Cry now, enjoy for years to come

[Petrol & Powder]

Pictures !!!

[Teemu]

Well lets see... If that mold is what you need and use a lot i think that's not ridiculous amount of cash. Like mentioned before you could easily spend that bucks err..not so wisely. I bought 1-cavity Ideal 257388 mold from ebay and it cost me 150$ + fees.(shipping in Finland was like 30$) But i really needed that. And never regret. Don't know if that is thing that could compared. Main thing on my mind is that you use it it will pay back that amount when kept properly.. Just my 2c

[Buzzard II]

I never saw a coffin with pockets for money, so buy what you want now and enjoy it.
Bob

[Jack Stanley]

When it comes to making a lot of bullets quick I think the H&G is the next best thing to a machine .

Jack

[SSGOldfart]

Yes Sir maybe ten years ago U would have agreed with the above statement,but now we have a number of custom mold makers who can turn out 5 + cavity molds,so the H&G was the best in their day,but it's changed since then.

[SSGOldfart]

Yes Sir maybe ten years ago I would have agreed with the above statement,but now we have a number of custom mold makers who can turn out 5 + cavity molds,so the H&G was the best in their day,but it's changed since then.

[FISH4BUGS]

Casting bench report on the 6 cavity #503:
I finally got around to breaking in the new-in-the-box H&G #503 that I paid stupid money for.
One thing is for sure - if you do not use a mould guide on your pot you will be crippled by the end of the casting session.
After cleaning it up, and degreasing it, the first thing I did wrong was not preheating the mould. I started from a stone cold mould.
After may be 20 or so full casts the mould came up to temperature.
Interesting how it would not even fill the cavities until it came up to temp.
I was having trouble with filling the cavities so i adjusted the mould guide to give some drop to the stream. Bingo.
Now fully up to temp, the production line started.
I found that, like most larger H&G moulds, they have a personality of their own,. This one liked alloy temp at about 700 (5 lbs ww and 1lb lino), and run HOT. I tried all kinds of methods - run wide open and fill the cavities in one pass. Do each cavity individually and stop between cavities. It didn't seem to matter. Both techniques seemed to work well.
Once the cavities were filled, I set the mould down on the table (on a towel) slightly turned to the right and let the lead harden.
One hit with the lead hammer and the sprue plate easily cut.
Open the mould (still laying on the table) and a tap of the mould's side with the lead hammer and 6 perfectly formed bullets fell out.
I have to say you can empty a 20 lb lee drip-o-matic in short order with this mould. After emptying the pot, I would load the next batch of ingots, and that gives me time to rest and inspect and put into coffee cans the cast bullets.
Culls were rare.....maybe one out of 30 or so....if that.
So....a quite no hurry four hour casting session produced the following:
* 850 +/- perfectly cast H&G # 503's awaiting sizing and lubing on the Star
* very sore shoulders - haven't used those muscles in a while.
* The mould weighs over 4 lbs and is a load to work with
* sore back - have to pay more attention to my posture while casting
* pleased with the results overall
Now....was it worth the $350 I paid for the mould?
I was to me. I will have this for the rest of my life, and it will be handed down to my son eventually.
Is a 4 lb mould worth the effort?
Overall, yes it is, in my opinion. Output vs. effort.
Also, there is something very pleasing about a pile of perfect #503's.
I think the 44 special and light 44 mag guns will be getting more range time.
Oh....there is another Sunday afternoon casting session scheduled. That should put me well over 1000 bullets to size, lube and load.

[jsizemore]

You sure showed a lot of restraint waiting this long to cast with the 503.

I have 6 cavity #44 and #45 that I cast with. I run my pot temp at 700. After I get my alloy started to melt I put my mould on the hot plate set on medium with a digital meat thermometer stuck in one of the sprue holes with the end of the probe resting on the nose of a cavity. I set the alarm for 400F but any temp 375-400 is fine. Much over 400 and lead will start to plug vent lines. I've cast with mine a bunch so it might take a few sessions to break in. Then bullets drop right out without a tap whenever you open the mold.

Enjoy your new toy/tool.

[Petrol & Powder]

That sounds like money well spent.

You get the high production rate of a 6 cavity mold plus the durability of an iron mold.

Take care of that H&G mold and it will outlast you.

As for the workout and sore muscles the next day, honestly that's the sign of a good day. Don't over do it, but a little soreness the day after is a good thing.

[Petander]

Well done,Sir,congrats! I like your reasoning.

I wanted to buy a NIB #68 for a similar crazy "Buy It Now" -price last summer. But the (US) seller wouldn't send international so no deal. I have had a #63 for 20 years,love it.

I actually have a used #50 coming in any day now,to match my mod 14.

[lightman]

Thanks for the report. The results were predictable but its good to hear that it worked well.

[FISH4BUGS]

You sure showed a lot of restraint waiting this long to cast with the 503.
I have 6 cavity #44 and #45 that I cast with.

I only waited because I had to burn up the 44 special and light 44 mag reloads before I felt it was time.
I also have a 4 cavity #45 GC, and I don't really cast that many with it.......maybe 500 per year if that.
I guess my full house load 44 days are limited. I really don't get much pleasure from breaking my wrist on full house loads....not to say I don't shoot them on occasion but not as much as in my youthful days.
My typical 44 mag load is the #503 over 8.0-8.5 gr WW231.....mid range 44 mag.
I am glad I collected H&G moulds over the years.
I'm really beginning to see the logic in it.

[kmw1954]

FISH4BUGS, Congratulations on that mold and the report on it's use. Sounds like it put a smile on.

Please do not take this as a personal attack but it just cracks me up to no end when I hear or read the expression relating to, "Cry Once." I have never cried about any purchases I've made. Had a few were I pitched a fit afterwards and found I was lied to by advertisers. One time while still working I needed a tool to do a job and ended having to buy one from the MATCO truck. $32.00 for one 8 point socket. I was furious and work would not reimburse for it.

At the other end of this is this example. I found a mold for my 380 that I wanted to cast and the only one with anything like it is the Lee 356-102-R1 and it only comes as a 2 cavity mold. So for the exorbitant price of $22.00 shipped I bought one. Hell I've blown more money than that sitting in the bar on a Friday night and know people that spend more than that every week on lottery tickets.

Well that inexpensive little mold casts beautiful little bullets and I am more than pleased with it. Now if the interest stays with this bullet and load I may look into one that is very similar made by Accurate and will cost over $120.00 just to cast little pills for a lowly 380acp.

[Jack Stanley]

Next order of business is making a mold guide ??

Jack

[FISH4BUGS]

Next order of business is making a mold guide ??
Jack

There is one that came with my 30+ year old Lee 20 lb pot....it is actually the second one...the tightening nut stripped on the first one.
Trust me when I tell you that a mould guide is absolutely necessary with the monster H&G's. - 6, 8, or 10 cavity.
I have a 10 cavity S55 (.380 bullet) that would tear your rotator cuff using it if you didn't use a mould guide.

[FISH4BUGS]

Please do not take this as a personal attack.......I found a mold for my 380 that I wanted to cast and the only one with anything like it is the Lee 356-102-R1 and it only comes as a 2 cavity mold. So for the exorbitant price of $22.00 shipped I bought one.....well that inexpensive little mold casts beautiful little bullets and I am more than pleased with it.

No offense taken at all. Lee makes usable equipment at reasonable prices. I have cast my share of bullets with 6 cavity Lee moulds in my earlier years.
The difference here is that Lees have a very limited life span, particularly if you cast in quantity. Nothing wrong with them....they just are not made for heavy use.
The H&G's will last my lifetime and with care, several lifetimes, even under a lot of use. My son has already called dibs on the #503.
Each mould type has its place.

[kmw1954]

More to the point I was trying to make is that if one needs to cry about buying something then maybe they shouldn't buy it.

I'd love to own a GT40 Ford but there is no amount of crying that would ever allow me to buy one.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I paid stupid prices for good moulds before I retired from work. Back then I didn't even think about the money.
Been retired for 4 years and I'm not crying, I'm laughing when I cast bullets with my H&G, Saeco custom, Paul Jones & Steve Brooks moulds, excellent boolits (the best cast boolits) that other shooters cry for!

BTW, at last count, I have 118 bullet molds from 0.17 to 0.58 cals and being retired, I now have time to use them all!

[kmw1954]

Also being retired it's now more a matter of prioritizing purchases. As I said in post 33 I have my desire set for a new Accurate .356" mold for my 380. Maybe for my B-day in March.

[FISH4BUGS]

More to the point I was trying to make is that if one needs to cry about buying something then maybe they shouldn't buy it.
I'd love to own a GT40 Ford but there is no amount of crying that would ever allow me to buy one.

I get your point, but there is one hell of a difference between $350 and MILLIONS for an original GT40 and half million list for a current one.
Cry may be a bit of stretch. Wince maybe?