Best mold to learn on?

[WestKentucky]

I’m to the point finally where I am ready to buy a mold. I have a heat source, pot for melting, a little bit of lead to learn with, alox, mineral spirits, a bag of sawdust for flux, ladle... I think I’m ready to go with the exception of a mold. My thought process may be totally off base, but it seems like the thing to learn on would be a very simple mold. Not huge but not small either. Something like a 2 cavity 38 wadcutter. Since that’s one of the bullets I intend to cast anyways it’s really high on my list as a first mold. The other thing I’m considering is a 2 cavity 311 rn 93gr for 32 caliber pistols since I have a few of those that are hungry.

I am open to suggestions and insight, and especially pointers for jumping in with a mold for one of the following things

32 pistols. I have 1 32 acp and a few 32sw and 32 long revolvers Lee 93 rn looks like a winner eventually, but for first mold?
38 wadcutter preferably HBWC so it will obturate and work properly in 38sw but also serve in 38spl and ultralight 357 applications. HB means pins and that’s a complication I’m not sure I want to get into yet.
30 cal rifle. It would need to be gas checked so I’m looking other directions for my first mold. Would use it for 30 carbine and 3030. Somewhere in the 115gr range. Likely will be my first rifle mold though.

[Win94ae]

You are overthinking it. Buy the mold that will serve the purpose of your gun.

[pastera]

The mold you have is the best one to learn on

32 - I don't have one but the profile looks like an easy one to cast. For <$25 not much to lose.
38/357 - Both the 158g WC and the 140g SWC are easy to cast and perform very well when sized properly (Have shot both in a S&W 19-3). I don't see much of a need for HBWC (http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_11_Wadcutter.htm)
30 cal - you will need to be much more fussy about the cast quality here but there isn't any waste. Just cull any less than perfect casts back into the pot to recast during the next session.

[Maven]

WKY, Lee Precision offers two wadcutter design mould for the .38 Spl/.357Mag. and one ~115gr. .30cal. mould, #309-113-F (requires a gas check*), which has shown itself to be accurate in a variety of different .30cal. rifles. Btw, on this site, it has also been referred to as a "soup can." As for the .38 wadcutters, they are or used to be plentiful enough on eBay, but a hollow base one will be much harder to find and much more expensive than the others. Sized to fit your gun and with modest powder charges of say 2.7 gr. Bullseye or something similar, accuracy can be VG -> Excellent.

*That cast bullet will also shoot well without a gas check if you size it to fit your rifle's bore, but you can't push it as fast as you would with a gas check.

[Winger Ed.]

If there is a .38 HBWC mold out there, I'm not aware of it.
All the HBWC I've seen were swaged.

As far as which one to learn on-- I don't think it would really matter.

My first mold was a RCBS .38 Keith style SWC wad cutter for a gas check. I thinks its right at 160 grain.
It does well in .38 or .357Mag. from mild to wild speeds.
Not that its any easier, or much different than any other.
For me, it was just handy and dropped a boolit I'd shoot a lot.

I'd pick it again, but probably just powder coat them for .38s or mild .357s.

For a hollow point, I found them to be way more tedious and labor intensive
than I want to do just to make practice ammo.

I can drop about 6 plain boolits from a double cavity mold in the time it takes
to do the hollow point thing for one in a single cavity mold.

[Gamsek]

38 HBWC moulds with pins exist, even 4cav, not much slower to cast them solid BUT not for beginners to make mistakes on a expensive mould.
This is MP copy of famous HG#50.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210115/b4254379f741f327fb4795232698877e.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210115/66024681bc1fe31f4a312a509a0fa0a6.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210115/5da7c67f599c9411ed3c0e3c2c5e9b7d.jpg

Take a good look at this

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/hg-50-38-357-solid-wadcutter-8-cavity-mold/

In stock and you will get it in 5 days. Solid.

[Conditor22]

this is in stock right now and will feed your 32 caliber pistols, and will last IF you take care of it and don't abuse it.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010206368

[Bazoo]

It's easiest to learn on a medium size mould such as a 38 spl or 45 acp. They are the least finicky. It's easiest on an iron mould like a one cavity Lyman. Now that's not to say you can't learn on any mould.

What you really need is a used mould that has been tuned. Let's say a Lee cause they are cheap. Problem is, all moulds except for custom jobs like accurate, be they lyman RCBS or lee, are hit or miss. Just about everyone that casts becomes a mould mechanic. Moulds have a habit of not dropping the bullet easy, or being slightly undersized across one of it's demensions. Or with lee 2 cavity moulds the sprue plate pivot comes loose and needs to have a set screw added. Put a want to buy add here in the forum for a mould that suits your needs, but specify it not be ornery. If you do end up with one that is ornery, find someone to help you straighten it out if you can't do it yourself.

Welcome to the CB.GL forum by the way.

[Dragonheart]

I would start out with a H&G 4 cavity wadcutter.

H&G molds are older than you and if were taken care of it will out live you. Wadcutters were the mold of choice 60 years ago in the everybody had a revolver days. But now pistols are the firearms of choice, so you can usually find an excellent 4 cavity H&G wadcutter with handles in the $100 range or less. I wouldn't waste my money on a 1 or 2 cavity because as soon as you start you are going to want more production and there is no difference in the quality of bullet dropped. Check out Hensley & Gibbs on Ebay as these wadcutter molds appear all the time. They are the best Iron Molds out there and machine work as good as it gets. I will warn you once you get you hands on an H&G it will spoil you.

[David W. Sanders]

good luck on finding any brand of bullet mold right now i have been trying to buy a double cavity molds in either a round nose or a semi wad cutter for 4 of my pistols since it is extremly hard to find factory bullets and the people on ebay are willing to pay 3-4 times what a brand new set sells for. good luck

[JoeJames]

As Conditor22 will attest I am still on the elementary school level. The first mold I tried was an Accurate three cavity 32 caliber mold -throws .312" 100 grain swc's on each end and one for swc's with gas checks in the middle. Not the best to start with. Took me forty forevers to start casting good 32 bullets. I already had an old Lee 38 wadcutter double cavity .358" 150 gr w/ my bullets. So, then tried the lee wc mold; first two or three bad until the mold heated up, then to me perfect. Then fired up I got the Lee 430 240 swc double cavity, and as they say in the ads "I amazed my friends" with them ... short and stubby but perfect and very accurate in my 44 Special Ruger BH. So I would recommend a double cavity 38 wadcutter mold.

[dverna]

If you buy a two cavity mold it will be useless in short order.

Get a 4-6 cavity mold in a pistol caliber you shoot the most. Mi-hec, NOE, Accurate all make good molds. My first mold was an H&G 10 cavity. The advice above to get a 4 cavity H&G is good but H&G molds are not easy to find.

Prices are nuts. I have a Lyman 4 cavity WC I am selling put will not post it here...it will go for more of its fair price if I list it on eBay. You may get a decent deal on eBay but it is unlikely. Buy new or watch the listings here.

[Ickisrulz]

good luck on finding any brand of bullet mold right now i have been trying to buy a double cavity molds in either a round nose or a semi wad cutter for 4 of my pistols since it is extremly hard to find factory bullets and the people on ebay are willing to pay 3-4 times what a brand new set sells for. good luck

Check out Accurate Molds. He's showing a 4 week turn around right now. You can get exactly what you want shipped to your door in one month. These molds are excellent.

https://accuratemolds.com/

[frkelly74]

In normal times I would automatically say get a lee mold. They are good to learn on and if you do happen to break it you aren't out too much. These times are not normal so you may have trouble getting any mold at a reasonable price. On the other hand just being in the midst of the members here has netted me a couple of nice molds to play with recently, which I will feel duty bound to pass on without putting a gouge price on them when I am done with them. People here tend to help out other people here. My first mold was a 309 160 round nose which I got to use in a 30-30 Handy rifle. It was immediately fun to use but was only a single cavity. I still have some of the boolits I cast with that before I traded it off.

[JM7.7x58]

this is in stock right now and will feed your 32 caliber pistols, and will last IF you take care of it and don't abuse it.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010206368
I have the Lee 311-93 mold in a six banger, and a tight chambered Beretta 81. I have to tell you that this Lee bullet isn’t a good choice for 32acp. It’s about twenty grains too heavy. The nose is also too wide. By the time it is seated low enough to pass the plunk test it is bulging your brass. There are better molds for the 32acp. I ended purchasing a can full of Lyman 313249 from an estate sale. It is a 85 grain round nose with a step on the nose that allows it to still chamber in a 32acp with a longer OAL length than the Lee bullet. I’m sure the Lee 93 grain bullet will work well in your revolvers.

These threads have a few good recommendations for 32acp molds.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?328235-What-mould-for-32acp

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?391396-New-Beretta-32-acp

[hoodat]

I'll bet a lot of us started this hobby with a single cavity round ball mold. I did, and things went pretty good for me. My total equipment consisted of, Lyman cast iron pot on a kitchen burner, Lyman lead dipper, and Lyman single cavity .437 round ball mold. Those balls fed my CVA Kentucky Rifle Kit that I built at age 15. jd

[Burnt Fingers]

If there is a .38 HBWC mold out there, I'm not aware of it.
All the HBWC I've seen were swaged.

As far as which one to learn on-- I don't think it would really matter.

My first mold was a RCBS .38 Keith style SWC wad cutter for a gas check. I thinks its right at 160 grain.
It does well in .38 or .357Mag. from mild to wild speeds.
Not that its any easier, or much different than any other.
For me, it was just handy and dropped a boolit I'd shoot a lot.

I'd pick it again, but probably just powder coat them for .38s or mild .357s.

For a hollow point, I found them to be way more tedious and labor intensive
than I want to do just to make practice ammo.

I can drop about 6 plain boolits from a double cavity mold in the time it takes
to do the hollow point thing for one in a single cavity mold.

NOE also makes a hollow base wadcutter.

If the only hollow point mold you've used is a Lyman then you're missing out. I can drop hollow points almost as fast as solids with my MP molds.

You're welcome to come over to my place and play with my toys Winger Ed.

[metricmonkeywrench]

For me the short answer is whatever mould you can find. The simplest mould for me to master was the dual cavity Lee 148g wadcutter soup can. Doesn’t hurt that it shoots well and I’m becoming convinced that it will perform over about every fast powder.

The 30-30 and 30 carbine are a bit divergent so finding a mould to do both would be a compromise. I would focus on either or.

[GoldieMI]

WK-
I'm partial to MP Molds currently- if it's in stock, you get it quickly like 3-5 days via DHL.
and good to see you at CB as well..
Brass make it to you yet?

[WestKentucky]

I went ahead and bought a mold I know I will use. I will likely trash it quickly, and that’s fine, but it should be a relatively cheap education. Lee 2 cavity tumble lube 38 wadcutter. Ye Olde Soupcan. It seems as common as it is simple, and should be a good and fun learning point. It also was in stock when the 32 caliber mold I want was out of stock. That’s fine though, my goal for the year is to buy a mold about every other month and lead on months I don’t buy a mold. That gives me a toolset and a supply that will work well enough to improve my situation to a more acceptable level.

[toallmy]

I started casting with 2 cavity Saeco & RCBS molds but a few years ago I could find the model of molds I was interested in used but well taken care of for 50 bucks so I figured the first thousand boolits covered the mold .
I later after getting a little experience with harder metal molds acquired a few aluminum and brass molds that cast just fine , but need to be handled with care .
I'm seeing used aluminum molds for sale with the top of the blocks just gouged out horribly , properly using lube and temperature stops the damage - but to a new caster by the time it's figured out the damage is already done .

[JoeJames]

I went ahead and bought a mold I know I will use. I will likely trash it quickly, and that’s fine, but it should be a relatively cheap education. Lee 2 cavity tumble lube 38 wadcutter. Ye Olde Soupcan. It seems as common as it is simple, and should be a good and fun learning point. It also was in stock when the 32 caliber mold I want was out of stock. That’s fine though, my goal for the year is to buy a mold about every other month and lead on months I don’t buy a mold. That gives me a toolset and a supply that will work well enough to improve my situation to a more acceptable level.Good deal! With my 38 wc mold I finally figured out that home cast boolits could actually and truly be more accurate than store bought.

[Petrol & Powder]

WestKentucky, I don't believe you will trash that mold. There isn't much to break on a mold, even an inexpensive one such as a Lee 2 cavity.

If you don't abuse it, it will last for many years.

I have a few Lee molds and they are entirely serviceable molds. The aluminum blocks will not rust but the steel parts will, so oil or grease the steel parts after use before you put them away. If you have to tap the mold handles to get the bullet to release, tap on the hinge.

A roughly 148gr WC for a 38 Special is an outstanding bullet and a great place to start your casting career. Be aware, it's an addictive hobby.

When this madness is over and the shortages subside, you will have no problem finding molds.

[Tonto]

I wouldn’t hesitate starting with an inexpensive Lee mold. Unless you are extremely ham-handed it should last forever. I started with a Lyman 38 158 SWC over 40 years ago and I still have that mold. Now, many years later I have an assortment of every brand and they all have their quirks but slow and steady gets me great bullets. Get a Lee mold, follow the directions, read a lot here and get started. I’d suggest the 35-148 WC in a 2 cavity. If you’ve never cast before, the 2 bangers are perfect to start with.

[farmbif]

have not read all the threads cuz I know there was lots of great advice given
if you have mold, cast bullets.
it can be as easy as casting some bullets
drizzle some lee alox on them, shake em about a bit, let dry and load ammo
just be sure you expand case mouth before seating bullets

[Petander]

Get a good quality mold to begin with.

Now that I (sometimes) know what I'm doing I can live with Lee molds but you have to repair the handles and live with general sloppiness. Compared to most, Lee molds need much more extra attention.

I started with Lees because I was told they are the best. I actually wasted some years and almost quit casting... until I got a Robert Applegate brass mold for 45-70...

I can't afford any other cheap tools either.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[BJK]

I'm going to come at your question from the other end. I can tell you the most difficult mould to avoid. Understand I'm pretty much still in diapers when it comes to casting.

I wanted to make my own #4 buckshot 12ga shells and #4 buckshot was unavailable. So knowing nothing else I found a LEE mould in the UK. I remember it being more that I wanted to spend but this intrepid never before cast anything new lead caster had it in hand and I was going to cast some #4 buckshot. I had some issues not really mould related, but I fixed those. In the process of finding those issues I learned that the string of buckshot wouldn't fill out. So I came here and got good advice that I put into practice. The second attempt was a good one and as a guesstimate I think I had over a 90% success rate. The second run was as high or maybe higher % rate. That might not be the best mould to learn on. I found out later that even experienced casters have failed at it, but my success gave me confidence for more casting, so maybe it wasn't the worst mould to learn on at all, for me. After that I cast a mess of LEE 7/8oz slugs with no rejects. Now I'm waiting on warm weather so that I can cast some 9mm and then .30 after that mould arrives.

I think there are much easier moulds to learn on than the LEE #4 buckshot mould. But if you like a real challenge maybe you can find one. I'm hoping that having mastered that with my beginners gear I'll find casting other bullets to be easy.

If I was starting all over again, and when I read your 1st post in the thread I said to myself, "Start with a mould for the bullet you can use.", as most folks immediately responding mentioned. Actually that's what I did in my naivete but you can do better.

[white eagle]

Best mold to learn on?

the one you want to cast with
really learn as you go its an adventure

[robg]

a lee 2 cavity mold is a good starting point .cheap ,warm up quickly and cast good boolits that you dont need to size .

[Dragonheart]

I would never tell a new caster or old one for that matter, that bullets do not need to be sized. That is unless you want to force an oversized and out of round bullet down your barrel. That is a poor reloader and possibly dangerous practice.

[BJK]

I was told by a friend that he had a LEE mold that didn't require the bullets that came from it to be sized. I thought he was full of organic fertilizer but I gave him some lead to convert into bullets for me anyway. I got the required liquid Alox (I think that was it) and lubed and loaded some. OK, if one is a horrible shooter they'd pass muster, but I'm much better than that and I disassembled what I had loaded and melted the rest. No one will ever get me to waste my time on any bullet that needs to be engraved by rifling. Buckshot? OK. Slugs in a wad or sabot? OK. But a bullet? No way. BTDT and never again.