Mold design - What is your preference

[Bad Ass Wallace]

At any gathering of casters the old question of the mould design gets lots of discussion. Mold material whether aluminium, brass or steel seem errivilant.

Some shooters just want to cast volume and anything less than a 6 or even a 10 cavity mold is useless and wasting time. I have over 100 molds and many are either single or double cavity types. I believe it is far easier to maintain casting temp with a small mold than a ten cavity.

My custom lathe bored molds are all single cavity, figuring that a single cavity gives the utter best in producing good boolits.

So what is your preference?

https://i.imgur.com/L8VViXb.jpg

[cupajoe]

I have used single cavity and multiple cavity molds in iron, aluminum, and brass. I prefer 2 cavity iron molds, if RCBS does not have what I am looking for I go to Tom at Accurate molds. I do use 6 bangers from Lee and a few 4 and 5 cavities from Noe. My Lee molds cast right on diameter wise, my Noe molds all cast 2 or 3 thousands larger than I prefer so they are usually my last choice. I am not a fan of brass molds, bought a couple, not impressed. It is great that we have so many choices.

[Taterhead]

I mostly cast for volume. My 4 cav LBTs get the most work. The Lee 6 cavs make a lot of bullets, but are less enjoyable for me to work with. I do also cast with a few 2 cav iron molds. All my casting is for handguns.

Cupajoe, I had s similar experience with 2 NOE molds. They cast way over nominal diameter. Add PC, and it was too much to ask when sizing. Beautiful molds, but those have been sold.

[harm]

I started casting more recently than many here, but my first mold was a single cavity Lyman HP, and I still enjoy the ladle casting. I would agree, consistency is easier to get when you're only using one cavity, but man oh man it can be time consuming. I like my iron molds but own a number of aluminum and a couple brass as well.

Volume is obviously easier with the 4-5-6+ cavity molds, and I'm pretty happy juggling two molds to up my production. Spare time has been harder to find lately, but I prefer relaxing with the ladle to rushing myself with a bottom pour pot in the rare chance I have had to get casting. Haven't had time recently to shoot in bulk, anyway.

[gwpercle]

I ladle cast for quality . Started back in 1960's with single cavity Lyman and then Lee .
Moved up to double cavity Lyman and Lee . Tried NOE and was hooked on the quality .
4 cavity aluminum were as much as my 70 years old hands could handle ...
My favorite are now NOE 3 cavity aluminum moulds ... but if I were younger it would be the 4 cavity .
I use a Lyman dipper to pressure pour with ... me and bottom pour didn't get along .
Gary

[Targa]

For me that is a great question, I really don’t know.

[Burnt Fingers]

I have an 8 cavity aluminum MP mold for my 9mm. That thing rains boolits. It's very easy to keep it at the correct temp.

[mattw]

I have been casting around 30 years now. I really like Lyman 2C moulds, have about 70 of them. They are easy to lap if needed to get the right diameter and the heat and hold heat well. I have a few RCBS, but have been disappointed by them over the years, all had to be lapped to get normal diameters. I have a few NOE, a couple of Arsenal and 1 MP as well as a few LBT blocks. I have nothing bigger than a 5C and would not want to get bigger. I cast all winter and shoot all summer, when the weather is not fit to shoot, I enjoy casting. I also like working with the old Lyman 1C hollow point blocks. They will make some good bullets, just takes time. I do have NOE's that are hollow point, I seem to fight with them more than make good bullets for about the first 30 minutes. It is all pin and block temps, but can be a struggle. They will make a pile when you get all the stars aligned and can just cast away.

[longbow]

Maybe because I learned on them... I like 2 cavity iron moulds as my first choice.

Next is brass 2 cavity moulds.

And 3rd is aluminum 2 cavity moulds.

I have a few 3, 4 and 5 cavity moulds and maybe a six cavity mould as well. Those are all brass and aluminum but generally I like 2 cavity moulds and iron is my first choice for material. I started out mostly with Lyman and Ohaus 1 and 2 cavity iron moulds and that is what I still prefer after 53 years of casting.

FWIW

Longbow

[RKJ]

I've got LEE 2 &6 holes, RCBS and Lyman (2 & 4 respectfully) and MP brass. I like them all but I prefer brass. To me they are works of art and they cast so easy. They do get heavy though.

[Stephen Cohen]

Those CBE are great I have several in singe and double. also several Iron in doubles and several alloy in single double and 6 banger. ^ banger for pistol rounds and singe for precision, but what ever the gun lies it gets, I do prefer Brass and Iron moulds though. Regards Stephen

[Bazoo]

I have lee 2 cavity, RCBS and Lyman. I ain't tried brass yet, but doubt I'd like it cause of it being delicate. I don't like aluminum for that reason, but I use lee moulds because they are cheap, produce a decent bullet and are easily obtainable. RCBS is my favorite thus far. I have had an accurate 2C and it was okay. It was finicky on fillout compared to RCBS. Looking back it was a heat issue, but iron moulds don't have that. I generally run 2 cavity moulds but I'm open to larger and to 1Cs, just pends on what I run across in calibers I shoot.

[Mal Paso]

I have never owned a less than 4 cavity mold. Most of my molds are 4 cavity with 1 5C and 1 6C.
With modern machining there isn't enough variation between cavities to matter. With PID there is no temperature variation in alloy temp. The 4 seconds between first and last cavity poured doesn't seem to affect much.

I think sticking to a single cavity was more important when cherrys were cut by hand and machining was less precise. The things that really throws weight off like a tiny bit of alloy caught between the blocks can happen to a mold of any size. For the MP Hollowpoint molds to work like they do the tolerance has got to be .0001".

I think Iron is still the best but brass and aluminum have a place too.

[Harter66]

I enjoy casting .
I have 60+ moulds , 1,2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 & a lone 8 cavity mould .
I find most singles tedious cast with particularly the smaller moulds . 50 pours for 35-45 bullets is forever for not very many bullets like a 454424 for a 45 pistol or 22s . Now it's not so bad with a 266469 or 457193 but I get 2 boxes for low volume rifles .
I have a 2 cavity Mountain Molds .453-350 , 50 pours give me 85+ . In 2 sessions I was unable to find any significant consistent showing between the cavities or runs .
I have a 3 cavity NOE version of the Lyman 457132 , 35 pours netted me 95 keepers , and about 9 gr of variation which I think probably any of us can live with on a 535 gr bullet .
My 4 ,5 and 6 cavities always throw a light and a heavy bullet , 2&3 identical bullets in the 4&5 cavities but they run <2% . The 6 cavities are mostly heavy pistol bullets and run 3% in the core and 5% gross.

The H&G #130 a 185 gr SWC believe it or not casts 195.6-196.8 for 8 holes and cast 6 of those 196.2-196.6 it seems to stabilize and have less deviation as the session goes along unfortunately like the 3x 535 the 8x 200 empties a 20# pot in pretty short order .
Sessions are short with it too .

I guess it just depends on the moulds needed level of accuracy and volume desired .

The 12# H&G is unwieldy the 4 cav 25 cal iron Lyman and brass MP 2 cav 462-420 are almost as bad .
The aluminum moulds from NOE mostly 4&5 cavity are a joy to cast and send to settle down quickly and make the heavy and light cav less noticed .
The Lee 6s don't and the doubles will cast 2 piles if I'm really picky about it .

I cast for the 45-70 and I don't mind casting a single but I prefer doubles .
I guess I just like to see the pot go down and the bullets pile up .