other than LEE.....

[Rokkit Syinss]

I like Lee molds, they do what they need to do with no frills. I've never has a serious issue with one that wasn't my own fault.

[MT Gianni]

i know there are bullet molds out there other than lee, but im wondering what does the other brands offer that LEE cant. im looking at getting a brass or steel mold just to see how much better they are than the lee's i use now. i believe you get what you pay for (most of the time) but i have no real complaints about LEE's molds. what constitutes the price difference between lyman, rcbs, and others in their league of molds?

What is the difference between a Zippo lighter and a Bic lighter? I have a number of Lee molds and use them regularly. Their aluminum seems softer than other manufactures, the 1 & 2 cavity have a poorer lock up system and the sprue plate is prone to galling if not kept clean and lubed. I have had a bushing come out on a six cavity, repairable but an inconvenience when the mold is up to temp. The screw on the sprue plate is difficult to remove without removing threads, it seems to be a crush fit. Most of these features are repairable by "Leementing". Paying a skilled craftsman to do it before it leaves the shop would run the price comparable to LY/RCBS molds. RCBS has a better warranty and Lymans' is improving. Lee's is a 2 yr warranty.

[John Boy]

I don't want to badmouth Lee moulds at all because I believe the durability question is in the hands of the operator.

No truer words have been spoken and this goes for any vendor's mold

[Love Life]

Lee moulds give you outstanding bang for your buck. I started on Lee moulds, still own quite a bit of them, and would not hesitate to buy another if it was a design/caliber I liked/needed.

The great thing about lee moulds is they have a good selection and you can experiment cheaply (relatively speaking) with new bullet designs. Also they are light weight.

Bret nailed it. You do what you're supposed to do and the moulds will do what they're supposed to do...unless you get a lemon

[41 mag fan]

Quality. I'd rather pay for NOE or Mihec to produce me one good mold over any amount of lees any day of the week.
It's like comparing apples to oranges.

[Bret4207]

The biggest thing that Lee doesn't do is provide all of the designs that some of us want.

Bill

Yeah Bill, but good old Lyman won't even offer the moulds they used to make! Seems it's not just Lee with that problem!

[Bret4207]

Quality. I'd rather pay for NOE or Mihec to produce me one good mold over any amount of lees any day of the week.
It's like comparing apples to oranges.

I think chopped steak and prime rib would be a better comparison. They both provide the same stuff, just ones more pleasurable to consume.

[Reload3006]

The last three Lyman moulds I bought were all undersized. I've never had this problem with ANY older Lyman/Ideal or Lachmiller mould though. I now only buy used Lyman/Ideal moulds. If a Lee mould comes in undersized, at least it's easier to lap. Either way I get kinda PO'ed when I buy something and have to finish "machining" it.

I have been hand loading in one form or another since the mid sixties. Lyman has always had a reputation for quality and customer service. I had heard from a few people that that was not the case any longer. I didn't believe it. I own a large number of Old Lyman Ideal molds and a lyman 45 lubrisizer. my old 45 got to giving me some trouble and I was wanting a heated sizer so I thought I would go with the 4500 Big mistake Lyman does not make quality tools anymore. I am fighting with them right now over the 4500 you and another person I know got shoddy molds. another person i know got a bad set of dies. What gives with Lyman it almost breaks my heart. Lyman RCBS Lee Hornady were are the staples of our hobby and they keep falling one by one in to the abyss

[Love Life]

I think chopped steak and prime rib would be a better comparison. They both provide the same stuff, just ones more pleasurable to consume.

Yep! I have my lee moulds and 1 NOE mould and the NOE is head and shoulders above the lee in all areas. Well worth the money.

I have yet t0 have any issues with a RCBS or Saeco mould, but you pay quite a bit more for those. Also I can cast with them longer before I start to get super frosty bullets.

All of my old Lyman and Ideal moulds are spot on, but the recent 4 cav 358477 I bought was junk. Out of round and cast small even with lyman #2 alloy. Seems like Lyman has gone down hill. My friend bought a new heated sizer and the hole for the die to go in was to small so it had to go back as well.

Casting is like anything else. Pick your poison and go from there!!

[pistolman44]

I own 3 Lee molds, 2 Mihec brass HP, 1 Accurate alum, 2 older Lyman's and 1 RCBS. They all cast great. My Lee 6 banger cast great, bullets fall right out after it is up to temp. I think it cast the best of all my molds. I use clip on WW for all my casts.

[bryonbush]

next question. im looking at the NOE and the MP hollow point molds. it seems to me that MP has a little better design going on.. any comments on either of the two?

[geargnasher]

i know there are bullet molds out there other than lee, but im wondering what does the other brands offer that LEE cant. im looking at getting a brass or steel mold just to see how much better they are than the lee's i use now. i believe you get what you pay for (most of the time) but i have no real complaints about LEE's molds. what constitutes the price difference between lyman, rcbs, and others in their league of molds?

The real truth is all of them will make good boolits in the hands of a competent operator.

Sometimes Lee moulds are out of spec or have QC problems and need to be touched-up to get them to work the best, most of the time in the last 2-3 years Lyman moulds have been undersized and mis-machined so I certainly would avoid them unless getting an older, used, proven mould. RCBS moulds are terrific. So are SAECO, but by the time you get into that class of spending, my thoughts wander to the excellent custom manufacturers such as Mountain Molds, Accurate Molds, M&P (MiHec), LBT, etc. where you can get exactly the design you want for around a hundred bucks, and in some cases get them made in brass or any material you want.

The difference with the custom and premium production moulds? Pride. It is a joy to cast with a quality, one-of-a-kind custom mould that was made just for you by someone who uses them too, not by some $8/hr. monkey feeding metal into a machine. The function of the custom and premium production moulds is smoother. It's like driving a Yugo and then driving a Lexus. They will both get you where you want to go, but in one the drive is more pleasant. But if you don't do your part to keep them maintained, lubricated, and take care while you use them, they are no better than a $20 Lee.

Gear

[cajun shooter]

I have been casting since 1970. I was working in a full service gun store and the owner had several Lyman, Saeco pots and H&G moulds. He would cast bullets to sell to the customers. I asked him if he would teach me to cast and he became my mentor.
I like many others purchased some custom made Lee moulds that were made in 6 cavity under a special order group buy. The cost was over $100 per mould. I had several moulds that arrived after a years wait that had cavities out of round and with undersized bullets when used. I had one that was for my 45Colt that dropped three different sizes.
To those who don't shoot anything but tin cans off a river bank, the Lee stuff is good enough to work for a while. They do use a lower strength aluminum as it will not be hard for the cherries to cut. The life of the mould is no where near a better raw material mould.
You should not have to receive a mould and work on it for two hours before using. I had misaligned pins and handle screw holes off center.
I know full well that those who just want a bullet to go bang with will not ever change from Lee's poor quality and workmanship.
If you go to any shooting competition that requires the use of lead bullets at targets that are past the 100 yard line you will not find any Lee equipment being used.
For those that are just starting out and using Lee you will find the faults as you go along. Take a few minutes to read all the stickies and see what has taken place.
I had a new Lee 20 Pro pot that I purchased for melting lead. The entire lever and nozzle spout came out and poured 750 degree lead all over my bench.
I sent the pot to Lee with a long letter asking why it was made with short self threading screws that only went through very thin aluminum. I stated that this could do severe damage to a person or child. Lee's answer to me was not one word. They just sent me another pot which I sold.
The bad moulds that I received were returned to Lee and addressed to Pat in Customer service. He advised that I was too demanding and could not be pleased and was sending it back. I was shooting a 45Colt with a bore of .453. I requested that the mould drop .454 bullets. That is demanding? Best of luck to all Lee customers. I hope you awaken from your coma soon.

[bryonbush]

Cajun Shooter, i know what you meen by as time going by you begin to see the faults in Lee products. Most of my dies are lee's and i dont have a problem with them. I have had one problem with my 45 6 cavity mold so far. ive put close to 10,000 casts on my 2 cavity 401-175-tc mold with not one problem so far. but my pot that i have was a little leakie but it hasnt for the past few castings. ive been PMing Himec about some moulds because they look like they are very solid construction and of high quality materials. hopefully i can hear back from him soon so i can brag about my MP or NOE molds!

[trench]

the one and 2 cavity Lee's lack the guide pins to keep the mould halves "in line", resulting in "angle wings' on the sides of the bullet. I'd never buy one again. The 6 cavities, tho, are excellent values.

[MT Gianni]

next question. im looking at the NOE and the MP hollow point molds. it seems to me that MP has a little better design going on.. any comments on either of the two?

I don't own a Mihec mold as I don't do Paypal. The NOE RG molds I own are great.

[Rokkit Syinss]

If you go to any shooting competition that requires the use of lead bullets at targets that are past the 100 yard line you will not find any Lee equipment being used.

Horse puckey! Ed Harris and quite a few other folks, myself included, shot many Lee mold cast boolits in CBA 200 yard competitions down Manassas way. I know three people, again myself included, that shot Lee 312-155-2R boolits in NRA Highpower competitions at 200 yards that made Master using 03A3's while shooting against full snort jacketed match ammo in NM Garands, M1A's and Mouseguns.

It's not always the equipment, it's also the clown using it and the loose nut behind the trigger.

[Jim]

the one and 2 cavity Lee's lack the guide pins to keep the mould halves "in line", resulting in "angle wings' on the sides of the bullet. I'd never buy one again. The 6 cavities, tho, are excellent values.

I must be doin' somethin' wrong. I've got single cavity molds I bought from Lee 10 years ago and I don't get 'angle wings' on my boolits.

[Rokkit Syinss]

I must be doin' somethin' wrong. I've got single cavity molds I bought from Lee 10 years ago and I don't get 'angle wings' on my boolits.

You and me both Jim. I wonder if he'll tell us what we're doing wrong so we can have those angle wings too!

[mold maker]

It takes really deep pockets to bash LEE products. I've got plenty of LEE molds, and never had a really bad one. The money I saved, kept me shooting through some tough times.
The other mold makers like NOE and MiHec do make some mighty impressive molds, but the targets and game I shoot have never complained about the cheap molds I used.