One Mould per Calibre!

[Bigjohn]

This one was initiated by me reading the lastest issue of "HANDLOADER" #259 and is the title of an article by Mike Venturino.

If the situation came about and you (we) had to choose only one mould per Calibre (Caliber); could you do it and get by?

For myself in most cases; Yes! but there are exceptions, e.g. .303" British and 7.62 x 39mm cartridges.
Have fun deciding fellows, :lovebooli
John

[Down South]

Of course I could but I'd miss my other moulds.

[EDK]

I could do get by with one mould per caliber BUT I'd be some unhappy...and would have had one h--- of a sale to get there!

I never really counted how many moulds I have accumulated over the years...especially since I joined this forum. AND I don't consider myself in the same league as some of the guys like GLL or Blammer or Calamity Jake (all people I've gotten moulds from.)

Does a plain base and gas check in the same blocks count?

:Fire::cbpour::redneck:

[archmaker]

Going to one mold per caliber would be like only having salt for seasoning. I would miss my Red pepper, black pepper, Chipolte, pecan smoked salt, paprika, mustard . . .

EDK - I am right there about PB and GC!

44 caliber it would be my old NEI mold 295gr Keith GC, and a 310 PB TC
30 caliber would be my RCBS 30-165Sil

After those two . . . I would have to test a few again to make the decision.

[Wayne Smith]

Since I have molds for my 45-70 that range from 120gr. to 520gr. I would be very unhappy giving any of them up. Maybe for the .22 calibers, but I don't cast for them. Anything with a 3 or higher in the number will have more than one weight available for multiple purposes.

Sure, I could shoot, but I wouldn't be happy nor would the gun be as versatile.

[sdelam]

Thats actually kinda my goal. I dont really want different loads for different guns. I would like to have one bullet/ load for all .45's, one for 9mm etc.. I guess I just like simple.

[1Shirt]

:coffee:Ah yes! Mold happiness! Everyone ought to have a goal or three! One of mine is to have blts from every mold I own shoot into MOA. That is about as probable as a second vergin birth, but it is a goal. It is the trying with every new mold that I get my hands on, in hopes I will find a rifle that just is an absolute match. Now that also calls for more rifles, and the list goes on and on. Maybe if I only owned one rifle, and used it only for one thing like hunting, and I was really down on my luck with only one mold, I could be satisfied. That said, guess I will keep buying molds and rifles, and like Don Q, will stay in quest of my goal.
1Shirt:coffee:

[Beerd]

The way I see it, the only way one mould per caliber will work is if you're shooting round balls. :-P
..

[runfiverun]

you then run into the situation of the gun not liking the mold.
i have 3-4 30 cal molds and i can't just use whichever one i please in whatever rifle i feel like unless i just wanna shoot 5" groups all the time.
plinking is shooting at stuff and hitting it.

[theperfessor]

I've thought about this before, especially when thinking of traveling light.

I think I could get by with one mold per caliber, but it would have to have two-three-four or more different type of cavities in it! Example would be a six cavity .45 ACP mold that would cast three 200 gr SWCs and three 230 gr RNs. (I shoot about equal quantities of each.) Or a six cavity .38 mold with three 158 gr SWCs and three 141 gr WCs. Or even a six cavity .30 with three 130 gr and three 165-180 gr cavities.

One bullet per caliber would be a lot harder to live with! :-(

[Trey45]

I've only been castin boolits since January this year, I consider myself lucky to have even ONE mould per caliber as it is! I don't even have a 44 mag mould, I've had to borrow 2 moulds from a friend, I have 2 moulds for 357, and only because I got lucky on fleabay and scored an H&G #50 for 50 bucks. One mould for 45colt, one for 45acp, one for 40sw, and that's it. I'm hoping to buy more as cash flwo allows.

[HORNET]

I thought about this when I first read the article. If you don't expect one j-word bullet to work for everything in a specific bore size, wht would you expect one mold design to work for everything? A 45gr Hornady Hornet is dandy out of my old #3 Hornet but far from optimum out of the .22-250. A 110 RN works fine out of the .30 Herret but would not be a good choice for moose out of a .300 Win. Mag. A 180 partition going the other way wouldn't be real great either. You could get around some of the restrictions by judicious handloading, but it's much better to have choices. I prefer to have LOTS of choices.[smilie=1:
Besides, I usually use different designs to designate different loads in the same chambering. It makes it easier than some other methods, and doesn't wipe off in the rain.:roll:

[shooterg]

Being fairly new to casting, I only have one mold for each caliber anyway ! .38 SWC, 9mm truncated cone, 230 RN .45, and 31141 .30 - so right now I don't haveta make a choice, I'm locked in until my ship comes in...
Do swage for .224 and .44 so I can shoot them at reasonable cost too.

[big boar]

I think Mike Venturino is one of the best writers around, however he should be publicly flogged for suggesting such a thing. It's like saying you can only have 1 meal per day, sure it can be done, but why? I've spent years telling my wife why it is I needed to get that other mold, gun, scope etc, and now he's gone and ruined it for me.

[mooman76]

Pistol wouldn't be too hard in most cases but something like and especially 30 cal. whaich has shuch a wide range of cartridges would be most difficult, especially if you are expecting good results. I have notices that when someone is bored and want to start something they tend to turn to the, if you could only have one gun or one caliber or the one best gun for self defence and so on.

[Nora]

I would be able to deal with one weight per caliber better than I could just one diameter. The barrels of my .30's range from .299/308 to .302/314. Going large and sizing the lube grooves off would be counter productive. Going with any thing under .314 would render one of my favorites useless as it keyholes everything in a CB that's .311 and under no mater what the powder type or charge.

[Wayne Smith]

Hey, Mike, don't you just love the proof of readership? BTW, how many molds did it take to find the perfect mold for one 45-70? Does it fit them all?

[willyboy]

My dream mold is the Saeco 375 spire point .459 for my Trapdoors.I already have a 385 ,a 405,and a 405 HB,but I bought a batch of 500 that had been dropped from that Saeco,and now I'm spoiled for anything else.

[Firebricker]

I enjoyed the article a lot it reminded me of the one rifle or one handgun articles. Possible but would sure be tough choice. FB

[Tom Herman]

I can do with the RCBS 45-265-RN-HB for the .455 Webley, Lyman 452664 for the .45 LC, Lyman 429421 for the .44 cal, and the Lyman 358429 for the .38/.357.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[Larry Gibson]

Mike's article was interesting and kept me occupied during a flight back east. Trying to narrow it down proved a good mental exercise. At the same time I tried to narrow my rifle/handguns down to "need only" battery. Got it narrowed down to 13 rifles/handguns 9for both the wife and I) and 12 moulds plus 2 shotguns. That was the bare minimum I could do with (okay I'm a little excessive about "need"). My minimum "want" list was 17 rifles/handguns, 16 moulds and the 2 shotguns. Again Mike provided an interesting read and a good mental exercise. Now if Mike ever comes up with another such idea he may get dropped from my Christmas card list.....give up close to 3/4s of my moulds? Unthinkable at the least........cause for revolution at the most!

Larry Gibson

[9.3X62AL]

Mike V--thanks for the nightmares. :)

I do have several calibers that do very well with one mould each. But 30 caliber or 38/357? FORGET IT. So won't happen!

Yer asking to choose between Keith or Thompson SWCs in 38/357, 44 Spec/Mag, and 45 Colt. Like someone said above, salt or pepper--but not both? HORRORS.

Just funning with ya, sir. Another of many fine articles, and I look forward to your work in each issue. When a writer's work can prompt thought by thoughtful, serious hobbyists--you've really done a job.

[felix]

I did not read the article by Mike, but from what I gather here I would tend to agree with him. That, however, depends on what he meant by caliber. If it includes case capacity, and twist, then yes, in full agreement. Let's see, how many calibers do I have on-hand? About 40 if you include a different gun in same caliber, so that means I need 40 molds. To make it really challenging, I need 40 different powders too. To make it insane as well, each powder must not be variation of another. Nuts! Absolutely nuts, this hobby. ... felix

[StrawHat]

One boolit mold per firearm I could probably do but one per caliber, no way. Not with a dozen rifles firing the same cartridge. Same thing with revolvers.


Beerd The way I see it, the only way one mould per caliber will work is if you're shooting round balls.

Yep, that would work and is what I do with the muzzleloaders.

[shooter93]

I've been pretty much a one load for one gun guy for years. 22 caliber rifles I'd need a mold for each one because some shoot 40 gr bullets and some 75's. For all my other rifles I'd need only one mold and one j-bullet. I've been narrowing powder choices down to as few as possible too.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
When I was out of work for about a year, that is what happened.
All but my very favorite guns were sold, only what I needed to hunt with was spared.
Then the employment was so spotty & iffy that we focused on getting out of all debt.
Pam had 1 BP rifle & I had 1.
She had a 357 & I had a 44 & a 22 .
She could use The 7mm/06 & I had the 7mm mag.
So 1- 7mm mold, 1- 357 mold, 1- 44mold, & for BP a 45 mold & a 54 mold.
When we were clear of dept, we focused on food ,H2O, meds storage.
Then on powder, primers, & brass.
Finally got a 2nd 357 and started to build a WW supply.
But now will be hunting a job by June.
OH WELL!
So Mike's problem has been solved Long ago by me & my family.

[Bigjohn]

The way Mike started the article,it seemed that he was at a bit of a loss as to what to write for an article that day.

From what I read in the article; it relates to one mould per calibre not counting the cartridge driving it down range.

I wonder if he has been quietly checking in here to see what the responses have been. :-D

John