knifemaker
07-23-2010, 12:30 AM
This is for you guys that have debated with purchasing a custom mold due to not getting what you want in a factory production mold.
I was in that position after using factory molds, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, for over 20 years. I now have two Marlin rifles, 44 mag. and 45/70 caliber that required a slightly larger boolit to fit the grooves. On the 44 mag, I have joined the group buy for the Keith 250 Gr. mold that will drop a 434 dia. boolit and still awaiting it's arrival.
For the 45/70 I recently ordered a 4 cavity mold from BRP molds. I like the idea I was able to get that mold with two different boolits. One being a 300 gr. GC that drops at .463 and a 350 gr. GC that drops at .462. that will give a flat shooting 300 gr. for deer&pig hunting and a 350 gr for larger game.
I got the mold yesterday and have already cast about 200 boolits with it. after the cool down I selected at random 10 boolits of each weight for weighting and size checking.
I was amazed to find the weights were within one grain for each boolit in both weights. I have never had that precision on any factory muti cavity mold before. That means the cavities were machined identical in both cavities for each weight, and my boolit casting that day was up to snuff.
I used my mike to check for size in three different spots on the drive bands. The 300 gr bullet that drops at 463 were wihin one thousand from 463 t0 464. The 350 gr that drops at 462 was also within 1 thousand from 462 to 463 dia. I can not tell you how many factory molds I have used that gave me a size varance of 3-4 thousand in the different cavities.
I am very pleased with the mold from BRP and their wormanship on their molds are top rate as far as I am concerned. Should have went custom a long time ago , but like most folks trying to save a buck I held off until now.:p:lovebooli
I was in that position after using factory molds, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, for over 20 years. I now have two Marlin rifles, 44 mag. and 45/70 caliber that required a slightly larger boolit to fit the grooves. On the 44 mag, I have joined the group buy for the Keith 250 Gr. mold that will drop a 434 dia. boolit and still awaiting it's arrival.
For the 45/70 I recently ordered a 4 cavity mold from BRP molds. I like the idea I was able to get that mold with two different boolits. One being a 300 gr. GC that drops at .463 and a 350 gr. GC that drops at .462. that will give a flat shooting 300 gr. for deer&pig hunting and a 350 gr for larger game.
I got the mold yesterday and have already cast about 200 boolits with it. after the cool down I selected at random 10 boolits of each weight for weighting and size checking.
I was amazed to find the weights were within one grain for each boolit in both weights. I have never had that precision on any factory muti cavity mold before. That means the cavities were machined identical in both cavities for each weight, and my boolit casting that day was up to snuff.
I used my mike to check for size in three different spots on the drive bands. The 300 gr bullet that drops at 463 were wihin one thousand from 463 t0 464. The 350 gr that drops at 462 was also within 1 thousand from 462 to 463 dia. I can not tell you how many factory molds I have used that gave me a size varance of 3-4 thousand in the different cavities.
I am very pleased with the mold from BRP and their wormanship on their molds are top rate as far as I am concerned. Should have went custom a long time ago , but like most folks trying to save a buck I held off until now.:p:lovebooli