Herter's 224 43gr

[Plumbum]

Hello Gentlemen.

New writer here. Been casting for couple of years and spying you guys probably most of that time. so many thank for all the good info. It's really been helpful. I have to open up now because I have questions I cant find answers just by using search.

I'm looking for info about secondhand moulds for sale here (Europe). Said to be made by Herter's USA, 224cal and 43grains.

Has anybody got any idea about the general quality of Herter's moulds, and what sort/brand of handles would fit with these mould blocks?

[Buckshot]

..............Plumbum, greetings upon you (or something like that :-))! I don't know the 'real' answer but if I had to say I'd bet they had Lyman do their moulds. I suspect that the mould isn't in your possesion? If it was and you could give a diameter and length of the block attaching screws we could probably figure it out.

I'm hoping that someone with Herters mould experience will speak up. If it's a mould you need and it's in good shape I'd buy it anyway. Mould handles are easy to modify.

.................Buckshot

[schutzen]

I grew up 75 KM south of Waseca Minnesota, the home of Herter's. In my pre-teen and teen years, I spent most of my hard earned dollars with George Herter. Money well spent, Mr.Herter treated young boys just like men coming in to outfit a safari. I do not know where their bullet molds were made, but much of their machine work was done in Herstal, Belgium. A good guess would be a machine tool manufacturer in that area. They should be serviceable, but not fancy molds.

[Bullshop]

Using my eyecromiter herters blocks measure exactly the same as lyman. They use lyman handles also. I even have some lyman and herters molds that have exactly the same cavity cut in them. Again this is with eyecromiter measurments taken as precisly as possible with my equipment.
The only real differance I see is instead of the pin type stop for the sprue plate the herters has a little tab bend down from the plate that butts the side of the block.
BIC/BS

[Ben]

One other " Flaw " on my Herter's mold is the lack of a locking set screw to hold the sprue plate screw in place.

Eventually I'll drill and tap mine.

Ben

[Plumbum]

"I suspect that the mould isn't in your possesion?"
Correct, just seen picture on the net.

"They should be serviceable, but not fancy molds."
"Using my eyecromiter herters blocks measure exactly the same as lyman. They use lyman handles also"
Pretty much what I preferred to hear. Thanks about.

P.S. The 43gr weight in .224" mould kind of sounds like a "lyman-like"-mould.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have a set of Herter's mould blocks in 6.5 caliber. It looks pretty much like the single-cavity Ideal offering, with the cost-cutting design modifications already noted on this thread. It does definitely fit Lyman handles.

Haven't worked with it much, just a few casts for "effect," but it seemed kind of on the balky side as far as getting good castings. Probably just needs break-in time.

[georgewxxx]

The 4 Herter moulds I have all look like Lyman seconds. I do need different handles for a couple of them. Standard Small cavity Lyman's won't work unless you modify them a bit. The insides all not smooth like Lyman. Workmanship is clearly 3rd class. could be the reason for the balkiness Bent Ramrod mentioned. The Herter's own handles are made of lightweight material. The one thing I do like about them is the tab on the sprue plate. It takes the place of the stop pin on everyone else's blocks. Some do and some don't have

Having condemned the appearance of the blocks, I say all the boolits shoot as good as any other that I've shot.

Plumbum, I'd say go for 'em if the price is right.

By the way, where in Europe are you? I think the guys here would like to hear more of the trial and tribulations of counterparts on the leeward side of the pond!!

Geo

[Plumbum]

"Plumbum, I'd say go for 'em if the price is right"
They are currently on an internet auction, so I have a feeling the price is not going to be right ...

"By the way, where in Europe are you?"
Exactly 15 miles from Vihtavuori (powder factory) and 15 miles from Tikkakoski (where Tikka -rifles were made in the past). Country is called Finland. Reading posts by other finns here (I have spotted Finn45, KTN and pystis) you may get some idea of the gunlife around here.

By the way, thanks for tips - I knew there would be helpful posts .

[georgewxxx]

Good gosh, your right in the middle of it all. No wonder your a shooter.

What plans did you have for that .22 mould? A special varmit rifle?

If you've reading our pages, you'll notice some of the casters are getting worried about a lead source. Is that a problem for you? Or do you just go out at night and find wheel weights still hanging on somebody's Mercedes Benz? ...Geo

[Plumbum]

"Good gosh, your right in the middle of it all. No wonder your a shooter."
Not that I have/had anything to do with those factories, just found a nice way to put the place on a map for shooting persons.

"What plans did you have for that .22 mould? A special varmit rifle?"
They are called birdrifles here. Why leadboolits with it? To be honest for no "good" reason - quess I just wanna play with it.

"If you've reading our pages, you'll notice some of the casters are getting worried about a lead source. Is that a problem for you? Or do you just go out at night and find wheel weights still hanging on somebody's Mercedes Benz?"
Not that desparete yet. Infact lead wheelweights have allready been banned in the whole EU for over a year, but older leadweights are still available. Highly polluted with zink ofcourse.
Rangelead can be digged up for free and I haven't paid for wheelweights either. Having 150kg (300+lb) reserve of mono- & linotype printmetal helps also.

Our neighbours the swedes in Sweden were about to have a total leadban in shooting and hunting. Happily their socialist goverment lost last election and now governing conservatists did put the leadban on ice. Conserns and worries us too, because these bannings tend to spread over borders. I do have a bad feeling that I live long enough to see the day when they ban this leadboolit fun totally. Just have to vote so that it takes a loong time...