Looking for my first mould for 44 mag

[RogerDat]

Thanks for the advice. Most who use the lee think its OK to usable, and very few others who use other brands would try a lee from what I hear. Some of it has to be brand snobbery, but it can't all be since some of these pots cost 10 times what the lee does. Well that's how it is with hobbies, sure is cheaper than fast cars nowadays...

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Some of the melting pots have a built in PID which provides very precise digital temperature control, the cheaper melters are just a dial with numbers, you use a thermometer clipped to the side to monitor and turn the knob to get the desired temp. Has more of a temperature curve as the pot drains. Doesn't cause too much trouble for most folks (I just remember where I set the dial for what lead and mold) but lead temperature is one more variable and a PID makes it so you can just set it and forget it. An external PID that a regular pot plugs into so that the power is controlled by the PID costs around $100 give or take when made by a hobbyist and sold in swapping and selling, so you can figure they add at least that much or more to the price of the pot when they are built in.

I don't use a bottom pour, I use a Lyman "Little Dipper" ladle to pour my lead into the mold. It is slower than bottom pour I'm sure but I like the way I can see my pour and adjust how the lead flows in to suite the molds preferences. Straight down the center, over the edge, or sort of a side swirl. Since I am pouring over the pot I can also pour a little from the ladle onto the sides of the mold to help keep the temp of the mold higher if needed. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/286...an-lead-dipper Also tip the mold to the spout and turn them together to "pressure cast" for some long rifle bullets that like that.

Not saying better but I decided for the money I could get a larger Lee pot without the bottom pour and what can I say I enjoy it. Feeding an auto loader with .223 or 7.62 Russian takes longer than it does with bottom pour but I do batches of 250 - 1000 at a time sitting on a stool and am contented with the speed. Like this video (same ladle but I don't use a mallet) This person is somewhat pressure casting, watch how the mold is tipped and fitted to the ladle spout and then tipped together so the lead goes in under a bit of pressure from the spout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgRq6yVml5E

[sundog]

Shuz and others are right. The 429421 is a classic. Problem is to find a decent older mould that someone will part with or a new one that will 'measure up'.

I recently started shooting the Lee TL430-240-SWC cast with a new Lee mould. Dimension is good as is cavity to cavity consistency. Plus it casts a bunch in a hurry. I did 'lee-ment' it before using it though. These boolits are PC'd with HF red (BBM-Black BBs Matter). Kinda liken' this PC stuff. Nice and clean, no loob smoke when shootin', and apparently looong storage life and ready to load at any point. I've run them thru a Lee push thru sizer I opened up to .432. Accuracy is good in a 44 Spl I've been playing with lately, too.

[Ola]

Shuz and others are right. The 429421 is a classic. Problem is to find a decent older mould that someone will part with or a new one that will 'measure up'..

That's the reason I would not recommend current Lyman mold for a beginner. I have couple of those that are dropping WAY undersized or out-of-round bullets. Of course OP might be luckier than I have been..

[EDK]

Since you mentioned a rifle, I'd suggest a round nose flat point design. I've got both LYMAN COWBOY moulds in 44, plus MIHEC 434640 plain base and LYMAN 429640 gas check AND the RANCH DOG 432 265 gas check and NOE plain base clone. Get the RANCH DOG designs first. They will serve you well.

LYMAN 429421 (and clones) is a great REVOLVER design, but may have feeding issues. 429244 has worked me for 40+ years in various 44 MARLIN rifles.

[adcoch1]

Is there a decent gallery of different bullet profiles and there concurrent mold numbers? I am still trying to get my head around what the numbers all mean. I have most of the acronyms figured out, but it would be nice to have an idea by the numbers of what I'm looking at. BTW I really like rnfp bullets, so thanks EDK for the mold models. I will look at those when I get a minute...

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