so I am looking to pick up my first molds

[georgerc]

I finally got around to getting a pot and the other day I got my hands on some wheel weights, next I need to pick up some molds.

I play in the 38 cal range, 380, 9mm 38/357, I may get into shotgun reloading at some point, and maybe some 223 casting, thou that last one is tricky as I only have an AR, so for now I was looking at Lee molds in 38 cal, I have not slugged any barrels but I rekon I can always size down if needed.

so that being said, I read a 2 cavity can be easier to cast with so maybe I should get a couple different designs to mess with, or should I just go for the 6 straight up?

the other question I have which molds?


I look at LEE because I am wanting a few different designs to play with and they are cheap, the other thing is I can tinker a bit and do some machine work, possibly mill out lube grooves and hollow pointing, so maybe a 6 cavity wont be a bad Idea, hollow point a couple, straight wall a couple more. Powder coating is one thing I was looking into, from what I read its a good middle of the road easy to setup and accomplish between metal jackets and traditional lubed, so what should I be looking for?

tumble lube design? or doesn't matter, 125 gr 358 sounds good to me , if I hollow point a cavity or 2 will likely bring it to about 115 gr, perfect for 9mm, the 158 seems to be pretty popular for 38/357 and the little ones for the 380, or maybe I should look at some 115 molds and hollow point those.

so help me get a shopping list together, I need to order some molds

358-125 rf looks like a definite must for me
358-150 1r looks like a good middle of the road between the 38 and 9mm

356 102 1R I like but it may be too small in diameter to use in 38, likely my European 9mms too, I see the the 358 105 swc is a popular one all across the board, maybe this would be a better choice for what I am trying to accomplish, just for some reason SWC didn't appeal to me much, I don't see a TC in 358

oh and I was looking at possibly a 000 buckshot mold, its .360 if I am not mistaking 70 gr rd ball, should make a decent 380 plinker I also saw it used as duplex in 38/357.

so what do you think? 2 cavity, or just go with 6, do the bucksot mold and 6 cavity use same handles? the 6 interest me moreso if I mess around with one cavity I still have 5 to use.

if you started from scratch and was looking for 3-4 38cal molds to possibly be used all across the board, possibly modify, possibly powdercoat/tumblelube I don't see myself getting a lubrisizer any time soon or pan lubing, plus correct me if I am wrong PC bullets can be driven faster than lead more along the lines of plated, middle of the road jacketed?

help me out here.

[gwpercle]

Personally , I buy 2 cavity Lee's to try out a design or weight that I'm not sure if my gun will like. I had never owned, or reloaded for a 9mm luger until my Dad gave me an old WWII P-38. Tried 4 different Lee moulds from 105 gr. SWC to 125 gr. RN. , turned out the gun and I preferred the 120 gr. truncated cone design.
I did buy a 4 cavity NOE TC mould later , to up production rate , but got a gas check on it so I could have that option. The NOE ate up a one hundred dollar bill, I would never had ordered 4 NOE moulds just to try ! Spending $20.00 for a try it mould is OK, spending $100.00 is a little steep.
Try the 2 cavity , if you like it then upgrade. Moulds and guns are funny , what you think will work and what actually works is sometimes two very different things and the only way to find out is to try it.
Surprisingly , not only does that old Walther P-38 really likes the 120 gr. TC design but also the little 105 gr. SWC that's made for 38 special. With a certain moderate powder charge it shoots to the guns fixed sights perfectly.
Gary

[RogerDat]

Yep the Lee double cavity can be a great "try it" mold and the TL design is more tolerant of not sizing. For just kicking out some .38's I like the TL 358-158 SWC design. Followed by something a little lighter weight such as your 105 grain SWC, or the 148 button nose wadcutter.

NOE has good molds, especially once you find a weight & profile your gun likes so you can get something with a few more cavities. That is where the Lee 2 cavity come in finding what works. And if you find you like it you can always get a 6 cavity Lee, I understand they are better built than the two cavity. For dumping out SWC for a 38 snubbie it might not be worth the high quality mold and price for NOE. I would look at the NOE molds that come with pins for hollow point or flat point, some have cup point pin too. Molds with RG in the model.

NOE also has a nice selection for .223 you might want to check with folks to see what they find works for them, I have a fast twist Mini-14 so need a heavy bullet the NOE 224-70 RN worked great with a gas check and PC (PC on their sides seems to work ok) no leading and that twist likes the 70 gr. a whole lot better than the 55 gr. I did not try the Lee in .223 because it was 55 gr. mold and that weight just does poorly in that mini.

[aarolar]

I may be the minority but I've never had much luck with Lee molds. I can take any one of Lyman or RCBS iron molds and drop bullets first or second try and the Lee molds just won't do that for me.

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[Blackwater]

The Lee double cavities are very easy to use, because they're light and you can generally move them quickly. And I've used the heck out of them in my early years of casting. Couldn't afford those expensive iron molds! But they taught me to cast, and I shot a lot of pretty good bullets cast from them for a lot of years, and still have some of them. Once you get into casting, and find you like it, then is the time to put more $ into it, and try things to see what fits you and your casting style and needs. That's just what I do. Jumping in with all the best equipment can be spendy, but does indeed make things a bit easier. But in using a bare minimum of equipment, like I did starting out, will tune you in to watching the metal temp, and judging it by how the metal flows, and how long it takes the sprue to solidify, etc., etc. is a really good way to learn how to really cast. It lays a foundation for all that will follow, so that's what I generally recommend when someone wants to start casting. If you don't have a lubrisizer in starting out, try some Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL) and see how you like it. It's always good to spend less and get more. Tumble lubing can work very well, and again, kind'a gets you to understand anything that comes in later a bit better. Rome wasn't built in a day, and one doesn't really learn to cast the first time you melt some lead, but it's FAR from rocket science. I can do it so anybody ought to manage it and do well. Just watch what's happening and infer from that what kind of adjustments to make as you go along. This will enable you to keep doing that and constantly refine your methods over time, but even your first efforts, if you follow good directions, ought to be emminently shootable, and you'll really feel proud of bullets you made yourself. C'mon in! The water's FINE!

[georgerc]

so you all pretty much agree I should stick with 2 cavity molds for now, I hear they are easier to cast than the larger 6 cavity

[clum553946]

2 cavity molds are a good start. I would possibly try an rcbs or lyman iron mold because with Lee, it's a dice roll whether or not you're going to get a good one out of the box. When you get comfortable with casting, save your most popular profiles for 5 or 6 cavity and get high quality molds like Noe or Accurate.

[Mohawk Daddy]

I would also save the 223 for last and not even worry about it initially. My order of priorities would be: A-38/357. B-9mm/380. C-
223 at some time in the future. And if you can start with a bolt 223 or single shot rather than an AR, that would be good too.

[mdi]

I started casting with a single cavity mold and I worked my behind off just to get a few shootable bullets. But I'd recommend a 2 cavity to start as temperature control is easier with a 2 cavity as compared to a 6 banger (temps can vary from one cavity to another along the long aluminum mold body. Might get good bullets outta the center cavities but "cold" bullet outta the ends). A 2 cavity will produce enough without becoming a task, and the culls will be much fewer, for a beginner. I started with a T/L mold but I soon started sizing them with an early Lee kit and soon went to a "standard lube groove" bullet and pan lubed (I still pan lube today, 20 years later, along with dip lubing, tumble lubing and PCing).

I cast for my .38s, .357s and 9mms, and I use the same mold; a Lee 125 gr. RNFP. I just size the bullets for the gun they'll be used in. . My 2" 38 and my .357 Mag. likes .358", my 3" .38 likes .358", one of my 9mms likes .358" one is fine with .357" and one will shoot anything under .45":bigsmyl2:.

[Boolseye]

I have been happy with Lee molds, and I own a few of the high-end ones too.
some outstanding performers in the 38 cal range have been mentioned: 356-102, 358-105 and 356-120 TC ( standard lube!!) to name but a few. You'll never go wrong dropping the extra coin on a NOE or an Accurate mold either. They're real works of art. I like aluminum molds for a number of reasons, weight and no rust being among them. Avoid 9mm tumble lube designs, for the most part (the little TL 356-95 RF is an exception, great little shooter). The TL 356-124 TC is the single most problematic mold I have owned. if you have success with it you're one of the lucky few. I, too, will tend to buy a 6-cav if it's an option. They are far and away the best bang for your buck. The two cavs are nice too, and you can cast two in series once you get the technique down.

[OptimusPanda]

If it were my money I'd go ahead and buy the lee 6 cavity. I have a few each of two and six cavity lee molds but always find the sixes easier to use so long as I'm not casting from a ladle.

[reddog81]

2 cavity is OK for starting out, but I suggest just going for the 6 cavity molds right off the bat.
The 358-125-rf is good for 38 or 9mm. I'd definitely get that one in 6 cavity. I purchased the 2 cavity but very quickly realized that doing 6 bullets at once was much quicker than 2.

I wouldn't even be thinking about hollow pointing or machining out the lube grooves. There is no problems with powder coating traditional lube groove designed bullets. With powder coat you can use bullets without lube grooves but I wouldn't risk ruining a perfectly good mold over something that might be of no benefit.

[Leaker11]

Georgec , what pot did you buy? Mind if I jump in as someone new to reloading in general. I was also thinking about trying out casting some boolits also. Are the Lee melting pots legit for just starting out like their 20# bottom pour? I know the price is nice. Thanks

[reddog81]

The Lee bottom pour pots are a great value and you have to spend hundreds to get anything better.

[Boolseye]

Are the Lee melting pots legit for just starting out like their 20# bottom pour? I know the price is nice. Thanks They're legit, although I would not trade you my bottom pour 4-20 for one. I have a melter that was given to me and sometimes use it to ladle-pour a 2-cavity mold.

[bigolsmokebomb]

I just started casting myself and by looking around the forums and talking with a buddy that's been casting for years I went with the lee 4-20 bottom pour pot and a 6 cavity aluminum lee mold and handles and ive been really happy with them so far. with the lee 6 cav molds they do need a little bit of refining to get them to drop without having to beat on the handle bolt, mine had burrs on just about every cavity and it took some work with a razor blade and a magnifying glass to get them all but it drops easy and pretty consistently now. whatever mold you do go for make sure that you clean it very well when you first get it and smoke the mold before every casting session. if you are not a high volume shooter like I am (10,000 ish rds a year) a 2 cavity mold will work well and they are cheap to start out with.

[dragon813gt]

Lee is a blessing and a curse to new casters. Their molds are cheap and affordable. They're also a **** shoot and can lead to endless frustration. Their molds are the one product I will not defend. I'm betting they have turned a lot of people away from casting. There really isn't a better option for someone starting out so best of luck. The day I got rid of my last Lee mold was a joyous one :beer:

The 4-20 is a good value. Feed it clean alloy and it doesn't drip. Feed it dirty alloy or flux w/ sawdust in the pot and be prepared for it to drip. I refuse to pay what the other ones cost. The Lee is the only one priced where it should be. The Magma pot is as well but that's a different animal. One day I will buy one.

[toallmy]

I'll go against the grain on a starter mold , and say if you can find a 2 cavity iron mold to start with , you will cast better as a beginner and enjoy casting from the start . Not to say lee molds are bad but iron is easy to get and keep up to temperature = having good time casting + iron can take more abuse . I have and use lee 6 cavity molds for production, but steel molds are a pleasure to cast with . As far as sizing and lube the lee push through sizing die will get you started , it comes with a bottle of lube , and you can size powder coated boolits with it . The 4/20 bottom pore pot is a good deal keep a screwdriver next to the pot , and a 1/4 in drive screwdriver . Cruise ebay , and then research mold numbers here at cast boolits that will give you a idea of the mold design .

[fastdadio]

And now a noob chimes in. I just started out with the Lee 2 cavities. Still using them. I did have to hone every one to get them to drop to the listed size because every mold dropped small. But, I'm a handy guy and it was easy enough to do and after that little chore, I've been happy with them. Methods and instructions are in the mold threads. So much good advice on molds given here, let me go into the powder coating aspect. I quickly began powder coating and found it to be the best method for me. I use the 'shake n bake' method. I use Harbor Freight red coating. Toss the boolits in a tupperware along with a hand full of air soft BB's, snap the lid on and shake. Pick them out with spring loaded needle nose pliers and stand the pistol boolits on the base on a cooking sheet covered with non stick parchment paper and bake at 350 for 20 min. Excellent results first time. For my .30 cal boolits, I fold the parchment paper accordian style to make 'troughs' so the boolits can't roll around and bake them laying on their side. This works well since the coating will not stick to the paper. The vapors from the toaster oven are toxic, so this has to be done out in the garage. With the doors open, I set the timer and walk away and come back after they have time to cool. Good luck with your decisions and welcome to the forum!

[Moonie]

I'd go with 6 cavity Lee as the quality seems to be a bit better, they do have a little higher learning curve however but are certainly worth it and the production rate is much better than the 2 cavity.