Lyman / Ideal 257 346 Mold

[1maineguide]

I have one and cannot find any info anywhere on it. Anybody have any ideas? I did a search here and can find nothing on it either.

[Rainier]

Welcome to the forum!
Can you post a picture(s) of the mould?

[1maineguide]

Dont have a camera or a cell phone for that matter. Dont know how to post a pic. either. It is a single cavity Ideal marked 257346 with 210 marked under the mold number. That is on the side without the spru plate. The spru plate side has the 210 stamped on it. it has three grease groves with the middle one being almost twice as wide as the lower and top groves. It also is a FN bullet.it is in the original box and is in like new condition. cannot tell you much more about it other than the original price on the box is $3.00 and it takes a small set of mold handles.

[Rainier]

Dont have a camera or a cell phone for that matter. Good for you! I should join you in the no cell phone world.

No idea what you have. I can’t find an Ideal/Lyman mould that matches that description or the number 257346.

I’d cast some up, determine diameter and weight, sort out a load and see how they shoot. What cartridge are you casting/loading for? Depending on the cartridge and boolit weight it should be pretty easy to come up with a starting load. Feel free to send me a PM if you need some help.

[1maineguide]

For giggles and grins I decided to call Lyman today and ask about it. They are surely lacking in the customer service department. I dont even know if that is where i got to but the entire 1/2 hour i was on hold and finally got a woman on the phone that knew absolutely nothing about molds let alone ones that were made back when Ideal was cutting them. I finally said thanks for all of your help and hung up. What a joke that was. Anyhow, I plan to do exactly what you said. Cast a handful up and see what they weigh and cast a few different compositions of mix and than see how they shoot. The next time i get a chance to do some casting. Thanks for your response.

[MT Gianni]

The 287346 is a 7mm 135 gr rn. It is rare for Lyman to substitute the last 3 digits with molds. Are you sure of the numbers? The 210 matches the mold halves. What do the bullets measure?

[1maineguide]

I have not cast with it yet. I am sure of the numbers. and don't have the mold in front of me. I do know my eyes are getting old and tired. My wife and son also said the numbers were 257 346. I will get the mold back out and make sure later this evening and also mic the mold as I have not cast with it yet. I bought about 15 molds the other week from an estate sale. I wish I could post pictures because there are some very unusual numbers in the batch. A 224450 which is identical to the 225450 and it was before the blocks came vented. Also a 308241 and a 42498 which I also find nothing listed on. And I still have about 4 sets soaking in kerosene to loosen up some rust that I have not even looked at the numbers. One set is rusted real bad and cannot even pull the blocks apart. And something else that I have never seen. A 22 cal. core mold. That is all that it says on the box. The mold has 22S stamped with the blocks being marked 673. This mold is built like a HP mold with a plate screwed onto the bottom with a long set screw that you can adjust for the length of the core. I did mic this mold out and it pours a core that is only .188. I think it must be for casting cores to swage bullets with but am only making a guess at that. Anybody have any info please post about these.

[obssd1958]

I agree with MT Gianni. Ideal data says that they only used the 346 cherry numbers once, and that was for the bullet that he listed above. A light or tilted strike on the second number could surely make an 8 look like a 5. Casting a sample will tell the tale for sure!

[clarksvillejoe]

It is a gas check mould. 285145

[1maineguide]

So I dug out the mold and first looked at the numbers. It is marked 257 346. Not a light strike or a misread on my account. However the bullet mics at .288 in the mold. I have not cast with it yet. Now I have looked at the bullet and into the book. It is the same bullet that the mold charts show as a 287 346. Also the same clarksvillejoe posted. This is a definite mistake in the marking of this mold. How it happened I do not know but it is a wrong mark. I think I will just set it aside and when I cast again I will pour a few and just keep it in my collection.

[1maineguide]

any other info on the others would be appreciated.

[beagle]

Reckon somebody at Ideal/Lyman kicked the numbers when stamping and he has a 257463?/beagle

[1maineguide]

My wife shoots a 7mm 08. Its a Rem 700 that loves the factory 140s. I wonder how that bullet would shoot in that gun. Anybody loaded cast for the 7mm08?

[Mk42gunner]

The 308241 was a plain based RN meant for the .30-30, I believe it was designed before gas checks were developed by John Barlow.

There was a thread or two on it in the last six months or so. One in the mold section, and one for sale.

The 42498, my best guess is it was meant for the .44 WCF (aka .44-40) in blackpowder days.

Robert

[rintinglen]

Robert has that one right. The 42498 was the name formerly given the 427-098. It was intended for the 44-40, AKA the 44 WCF.

[MT Gianni]

Robert has that one right. The 42498 was the name formerly given the 427-098. It was intended for the 44-40, AKA the 44 WCF.

In the early 80's late 70's or so, Lyman went with all 6 digit numbers. 3118 became 311008 and so on.