Better Lee sprue plate out there?

[Tonto]

Just finished a short casting session with both a NOE and Lee mould.....both for the 300 Blackout. The Lee is the Midway design and about 90% of the Lee bullets had finned bases. The sprue plate doesn't seem perfectly flat, I tried to true it up but wonder if anyone out the makes a better sprue plate for a Lee double cavity rifle mould. My search function is troublesome tonight for some reason so I'm just asking. Talk about apples and oranges too.....thanks in advance for any help.

[Buckshot]

................Rather then the SP not being perfectly flat, it could very well be that the tops of the blocks aren't of equal height. If all your finning is on side especially. I have a Lee group buy mould for a single cavity .462", 480gr HB for a MkI Martini. I've had it for a few years now, and got it out in anticipation of using it in the next couple of weeks.

I'm a bit bummed as it's not like you can simply see daylight under the sprueplate over one block half. I haven't measured it, but I'll bet the SP is standing a GOOD .015" - .020" ABOVE the opposing block half :roll: Since it's a HB it's a nose pour design. The bases of the blocks are flush but the tops are a real shame. If I sent it back to Lee they'd probably offer to supply a currently listed mould of my choice. Big help, that.

All I can see doing is to remove the upset aluminum over the handle pins, remove the blocks and HB assembly, then set them up in the mill and flycut the tops. Since it's the top of the blocks (and ergo, cavity) it may not have that much impact on overall accuracy, but DANG!

You can always send it back to whomever you bought it from for a replacement.

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

[Tonto]

Thanks for the response. The plate was warped and the flash was not consistent. I will go the Lee replacement parts route but was hoping someone here would be making heavier steel plates for a 2 cavity realizing it might cost more than the mould. I'm also going to try a coating of mold release on the top of the blocks and underside of the plate. I did put the plate in a vise and try and straighten it out and it helped but not completely. I was hoping this 300AAC design would have made a great pinker but time cleaning bases throws it out. I was also hoping the NOE gas check base tool might help. Tinkering.....

[Wally]

On Lee molds one can remove the sprue plate and sand the closed blocks (top) to make certain that they are even... I then re-attach the sprue plate and keep the screw loose enough so that the sprue plate can swing open by gravity. I run mine hot so I touch the opened sprue plate to a dampened sponge after so many casts (4 ~5) to prevent lead smearing. To keep the sprue plate screw from coming loose, I insert a mall strip of aluminum (from a beverage can) that will keep it "locked" in place. I lube the pivot after so many casts with a small piece of candle wax.

[leadman]

I also have removed the sprue plate and on a flat surface set a sheet of emery paper down and run the mold in a figure 8 until flat. Doing the figure 8 keeps pressure going around to all sides evenly.

You can also do the sprue plate this way. Do it first 'cuz the aluminum can stick to the paper.

I also have that sorry excuse for a mold from Midway. I have to hold the handles as tight as I can when filling or else the nose gets fins. Mine is also cut .020" off center so sometimes the boolits don't drop well.
Accuracy has been elusive with this boolit with the best coming at about 1,900 fps in my 30-06 at about 3" at 100 yards. That is 3 times the size of my best groups with a different boolit.

[R.M.]

The last 3 Lee 6-bangers I've bought new, had warped plates. I'm about done with Lee molds.

[MikeS]

Tonto: Actually what you need is a different tool from NOE, he makes a tool that trues the bases of cast boolits, specifically so gas checks will go on easier. Go to NOE's website, and look at the accessories page (I think that's what it's called).