What is your most accurate mold?

Greetings Cast Boolit Brothers,

Was hoping to start a thread to highlight some good mold designs and accuracy of the bullets cast. As a relatively new caster I was under the impression that +/- 1.5 to 2 from a 10 bullet average was good enough with a few that run a little heavier and a few that run a little lighter.

But then I ran into an Arsenal (358429 SWC) that threw 100% keepers on bullets and cast +/- 1 (172 grains) with all bullets in range.

I never thought that this mold could be unseated until this week. I have casted the 358-175 Ranchdog from NOE for 4 solid days with 2 different alloys (Rangescrap straight and Rangescrap 20:1 linotype) with an average as cast bullet of 181.4 grains average perfectly round at .360 and not more than .3 grains in either direction on all bullets. WOW!!!!!!!!

Thanks NOE. This mold has now set the benchmark.

Bluejay

I can't speak about Arsenal molds since I have never used one. NOE molds that I have used are always spot on and work flawlessly.

For .45 Colt the RCBS 45-270-SAA
For my .44 SRH it the Lee 310

Remember this is for me. You may have different results.

Consistent mold and alloy temps and technique will yield very consistent boolits from any quality mold such as NOE, Accurate and MP.

As far as accuracy on paper. I've found WFN designs to be slightly more accurate than other designs and is my overall preference with the Keith designs a close second. Veral Smith, personal history aside, had it right for a long time. I consider him the father of the WFN design. Keith obviously the father of the Keith designs.

My most consistant casting mold and one of the best shooting is an Old West mould made for me by Bernie Rowels in brass 2 cavity. It casts a 547 grn shillouette style bullet with 3 grease grooves. It normally drops under 1 grain variance and .4595-.460. Its hard to throw bad bullets once its up to temp and running, Pre heat it throw the first 5-10 casts back for general principle and then start running they are all good.. I have several Old west Moulds both single and double cavities and they are all great moulds.

I've discovered two:

1.) NOE 360-160-WC-PB, for target loads and general plinking in 38 special . This is a recreation of Lyman's discontinued #358432 wadcutter . All my 38's and 357's shoot this one very accurately.
I've tested boolits from 105 to 170 grains and this one is a winner. It's not a typical WC nose, it protrudes out of the case and the shoulder must align it better in the cylinder. Don't know why but it is accurate .

2.) NOE 358-124-TC-GC, now this one is designed for 9 mm Luger , it is a truncated cone with no crimp groove so you have to taper crimp it but when loaded in 357 magnum and driven to 1000 fps it gives some amazingly tight groups. The gas check lets you drive it hard. It's accurate in 38 Special +P loads also. I have a gut feeling it would be just the ticket in a 357 rifle ....I need to get one of those !

Gary

Have have had excellent results with this Accurate mold

Attachment 198013

I just got two of the recent NOE re-run of 175 gain grain Ranch Dog .357 mag molds. Have not used them yet, but I have have great results with every Ranch Dog Design I have. Michael really has a feel for what works.

NOE to date. However, there are many that I need to buy and/or try which I'm working on!

@jmort,

If I'm anything I'm honest. I went 1 for 3 good to alright with molds from Arsenal. Im 7 of 8 with meet or exceed expectations from NOE (one threw two different sized bullets).

I have one Accurate mold, it was my second mold. Thing is a work of art. Casts two .358 and two .432's. I have the most loads worked up from bullets from that mold. Just doesn't ever give me 100% usable bullets...some of it being user error. Maybe its a function of the two smaller bullets are in the center and its hard for me as a novice to keep the temp of everything in the sweet spot.

My most accurate molds are an Eagan MX3 for the .30 cal. and the MX2 copy from NOE again for the .30 cals., esp. from my .30 BR.

My 5 most accurate molds are accurate molds from accuratemolds.com ;-)

My most accurate molds tend to be the Keith type pistol bullets. They also are easier to work up loads for. Its actually hard to get a load that does not shoot well. Now, some of the rifle bullets are a real challenge to get to shoot well! My molds are a mix of older Lyman, RCBS and H&G in 2 and 4 cavity.

relatively short fat pistol bullets are easier to get to cast well.
Indeed, good temp control pot, and good technique count a lot, too.
But , now lets talk about , for example longer, thinner bullets and how
do they fare for minimal wt range during casting?
beltfed/arnie

AND, consistency of quality bullets, minimal wrinkles, perfect bases, etc.
beltfed/arnie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 17nut

My 5 most accurate molds are accurate molds from accuratemolds.com ;-)

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That I believe

311466 recut with a Saeco 315 nose profile. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

My Accurate molds from Tom are very consistent, I believe most any mold will be consistent giving you run them as close to identical as possible, sure the nicer custom molds are nicer to work with, but if you do your part a cheap Lee will throw consistent, at least that's been my experience. I much prefer a good quality Steel mold over an Aluminum, i have no experience with brass molds so can't speak about them.

The Accurate 45-200H is mine.

For me it's been the NOE 266-125 FN. My Tikka 6.5x55 shoots very well with it. The RCBS 140gr is a close second.

Ranch dog 165 grain 30 cal flat nose TL design. Mold works great and those little flat nose make a nice Smmackk on the paper at 200 yards.
I judge my accuracy by my scores on CMP targets
last match with the 1903a3 shot well... 98 slow prone, 96 rapid prone and a 85 off hand

My Hoch nose-pour molds are very consistent. Next would be RCBS.

My most consistent molds are Barnett and Mos.
Phil

A LEE C312-185-1R out of my 30-06. I have gotten sub MOA groups out of it.

A vote for the Lee 358-200 RF in 357 magnum. Fired over 14 grains of H110 is my most accurate cast load. 1 inch or less at 100 yards. Will beat a half inch dot out of the bulleye at 50 yards all day long.

To burn up a couple pounds of lil gun I found 13.3 did the trick. (14 was too much for the tight bored 77/357 but that was ragged hole accurate in my Handi rifle).

I don't cull bullets from this mold and they shoot like magic. Just cast, coat, size to .358 and load.

I have an RCBS mould, 30-165sil, that recently dropped all boolits, that were then sized .309 and with a gas check applied, weighed between 174 and 175g except for 3/ea. The total number of boolits was well over 100/ea. The alloy was 10:1 (ww:lino). This boolit shoots extremely well in a friend's Howa 1500 in .308 Win. He hopes to use it next month in a CBA match. We'll see what happens!

An old Lyman 429421 and an RCBS 250 KT that Eric hollow pointed for me .

NOE 30 XCB 310-165-FN bar none.

Larry Gibson

NOE 360-200FN. In my 35 Rem that is the one that out-shoots them all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Larry Gibson

NOE 30 XCB 310-165-FN bar none.

Larry Gibson

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Went back & read your old test from 2014. Guess you're still happy with this bullet/mould.

68 H&G for 45 acp. Hoch nose pour if they fit the bore for rifles