Good bye Bator............Hello NOE??????????

[bangerjim]

Just grabbed one of Swede's 5 cavity brass 55gn FP 224 molds and I LOVE it!

It casts boolits like they are supposed to look. And they fall out of the mold! I always hated that look of the round nose short Bator design. These look like some serious boolits.
143833

Got 500 of them BBDT's and 200 loaded for higher-end 22LR equivalent loads and will try them this weekend out to 100+ yards.

143834

bangerjim

[Bonz]

Awesome !!!

[1johnlb]

Hope to hear about the range report, I've got the same one, just haven't cast with it yet.

[Blackwater]

DAng it, Banger, you may well have just cost me some MONEY, guy! THANKS! ;)

[richhodg66]

I've had pretty good success with the Bator in .22 Hornet and with a 45 grain WFN plain based from NOE. I really can't see me needing another mold for .22 centerfire than those two, but your bullets do look interesting. I hope they work well and I look forward to hearing your results.

[GhostHawk]

While I pretty much agree with you on your intitial impressions. I have been finding that as long as I don't try to push it too fast it seems to work pretty well. I'm running mine over fairly moderate loads of Red Dot in the 4-6 grain range. My data says 8 gr is max load reaching 50k pressure.

As a matter of fact I just cast and loaded 50 day. Have them wrapped up, labeled, ready for use as needed.

I can see that if you only cast for a few calibers having a higher quality mold could be worthwhile.
But I'm sitting on 12 molds now and wishing I had more, and I'm having to do it on a cheap beer budget.
So for me the Bator is it, and at least I can get reasonable accuracy and function out of my H&R Handi rifle with it. Not quite minute of angle, but not far off of it either. Plenty good enough to dispatch smaller critters at need. And with good shot placement, perhaps a little bigger critter too.

Lee may not make the best tools, but this place would be pretty quiet if all of us who got started reloading and casting no longer did so because we could not afford 100$ molds. Lee fills a niche, and I find the more I finesse my molds, treat them well, the better they work for me. Bit like taking care of the lady in your life. Don't be rough, be gentle, soft voices and soft touches. Cleaning when they need it. And for pete's sake don't beat on them.

Your mileage may vary or be different from mine. Shrug. Viva la Difference!

[bangerjim]

I still have over 40 Lee molds and use them..........MOST of them.........all the time. I like Lee molds. I own most everyone they make for the many cals I cast for. Except the TL micro-grove designs....do not favor those at all.

But I was looking for a real boolit-looking profile for my Mossy bolt action and I really like the looks of this one. Hope it shoots as well! Will find out this weekend.

banger

[richhodg66]

Haven't shot any game with the Bator, but the WFN profile of that NOE I mentioned works well. With 1.8 grains of Bullseye, it anchored body shot squirrels better than hollow point .22 LR. The nose profile of your bullet looks like it would perform similarly.

As to quality of Lee molds, I never really liked the two cavity ones much, but have enjoyed all of the six cavity ones I've used including the Bator. I really, really, like my NOE molds, but those Lee six bangers are great for the price and do turn out a lot of good bullets fast.

[tazman]

143834

bangerjim

When did you start making jelly beans?!!!!!!!!

[RayinNH]

I was thinking gummi boolets.

[sparky45]

Most excellent Banger, it's cooling off this evening and tomorrow and I've got a few to BBDT in 30 cal to get done.
S45

[skeet1]

I'm anxious to see how the new Lee .22 mold turns out. It looks like a good design and comes in two or six cavity. Has anyone shot this bullet yet?

Ken

[Blammer]

which color shoot more accurately?

[TXGunNut]

Very nice, bangerjim. Seems the colors are half the fun of this PC silliness. ;-) NOE does indeed make an awesome mould. Do my bifocals deceive me or are those 22-250 cartridges?

[Bzcraig]

I just bought that one myself Jim and should get it tomorrow.

[sawzall]

Very nice, bangerjim. Seems the colors are half the fun of this PC silliness. ;-) NOE does indeed make an awesome mould. Do my bifocals deceive me or are those 22-250 cartridges?
Look like .223 to me. I have the 62 gr version of this mold, they're great boolits. I powder coat them the same as the OP and shoot them at starting j-word load levels in my Chinese Type 97 with decent accuracy.

[bangerjim]

Very nice, bangerjim. Seems the colors are half the fun of this PC silliness. ;-) NOE does indeed make an awesome mould. Do my bifocals deceive me or are those 22-250 cartridges?



They are 223/5.56. My Mossy bolt shoots them both.

banger