Six cavity mold or 2 two cavity molds?

[04hunter]

What are the group's thoughts on getting a six cavity mold as opposed to two 2 cavity molds? I have read that using two molds will keep them from getting too hot. Is this a better reason to go that route as opposed to a six cavity or does it really matter? Any thought are appreciated.

[stubshaft]

I used to cast alot of the Lee 45-252-SWC because my Ruger shoots them best. Since they don't make it in a 6 cavity I was stuck using 3 double cavity molds. I was able to cycle them fast enough that they did not over heat.

[gandydancer]

I'm just not into weight lifting any more getting to old about a 4 cavity brass is all I can handle these days or want to. GD

[Dale53]

The six cavity Lee moulds are much better quality than the Lee two cavity ones. A six cavity aluminum mould is light to use (compared to brass or steel).

My favorite moulds are made my Mihec and NOE. I have both six cavity aluminum Mihec moulds along with their four cavity brass ones as well as the Cramer Style hollow points. Due to the extra manipulation that the Cramer style requires I actually prefer them in two cavity.

Just a thought or two...

Dale53

[turtlezx]

with the lee 2 cavity mold i can cast 270 per hr
non stop all day long . or until i get tired of doing it.
With no over heating.

[happy7]

The main downsides to more cavities are they are heavier and they cost more. One other downside is that if the cavities are not all perfectly identical, then accuracy is affected. In practice, unless the mold is defective, the last issue is a non issue unless you are trying for accuracy at rifle ranges. The Lee six cavity mold is really very light, so with them, the weight issue is not really an issue for a normal healthy person. With the iron and brass molds this is really an issue, and to a much lesser extent with the iron sprue plated aluminum molds made in heavier aluminum blocks from NEI, NOE, Mihec, etc. Still, it is a very individual thing. We all have different physical makeups, and for some the heavy molds are not an issue and for others they really are. You are not going to get any kind of consenses on weight. Some really don't like heavier molds and some really want as many cavities as possible and both kinds feel strongly about it and neither is right and neither is wrong, but one really is better for some people and the other is better for others.

It also matters what the bullets are intended for. If you are feeding a machine gun or an auto pistol and plan to shoot lots of a particular bullet, you want to at least give a large mold a try. If, on the other hand, you are trying to find an accurate bullet for a rifle match, one cavity is probably all you would want.

If you have a six cavity Lee working right and dropping well, 1200 bullets an hour is not unrealistic although not leisurely, and even faster is possible, depending on your pot setup. With a two cavity mold you are looking at more like 500. These speeds are really for ideal conditions and unfortunately in the real world, many molds don't release nicely, or have other issues and actual rate of production can really fall off. But more cavities really make a big difference and even the difference between a four cavity and a six is that you get in two drops from a six cavity what takes you three in a four. Again, while some people enjoy crafting their bullets one or two at a time, other find it tortuous, when they think about how fast the bullets would be dropping with a six or an eight or even a ten cavity mold.

[runfiverun]

i use a lot of 4 cavity steel molds to combat fatigue from handling the weight i made a box to hold the lyman 4 cavities,at the height i want them to be under the spout on the magma pot.
i align the mold with the pour holes and draw the mold under them and then just let it sit there till it's time to dump it negating half the time i hold it.
it also works very well with noe molds.
getting a well made higher cavity count mold will produce more boolits in a shorter amount of time.
if looking at lee, the 6 cav's are made from different material than the two cavity's are.
for high volume shooting the 4,5,or6 cavity's are the way to go if they are done well you really won't notice a difference from one cavity to the next.
for a precision rifle a one cavity mold custom ordered just for it is what you are looking for.
and for your deer rifle capable of 1/2 or 1 moa a well fitting 2 cavity mold will turn in groups that will be as good as your hunting ammo.

[gwpercle]

I cast with 2 double cavity steel moulds because I prefer to use a dipper, a 6 cavity demands a bottom pour pot. I have tried that route but found I got better boolits with the dipper method and 2 moulds. But thats just me , maybe I was doing the bottom pour thing incorrectly. I kept getting a lot more rejects with the bottom pour method so I wasn't getting any more useable boolits in the time spent casting,

The Lee 6 cavity mould may be a different story, a lot of people use them and have good results. Being aluminum the weight is no longer a factor and I've heard the 6 cav. are better made than the 2 cav. I say give the Lee 6 cavity a try and let us know how it works out.

[beagle]

To me, it's a chore to cast with a six cavity. Besides the wear and tear on your arm, you're dumping six goodies at a time and with a 2C, I only dump two and get to instantly examine for rejects and correct any problems right then.

With a 6C you're dumping piles of bullets and trying to keep the pot fed and aren't able to watch your casting as close.

I find that after a casting session, I get far less rejects from using 2C versus a 4C or 6C. Just allows closer quality control./beagle

[1Shirt]

2 cav for rifle/6 cav for revolver for me!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[bobthenailer]

I personaly like at least a 4/6/or 8 cavity and i dont like to use more than 1 mould at a time it gets to busy useing multipal moulds with everything else going on.
useing one mould at a time while casting i can make approx this many quality bullets in a hour of casting time, depending on bullet weight & caliber
2- cavity 3 to 400 a hour
4- cavity 6 to 700 a hour
6- cavity Lee 600 to 800 a hour
8 cavity Saeco 1200 to 1400 a hour

[mpbarry1]

Those production rates are way higher than I'm getting. I get around 200 w a 4 cavity mold from Miha. Any hints on how you speed up that much?

[bobthenailer]

Well when you get aroud 1/2 a million bullets made in 40 years ! you seem to get every thing fined tuned .

[bobthenailer]

Those production rates are way higher than I'm getting. I get around 200 w a 4 cavity mold from Miha. Any hints on how you speed up that much?

Give me a call after 5pm eastern time ill be glad to explain it to you ! thers just to much to write it all down 724-483 6956
Bobthenailer

[happy7]

Those production rates are way higher than I'm getting. I get around 200 w a 4 cavity mold from Miha. Any hints on how you speed up that much?

This is one way, perfected by one of our own members.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/HowTo/SpeedCastingbyBB.pdf

[Rayc384]

I was going to use the 2 double molds, but after seeing what a 6 bullet mold could put out, even with dipper pouring, I sold off the doubles and invested in some 6 bullet molds. The 6er lines up quicker than the double and you can use a wooden block to support the weight. If it is getting too hot use 2 6ers and really crank out some bullets.

[fredj338]

with the lee 2 cavity mold i can cast 270 per hr
non stop all day long . or until i get tired of doing it.
With no over heating.

Hardly, it will over heat in less than 100 bullets.
The Lee alum is cheap & soft. It works but there certainly are better molds. I have some of the 6cav Lee, when they work, you can cast a ton of bullets, well, at least about 600/hr. Rotating 2cavs won't even get you close. the only thing as fast IMO is a MagmaCaster, & you can stand & pull the handle all day w/o any fatigue. A 4cav iron or brass mold wears me out after an hour. The Lee 6cav is pretty light, you can easily do 2hrs or repetative motion w/ it & be fine.

[Bret4207]

Hardly, it will over heat in less than 100 bullets.
The Lee alum is cheap & soft. It works but there certainly are better molds. I have some of the 6cav Lee, when they work, you can cast a ton of bullets, well, at least about 600/hr. Rotating 2cavs won't even get you close. the only thing as fast IMO is a MagmaCaster, & you can stand & pull the handle all day w/o any fatigue. A 4cav iron or brass mold wears me out after an hour. The Lee 6cav is pretty light, you can easily do 2hrs or repetative motion w/ it & be fine.

No offense intended, but I've been casting with Lee 1 and 2 cavities for well over 30 years and overheating has never been an issue for. I'm cycling at least 4 times a minute, probably more on average. Keeping the darn things hot enough has been more of a problem than overheating.

[Bret4207]

What are the group's thoughts on getting a six cavity mold as opposed to two 2 cavity molds? I have read that using two molds will keep them from getting too hot. Is this a better reason to go that route as opposed to a six cavity or does it really matter? Any thought are appreciated.

The first question is- are you an experienced caster or just starting out? If just starting then get a 1 or 2 cavity and learn to make as close to perfect booltis as you can. Once you get the hang of it, then you can see if you want to try a 6 cav or maybe an iron or brass mould. There's no sense in putting a lot of money into this until you know if you like it. Some folks hate casting.

[williamwaco]

I can cast more bullets per hour with two Lee two cavity molds that with one Lyman 4 cavity mold of similar design.

That said: If I live long enough, the Lyman will cast ten zillion bullets. In my experience the Lee two cavity molds are pretty much scrap metal after 5,000 bullets.

The Lee six cavity molds are an entirely different matter. Bullets fall like rain from these molds. I have no trouble casting 500 pistol bullets per hour with one 6 cylinder Lee mold and my Lee 20 pound bottom pour pot. AND after a complete Saturday afternoon, ( four hours and 2000 bullets ) I am not even tired. After two hours with the Lyman 4 cavity I am ready for three Advil and One recliner.


.

[theperfessor]

I don't know what kind of casting setup you guys have, but I use a bottom pour Lyman furnace and I can cast for hours with 4, 6, and 8 cavity molds. It has this magic feature called a mold rest. Once adjusted it takes a lot of the work out of casting. The only mold I have that I can't bottom pour is my 10 cavity H & G #258, and I'm in on the Miha group buy for a brass four banger to supplant that. I just can't get used to all the extra monkey motion involved with ladle casting.

[runfiverun]

after 2 hours with a lyman i am just getting bored.
the 40 lb pot with two spouts and the box holding the weight really makes a difference.
i usuallt get around 700 boolits an hour from the 4 cavity's.
that's just casting not even trying to rush. [about 3 cycles a minute]

[Shiloh]

Six cavity mold. I like the locator pins rather the the locator bars.
They also cast a mountain of boolits in a short casting session.

Shiloh

[GLL]

Try two 6-cavity molds ! Even better ! :) :)

Jerry

[MikeS]

I cast with both Lee 2 cavity & 6 cavity moulds (as well as many other brand moulds), and I always cast with one mould at a time. I tried using 2 moulds at a time, and found it wasn't worth the extra effort needed. Using a 2 cavity mould I can cast 300 boolits in an hour with no problem. I find that Lee moulds cast no faster or slower than any other brand mould (of the same number of cavities). I rarely have a problem with the moulds overheating, usually I need to keep up to speed so the moulds don't loose too much heat.

While Lee 2 cavity moulds are cheaper than their 6 cavity moulds, I still think a beginner is better off starting with a 6 cavity mould. It's a much higher quality mould than their two cavity moulds, with a 2 cavity mould, there are so many chances for the mould to get out of alignment, therefor making bad boolits, and a beginner might not realize that the problems are the moulds fault, not theirs, and decide that casting is too hard for them. The six cavity moulds are also built more like a traditional mould (removable handles, alignment pins, etc.) and so lessons learned with one is more easily transfered to other higher quality moulds later down the road.

[Dale53]

MIkeS;
I agree with you ++

Note: If a caster is having problems with his mould overheating, I cured that (thanks to Mike Venturino) I now have a small manicurists fan (about $7.00 from Target Stores or Walmart in the fan department) mounted that blows on the filled mould. In two seconds the sprue has set and the bullets are ready to dump. It not only speeds up the process in general, but it maintains proper mould temperature so I get truly continuous operation. A secondary benefit is that it cools the pile of bullets already cast and they are ready to move to a box for transport (without setting my box on fire) to my basement shop for lubing and sizing). I cast in my utility barn. Here is the fan set up:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/Castingfan-3723.jpg

Dale53

[Inkman]

Started casting last year with a Lee 6cav for feeding my USPSA SS habit. I needed to be able to cast LOTS of bullets right out of the gate so a 2cav mold never even entered into the equation for me.

So far, so good but now i could use a bigger pot (than the Lee20#er) as the 45s eat up a lot of lead, fast. And yes, i am one of the ones who does get tired casting half the day. After a few pots, i'll let things cool down and come back later when i'm fresh.

Al

[shotstring]

I don't understand how you folks get all the disparities in quantities going from 2 to 4 to 6 cavity molds. Granted, there are weight differences, but when I cast it is always temperature that is the controlling influence that drives the cycle rate. Not materials, not weight and not technique.

As soon as my molds are optimum operating termperatures, its a race to keep them operating at the same temperature. So everything is timed so that when I use two molds, one is cooling while the other is being poured into. When I do it right, the temperature remains static and I get the least amount of rejects as well as the fastest possible production.

Granted, there are a few tradeoffs, but for me the larger number of cavities, the faster the boollet count rises and its almost exponential based on cavity size. It's harder work using a heavier mold, but it doesn't slow me down - not unless I want the temperature between the molds to get all screwed up. Maybe its just me, but I'm used to the big H & G 6 and 8 cavity molds so they don't really bother me. I just can't do it all day long anymore.