Lee Molds; Good, Bad, What's the Deal?

[Suo Gan]

New caster posting again. I am not trying to raise the hackles of any Lee lovers, I just don't know, or have any opinion...yet. But I was reading in Joseph Brennan's book "Cast Bullets for Beginner and Expert," he states that he does not use the Lee aluminum mold. He says that those new will probably try these because of price, and he also says some have good luck with them, but he prefers iron molds.

So heres my question, are Lee molds worth it? BTW I just got some RCBS molds in, and am going to cast this weekend. Maybe I should buy a Lee mold and see if I can tell the difference. Trial and error.

Cast you later, SG

Also is Brennan on this site? If he is, I would like to say "I like your book."

[craigf]

I believe some people's dislike of Lee molds stem their ignorance and bad operating procedures rather than poor quality on Lee's part. I've only ever used Lee molds and have never had a bad experience. Incorrect lead alloys, temperatures and casting technique will invariably give you poorly formed bullets.

[Heavy lead]

I prefer iron moulds, BUT I also have aluminum moulds I like as well. My NEI .412-220 Keith casts as good as boolit as you could hope for in a 41 mag and is aluminum. As far as the Lee, I have one that works very well indeed. The 6 cavity 452255 round flat, it actually casts a fat 454 and very nice, and fast. I learned a few things on this, read the instructions it is a different beast than an iron mould and seems to like to be run real hot. I will always have and will use iron moulds, but this is a keeper, nice mould.

[dromia]

Me, I buy and use Lee moulds especially the 6 gangers for speed. The GBs also give me the chance of getting bespoke moulds cheaply.

However from my experience I buy Lee fully aware that there is more chance of me getting a pig in a poke than with other manufacturers.

If you are starting out I'd learn your trade on a one or two hole iron mould, I find they are more forgiving. Also there is more reference for iron moulds.

Once you are comfortable with them and confident in casting good boolits I'd branch out and try other types, I've a fondness for brass moulds. Lee two holers are cheap and they have some good designs so give them a try learn to work them and you've got some more skills under your belt. Remember each mould can be a law unto themselves.

Get pot time in and ask back here if you have problems, casting boolits isn't that difficult I've managed it.

Yes, Joe hangs around here now and then

[docone31]

SG,
Welcome. You will enjoy it here. I know I do.
I am a devoted fan of Lee Molds.
I originally tried Lyman. No luck. I can attribute that to complet ignorance on my part.
I later got into casting with only Lee Molds. They were inexpensive.
From that point on, I use only Lee Molds. I, and aluminum, get along well. I use the Lee 20lb Bottom Pour Pot. I get fantastic results from these molds.
I find, Lee molds fill my needs completely. I paper patch for my .303 British, and .30s. I use the Lee molds for them, size the daylights out of them, and wrap them up. I get better results at the range than I do with jacketeds with the SAME load charge.
My pistol molds are Lee. I pan lube, size them, and they perform!
I did polish my .30 mold. It was a tad rough. I put some 1/4-20 nuts on top of the sprue hole, poured into it and let it cool. I removed the castings, added some fine valve lapping compound, cranked them with a wrench. I count the turns when I do that.
They then, dropped directly out of the mold, and sized perfectly.
I have nothing but Lee Products, and I am pleased, indeed.
I just got them to modify my collet dies for the Smelly. Cost 10$.
I am one of their fans.
Many more people do not like them. I do.
Welcome aboard, and keep casting.

[schuebob]

I have had multiple Lee moulds and really like them not only for their quality, but for their light weight. Aluminum heats up faster, as you know. They are cut precisely and I get good results. On occasion, I sense that the gases from fluxing, in combination with lead spatter and lack of cleanliness, that the mould will solder up a little bit. When that happens, I try to clean with a dry rag, but eventually have to clean them in both water based and petroleum solvents and treat them with silicone spray. One has to resist using any tool that could scratch, not like steel mould that you can hit with the dremel tool brass wire brush if necesssary.

[dromia]

Welcome aboard Cast Boolits schuebob. :drinks:

[leadeye]

I use both Lee and RCBS and have good luck with both. I am more careful with the Lee molds simply because they are aluminium.

[Papa smurf]

I have both Lyman,iron, and Lee,aluminum, molds single and two cavity. Just turned 70 in September and for quite some time I have had trouble with iron molds ,only because of the weight of the mold , when casting for more than a few hours. This may be something you might consider, when choosing a mold. welcome to the wonderful world of casting-----Papa smurf

[Suo Gan]

Wow! I knew that this question would generate some good responses but I had no idea that they would come so quickly. I really enjoyed reading what has been said so far, and I am going to buy some Lee's to see for myself. Anyone esle that wants to chime in is more than welcome to (Just don't forget to vote tonight though.)

Cast you later, SG

[JeffinNZ]

Like all things in life you compromise one thing to gain another.

Here is my take on Lee moulds.

If you want a very well priced mould that will serve well and produce very shootable bullets (in volume for gang moulds) then Lee moulds are just fine.

If you want to shoot the VERY tightest cast bullet groups in competition they are probably not for you. And before the Patriots of Lee Precision chase me down on the last comment; check out the tech sheets and scores in the Fouling Shot and see how many Lee moulds you find winning. Answer. ZIP.

[kingstrider]

I'm relatively new to this as well but have assembled a small collection of molds over the last few months. I had alignment issues with the Lee 2-cavity molds so got rid of them and spent the extra bucks on some iron molds instead. I really like the Lee 6-cavity molds though as I shoot a lot of pistol ammo. They are built much better than the 2-cavity molds and will hold up as long as you don't abuse them.

[mtgrs737]

I have a lot of both types of moulds, I like the six cavity Lee moulds but have found that care must be taken with them. Getting rough with aluminum moulds will shorten their life, I also use Bull Shops Bull Plate mould lube regularly to keep wear to a minimum.

[jack19512]

All of my molds are Lee. As for the quality of my boolits, well I am waiting for 44man to post his results using mine. I actually have very good luck with mine out of the rifles, I just struggle with the revolvers. :-(

[Linstrum]

I have been casting with both aluminum and iron moulds since 1964.

I MUCH prefer using Lee aluminum moulds over my Lyman and Saeco iron moulds. Lee moulds are easier for me to use and the boolits cast from them are dimensionally accurate, which makes them shoot accurately. My Lyman and Saeco moulds also make darned good boolits - - - as they should - - - but the overall picture is I find using aluminum moulds easier, especially when casting up a bunch since the weight of iron moulds becomes tiring during a long casting session.

Lee has excellent products at affordable prices and my first .309" 180-grain Lee aluminum mould has made thousands of boolits over the 20-something years I have owned it, the boolits cast last month with it are the same as the first that dropped out of it when it was new.

In 1964 most double cavity Lyman moulds sold for the rip-off price of about one day's wages at minimum wage and because of that I started making my own moulds. I quickly settled on aluminum to make them from simply because the boolits cast from aluminum moulds performed indistinguishably from those cast in iron moulds. Since aluminum was easier to machine and tool longevity was greatly extended plus they were easier to cast with, I have used aluminum moulds whenever there has been a choice between aluminum and iron, and since 1964 I haven't looked back.

The one big difference between Lee Precision and nearly all of the other reloading equipment manufacturers is Lee made reloading affordable for the ordinary guy while the other manufacturers were simply charging all the market could bear. Lee is okay in my book from these standpoints - - - their stuff including aluminum moulds works very well, it lasts a long time, and is affordable for the ordinary guy.

rl465

[mooman76]

It seems like the most people that have problems with Lee moulds are the ones that have used the steel moulds for a long time and then have trouble getting the Lees to work. There are advantages to both steel and the cheap Lee moulds. Lees are aluminum and don't rust. They are cheaper so you spend less money or you can afford to buy more. I never even would have got into casting if it weren't for Lee moulds or reloading if it weren't for Lee reloading gear. I could not have afforded it. The aluminum moulds heat up faster but also cool faster so it's a little harder to keep the temperature even unless you move at a fast pace or keep lead temp high.
The steel moulds are built solid and will last a long time(Lees actually will too if taken care of but steel is more forgiving). The bullets come out real nice and the moulds seem to come out finer from the factory. Once the steel moulds heat up they stay at a even temp easier. I have allot of Lee moulds but I have some RCBS and Lyman also. I tend to stick with the Lees more mostly because I have used them more and for years but the others have some designs Lee doesn't have and they are nice too!

[BUFFALOW RED]

on the cowboy action cercit the big lube LEE molds are making the boolits for the winning BP croud



Like all things in life you compromise one thing to gain another.

Here is my take on Lee moulds.

If you want a very well priced mould that will serve well and produce very shootable bullets (in volume for gang moulds) then Lee moulds are just fine.

If you want to shoot the VERY tightest cast bullet groups in competition they are probably not for you. And before the Patriots of Lee Precision chase me down on the last comment; check out the tech sheets and scores in the Fouling Shot and see how many Lee moulds you find winning. Answer. ZIP.

[DLCTEX]

I use Lee molds, have 20 something, RCBS molds, have 4, and Lyman molds, have 8, TC-2, Brass Italian molds-2. All cast good boolits, some took more work to get them casting good boolits, and different molds within the same brand need different temps and techniques to work well. Maybe guys who are competing for accuracy THINK they need higher priced molds to get good accuracy. Then there is the peer pressure that works it's way into all our choices. Accuracy seekers can be elitists. If a boolit is round, well shaped, and free of voids, and everything else being equal, the lead doesn't care what brand was on the mold that made it. DALE

[Rick N Bama]

My 1st Lee was a 452-200RF which has dropped about 5000 boolits since I bought it 4 or 5 years ago. I fully expect to get at least that many more from it. If the design is a good one, I'll buy a copy without hesitation.

RNB

[JerryW]

I have Lee round ball moulds a lot of them. Have tried a couple of the bullet moulds. They suck. JerryW

[451whitworth]

I have Lee round ball moulds a lot of them. Have tried a couple of the bullet moulds. They suck. JerryW

i have a few Lee round ball moulds. the sprue cutter has always needed some working over for clean cuts as the ones i have purchased are dull and tear the rather than cut. after that they worked great. i too have never liked their bullet moulds but i have never tried their 6 cavity style. they look much better than the two cavity. for what they cost you really can't go wrong and it is amazing that they can sell them that cheap complete with handles and being made here in the states. all my favorite moulds are alluminum from LBT, NEI, and Rapine.

[Suo Gan]

I went a little crazy (election night therapy?) and bought two Lee six bangers. One for 38 and one for 45, and I splurged and bought the Saeco truncated cone 100 grain 25 cal mold too. That makes five molds bought in the last week, don't tell the wife[smilie=1:. SG

[Buckshot]

That makes five molds bought in the last week, don't tell the wife[smilie=1:. SG

...............Heck no! Us guys gotta hang together! Women just don't understand :-)

..............Buckshot

[AzShooter]

So far I've cast 9000 bullets through two Lee six cavity .38 moulds for my .357 and all bullets are coming out the same weight and size that they were when new.

I use a few two cavities for my .30 cal rifles and also have a couple of Lyman moulds. In 30 years of casting I have not worn out a mould.

[primersp]

i have give all the lee moulds that i can have some buyed and some given when i
purchase and used hangun
all cast oversize bullet sometime i will take off my lubrisizer and put it on a wise
to pull the bullet of .
i have a nei ,it cast a bullet at the right size
but i prefer iron moulds saeco,rcbs and lyman
and resume you have for your money a 25 s mould is not like a 120

[missionary5155]

Greetings and welcome !
I have Many Lee molds... Some casted GREAT right out of the box ... others required some attention BUT it is no big deal. I have molds from most companies and they all generally work good... they all have their quirks and BEST molding procedure... But learn how to opperate that mold and WRITE it down.

[jack19512]

cheap Lee moulds.








I prefer the word "inexpensive". :)

[mold maker]

Don't forget that Lee includes handles with all their molds except the 6 cavity. Even then New Lee 6 cavity handles are available for under 13 bucks. The use of any alum. mold requires a little different technique and care.
If I had an endless supply of funds, I probably wouldn't bother reloading, or I'd pay someone else. Since that isn't the case, casting and reloading allow me to keep shooting.
Again with plenty of money I'd use the heavy steel molds and buy handles for them.
Lee gives us the opportunity to cheaply try a different design, or weight without breaking the bank.
You wouldn't slam your $110. mold shut or beat it to death, so take care of your Lees and they will take care of you.
Like Dale Clawson said, Your bullets don't care which made them.

[catkiller45]

Follow Lee's direction and do as they say..Don't beat on the mold or over heat it and it will last you forever..I have some over 30 years old and I love them..I have never had to send one back or repair it like the Lymans...Good and you'll be happy...:drinks::drinks:

[coat]

i have a 2 cavity and 6 cavity 200gr rnfp they are should be the same but they are not.
I got the 2 cavity to see if I like it i did. A few month later i got 6 cavity A big difference this will be my last lee mold

[Freightman]

You will find out more on this site than reading most books, and if you do not try something new , experiment a little, and fail some, and win some, life gets kinda boring have fun you will be old fast enough.
That said $20+ or_ with handles and they are guaranteed what do you want? LEE has always treated me OK try getting your car warranty without a hassle and a car cost a lot more than LEE's molds.

[RBak]

If a boolit is round, well shaped, and free of voids, and everything else being equal, the lead doesn't care what brand was on the mold that made it. DALE

There is a lot of wisom in that little statement!

It seems to me that Lee appears to be the stepchild of both casting and reloading.
It also seems to me that having nothing good to say about Lee, is somewhat akin to being a part of something much better.

However, if it were not for the affordability of Lee, many of us would have most likely never gotten involved in the first place.

Think of Lee in shooting....as, Zebco in Fishing. It will definately get the job done, and in many cases it will get it done for less. There are probably more Lee Moulds in use than any two of the major brand names!

I have several moulds, I have Lyman, Ideal, SAECO, RCBS, NEI, Rapine, Lee, and two Round Ball from Jeff Tanner.
If any of these are actually out & out better than the Lee, I am not astute enough to see it.

As Bruce so often says, "It's only a boolit, it ain't rocket science".

Russ

[Explorer1]

Iron and aluminum molds have different personalities, once you learn that either is great. I have both, have picked up several via group buys here and was OK with them Well till the one buy I am in now has been on going for a YEAR and we were just told it'll be another 6 months! Long story, but the short version is I will NEVER buy another Lee product if I have any decent choice.
That said, there is really nothing wrong with them typically. You make your choices and pay the bill - unless you really think its a right. Then you just need to bribe your legislative representative enough to get the Gubermint to pay for it.

[mooman76]

I went a little crazy (election night therapy?) and bought two Lee six bangers. One for 38 and one for 45, and I splurged and bought the Saeco truncated cone 100 grain 25 cal mold too. That makes five molds bought in the last week, don't tell the wife[smilie=1:. SG

Send me one of your moulds or I'm tellin!:bigsmyl2:

[Bret4207]

There's a learning curve to any mould. Anyone who claims that all moulds cast the same, that each mould doesn't have it's own personality and likes/dislikes isn't paying close enough attnetion to the details. EVERY mould I own is a little different and to get the absolute best boolits I have taken to writing down what seems to work best with each mold. Some are very easy to please, most of my Cramers and NEIs are like that. My big H+G 10 cav #50 (51?) doesn't care what you do to it as long as it's hot enough. My Lymans and RCBS are trickier and some like this, some like that. My Lees are all different. My 358/240 Bator needs a very hot mould, pretty hot alloy and wants the alloy poured from a 1 lb Rowell ladle. My Fat 30 wants heat, but it responds to 2 at a time pouring from my Lyman ladle. My 30 Soup Can GB needs a very hot mould and alloy, as do my 25 DJ's, and 3 at a time pouring and Bruce B cooling of the sprue. My Buckshot 8mm needs less heat, but a good drop and BB cooling.

What's all this mean? It's the indian, not the arrow!!! Lee molds work fine. So do all the others if you can figure them out. Don't be afraid of them. Just because some guys can't get them to work means nothing. I can't get past a certain point playing the banjo, but I can kick butt on a guitar. It's just playing around enough to see if you can get the hang of it.

[grouch]

I've used lee molds since they started making them. Also Lyman, NEI, Saeco, LBT and CBE. My focus has been weighted towards trying to get good accuracy. Lee's line of mold designs(for rifle at least) seem to be focussed on ease of functioning through the most number of guns. Having said that, some of their single cavity rifle molds have produced very respectable accuracy.
Since I dislike multiple cavity molds, only recently did I try their 405gr double cavity mold borrowed from a friend. It was terrible - the cavities were poorly machined, the base bands flared larger at the back so the bullets were unusable. If it was mine I'd have sent it back.
To be fair, all my old single cavity lee molds were well worth the money, their only drawback being they can be worn out in 10yrs or so of busy casting. Their old 113gr 32 - 20 mold was double cavity and wore out a lot faster. Lee has always been very fair to me. They've promptly replaced any of their products that were faulty.
Remember, not all of the designs by the higher priced makers produce prize winning accuracy either.
Best of luck Grouch

[bohokii]

i got the lee molds in 9mm 124 grain round and the 45

http://www.natchezss.com/brand.cfm?contentID=productDetail&brand=LE&category=0&prodID=LEE90464&CFID=6207677&CFTOKEN=46057425

http://www.natchezss.com/brand.cfm?contentID=productDetail&brand=LE&category=0&prodID=LEE90346&CFID=6207677&CFTOKEN=46057425

at the price i wouldn't be upset if they turned to dust after 1000 rounds

they are making decent boolits some have a case of the roundbutt but it is slight and its not like i am shooting them a mile i seldom shoot past 50 yards and at that range i could seat the bullet backwards and it wouldn't matter

[Cloudpeak]

I have a 124 gr RN and 105 gr SWC Lee 6 cavity mold (9mm). I shoot mostly the 105's. I just checked my records and I have cast and shot around 15,000 cast bullets through a M&P, CZ, Kahr and STI Trojan. The molds still drop great bullets. (I cast around 3,600 of the 105's the other day with about 10 rejects (not counting a few that I dropped on the floor when I fumbled on the push through sizer). I guess I feel the Lee molds are a pretty good bang for the buck:-D

Secret to a long mold life: Bullplate sprue lube and warming the mold up on a hot plate before casting. The pre-heating of the mold is very helpful. The molds instantly cast usable bullets (unless you got the mold a bit too hot. Then it takes the sprue a long time to set up and the bullets are really frosty and the mold needs to cool down a bit.) Another great benefit to pre-heating is it makes the sprue plate very easy to open. Before I pre-heated, the first "pours" were very difficult to cut the sprues which adds a lot of undue strain on the sprue plate mechanism. I now pre-heat my Lee aluminum and Lyman steel molds and the sprue cutting is a breeze. Much easier on me and the molds.

Cloudpeak

[jameslovesjammie]

For me it all depends on the boolit design. I have Lee, Saeco, and Lyman moulds. I bought all of them because of the design. I've paid $50 for a old Lyman single cavity, I've paid $130 for a Saeco 4 cavity...because I liked the design. All of the Lee moulds I have purchased have turned out excellent boolits. However, the comments above about each mould having its own personality couldn't be truer.

Also, remember that one Lee six cavity costs less than a 500 pack of bullets. Once you've surpassed the 500 mark, the mould has paid for itself. You'll have no trouble making that mark. I'm not a super-caster, but my Lees have about 5 times that many and still cast like new. I don't abuse my moulds, but I treat them as a tool. You take care of them and they will take care of you!

[afish4570]

While the Secretary of War (wife was out) two weeks ago, I cranked up two Lee 6 cav. molds. One was for 150 gr/357 and another new (about a yr. ago & unused till now)., for 40 S&W, 175 gr.TC. I cast for about 3 hrs. and got 700-40 cal. and 625 on the 357's. Used a newly aquired 50 yr. old propane fired plumbers pot and a 5 qt. cast iron Dutch Oven. The dipper method was used with an old large plumbers dipper. I don't like the fact it isn't like a Lyman and sucks the lead from the bottom (nice and clean like) but it sure pumped out a mess of pistol bullets in a hurry. Down side was the heavy ladle and the high work bench bothered my elbow and gave me some tingling in my middle finger. So I stopped. Will try my Lee and Lyman elec. furnances both bottom pouring next time. Don't want any carpal tunnel problems like my wife had (an old Secretary)........For lots of production on pistol bullets I like my Lee 6 cav.:Fire::Fire:afish4570

[Doug Bowser]

I have over 40 different moulds. Lee moulds are a good bargain but they do not compare with my Lyman or Hensley and Gibbs moulds for longevity and durability. I have a .270 mould by Lyman that is 45 years old. It is in perfect working order. I also have Lyman and Hensley and Gibbs moulds that are over 70 years old. I have had these moulds since the early 60's and they were old when I bought them used. The oldest being a 457125 one cavity Lyman.

One steel mould comes to mind. It is a Winchester single cavity in .44-40. It is in great shape. I use these moulds and use them often.

[9.3X62AL]

I use the Lee moulds right along with NEI, RCBS, Lyman, and SAECO. The Lee autopistol truncated cone designs and their bore-rider rifle designs shoot and function VERY well indeed. As stated severally above, each tool is a law unto itself--learn its quirks and preferences, and make boolits.

[EDK]

LEEs are OK...not a LYMAN; definitely not a HENSLEY & GIBBS/BALLISTI-CAST.

If it is a standard catalogued design, give it reasonable care, learn its quirks and cast away. If it malfunctions, send it to LEE or buy another one.

If its a group buy and you REALLY, REALLY LIKE the design, buy two of them and take care of the one you're using and save the other for the sad day the first one dies. I figure FOUR group buy LEE aluminum moulds versus ONE BALLISTI-CAST iron 6 cavity.

I'm currently on Blammer's 44 wadcutter buy in a 4 cavity brass mould...less than $140 delivered, insured, etc. If it had been a LEE, I'd have bought TWO of them.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[Suo Gan]

I have taken the boards advice and purchased several Lee six banger Molds. I have casted with them all, and like the product. On the other end of the spectrum, I have aquired several iron molds from Saeco, Lyman, and RCBS, as well as one brass mold from Old West. All have poured well for me. Aside from a current Micro Groove situation, all is going well. I have also figured out that Lee handles work with minor mods on most molds.

I am falling back in love with all of my old deer rifles again, thanks Cast Boolits!

Take Care, Suo Gan

[Cherokee]

Suo Gan - So glad it is working out for you. Enjoy those old friends with cast boolits.