Anyone still use the "cheaper" 2 cav Lee molds??

[Brother_Love]

When I started casting in the early 80s that all I could afford. I had great success with them in 357 & 44 Mag. I am thinking of trying one now in 30 caliber. If it does work I am out less than 20 bucks.

Anyone still using them?

Thanks, Malcolm

[WVHunter129]

That is all I have been using for 9mm, 38/357 and 45 is LEE molds. Just bought a 30 caliber mold to load for my 308.

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[largom]

I have a couple of Lee 30 cal. molds and they shoot good, not the best but OK. The Ranch Dog 165 gr. mold is very good. As with any mold/boolit, your gun will tell you what it likes.

Larry

[captaint]

First mold I ever bought was a Lee 2cav for the 45ACP. Still work fine. They just don't last forever, that's all...

[ScottJ]

I'm only 3 years into this game and have more Lee molds than anything else. I have great success with them.

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[Pete P]

I like their two cavity molds more than the six cavity. I would like to see them make a four cavity mold using the six cavity handels, steel locating pins and the steel spruce. Sounds like I need to by one from one of the custom makers.

[Guesser]

All my Lee molds are single and double cavity, as well as all my Lyman/Ideal and RCBS/Ohaus. I prefer single cavity due to the fact that every boolit is the same.

[Ola]

I have couple of those. Like the 9mm 124 gr tumble lube but dislike the .430 240 gr tumble lube. In fact a have no need for other 9 mm mold. I just cast it couple of times a year and have excellent supply of high quality bullets.

For .44 mag I use mainly other molds.. IMO the bigger the boolit the more difficult LEE double is to cast consistently. I've been practicing with it lately and the last patch does not seem to be too bad at all. Maybe I'll get there..

So if I was in OP's situation, hmmm... it's "only" .30 cal, so probably I would give Lee a chance.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The term you should be using is "inexpensive". These molds are priced so that anyone can afford them. Yes they don`t last forever and won`t last very long if you don`t know how to use them. If you think they are junk then go buy some of Lyman`s current molds. Aluminum is used by many mold makers, so perhaps you should look before you speak.Robert

[Brother_Love]

Thanks everyone. I ordered one and I hope it does as well as the ones I had/have in the eighties. I still have the 38 wadcutter mold from the 80s and there is no telling how bullets have been cast with it.

I ordered the 200 gr 30 cal mold for my 30/06 rifles.

Robert, did not mean to get your dander up. I was not slamming the molds, just wanted to see if others were still using them.

Malcolm

[geargnasher]

If you have trouble casting good boolits from a Lee two-cavity mould, don't blame the mould. Some sort of sprue plate lube like Bullplate or Randyrat's zip lube is essential for the alignment points so it locks up the same each time you close it, and every once in a while a bad one gets turned out because they don't seem to have a QC department at Lee, but I have a whole fleet of their moulds and they all cast excellent boolits.

Gear

[Dman4321]

Lee is all I have for molds. I cannot justify the current expense for more expensive molds, while still being able to buy everything else i need to reload, especially being recently married. I know they wont last forever, but if i can keep a few of mine around for 5-10 years, I will be(hopefully!) in a better position to upgrade my molds, and will be able to justify the increased cost. I dont have anything but great luck with my lee single and double cavity molds. I did buy two molds that needed a bit if work on the venting lines, but it took an hour or so and some very careful scraping with a scribe. Now they all cast well, and as long as a little lube is used, they seem to show no signs of wear after a couple of years.

[pdawg_shooter]

Just looked, 16 1 and 2 cavity Lee molds I use all the time.

[rexherring]

Yup, all I have is single and doubles. I don't like all the fuss with the 6 cav. pre-heating, etc. I just keep about three molds going at once, sometimes four or 5 molds. I can still put out a lot of boolits that way and not overheat them.

[Brother_Love]

I am also glad I have a LEE bottom pour pot. When I started back there in the 80's I had a Lee dipper and a iron skillet on a Coleman camp stove:cry:. I was young then and that heat did not bother me as much then[smilie=s:.
Malcolm

[excess650]

One of my favorite molds is a Lee C-309-150-F SINGLE CAVITY! I've purchased several double cavity molds (all 30-cal) over the past year, and they have all been pretty good. Bull Plate is a must!

Lyman? I've purchased several over the past couple of years, and again, all 30cal. There was not a bad one in the bunch. 311644, 311672, 311299, 311679.
The 311299 and 311672 both cast .3095-.310", but that suits me and my rifles just fine.

[Larry Gibson]

I've several single cavity Lee moulds i got back in the '70s. They still work fine. I've not had a Lee mould go south om me yet. I don't use a knocker to knock the sprue plate open, I use a heavy leather work glove on my right hand to break open and cut the sprue off. Ithink more moulds get beat to death from opening the sprue plate than anything else.

Larry Gibson

[6.5 mike]

What Larry said.

[Bullet Caster]

I've got 4 Lee moulds. Two are .45 and one in 9mm. The other is a .30 for my AK-47. They're all double cavity. I'm thinking of trading my .452 255 gn. mould for a .30 cal. 200 gn. if anyone wants to do a trade. BC

[Elkins45]

I started casting in 1988. I bought my first non-Lee mold in 2010. If it weren't for the Lee molds Inseriously doubt I would have ever started casting.

I used one last weekend.

[Chamfered]

I have some molds from all the major makers, and you have to admit that you always at least get your money's worth from Lee. I mainly buy from Natchez and they seem to have the basement price on them. True, they won't last for ever, but if you take care to keep screws tight , plates lubed and any galling cleaned up with greeny style scrubbers, you'll get alot of bullets out of them. I still use an old 2 cavity 45cal 172gr single lube groove round nose mold that is one of the first molds I ever bought. It's was my favorite IPSC bullets used in club shoots in the 90's and is still my go to plinker now.

[Wolfer]

Bought my first one in the 70s, bought several since, still got em all except the first one. Met a guy I thought needed it worse than me and gave it to him.
Likes already been said, I never would have got started if not for that first 12 dollar mold.

[John Boy]

Have 74 molds and 12 Lee's. They work for me

[plainsman456]

I have a few and they work fine for me.
9MM and some 35 caliber molds for the 357.

[tuckerdog]

most of the lee's i've bought have been pretty good but the last two I've had problems with the sprue plate not laying flush with the blocks and alloy getting under. going to try 200 rfp 44 in 6 cav they look as if they might be a littke better quality and I shoot gobs of them anyway

[Good Cheer]

Still have the first 150 grain round nose from 1976. Best slug I ever found for my flintlock 9mm dueling pistol.

[Herb3]

I have the Lee 356-120-TC and the 356-102-1R. I would not trade the 120 for anything. It casts beautiful boolits and it is unbelievably accurate in my CZ-75. The 102 I have not had much luck yet in getting it to produce good boolits for my CZ-83.

[canyon-ghost]

Even though I collect Lymans and RCBS molds, I have some Lee molds too. All of mine are two cavity because I ladle pour.

[MtGun44]

+1 on 356-120-TC being a great 9mm boolit.

I think a far, far shorter list would be to ask who did not use a Lee 2 cav.

Bill

[41mag]

I started out last year with a couple of 2 cavity as well as three 6 cavity Lee molds. I knew I would use the 6's for more shooting and the doubles were more or less "try before you buy" deals. I poured up a couple hundred with the doubles then ordered the 6 cavity ones for production.

Now when I pour up ingots or blend an alloy, I use the doubles to cast test boolits for hardness checks on the alloy. I throw a dozen of them and always have them on hand when I decide to pour later on. It at least gives me an idea of what to expect on down the road.

I think last count I was up to around a dozen and a half Lee's total.

[Wilsknife]

My favorite is the Lee 356-102-2r. I wish they still made the 6-cavity version. I'm parting with a Lyman 356402 because the bullets it produces don't fit for any of the calibers I load.
Although I like the feel of the Lyman. I also have three Devastator molds in 9mm, 44 mag, and 45 acp. They work great!

Happy casting to all!!!

[Bob Krack]

I have about 45 moulds, 1 Accurate Mold, 2 NEI, 2 RCBS, 2 Cap'n Morgan (one donated for site use), 2 Theprofessor (both donated for site use), 4 OHAS, 3 LYMAN, and about 30 LEE single, double, and 6 cavity (and Ranch Dog).

The future inventory will include maybe a few custom (MiHec, NOE, Buffalo, and ?) and mostly LEE.

Not braggin nor complainin, just answerin yur question.

Bob

[Beekeeper]

I just counted them.
I have 25 Lee molds and they all work fine.
Some have taken a little Leementing to get them like I want them but they all work good now.
Bought my first one 15 years ago on a bet and have been using them ever since.
For the money they are the best buy around.


beekeeper

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Since the Lee 2 cav. is kind of an entry level mold,
and nearly every caster has used them,
there is something kitchy about them even if you can afford
the expensive custom molds.
Jon

[fcvan]

My first mold was a Lee .356 125 2R round nose for 9mm. I have cast somewhere around 500k with this mold. It cast at around .359 so it has been my main boolit for .38SP. After 25 years the sprue plate screw stripped out so I drilled and replaced with a SS bolt and we are back in business. This mold looks like hell but casts like a dream. Then I have bought a few more over the years.

.309 120 RNGC for .30 Carbine/30-30 plinker
.309 150 FNGC for 30-30
.356 102 RN for .380
.356 120 TC for 9MM, .38 (casts also about .359)
.358 105 SWC for .380, 9MM, and ,38SP
.358 158 SWC GC for .38/,357
.358 158 SWCHP GC for .38/.357
.358 158 RF for .38/.357
.401 145 SWC for .40S&W/10MM/38-40
.401 175 TC for .40/10MM/38-40 (actually bought 2)
.429 240 SWC GC for .44 SP/Mag
.450 200 RN Conical for BP revolver (casts large enough for .45ACP/Colt)
.450 200 RNHP Conical (same as above)
.452 200 SWC for .45ACP/Colt
.452 200 RN for .45ACP/Colt
.452 230 RN for .45ACP/Colt
.452 255 RF for .45 Colt
.452 300 RFGC for .45 Colt
.454 Round Ball for BP Revolver (great in the Colt)
.501 440 RFGC for .500S&W

I also have some non-Lee molds as Lee didn't make what I wanted
Lyman .410 220 TCGC for .41Mag
Lyman .225 55 225415 for .223

20 Lee, 2 Lyman. I have 4 more Lee molds I'm dying to pick up and maybe a 5th one. Make that 6, but that is today. I can see several 'nice to have' but not 'need to have' FRank

[bearcove]

Its just a tool to do a job. And a cost effective one at that.

Compared to a NOE rg2 or 4 in brass it looks kind of shabby, But you can buy 8 or 10 for the same money.

[excess650]

I just bought a couple more. Both are .30cal spitzers listed for the 7.62x39, and both are casting nice, round boolits without sticking in the cavities.

[LeadBrain]

I have many, all work well. I just wish they had more bullet choices. Ranch Dog and Hollow Point Mold service have helped expand the choices.

[melter68]

I have many lyman, ideal and middlefield, ohaus molds, but i use the lee double cavity mold for 357 with a gas check.
Remember lee are not cheap, more like affordable, good quality for the working class.

Hope this helps from england