PB Ranch Dog moulds

[Thumbcocker]

does anyone have any experience with the pb version of the Ranch Dog 265 .44?

[HammerMTB]

At one time I had the 2 cav Ranch Dog GC 265.
Then I got in on a group buy for the copy but in a conventional groove. I got the 4-cav with 3 PB. So it's pretty close to the RD 265 in a PB, but has conventional groove.
It works fine. Whatcha wanna know about it?
Saves me a lot of GCs thrown downrange.
And now I have a growing pile of 265GC boolits that are cast from mt 4th cavity I'm wondering what I might do with.
Maybe it's time to just quit filling the 4th cavity..... :???:

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
NOPE, but will be experimenting with the GC version this summer. If it works out i will probably get the PB version too.

[PacMan]

Well yes and no. I ordered one to shoot in my 44 special so i could crimp in diffrent locations. Received the mold and when RD removed the GC shank he went just a little to deep and removed the bottom lube grove.Had one heck of a bottom driving band.
I contacted RD and he has another one on the way with return shipping lable for the defective mold.
That is service my friend.
I will say that if you are intending to shoot this bullet in a rifle i would stay with the GC design or leave at least two gas checked.
Dwight

[Jech]

Just curious dwight but did you ever try shooting any of those boolits that had an oversize driving band? I had a TLC311-165-RF that was just as you describe but I found that it made the boolit more resistant to gas cutting/ leading because of it.

~ Jech

[Thumbcocker]

It works fine. Whatcha wanna know about it?

Just how it works. I shoot a lot more revolvers than rifles so I don't want to check if I can avoid it.

[Ranch Dog]

That is service my friend.

Thanks Dwight! Your replacement mold left today, let me know if you see any issue with it.

I goof up once in awhile but I always try to make it right. This is tough work because the fit is so fine and the setup takes a bit of time. It is a simple fix so that a guy can have that 3X3 split or one of my designs as a PB but of course, it isn't as clean a cut had the work be done up at Lee.

One issue I have run into is the overall body diameter of the cavity vs. the drawing and reamer that I will use to remove the shank. The actual cavity drawings that I send to Lee differ slightly than the bullet drawings you view on my web site. For instance, the TLC432-265-RF cavity drawing calls for the cavity to be cut at .433". If it called for a .432" the bullet would drop from the mold at .431". So Lee cuts the molds with a cavity of .433" and I plan to ream that shank out with a .433" reamer. As the time I purchase my inventory, they and I agree like with any other special order, that the diameter of the cavity cut will be .433" to .436", (-.000"/+.003"). That is fine and dandy with me, as I would rather have a fat mold than a skinny one and sizing can true it to the diameter. If the mold is fat, .434" to .436", you will see a ring where the gas check shank was. I will say that Lee has been very good at keeping the cavity spec tight but this an example where there might be issue with simply running a reamer through the shank. I would still suggest running the bullets through a sizer. The simple pass will helps me cull bullets as it allows me to look at them individually.

I hope to hear the good and the bad with these bullet molds. Personally, I'm on the fence with the service. It takes a lot of time and it is another point that might create some type of return or warranty claim. I told myself that I would give it at least 90 days to see if it is worth it or not and I'm half way through through that period now.

[PacMan]

JECH,to answer your question. Yes i did shoot a few and theydid not do well. You need to understand that i use a lub-sizer to lube and i wanted to seat the bullet and crimp in the 1st lube grove below the crimp grove. With the bottom lube grove removed it left only two of the narrow and shallow tumble lube groves which holds very little lube. Not saying that it could be mabe to work but it was not what i was after when i ordered the mold.
In the end it may still not work for me but if it does not i canot hold RD at fault.The replacnment will be what i expected and requested. So there will be no foul.

Long and short Ranch Dog has sent me a new mold without any question or hesitation.
Once again, THAT MY FRIEND IS SERVICE.
Thanks RD
Dwight

[HammerMTB]

Just how it works. I shoot a lot more revolvers than rifles so I don't want to check if I can avoid it.

Yeah, me too, that's why the PB mold. I will say that my hottest Mag loads are GC'd and I think that's the easiest way to load them without leading. That's why I have 1 cavity in the 265 GC'd, and my 310 GC'd.