ReRun - Mihec 359640 158gr HP or 170gr Solid Dual Crimp Groove

[Lakehouse2012]

All- this GB will move to the Completed/awaiting for delivery section of the forum. I'm leaving a redirect link up for 1 week on this section.

[rcn11thacr]

I got my email and my items are on the way. My only complaint is I was unable to get the website to accept the additional 5% off code. Not the end of the world, but his website is a pita.

[Billwnr]

Mine is working towards the international shipping area. If I read it correctly it's now in Denmark.

[TimD]

UPS is delivering mine today!

[Billwnr]

Mine is now in Tennessee awaiting movement to the western part of the US. I suspect a lot of others have their moulds sitting in Tennessee also.

[xiholdtruex]

Just got mine in cant wait to cast with this. The mould is beautiful.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Mine showed up this afternoon too.
I assembled it but I still need to clean her up and heat cycle before I cast.

I’m so happy I got all the pins because my 2 cavity only came with flat and penta IIRC.

[cephas53]

Showed up in NWPA late yesterday afternoon. Sat in Indianapolis a couple days.
Have used a couple of his other molds so assembling pins was no problem.
Had some time this morning so cast up a few with 40:1.
.358 and 157 grs.

Thanks to the head honcho, got a cold one for you if we ever meet.

[CoolHandMoss]

Got mine and took it for a test drive yesterday. Very happy. Loaded a few after the sun went down. Can't wait to shoot them today.

[Double D]

I have no email as of 5/27 - very disappointed.

[Lakehouse2012]

I have no email as of 5/27 - very disappointed.

Your name is on the list. #43 of the 4-cav HP list. Please look at post #1 and verify that the email is correct. If so, send Miha an email directly and he will get you a mold. - miha.prevec@siol.net

- Lakehouse

[JAMESGR]

Lakehouse, Thank You for running this buy. Received mine yesterday. Will try it soon. Gonna leave the four cavity brass set up for hollow points.
JAMESGR

[Double D]

Your name in on the list. #43 of the 4-cav HP list. Please look at post #1 and verify that the email is correct. If so, send Miha an email directly and he will get you a mold. - miha.prevec@siol.net

- Lakehouse

All squared away. My thanks to Lakehouse and TimD for assistance.

[dimaprok]

Got mine on May 26th and proceeded to cast the bullets using my normal mix 50% pure and 50% WW I casted a tin can full and took some measurements.
Top driving band at lowest point is .357" and bottom driving band at .358". My Lee 358 sizing die doesn't even touch the bottom band all the way around. I was expecting to be at least 359, I could live with 358, but not with 357. My aluminum MP molds drop over .001" which is fine by me. This is my first brass mold and I don't know what to think.
Anyone else measured theirs?

[Michael J. Spangler]

Got mine on May 26th and proceeded to cast the bullets using my normal mix 50% pure and 50% WW I casted a tin can full and took some measurements.
Top driving band at lowest point is .357" and bottom driving band at .358". My Lee 358 sizing die doesn't even touch the bottom band all the way around. I was expecting to be at least 359, I could live with 358, but not with 357. My aluminum MP molds drop over .001" which is fine by me. This is my first brass mold and I don't know what to think.
Anyone else measured theirs?

Are you sure the micrometer is accurate? If so they maybe try a little more tin?
Sometimes the alloy isn’t always what you think it is. I learned that the hard way after doing some XRF analysis.
That solved the issue of why some alloy blends weren’t behaving as expected.

[CoolHandMoss]

I am also finding the bottom band to be bigger than the top. But I am getting .3585 on the bottom and full contact through the .358 lube/size die. I have resolved to hi-tek this particular bullet rather than lube size in general to get the diameter consistent on all driving bands.

[dimaprok]

Are you sure the micrometer is accurate? If so they maybe try a little more tin?
Sometimes the alloy isn’t always what you think it is. I learned that the hard way after doing some XRF analysis.
That solved the issue of why some alloy blends weren’t behaving as expected.

Yes, micrometer is accurate, I got same reading with calipers as well but micrometer is much more accurate and reliable than calipers, I do machining so I know these tools.
As far as alloy its the same alloy I've been using that dropped .359 bullets from the other mold I got also from MP, aluminum 8 cavity in 9mm that's marked 358. Also it drops true with my Lee and Lyman molds, so I can't blame alloy.

Just to be 100% clear, this is the lowest point that means as I rotate the bullet and take measurements there are higher points too but I want the lowest point to be bare minimum .358 as this is suppose to be 359 mold.

Also, I just measured couple more samples, they are wrinkle free and good fill out. I got one that measured .3575 at lowest point - OK that's better but next one measured .3564 at the lowest! Yikes! All these measurements again are taken at the top band.

[dimaprok]

I am also finding the bottom band to be bigger than the top. But I am getting .3585 on the bottom and full contact through the .358 lube/size die. I have resolved to hi-tek this particular bullet rather than lube size in general to get the diameter consistent on all driving bands.

At the bottom band I get about 90 - 95% contact from sizing with 358 die and I understand that bottom is more important but still bummed out about the top being undersized.

[KVO]

I did a quick test run of my new NLG aluminum today. I have a 4 cavity brass HP from a previous run. The LG solid drops right at 170gr, NLG @181gr same alloy in the pot. Alternating molds casting so about as consistent as I can make the comparison.

dimaprok- I measured drive bands on my older LG bullets and they are tapered like yours, just slightly bigger. Base bands are 0.359" and upper band at or slightly under 0.358". Base of ogive and crimp grooves come in at 0.352-0.3525". Funny enough the new NLG is bigger with the major diameter 0.360" on the dot and the ogive base again smaller @ 0.353". I PC and never thought too much about the undersized front driving band. Was more worried about the small nose but it hasn't shown to be an accuracy detriment in either revolver or lever gun. It's fairly long for caliber bullet as far as pistol bullets go. Hopefully in your case it has a long enough bearing surface that the smaller front band is inconsequential. Shooting at magnum velocities/pressures the LG disappears on mine when using softer alloy on recovered bullets.



I'll eventually do a side by side comparison shoot of the two and try to get up a range report.

[CoolHandMoss]

I cast another batch today and found the top band, the smaller one, to be .3580 as a pretty consistent minimum. Full contact 360 in the .358 die on most boolits.

Interesting observation though... This is my first time casting with a hollow point mold. I cast some of the small dome hollow points today and I found that the boolits would stick (not badly or anything) in the side of the mold that did not have the pins attached. When I first saw this I expected the pin to have torn the side of the hollow point in the bullet but not once did I find that. Just geometrically speaking I cannot imagine how the mold half with the pin attached could be opened and the bullet left in the other side with an intact hollow point. I suppose the pointy end just got slightly pulled out enough to allow the pin to pull free but looking at them before they dropped they did not look askew at all. Not a problem, complaint nor concern. Just an observation that made me curious.