Are aluminum molds good?
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Are aluminum molds good?
Yes they are , just take care of them you will have them for life ,
Thanks trapper9260
Depends on the maker . Some are better than others .
When Lee sold single and double cavity moulds , with handles , for only $10 to $20 this poor boy fell in love with Aluminum , simply for the cost . They wern't the best moulds ever made but I could do a little hand finishing and cast servicable boolits .
A 4 cavity NOE aluminum mould opened my eyes as to how sweet a aluminum could be ... they cost much more than $20 ... but you get exactly what you pay for and with a NOE maybe a little / lot more ... they don't come with handles so that cost has to be considered .
I'm sold on aluminum ... even Lee moulds are quite servicable .
Gary
I prefer aluminum molds. (Not LEE)
I have a couple of the LEE 6 Cavity moulds a 45-230-TC and it's little brother a 9-120-TC that I don't remember the actual mould numbers for. There okay moulds. That said I consider the NOE aluminum 5 cavity moulds at about $100 minus any discounts as about the best mould deal going.
The aluminum molds I use that are made by Accurate are the best I have ever used.
Yes, aluminum are the easiest to cast with. I preheat mine on the glass top stove while the pot melts. Good boolits from the git go.
I also prefer aluminum moulds. I have no problem with Lee's moulds. They just need a bit more mould prep prior to use than other moulds costing 3 or more times as much. I've Lee Moulds I bought back in the mid 70s (cost was $6.95 at the LGS) and have cast hundreds if not thousands of bullets with them and they are still in excellent condition. As mentioned, you just have to take care of them and don't beat them to death.
I seem to be in the minority here but I prefer iron molds. They hold heat better and overall are much less fussy. Corrosion is what everyone hates about them, get some VCI paper and store in an airtight container like an ammo can and you won’t have any issues at all. If Lyman had never had the quality control issues they did, they likely would still be everyone’s go to.
NOE,Accurate,Arsenal,LBT and NEI are the aluminium molds I have all have served me well . Tried a couple of Lee molds just couldn't get a decent bullet with them eventually gave them away.
I have 1 NOE aluminum and about 40 Lee molds . They both need a little break in and a bit more care than the 6 steel Lyman molds that I hardly ever use. They are a lot lighter than the steel.
Cannot agree more ... The Best
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The aluminum molds I use that are made by Accurate are the best I have ever used.
I prefer Lee moulds although they do heat up faster keeping a damp rag on the side helps in this. I like the reduced weight and I don't notice any quality difference in them vs RCBS or Lyman
Nah. They dont last.
Aluminium is softer and will wear way faster than iron, you cant deny it!
Usually my Lee 459-405-HB moulds last no more than 1800-2000 fills before the sprue hole get's severely elongated and that is with 97/3. The Lee base up moulds tend to last longer.
But i have yet to wear out a single iron mould and i have some more than 80+ years old!
Thanks a million to all of you.
It is nice to read opinions of people with a lot of experience.
Really? Because I have several Lee moulds with several thousand through them and they cast fine
I think you have some good opinions. I haven't cast a million but I do have an opinion. As far as longevity, steel is hard to beat. I have several of them, Lyman and RCBS. I have a couple 2 cavity Lee's and while I can get decent bullets from them, they do not compare to their big brother the 6 cavity. I also have a couple NOE and an Arsenal that you cannot tell apart. They are obviously softer material but much lighter which you will appreciate when you get older. If you take care of an aluminum I don't see why they won't last a lifetime and more. I can get the aluminum molds up to heat quickly and keep it there and cast bullets like a mad man. Likely you will need to cool it off.