one mold...two boolits

[DeanWinchester]

Its an easy thing to do nowadays, having two different boolits in one mold. So I wonder how many of you guys do just that? I'm thinking of having a brass mold made with a 147g boolit for my 9mm and a 200g boolit for my 308win. That would cover 95% of my shooting so it seems like a good idea to me. Any thoughts?

[mooman76]

I have the Lee REAL combo that is a RB and a REAL. Seems good at first especially someone casting on a budget but usually you will end up with allot more than the other because you will not load and shoot an equal amount of each. You could just cast on of the two to even it out but kinda slow and if you are like most, you will probably probably shoot allot more 9mm than the 30 cal. Not saying you shouldn't do it, just giving you something to think about.

[onesonek]

I have 2 brass molds made like that. First was made to throw modest weights for the .45-70 and .454 Casull. The awhile later had the some thing done, only with heavier weights. Those are both AM molds. Somewhat similar, I had BRP make me an aluminum mold for the .45-70 with 3 different weights.

[DeanWinchester]

I don't know. Maybe I'm weird, because I'm fairly even. I go to the range I might shoot my Glock 100 times but I will for sure shoot 75 or hundred through my 308. Being as there's very little cost difference in loading either one I always shoot my file quite a bit.
Thanks mooman.

[DeanWinchester]

I have 2 brass molds made like that. First was made to throw modest weights for the .45-70 and .454 Casull. The awhile later had the some thing done, only with heavier weights. Those are both AM molds. Somewhat similar, I had BRP make me an aluminum mold for the .45-70 with 3 different weights.

What do you think of the brass mold, honestly?

[onesonek]

Brass is my prefered mold block material, but I have no experience with iron as well.
I have no regrets doing the 2 caliber setup. I shoot both about the same amount. But even if not so, i a can pour as single cavity. Slower yes, but fast enough for my shooting needs.

[btroj]

A single cavity for a 9 mm will mean you will either spend much time casting or little time shooting the 9 mm.
THis is a great idea for a low volume bullet but for handguns I prefer a multi cavity mould with all making the same bullet.
1000 bullets in a year for one rifle is a fair amount for me. For a handgun that might be a month.

[DeanWinchester]

I don't mind long times spent casting. I love it. I generally get in 4 or 5 hours a week minimum, sometimes as much as 15-20 if business is slow. I work at home and I can get an hour or so in between customers. If I cast two or three times a week I can get a lot done. I like to be pretty anal about it anyway. I chunk anything that doesn't look perfect and make weight back in the pot or give them to my friends.

[NoZombies]

I've had a number of molds with different cavities cut in them. I find that if you'll use both bullets in equal quantity, it's a wonderful thing. I normally use a lot more of one or the other though, and I end up with a surplus of one, or short on the other, generally wishing I had a 4 cavity of the one I use more of.

As an example, I've got a custom made mold that casts 2 different 32 caliber bullets. I use both styles, but I use about twice as many of the SWC as I do the RN. As a result, I have a large pile of the RN's, and when I cast with that mold, I cast with both cavities (to help maintain heat) but end up tossing all the RN's back in the pot. it's a lot like having a single cavity.

[MT Chambers]

Nah, you'll be casting bullets that you don't plan on using, it doesn't work for me.

[Pat I.]

I have a couple of moulds like that and agree with MT Chambers, doesn't work for me. It would probably be especially bad with something like a 9mm.

[dromia]

As has been said you usually end up with too many of a boolit that you don't need. I like a mould of each type of boolit so that when I need that design I can rattle them out. A cavity throwing a boolit I don't need at the time is redundant.

I do have the odd plain base cavity in some GC moulds so I get one PB for every three GC and that is right use ratio for me for those designs.

However for some people the two or more boolit design per mould could be just what they need.

[Lloyd Smale]

I did that alot when i was buying ballistic cast molds. there expensive and i hated to buy a mold that expensive and find the bullet was a dud in my guns so id have it cut with two differnt bullets. IF i found they were good bullets then i would have another mold cut with the same two bullets so i could run them both at the same time. If not id have another mold cut with the one bullet that was good. It also worked well for me with rilfe bullets. I dont shoot near as much cast rifle as i do cast handgun so i dont need the higher production. It also works well for really large bullets like the 475 and 500s and even the larger 4570 bullets as those molds tend to overheat fast and leave spots not totaly filled out. What i would do with those is just use them as a single cav mold casting the side i wanted at the time or if i wanted both still cast as a single cavity but rotate each time which side i filled.

[rintinglen]

I might give it a try in a four cavity mold, where each design was a two cavity, but I can't honestly say that any of my molds gets used exactly the same as (or even nearly the same) as another. For me, time is the deciding factor. I like casting: it is relaxing and allows me to pretend I am saving money (curse you, Miha Previc). But I love my grandchildren, and I still work for a living, and I do want to shoot some of these beauties I have cast up, so dinking around with a one cavity mold just doesn't enter the picture. For others, things may be different, but in my life right now, two one cavity molds in the same block would be silly.