Hollow Point Molds

[ACC]

I have three questions:

1. Just how hard is it to cast hollow point boolits? REALLY

2. The hollow point service debated here some times do they do a good service?

3. Will they do their service on Lee molds?

ACC

[fredj338]

It depends on the mold. Single cav with a pin, pita. Modified molds with the pins integral to the mold, pretty easy. Yes HP mold service will do some Lee, He does great work.

[redriverhunter]

the only hollow points i have used are N.O.E. and MP molds. As for getting a lee mold hollow point I can not say as how well they work, I do know that mp and noe hp's work great.

[Larry Gibson]

Since my normal shooting cast bullets don't require a HP I don't cast HP bullets for that purpose. I have several Lyman single cavity HP moulds. I also have a multi cavity mould with the HP pins but mostly use it with the FP pins. I also use a Forster HP tool to HP bullets in cartridges that will be used for hunting. With the standard HP pin diameter, the 1/16th or 1/8th Forster HP tool along with counter sinks I can adapt the cavity for the desired expansion. Thus, for the small amount I use for hunting, vermin and SD, I don't find casting HP bullets with the single cavity moulds or using the Forster HP tool a pita. With multiple cavity moulds and the varied pins available I find HPs no more difficult to cast, with an appropriate alloy, than any other type of cast bullets.

[johnsonian09]

I use noe and mp hp molds. Both work well but in my opinion the mp mold I have works noticeably smoother

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[OS OK]

Hollowpoint mould service is a great place to do business. Thank God for folks like him in this big Corporate world...you can actually get what you want there.

I wanted to experiment with 3, 4 & 5 sided cavities...Erik returned my email quickly & answered my questions & gave me his suggestions from his vast experience with HP moulds.

erik@hollowpointmold.com

His service was fast and friendly and I was happy as can be.
He modified this 2 cavity combination mould...



and now it throws 6 different HP's.



Just thought I'd put in my 2¢ for Erik, he is one of few artisans we have left in this industry.

charlie

[megasupermagnum]

I have three questions:

1. Just how hard is it to cast hollow point boolits? REALLY

2. The hollow point service debated here some times do they do a good service?

3. Will they do their service on Lee molds?

ACC

#1, not that hard. A single cavity with a pull pin mold can be slow, but it isn't like it's hard to do. With one of the inset bar molds, say a 4 cavity, you really aren't that much slower if at all from a non-HP mold. A NOE mold with the tipping pins really seems to depend on the design. Some are not the slightest bit of trouble, some can be frustrating until you figure out the right cadence.

#2, I'm assuming you mean Erik Ohlen, of hollowpointmolds.com. Fantastic, top of the heap. I've had 3 handgun molds, and 1 shotgun mold done by him. A better HP mold simply can not exist than an aluminum mold from Accurate molds, that has been inset bar converted by Erik. I personally don't like brass molds, so I'd steer clear of those. I had my shotgun slug mold made of brass, and converted by Erik. Great job by Erik, but brass is not as good as aluminum. Steel is good too.

#3 He lists Lee molds on his website from time to time, so I'd expect he will convert a Lee mold. Me personally, for the cost of his work, I'd get an Accurate or Arsenal mold to convert. Also don't do one cavity, you will regret it. If you have a 2 cavity mold, HP both cavities.

[ACC]

Hollowpoint mould service is a great place to do business. Thank God for folks like him in this big Corporate world...you can actually get what you want there.

I wanted to experiment with 3, 4 & 5 sided cavities...Erik returned my email quickly & answered my questions & gave me his suggestions from his vast experience with HP moulds.

erik@hollowpointmold.com

His service was fast and friendly and I was happy as can be.
He modified this 2 cavity combination mould...



and now it throws 6 different HP's.



Just thought I'd put in my 2¢ for Erik, he is one of few artisans we have left in this industry.

charlie

OK, exactly how does this mold work. My feeble mind cannot comprehend how it works.

ACC

[megasupermagnum]

@ACC, that is an inset bar mold. When you open the mold, the bullets stay on one side. You tip the mold over, and as you do, the assembly slides out with the bullets, and they fall off the pin. You can even have linkage installed that will mechanically pull out the pin assembly, but I'd not recommend that for hand casting.

[OS OK]

OK, exactly how does this mold work. My feeble mind cannot comprehend how it works.

ACC

Just like a MP mould...

[Bigslug]

1. They're a PITA compared to solids. If you have a design you really like and have to have it as an HP, I would consider getting two copies - one as a solid and the other as HP so you don't have to deal with the extra hardware when making your plinkers. The Cramer/MP/HP Mold system I think is superior to the NOE.

2. Never done one through him.

3. I wouldn't sink the investment into a Lee mold. The HP system works well with brass molds the really hold heat, and I suspect it would work well with iron molds where everything is the same material. An aluminum mold will be radiating off your heat faster. I've made HP's successfully off the NOE aluminums, but the experience has so far been such that I need a REALLY good reason to pick it up over an aggressive flat point.

[OS OK]

It's hard to say whether I like brass over steel or vise versa...but I do like the new line of 'Cast-N-PC' moulds...sprinkle a dash of PC in the cavity and wha'laa'...pour'em & take'm to the sizer...

[Golfswithwolves]

Mr. ACC- I can only provide an answer to the first question based on my experience: I don't find it difficult at all to cast good HP bullets with my Lyman 358156 and 358439 hollow point molds. Mine are single cavity molds, so they take longer to cast a bunch of bullets. But who cares? I hope this helps. Bob

[ACC]

It's hard to say whether I like brass over steel or vise versa...but I do like the new line of 'Cast-N-PC' moulds...sprinkle a dash of PC in the cavity and wha'laa'...pour'em & take'm to the sizer...

And where do you get that stuff?

ACC

[MT Gianni]

A good start is a hard evaluation of how many HP bullets you would need to shoot or carry in a year. For most of us the answer is less than 10. I have integral pin molds like the NOE RG series and conventional pin molds. The internals are easier, but spend most of the time with solid points or dished points in them. My conventional pin molds are backed up by multiple cavity molds that get the most use.

[Mk42gunner]

I have only cast HP with the Lyman style. I didn't find it all that difficult, but there are certain steps that have to be done in the right order for any kind of volume production.

For example, I found it best to pull the HP pin before cutting the sprue. Sometimes it needs a twist and pull to get it to release the boolit. If you have already cut the sprue, the boolit just turns in the cavity.

I am leaning heavily towards Larry Gibson's way of using a Forster HP jig. I just haven't remembered it while ordering anything yet.

Robert

[rintinglen]

I cast a lot of HP molds, using MP brass or NOE Brass or Aluminum. Mine are all multi cavity, either 2 or 4 cavities. I totally disagree with the "I only need a few crowd" and consider the Lyman singles to be one of the worst scams ever foisted on an unsuspecting public. In side by side testing of MP H&G 68 molds, both 4 cavity brass, I found I could cast about 10 hollow points per minute versus 12 conventional.
I have only used one of Greg Olen's conversions and it was first rate, but when you factor in the cost of the mold and the cost of his service, I prefer to stick with MP when I can get what I want from him, or NOE if I can't.

[Petander]

Just got a new MP mold in today.

I can only answer OP:s question #1: HP:s drop just the same as FN:s RF:s or RN:s from these molds. I like the easy options with pins.

I wouldn't customize a Lee mold, it's still a Lee mold, no matter how much money and effort you spend on it. Not bashing Lee here, I use many. But NOE, Accurate, MP... we have all these great options right there, casting good HP:s with ease.

[megasupermagnum]

I would not sign up for an MP mold hollow point right now. I'm still on the list from 2019. The last hollow point mold it appears he made was a 45-70 back in July 2019. That's not unusual either. The guy always has made snails look fast.

[AnthonyB]

I love HP moulds in all flavors, having Ideal and Lyman singles; Ideal, Lyman, NOE and RCBS two-cavity moulds with one cavity HP’d using the old Ideal pin system, BRP singles, and NOE and MP multi-cavity molds. I prefer the MP Cramer design in the multi-cavity moulds, but the NOE system also works well with a little experience. The single cavity Ideal and Lymans were the only ones I could find for years, and I still enjoy using them and find no difference in casting other than removing and re-inserting the HP pin.
I understand the lack of patience with the MP delivery schedule but don’t ‘get’ it - sign up and wait to be told when to pay. There is no money up front and the moulds are almost too pretty to soil with lead. I haven’t used any of Eric’s conversions but have heard nothing but good things about them. As others have posted, I would not pay that kind of money to convert a Lee mould and would buy an Accurate iron mold to convert instead.
I figure the wait from MP for something I didn’t have before is firmly in the category of no issue - I didn’t have it for 54 years so will survive another couple in the same situation.
Tony