New to casting.do I order RCBS or Lyman steel molds?

[WildcatFan]

I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it. I don't want aluminum. RCBS or Lyman?

I'll load:
.38/.357 (158g)
.45ACP (230g)
.44Mag
30-30WCF

Thx,
Alex

[Alchemist]

I've had better luck with RCBS moulds overall. You may have different results. Also, you may like the designs of one company over the other. I realize this may not be much help, but I'd go with what you want in a boolit design. One other option is to go to the boolit exchange and try to obtain some samples of designs you want to try.

Good luck.

BTW, one of the better designs for the .30-30 (IMO) is the NOE version of the Ranch Dog 165 gr. I'm sure you have your reasons for not wanting aluminum, but the NOE moulds are top notch and will last you a lifetime with proper use.

[jmort]

"I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it"

Lyman molds are made from steel not sure about any others. RCBS are cast iron. I would suggest NEI or Accurate.

[462]

Why have you eliminated aluminum moulds?

Given that both Lyman and RCBS have boolit designs that meets your criteria, I suggest RCBS. Their warranty, customer service, and reputation can't be beat. Sadly, the same can't be said for Lyman.

[williamwaco]

I have used lots of molds.
Both iron and aluminum.
( never brass )

Choose your bullet design first.
Then select the manufacturer.

[WildcatFan]

Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum."

[williamwaco]

Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum."


They are not as durable as iron but they don't rust either.
I, for one, really like them.

I use the 2 cavity Lee molds as a disposable supply.

They will cast five to ten thousand bullets with reasonable care, then toss them and get another.
If you really treat them nice, they will last for many years.

[Sweetpea]

For the options you've given, go with RCBS.

If you really don't mind paying for quality, try one of the custom makers.

I have quite a few aluminum molds. They can be quirky, sure... but so are brass and iron, just a little different.

IMHO, iron is the easiest to learn with.

Brandon

[jmort]

"Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum.""

Ha - you are kidding, right?

[WildcatFan]

"Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum.""

Ha - you are kidding, right?

About what? What THEY SAID AFTER YEARS OF EXPERIENCE?! No. Not a bit. I wasn't the one saying it, so why would I be kidding?

[country gent]

I have lyman rcbs hoch brooks and lee molds all will have their quirks as all will have their plusses. Its not always the equipment but the person behind it. Its more mindset than equipment. Quality e1uipment is a plus but quality is where you find it. Not always cost or materials.

[RobS]

Agreed on finding the design you want however Lyman's quality control has been lacking lately with molds casting undersized (roll the dice). There are members here who make them work by using tin in their alloys etc. and casting at the perfect temp but for me I wouldn't buy a current Lyman mold rather I would go custom for a little bit extra cost and make sure I get exactly what I want while having boolits drop as intended with the the alloy I cast with (usually straight WW alloy).

As to iron vs aluminum I have no issues with quality aluminum molds; heck even the softer Lee aluminum molds will last a very, very long time with care and sprue/alignment pin lube. Currently, I now only have aluminum molds; I prefer the lighter multi cavity molds vs other mold material.

However, if I had a choice between Lyman and RCBS it would be RCBS all the way due to better quality control and a rock solid customer support service.

[TXGunNut]

Boolit design is more important than the color of the box it's shipped in. I have a few Lyman steel moulds but most of my moulds are aluminum, many of those are made by Lee for Ranch Dog. For some reason I don't have any RCBS moulds but I suspect they're top quality, just like anything else they make.
Going into something as complicated as boolit casting with prejudices is a sure-fire way to learn some hard lessons.
Lee does indeed make some inexpensive moulds but even the lowly 2-cav is capable of dropping excellent boolits. Recent production even has the alignment pins found on more expensive moulds. I've even purchased one just to see how a boolit functioned in my 45acp, then bought the 6-cav to boost my production rate. I'll never be a commercial caster, aluminum moulds will probably meet my needs as long as I care to use them, with proper care and maintenance.

[USAFrox]

The only mould I have currently that casts finned bullets is my only RCBS iron mould. All of my lee aluminum moulds work great. I'll never buy an RCBS mould again. My 2 cents.

[MT Chambers]

Lyman's 311041, 429421, and 452460 are kinda standards for the 30/30, the .44, and the .45 Auto, although the latter is the 200 gr. swc.....they are all great bullets for me, and I agree with you, if I could have all my molds in iron or brass I'd be happy!

[hermans]

I have both, RCBS and Lyman. The RCBS molds are of good quality and they cast perfect boolits, I cannot say the same of my Lyman molds. They are made cheaper and with not the same amount of attention to detail.

[fryboy]

first .. my usage of tools may or may not match yours .... your driving habits and mine assure that we'll get different mileage ... ie; YMMV ( your mileage may vary ) same can be stated for molds ....
sadly all any of us can offer is our opinions and what works for us - all of that may work for you or none of it may work for you leaving me to suggest that while we all ( including those who state aluminum molds are junk ) offer our opinions they are just that , worse on the web people have no problem lambasting things they couldnt get to work be the fault the item or their own use of it ( usually the latter ) ..in case you're wondering where this is leading it's the aluminum molds aspect , many great molds have been turned out by top names/manufacturers in aluminum , if it was junk rest assured they wouldnt keep using it - period ! it's just as easy to ruin a brass or iron/steel mold as it is a aluminum one , i'd suggest a cheap lee to get started because if one messes it up it's the cheapest and i'd rather trash a $16 dollar mold than a $ 100 one ( if i had to trash one that is ... )
as stated find the mold you want and then settle on the maker , the idea of posting a "want to try a few" idea is a great one !! and is a way to find out if a particular mold is right for your gun ( never mind what i want it's the gun that decides what it likes ..and if i dont listen to my gun i'll never get it right ...)
i like some of both lyman and rcbs ( not to mention quite a few other makers' models as well ) i cant limit myself to but one kind of food - why should i feed my barrel but one choice ? the newer lymans may or may not be up to size ( depends upon the cherries/cutters and operator ) rcbs also has the same issues but a better customer service , to be fair i've had few dealings with lyman's customer service and the two newer molds i've acquired from them has been spot on and quite often you can find a older one here in the S&S section
speaking of lyman ... and 45 acp 230 grainers .... my 452-374 is one of my most used ( and loved ) molds , in fact either the 4 cav or the 2 cav puts out sweet boolits with just about every cast , i dont know what i'd do without it !! it's single cavity counter part in HP ( 452-374 DV ) is a bit more finicky because of the hollow point pin but i've sat and cast with it all afternoon before using two pots and back to back and had very few culls ( once warmed up properly that is )
biggest problem with iron/steel molds is rust ,aluminum doesnt have that problem [shrugz]

[41 mag fan]

Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum."

You sure you wasn't on a different site?? Or something?? Go take a look in the group buys section....you'll see 2 types of metal used and a close to yrs wait on the group buys.
1. Aluminum
2. Brass

I'm sure there's members on here who only buy iron molds. But you sure don't see much posting by them on here. 90% of the posts relate to aluminum molds.
I'd take an aluminum mold any day over a iron or steel mold.
And a brass mold over aluminum.
I'd also take a mold by Accurate or NOE over an RCBS or Lyman

[longbow]

My suggestion is to look here:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/

You can get iron or brass if you don't like aluminum. Tom's quality and service is second to none and he will make pretty much anything you want that will cast exactly to the size you want.

I tend to agree with you on aluminum moulds. Nothing really wrong with a good aluminum mould and I have two NOE moulds that are very good. I just prefer iron or brass.

However, just in case, you might want to check out NOE's site and Mihec's site as they both have very good moulds and Mihec makes brass moulds as well. They normally produce moulds for group buys but often have leftovers and sell those out of stock.

I will echo above comments on new Lyman moulds. They do not seem to have the quality of older Lyman moulds and often cast undresize. Which brings up a point ~ slug your bores and order accordingly. You want at least 0.001" over actual groove diameter. More is usually better then you can size to suit. For instance, my Lyman 429421 SWC casts exactly 0.429" so is useless for my Marlin with 0.4315" groove diameter. I didn't slug the bore before buying the mould and I didn't think that the mould would cast exactly 0.429". Alloy change might bring it up a thou or so but still too small. I bought Mihec moulds that cast 0. 433". My gun is happy!

Longbow

[462]

Boolit casting requires:
1. An open mind.
2. Experimentation.
3. Patience.

Elimination of an open mind -- in this case, the refusal to consider an aluminum mould -- is a severe constraint on one's ultimate success and end results.

[GLL]

If you are looking to buy new molds and LYMAN & RCBS are your ONLY options I would go with RCBS ! I no longer buy new LYMAN molds !

BUT, There are many old IDEAL/LYMAN molds out there that are of great quality and the bullet design selection is extensive.

My very favorite iron molds are a few H&G and Ballisticast 4-cavity designs ! Ballisticast is having production problems now though !

Try an RCBS 44-250-KT(SWC) iron mold if you can borrow one ! You will be impressed ! :)
http://www.fototime.com/2CB4022C53F7A88/standard.jpg


Jerry

[fcvan]

Yup, those cheap Lee 2 bangers are cheap 'stuff' that don't hold up. My first one (356-125 2R) I bought in 1985. After casting over 500k with it, I had to replace the sprue plate screw. No, I didn't shoot all 500 thou, I used to trade boolits for powder and primers. I probably only shot half of them. I used to have an unlimited supply of range lead and cast a minimum 2k a week and was shooting 1000-1200 a week when I was training.

I was a little disappointed that $20 mold didn't last forever without maintenance. After all, isn't everything supposed to last forever? If this mold breaks again and I can't fix it, I may just buy another one. I'm not casting and shooting 1000/week like I used to, maybe the next mold will last longer than the first one. I've got a few of those $20 Lee molds, I didn't let that one bad experience sour me too much on the cheap Lee molds.

:)

[John Boy]

These are 9.5x47R bullets from a single cavity Accurate aluminum mold that I deemed to cast perfectly & be perfect bullets:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Martini%20Schuetzen%20Rifle/IMGP1505.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Martini%20Schuetzen%20Rifle/IMGP1506.jpg
* 04 bullets = 209.8 - 209.9
* 96 bullets = 210.4 - 210.8

I have over 200 different brand molds in steel - brass and aluminum.

"Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum.""
If your "knowledgeable" friends, who are full of meadow muffins past their eyeballs, can identify a better mold - tell them to let me know!

PS: The 9.5x47R brass 2X cavity Accurate mold casts and produces bullets the same quality as the aluminum one

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I have about 100 molds. At least 25 are aluminum. All of them work fine. Even the cheap Lee ones. I always take a little time to de-burr all my new molds, regardless of who makes them.

[montana_charlie]

I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it.
Your only reasonable option is to order custom-made moulds for each caliber you want to cast for.
That way, if a mould doesn't meet your expectations, you can have it redone until it does.

CM

[ColColt]

If you don't mind putting a little money into a mould that will outlast you and give superb performance, try a Mihec mould. I got this four banger in 200 gr 45 ACP in a group buy and it cast beautiful and accurate bullets.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4190a.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4190a.jpg.html)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4187a.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4187a.jpg.html)

Tom of Accurate Moulds likewise makes some works of art. This 44 Mag 260 gr mould has given me the tightest groups to date with the M29. Yeah, it's brass, too. Maybe I'm prejudiced.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4155a.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4155a.jpg.html)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4154a.jpg (http://s180.photobucket.com/user/ColColt/media/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4154a.jpg.html)

I have about four aluminum moulds from Lee, Accurate Moulds and NOE that produce just as good bullets as the rest and wouldn't hesitate getting another. Don't discount an aluminum mould unless you've tried them.

[Larry Gibson]

I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it. I don't want aluminum. RCBS or Lyman?

I'll load:
.38/.357 (158g)
.45ACP (230g)
.44Mag
30-30WCF

Thx,
Alex

I own lots of both and find the quality of both to be excellent. Lyman's quality gets bashed for so called undersized cavities. I have not found that to be the case. I've a standing offer to buy any Lyman that will not cast to nominal diameter with the right alloy and casting techniques. I have tested quite a few and haven't bought one. I do have an RCBS that does not cast to nominal though. I have had more problems with custom, group buy and high end moulds than with Lyman or RCBS moulds.

I also have a lot of aluminum moulds and if used correctly they last indefinitely. All of the makers have good warranties and I've always gotten good service. I do not hesitate to get either Lyman or RCBS moulds if the bullet is the one I want.

Larry Gibson

[ColColt]

My 429421 mould would cast undersize using wheel weights..if you consider .428" undersize and I did since I needed .432 for my Model 29. No problem, sent it off to Erik who enlarged the bands. Beagling would have worked too but, it was more of a pain than just getting the mold permanently fixed.

[Larry Gibson]

WW alloy is not the alloy Lyman moulds are designed for. Ergo "shooter error" is the problem, not a faulty mould casting undersize. Had a proper alloy been used that mould would have dropped bullets at .429 minimum which is nominal. Also we really shouldn't expect a mould sold as a ".429xxx" to cast at .432, especially with WW alloy. Some will, some come close with correct alloys but most don't regardless of mould make with WWs.

Larry Gibson

[fatelk]

Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum."

Please don't take offense that everyone is calling out your buddies that hate aluminum molds. As has been said, everyone has their opinions, and there are plenty of gun and reloading myths out there that good people believe and repeat wholeheartedly. I expect that those who have told you to stay away from aluminum molds may have plenty of experience and are likely good folks, but to categorically say that aluminum molds are no good is just plain wrong. Perhaps they got a bad one once and never looked back, or maybe they only ever used steel and are making assumptions.

Either way, there is a huge amount of casting knowledge on this site, many hundreds of years of combined experience and experimentation. I've learned a ton since I've been here, and gave up on more than a few preconceived notions. I'm still an amateur compared to some of these guys, but I have a bunch of molds from cheap Lee 2-cavities, to nice old H&G molds, and a few others in between. Most of them can be made to produce first-class bullets.

Personally, I think I like my old Lyman 2 cavity molds best in .44 and .45, but have a six cavity Lee in .38 cal that I like a lot too. I'm not a real big fan of tumble-lube designs, but that's just my opinion - some folks love them. I did talk to one guy once who said Lee aluminum molds were garbage because he tried a tumble lube mold and despised the sticky tumble lube process.

[warf73]

I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it. I don't want aluminum. RCBS or Lyman?

I'll load:
.38/.357 (158g)
.45ACP (230g)
.44Mag
30-30WCF

Thx,
Alex

If you don't mind paying the cash, then go with Tom at Accuate molds. Head over to his site http://www.accuratemolds.com/ and pick your design. Only 1 warning with Accuate molds............. you can't just buy one lol

[grubbylabs]

Not sure what your buddies have against aluminum but my aluminum molds cast just as well as my brass molds. I too have read many complaints about Lyman's quality control, sadly I have found it to be true.
Buy what ever material you like, but don't be afraid to try something out for your self. I am sure that if you get a nice custom aluminum mold and you don't like it some one her will be happy to buy it

[gunoil]

my lymans are the best, i have a NOE. I would try brass mold but dont know enough. I quit useing lee and went to NOE. I want more lymans, but bullet choice and finding them.! I have bought blank molds from NOE and turned them out locally. I dont cast but 4 pistol calibers. Starting to buy boxes of 1000 to mix in with my cast. I do not lube i coat bullets with hi-tek. And dont forget the sizing.

[Wally]

I use Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, & Lee molds. I enjoy using the Lee molds as they are lighter and have better balance. Cast with any for a few hours I think you'll agree that the Lee DC are much more comfortable. With reasonable care, they are just as good as any of the others IMHO. I started with them and I still use them the most often.

[engineer401]

I've had better luck with RCBS molds. Lyman molds will probably serve you well. The RCBS bullets seem to measure larger than those cast in Lyman molds. I've converted almost entirely to RCBS molds after trying several brands.

[MtGun44]

Neither are "steel". Lyman is fairly soft iron and RCBS is very hard subset
of cast iron called Mehanite. RCBS are extremely well made molds, Lyman are
very good in my experience, but some complain about as cast diameter and I have
had some issues there, too.

Aluminum and brass molds work well, too.



Bill

['74 sharps]

I cast the most with Lyman molds, and never have had any issues with them.

[Southron]

First of all, I DO NOT LIKE ALUMINUM MOULDS, the only reason mould makers make them is because aluminum is a cheap metal to buy. I really feel sorry for those that have never had the pleasure of casting bullets using a good quality, lathe bored Brass Mould. I have been casting since 1962, so I know a little bit about casting bullets.

The ideal material from which to make moulds is BRASS, iron is next and aluminum is way down the list. Matter of fact, aluminum moulds lose over half their strength at regular casting temperatures.

Lathe Bored moulds are better than moulds made using "Cherrys" because the cavities of lathe bored moulds are 100% round and because each half of the cavity is exactly 50% of the entire cavity. You can't say the same about Cherry made moulds.

Anyway, I suggest you get a BRASS mould from Mountain Moulds. You will be happy with it:

http://www.mountainmolds.com/

[GP100man]

This Lyman design of the kieth boolit (the 1s on the rt.)


http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_1181.jpg (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/GP100man/media/102_1181.jpg.html)

Are very close to what Mr. Keith intended except , the nose is a bit long & the front band is undersized.

Now here`s NOEs design , full dia on all bands , (note the one on the left has been thru the sizer die), equal or wider front band & a slightly shorter nose. So even in the modern GP100 it givesa little "breathin room" to the end of the cyl.


http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_1250-1.jpg (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/GP100man/media/102_1250-1.jpg.html)

This boolit NOEs 358429 ,even with my mediocer marksmanship will out shoot the previous 1s
& the beauty of it is I can have that mold from a 2 cavity to a 5 cavity , I opted for the 5

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_1245.jpg (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/GP100man/media/102_1245.jpg.html)

Now , I started with a Lee 2 holer back in `83, no internet, no mentor nuttin but a 46th edition of the Lyman manual.

I beat ,I lubed & cast many boolits with that 44 mold & got better as I went , but the mold survived alot more than it should have !!

Now I treat em (all my molds) very differently , I close em on a flat peice of oak board , I keep em lubed with a good lube(Bull Plate) actually clean em after casting , oil em & the handles so no rust visits, keep em in a controlled atmosphere & some have cast thousands & look new !!

The NOE in that pic just finished 1K & was coolin to be cleaned.

1 note to keep molds fitting tite I feel is to have correct fitting handles , If the handles don`t fit & ya gotta fight a bit to getthe mold lined up & closed , that molds life will be greatly reduced weither it be cut from aluminum or steel !!

Here`s 1 more pic of some ole molds that got a bit rusty (before coming home) 357446 but the pin holes are not dinged or sloppy these molds are as good as the day they left !!

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_0489.jpg (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/GP100man/media/102_0489.jpg.html)

Look at the handles , they line up the halves perfect , but I still lay em on the plank!

[2AMMD]

I don't shoot competition so I don't need absolute perfection in my bullets (boolits). The Lee aluminum moulds I have bought, have been well made, and, while less expensive than others, have made consistant well cast boolits that shoot very well within my own ability. Used and cared for properly, they will cast many a boolit per $ for the mould cost. So don't exclude them based on general opinion. For those who cast and shoot thousands of rounds per year, the brass and steel moulds are probably a much better choice. For the average plinker/hunter like me, the aluminum moulds are more economical and cast consistantly enough for our needs. IMHO.
2AMMD

[MtGun44]

I cast in iron, mehanite, aluminum and brass molds. All work just fine, and I
think that the slams on aluminum are baloney. Aluminum works just as good as
other metals, but you do have to be more careful with brass and aluminum because
they are softer than iron or mehanite, so can dent easier if mistreated. If taken
care of, they will all last for decades.

Build quality of the particular mold is much more of an issue than material.

Bill

[Old Bear]

Hello,

I have been casting on and off for 40 years. I now need another .452 large-metplat Keith SWC mold for .45Colt. I read with interest about Lyman quality slipping and RCBS quality having mixed reviews.

In the past I have owned Lyman (first choice), T/C, and Lee 2-cavity molds. I own a few single cavity molds too. I find it amusing that some of you find that using even a 2-cavity mold to be much too slow. I suppose that it depends on your volume. A single cavity mold worked fine for me, but a 2-cavity is faster.

My favorite mold was the Lyman 452374, which casts a long round nose 230 grain bullet for .45 ACP. This bullet was extremely versatile for me, since I just wanted to shoot targets and tin cans. I used it with .22 RF salvaged lead and wheel weights. It served sized to .452 for .45 ACP, and unsized for .455 Webley and .45 Colt. The weight was a great compromise.

I own an Ideal .45-70 tong tool which incorporates the 500 grain .45-70 Government bullet. It's probably a hundred years old, has shed much nickel plating, is darkened, but casts perfect bullets. This says a lot about cast iron, I think.

About 4 years ago, I received a Lyman Cowboy mold in .429" but haven't used it, since I ended up selling my .44 magnum Marlin. Quality appears as good as the 1973 Lyman molds, but who knows until I use it.

For me, aluminum works well, but it depends on the maker. Lee molds are soft and require care. I don't expect them to last a lifetime. A couple of purple-anodized aluminum molds for maxi balls from Thompson Center from the 1970s are much harder and of better quality. They always surprised me in their durability.

I suppose that I will go with Accurate in a steel/cast iron mold. I won't be buying but a few more molds. They might as well be a sure thing.

[Browningshooter]

Aluminum is ****, according to everyone I've asked around here. They hate them. They've all said, "Save your money and get non-aluminum."

By "around here" do you mean this forum? I agree on the going by boolit design method of selection. I have several LEE molds as well as lyman and I love them both.
-will

[GLL]

If you don't mind paying the cash, then go with Tom at Accuate molds. Head over to his site http://www.accuratemolds.com/ and pick your design. Only 1 warning with Accuate molds............. you can't just buy one lol

Sure you can !
I bought one this week, one last week, and one the week before ! Easy ! :) :)

Jerry

[capt.hollis]

I will not buy another aluminum Lee mold. Granted Lee makes other great products, but not a mold in my opinion. Save you some grief, and buy a Lyman, or Rcbs, or something other than a LEE mold. There is a reason they are cheap. I wished I'd known the issues of a Lee mold before I started.

[warf73]

Sure you can !
I bought one this week, one last week, and one the week before ! Easy ! :) :)

Jerry


LOL Jerry.

Thats one way to only buy ONE

[mold maker]

I will not buy another aluminum Lee mold. Granted Lee makes other great products, but not a mold in my opinion. Save you some grief, and buy a Lyman, or Rcbs, or something other than a LEE mold. There is a reason they are cheap. I wished I'd known the issues of a Lee mold before I started.

You do have the right to your opinion, and to spend your money, where, and for what ever floats your boat.
I have molds of every material on the market, and cast equally good with each. It's more important that I do my part with the LEE aluminum molds than some of the rest, but I'm a determined crusty old geezer, and I like the savings. My parents taught me to adapt to what ever tool I used, and create success.

[Mal Paso]

Hello,

I read with interest about Lyman quality slipping and RCBS quality having mixed reviews.



I have not heard of quality issues with RCBS quite the reverse. The fact you are limited to 2 cavities was the only reason I never bought one.

[Elkins45]

Aluminum molds aren't as tolerant of physical abuse as iron or steel, but they don't require protection from rusting either. There is no difference in the potential quality of the boolets cast from a well made mold whether it be iron, steel, aluminum or brass. I have a handful of brass molds from MP and one from Mountain and they all cast beautifully.... they were also made by master craftsmen. I also have a buttload of Lee molds that were probably made by robots and they seem to cast just as well as long as you maintain correct temperature.

I started casting with a Lee two hole aluminum mold back in the 80s and that $20 mold was a great introduction to casting. I still have it today and it still works just fine. In recent years I have bought one new Lyman and two new RCBS molds. My impression from those purchases is that the RCBS are of higher quality. All I had to do was degrease them and start casting. The Lyman needed to be lapped before it would drop cleanly.

So my earnest advice is for you to balance what your friends have told you against what the enthuseasts on this site have to say. In a nutshell: manufacturing quality and bullet design matter more than the mold material. I would rather have a well made Al mold than a crappy, undersized steel one.

[Smoke4320]

The only mould I have currently that casts finned bullets is my only RCBS iron mould. All of my lee aluminum moulds work great. I'll never buy an RCBS mould again. My 2 cents.

have you tried contacting RCBS .. bet they will gladly replace the mold

[MtGun44]

RCBS gear is backed by their absolutely AMAZING guarantee. Send it back.

Bill

[Three44s]

Besides the testaments from many members about their experience with Lee molds .... if one does a search, one finds a lot of support in many other threads as to the success of Lee molds .... either factory numbers or RD versions ..........

......... it's pretty convincing.

As I already had some of those "cheap" Lee molds ........ I went to work with them as if I had no better sense and without surprise found my experience mirrors what other board members have to report:

The Lee molds are less expensive ........ go figure ............

The Lee molds need more care as to banging around and better attention to lubing the sprue .....

............ again, go figure .........

The Lee molds don't have the same degree of rusting issues as the iron molds do .... GO FIGURE!

I'll take that $20 mold and raise me some boolits .... a bunch of them thank you!

Now, if some don't want to go that direction that is fine with me ...... it leaves more of them $20 molds for the rest of us!

And the attributes of RCBS, Lyman and others .... for me, I have a new to me 477 series Mihec that I can't wait to work with ....... are not lost on me .... of the mass produced brands, I think I cherrish the RCBS the most and of the customs because of my limited experience ........ Mihec ...... the most.

Count me as Jesus ........... I love them all!

Three 44s

[40-82 hiker]

IMHO:

Pick one caliber and order an aluminum mold from Accurate and try it. You will not have to worry about undersize boolits, poor quality, etc. Given the specific alloy you order for, the cast boollit will be spot on. The price is very good for a custom mold.

I cannot think of a single thing that an aluminum mold should be shunned for. Aluminum molds are Tom's (Accurate) favorite according to his web site. He should know... I recently purchased my first aluminum mold from Accurate and it is the best mold I have.

Lyman is a **** shoot as to diameter.




I want quality and I'm willing to pay for it. I don't want aluminum. RCBS or Lyman?

I'll load:
.38/.357 (158g)
.45ACP (230g)
.44Mag
30-30WCF

Thx,
Alex