Lee molds?

[flyfrod]

I just cast my first boolits last night and got abiut 50% that came out good. I measured the bullets today and noticed that they .003 bigger than what I need them to be, which isn't a problem as I will size them. Is this a typical thing for lee molds? I ask becauce I'm casting for 2 9mm that measure .357 so I went with a .358 mold. Could I use a .356 mold and get a .358 boolit?

[Von Dingo]

Thats a bunch of shooting in the dark.

[GL49]

I have 8 lee moulds. New out of the box, casting using clip-on wheel weights as an alloy, six cast undersize, two would cast right on the advertised size. What's your alloy?

[fredj338]

Few molds cast the exact dia bullet you want. The actual mold size, casting temp & alloy affect final size. Why many of us use a luber/sizer for the final product.

[stubshaft]

Welcome to the Lee Lottery. If it casts a boolit that is the right diameter you win. If you get the right diameter AND the right weight it is a bonus.

Seriously though, you can buy 2 identical Lee molds and have them drop two different diameter/weight boolits.

[zuke]

If your that worried about that,size'em all.

[Sonnypie]

I really stopped worrying about what they drop at.
I size everything.
It's my assurance that they are all being loaded at a certain diameter, and my guns aren't being used as a sizing die with wildly swinging pressures.
Every once in a while I hit one that takes more "umph" to size it. That's when I smile and think, "That is why I size everything."
Using a consistent alloy helps as well.