out at a perfect 125 grains w/ COWWS + a touch of tin... perfect for my 327 FM. They rank as just about awesome.

Then I decided I needed a 105 grain HP for my 32s, so I ordered a 2 cav brass mould for that, and WOW! They can only be described as jewelry or artwork... and the bullets are as near perfect as any I cast with the captive HP pins giving great performance.

I’ve got literally a couple of dozen moulds, some over a century old, but none do a better job. You could say I’m a NOE fan.

Froggie

[johnho]

I only have one NOE mold in 40 cal 160gr RN. I was reluctant to get an aluminum mold but sure glad I did. this is one of the best molds I have now.

[RogerDat]

Right price point with right quality and in profiles, sizes, and weights that meet my reloading needs. I have no doubt Accurate or MP could provide me with excellent molds but between Lee for the common stuff and NOE for the special items or 4 cavity size I like I think I'm good for now. Also like the ability to get 1/2 the cavities plain base and 1/2 cut for gas check in one mold. Yes less productive in use but more options for same price in the mold.

The NOE expander plugs are a great addition to ones loading dies. Consistent neck tension and no shaved lead when seating bullet for a very reasonable price.

To be honest I don't know enough about mold designs to properly assess the relative merits of one mold profile/weight vs another so I go with what others report works and so far have been happy.

[RogerDat]

I set the mold on the top of the pot to preheat it. Usually takes a couple of fills to get it casting good bullets. No big deal for me.
I already have my eye on a possible plain base mold for my Yugo 8mm Mauser.

And NOE has 8mm and 32 molds on sale right now. How convenient.
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/special...r6elrotvaorgu2

[CamoWhamo]

I now have 3 NOE moulds and many more Accurate Molds.

In terms of quality they are both superb and I can’t fault either of them.

I tend to favour Accurate molds because if it’s in the catalog you can order it and it will be made and delivered within a few weeks. If there’s something custom that you want, send Tom a diagram and he adds it to the catalog. I did 2 like that last week. It took less than 24 hrs for my designs to be added to the catalog after I sent them in.

With NOE you can only order what’s in stock. He has many designs that I want but all are nil stock so I have to wait until he runs them or there is a group buy. I’m very close to being in his $1000 club. If he switched from inventory sales to made-to-order I’d probably have double that or more.

I love NOE’s expander buttons and bushing type bullet sizer. I am slowly building up a range of sizes in both.

[Slim Chance]

I got an email from them about the sale yesterday and ordered a mold today.

[Bookworm]

I got an email from them about the sale yesterday and ordered a mold today.

I gotta stop opening emails from NOE.....

[GRUMPA]

I gotta stop opening emails from NOE.....

I say that all the time, right AFTER I open it.