SAECO moulds....THAT good??

[FN in MT]

Was perusing the MIDWAY site and noticed they had both 3 and 4 cavity SAECO moulds. I usually shop at GRAF's or MID SOUTH and only see the SAECO's in two cavity flavor.

But at $129 for a 3 cavity and $132 for a 4 cavity!!!! WOW are they THAT GOOD??

Handles are $35 a pop but of course on BACKORDER.

From what I've read here Lyman as well as RCBS moulds seem to be slipping in the Quality Control Department. Are the SAECO's worth the bucks??

FN in MT

[44man]

I don't think they are any better then a Lyman or RCBS. Just paying for the name.

[Mike Venturino]

I think they are that good. I take their 3 cavity ones anytime I have a choice.

[FN in MT]

Mike,

One never seems to see them anywhere for sale. I think in all my years of hitting MT Gun Shows I've seen three or four?? You have spoken highly of the 3 cavity models and I respect your opinion.

Are You going attend the December Bozeman show?? Usually a good one.

FN in MT

[Mike Venturino]

FN: I plan to be at the Bozeman show from start to finish. If you come introduce yourself.

As for the SAECO 3 cavity moulds I find it easier to just order them from the factory instead of trying to find them floating around.

Mike V.

[felix]

It appears the iron molds containing copper are the cat's meow. That is a hard to make without the proper techniques. The Meehanite Corp was the first to make it to my knowledge, or at least probably the first to provide it to the (industrial) casting companies. Yes, that iron/copper composition is the best I have used. Both RCBS and SAECO use it, because of its machining and casting qualities. ... felix

[No_1]

I have found the quality of the Seaco moulds (about 50 on hand) to be outstanding. I have both the Cali - Seaco's and the Redding Seaco's and the only way to tell them apart is where they stamp the numbers (and of course the Redding name on the side). They do cast good!

Robert

[FN in MT]

Mike,

You and I have chatted a few times over the years. Once in Bozeman I was BS'ing with Steve Garbe and You joined us. And WAY BACK in time I called you at home regarding your hunt in south Africa where You used your Sharps. I was trying to plan something similar but it ended up happening a few years later and I used a .375 H&H for everything. I had a .45-120 Sharps I was trying to get to shoot accurately and You gave me some good advice.

I DO need to corner You as I have a few good Thompson stories with pictures for You. Recently fired an original FBI Thompson, still in their inventory, that was delivered to the Chicago Office during the Elliot Ness years!!!

See You in Bozeman.

FN in MT

[bobk]

Mike,
Got a favorite 40 hunting mold? I remember reading something of yours where you shot a muley(?) with a 40, and it was not a clean kill. I have a .405 with a Douglas that goes .4115. I have a SAECO #537, and a Rapine 413300 (way long), and an RCBS 416-350 GC that I sanded the mold faces to reduce diameter. Don't have the gun finished yet, can't decide on the metal finish. It's a Siamese, btw, poor boy can't afford a Sharps.

Bob K

[Mike Venturino]

Bob K: I don't remember shooting a muley or any other deer with a .40 caliber that didn't kill cleanly. I did shoot one once with a Lyman #457122 HP when the nose blew off and the base lodged under the skin on the off side.

I'd take a look at Lyman 410655. I gave them that design from a custom mould I had made long ago.

Mike V.

[hedgehorn]

I just bought a saeco 200 grain .401TC mold tonight for my 10mm. Now I need handles. Are the saeco handles the only ones that fit?

[Mike Venturino]

Yes, they are the only ones that fit.

[fatnhappy]

I have a couple of them and they're worth every penny I paid.

[hedgehorn]

Yes, they are the only ones that fit.
Good to know. I will order some Saeco handles for my new mold. ;)

[Char-Gar]

Santa Anita Engineering Company (SAECO) took over production of the old Cramer line of molds many years ago. For a time they produced the original Cramer designes under the name of SAECO/Cramer. Today they have their own designs, some of them are outstanding and some are not.

I have been using the molds for 45 years and consider them all to be among the best made molds in America. Some of the early SAECO/Cramers needed to have the pour hold opened up a bit to get a well filled bullet with a bottom pour furnace. That is the only problem I have ever had with these molds.

This is a long way around to say that IMHO these molds are worth the asking rice. Quality is always costly.

[HeavyMetal]

FN:
I have, and still use, several Seaco molds. At one time the price was about the same as the Lyman and RCBS 2 and 4 cavity molds.

Quality was always excellent! However about 4 years ago, and I bet if you make a phone call you'll find a management change about the same time, Saeco's mold prices went through the roof.

Current list price in the last Redding catalog I have, 2007, shows the 2 cav's at $97.50 and the 4 cav's at $186.00? Handles are list at $49.50.

Now just to have a little prospective on this let's look at a GB on a 44 full waddcutter I'm in on this site. I ordered a custom, Brass, 4 banger mold for about 60 bucks less and it will be cut to fit Lee six banger handles!

So Do I think they are worth the extra money? NO! Great quality and good designs but over priced by 30% in context with the rest of the market place.

[hedgehorn]

Well I thought I had a new mold for my 10mm but after looking at it close it says 413 on it which is a 41 caliber 200 grain truncated cone boolit. It be a wee bit large fer me 10mm :(

[John Boy]

Handles are $35 a pop but of course on BACKORDER.

Are the saeco handles the only ones that fit?
FN and hedgehorn ... might want to consider ordering a Cabine Tree Locking Mould Holder ... http://www.castingstuff.com/cabinetree_loading_products.htm
The handles fit Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, and most custom/semi-custom moulds. In addition to the stock molds, I have a Pioneer custom mold and the Cabine Tree works on this one too. I get better bullets using the holder v stock mold handles - plus have stopped buying all the stock mold handles!

[imashooter2]

I only have one SAECO mold and it is a fine piece of equipment. Clearly superior to Lyman. Is it worth that sort of premium? Your wallet needs to answer that, not mine...

[bobk]

Mike,
Thanks for the tip. It looks like it might even feed in my bolt gun.

Bob K

[jameslovesjammie]

With my Saeco moulds, I get fewer rejects than with my Lee and Lyman. Also, the Lee 6 cavity handles fit the Saeco if you open up the pin hole with a drill bit.

[jameslovesjammie]

Saeco 4 cavity 148 gr. wadcutter mounted in a 6 cavity Lee.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/jameslovesjammie/gun%20stuff/Casting%20Stuff/P1010948.jpg

I don't have a picture of it, but the 2 cavity rifle also fit.

[leadman]

I love the SAECO molds. My best is a 220 gr. trunucated nose gas check for the 41 magnum. With 17.8 grs. of Lil"Gun it consistently shoots 3 inch groups at 100 yards out of my Super Blackhawk Hunter.
The bullets always fill out well and drop out of all my SAECO molds. The best.

[FN in MT]

FN and hedgehorn ... might want to consider ordering a Cabine Tree Locking Mould Holder ... http://www.castingstuff.com/cabinetree_loading_products.htm
The handles fit Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, and most custom/semi-custom moulds. In addition to the stock molds, I have a Pioneer custom mold and the Cabine Tree works on this one too. I get better bullets using the holder v stock mold handles - plus have stopped buying all the stock mold handles!


I think for $69 I'll wait for some SAECO handles to become available. Thanks for the input though.

Where Ya at in Jersey?? My Mom still lives off Exit 67 on the Parkway....Barnegat. I was raised in Hunterdon County near Stockton.

FN in MT

[hedgehorn]

You are correct sir. I have a pair of lee six cavity mold handles that I drilled the retaining holes to .190 and they fit the saeco blocks like a glove. :-D Thanks for the heads up!

Saeco 4 cavity 148 gr. wadcutter mounted in a 6 cavity Lee.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/jameslovesjammie/gun%20stuff/Casting%20Stuff/P1010948.jpg

I don't have a picture of it, but the 2 cavity rifle also fit.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I have a BallisiCast auto caster and it came with SAECO molds. Recently, I bought three molds for a new .32-40, two were SAECO and the third was a RCBS. I do have a preference for the RCBS and SAECO's though I cut my teeth on Lyman molds...

[hedgehorn]

Today I cast my first boolits using a saeco mold and yes they are that good. I have Lee molds and after they are leemented they cast fine boolits but this mold fills out better with no wrinkles and sharp edges on the lube grooves once its hot and drops them clean... No tapping to get the boolit to drop. I am very happy with the saeco mold and will buy more. ;)

[bobk]

Mike,
The article about the muley was in the 1999 Handloader. You said you don't hunt with .40s anymore because you smacked this doe 5 times before she fell over. The boolit was a 375 gr. RN. I'm guessing that boolit shape and maybe too hard an alloy resulted in no expansion. This was just more reason for me to concentrate on FN boolits in the .405.

Good atricle by Barsness in that issue on the .257 Ackley. I keep toying with the idea of "improving" my .257; it's a good deer gun as it is. I may give it to my granddaughter if she wants it.

Bob K