Mold for #1 buck out there ??

[thumper,eh?]

I've been looking hi and lo for a #1 buck mold similar to the Lee 00 buck mold that will make a bunch at a time. I've tried using a Lee .31 ball mold but after four or five hours of casting 2 at a time, you have enough buckshot to make maybe ONE whole box of shells. This doesn't work for me. Cranking out 6 to 12 at a time would be much better. Do any of the custom builders offer ball molds in .30 cal ? Anyone out there making something that will cast in quantity so I can work up some 12 ga loads without spending weeks just making the raw materials ?

I found one thread indicating someone was preparing to make custom molds for round ball but the thread seems to have died before it got far enough to be of help to me. If I've missed other relevant threads, please point me in the right direction.

Thanks for the help.

[wlc]

See this thread: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?197139-HM²-00-Buck-12-cav-2nd-Run JT made a couple of runs of OO buck molds. I PM'ed him and he did say he would do me a #1 buck mold. I just haven't followed through. If you contact him and he has time to do them let me know and I'll get mine at the same time so as to make the set up more worth his time.

[jmort]

I use the Sharpshooter Molds. Have a #1 and a #000 mold. Both for around $80.00 delivered. Great deal in my book. There is a large sprue that bothers some, not me. Dump them back in the pot.Really happy with the molds.
http://www.buckshotmold.com/

[thumper,eh?]

Thanks for the heads up. I've seen those Sharpshooter molds. Jmortimer, do you have to wear gloves while using those molds ? Seems like those handles are a lot more abbreviated than RCBS, Lee, Lyman and such. Wlc, that was the thread I recall watching. I'll have to try the PM and will share with you what I find.

[jmort]

I wear gloves regardless, but the handles have been "upgraded" - i.e. they are bigger because users felt too much heat. The video link on the site shows them in action. Here is link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kCPXyxysu4o

[dbosman]

For anyone needing very high quality flush cutters, or man sized flush cutters, Diamond Tool and Horseshoe make two sizes, that I know of.
SS57FP D13457-10 Roughly 7" long
SS58FP D13458-10 Roughly 8" long

I used to have a manufacturing operation that required ordering by the dozen, so I don't know where you'd get them today.

Crescent makes a man size pair as well.

[jmort]

They sent me some Harbor Freight flush cutters for free with the molds. I like the idea of an upgrade. Thanks for the info.

[thumper,eh?]

Good info, thanks. Those snips in the video work better than the ones I used with the Lee. Got to get a set of those and figure out what I'm going to do. I'm hoping the #1 stacks a lot better than the 00.

[Buckshot Bill]

I have a sharpshooter mold too, it's a good mold but like some others the large sprues and lack of sprue cutter bothers me so I'm trying to talk a machinist friend of mine into making me a couple buck molds up with sprue cutters.

[Ole]

I have a sharpshooter mold in #1 buck but would gladly pay $40++ for a Lee 18 banger version of the same size.

ARE YOU READING THIS LEE PRECISION? :mrgreen:

[RMc]

Frankly, a Lee Precision 6 cavity buckshot mold would be easier to work with and cast just about as fast. Given the space available in the standard 6 cavity Lee Precision mold block, there would probably be room for 8 smaller buckshot size cavitities.

Track of the Wolf has these as small as .375" (just right for the 10 gauge crowd)

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1202/1/LEE-375-6C

[skiforce75]

Frankly, a Lee Precision 6 cavity buckshot mold would be easier to work with and cast just about as fast. Given the space available in the standard Lee Precision mold block, there would probably be room for 8 buckshot size cavitities. I have the lee 311 ball mold and after looking at it I would say they could have 6 cavities but 8 would not work. Boy would it be nice to have 6 pieces of buckshot each turn even if it meant I had to cut them apart. Time to email Lee and wait for their "We are too busy right now" response.

[wbwizzard]

I have a six cavity .31 RB mould I bought on ebay. It was made by NEI and drops perfect round balls with no spru needed to be cut off. I have tried loading these balls in 12, 20 and 410 but have not been able to come up with a good way to stack them and get good use of the space. What are you planning to do with them?

[pipehand]

wbwizzard, what do you mean about good use of the space? A bunch of us use .311" rb's in a trap wad in 12 gauge, stacking 3 layers of three. I water drop mine for hardness and they pattern much better than standard 00 buck factory rounds.

A lot of times, I break out the Lee 2 cav mould, and use it with a mould that requires a longer cooling time, like the larger 45 cal molds. No time lost that way. Managed to accumulate 65 pounds of .311" shot without spending a lot of $ for a mold. That said, I still need to get a SkiesUnlimited F buck mold for predator loads. There's 42 of those .22" pellets per ounce, and I don't think a 2 cavity would be enough in this lifetime.

[220swiftfn]

I have the lee 311 ball mold and after looking at it I would say they could have 6 cavities but 8 would not work. Boy would it be nice to have 6 pieces of buckshot each turn even if it meant I had to cut them apart. Time to email Lee and wait for their "We are too busy right now" response.

Check out Skiesunlimited, 20 per pour........ I have his OO, 1, 2, and 4, so I guess you could say I'm happy with them!!!


Dan

[wbwizzard]

Thank you pipehand! I remember trying that and I thought it bulged the wad too much. I guess I didn't put enough effort into it. I am excited with the possibilities!

[RMc]

#1B fans check out this thread for a high performance, pressure tested load.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?92396-High-Performance-buckshot