Easy HP

[lastborn]

I am wanting to cast some hollow points for my Blackhawk 357 mag. What is the easiest HP mold to use and who makes it please. I have done much reading about how difficult it is to keep the pins and or mold hot enough to make GOOD bullets. Is this an exaggeration? Like most things in life, you can read all you want to, but until you "do it", you just don't know for yourself. That's why I would like to "hedge my bet", so to speak by starting out with what would be considered an easy mold to use by most. No more than two cavity.
Thanks

[paul h]

I've only cast from one hp mold, the mihek 2 cavity 359640 and to me it's just as easy to use as a conventional mold. The reason I'd been avoiding hp molds for years is they looked like too much effort and too slow of production. The cramer style hp cures that.

I didn't have any problem getting good bullets and was really suprised how easy the mold is to use.

[Huntducks]

I don't have a bit of trouble keeping them hot and casting good bullets (iron molds) I have 5 HP molds 2 in 358 -2 in 429- 1 in 452 two of my molds are H&G and I don't like there pin set up they get to hot as I don't cast with a gloves on, I like the Lyman with the wood handel the PITA with older molds are 1C but in my case I only use them for hunting bullets mainly the Lyman 429215 one of my H&G is a 51 with 2C but only one is HP.

Here is a pic. of some 429215HP I just casted about a month ago 1C took me like 30-40min to do 50 but i'm slow and i think I had 2 that I thru back.

[fredj338]

They all work. If you want volume, then a Mihec or HPMS Cramer style mold. I have no issues w/ the pins staying hot on any of my molds & I have quite a few HP designs. Even the single cav pin designs can do 200+/hr. Mor ethan enough for my needs.

[MDC]

The only one I have an issue with is Mihec's 41 mag HP mold with the original pins. It takes a bit to get it up and going but once it's hot all I have to do is keep my 10lb pot fed. The last time I cast with it I got almost 300 in just over an hour, including heating the mold.

[GLL]

I frequently ladle cast with single cavity HP molds and can do about 250 per hour (4 per minute) as long as you do not stop to admire your work ! :)
Casting HPs is really not very difficult if you have the right alloy temp and cycle rate !

If you use a 4-cavity MP mold you would have 700-800+ per hour with little trouble once you were up to temp.

Jerry

[EDK]

IF you want volume WITH good boolits, the MIHEC brass four cavity mould is the way to fly. I have hollow base wadcutter moulds in 357 and 44 and the 434640 round nose flat point in 44.

Get the mould warmed up, lube the pins with Miha's version of BULL PLATE, and get busy. THEN your problem is that a 20 pound pot ain't near big enough. I don't shoot much 357 and have a bunch of good 357 moulds from NOE, but the 359640 from Miha continues to call my name. The boolit and the mould are that good.

:redneck: :cbpour: :guntootsmiley:

[jlaudio29]

I dont think i could cast that fast, im for sure guilty of admiring my work! haha or more like quality control!

[geargnasher]

I dont think i could cast that fast, im for sure guilty of admiring my work! haha or more like quality control!

If you can't cast that fast don't try to cast HPs. Spend time admiring your work when it's DONE!

Gear

[HARRYMPOPE]

hollowpoint mold service's "Inset bar" is the best ever.I own over 20 HP and HB molds and always reach for those.I have sent many of my standard HP and HB molds to Erik to have them converted.Erik has in stock Lee's he converts in this fashion.They work very well and almost make you forget its a Lee mold.

George

[Gelandangan]

MP mold, absolutely!

They are a dream to cast with..

[fredj338]

I dont think i could cast that fast, im for sure guilty of admiring my work! haha or more like quality control!

QC is done later. The great part about casting, your mistakes just get recycled.

[Huntducks]

When I was younger I could cast real fast 40 years later i'm a lot slower, I think because i sit back in my chair and day dream about the days I could do it real fast.:grin:

[MikeS]

hollowpoint mold service's "Inset bar" is the best ever.I own over 20 HP and HB molds and always reach for those.I have sent many of my standard HP and HB molds to Erik to have them converted.Erik has in stock Lee's he converts in this fashion.They work very well and almost make you forget its a Lee mold.

George

+1 on Erik's mould modifications! I have 2 of the Lee 2 cavity moulds that he's modified with his v2 Inset Bar setup, and they actually cast faster than an unmodified Lee 2 cavity mould! I'm pretty sure Erik will do the mod to any Lee 2C mould, so if you have a particular Lee design in mind, send an email to him, and see what he says.

The only other HP moulds I've cast with are the Mihec Cramer style moulds, and they cast really nice as well. I think I prefer the inset bar over the Cramer style, but either is better than the Lyman style of removable pin single cavity moulds!

[Artful]

Just to mess you up - if you only want a few then consider drilling your HP