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Thread: MP HG 68 or Lee 452-200?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    MP HG 68 or Lee 452-200?

    Hello, everyone.
    I'm looking forward to trying a SWC design on my 45 ACP.
    I love the quality of my 9mm MP mold, and was looking on the web that they have the HG68 clone available in NLG 6-cavity aluminum mold, as I PC my 45 and 9mm boolits.
    The problem is that I live in Argentina, and sometimes (unfortunately, more and more frequently) there are problems with mail delivery.
    Here I get easily and cheaper, the mold of Lee, 452-200, also SWC.

    When I was starting to make my boolits, my first two-cavity 9mm lee mold couldn't throw a boolit higher than .355 and I ended up selling it. I know that many of you use the LEE molds without problems.
    I don't know if LEE's 6-cavity molds are of better quality.

    The question is: is it worth spending a little more for a MP mold?
    Like all of you, I want a mold that is durable, throws boolits without too much effort, and works well in my gun.
    I hear your thoughts!
    Thank you!

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Go with the MP mold or Accurate for the H&G 68, I stay away from Lee mods.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master RKJ's Avatar
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    I've got that MP mold and it is a gem. Beautiful bullets, correct weight, shape and diameter. I cast from range lead and WW and this mold casts like dream. Bases are perfect. As you can see I can't say enough good things about this mold. I've not used the LEE but being in the US have never had an issue with shipping from MP.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I don't presently use any Lee moulds and haven't bought a Lee mould in a long time (actually haven't bought any moulds in a long time), but I've had very good results with Lee moulds. In comparison with other moulds however, Lee's are fragile and aren't going to last forever, but if you damage a Lee, you're not out much. Or maybe I'm just hard on moulds.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I've numerous Lee 6 cavity moulds, both standard Lee including the 452-200-SWC and custom group buy. All are good moulds that cast excellent bullets. They require a bit of mould prep the custom moulds don't but Lee's are much less expensive so you're not paying more for the extra prep. A do it yourself deal. With proper care, use and maintenance they have lasted me for many years, and I expect many more years of use out of them. Got my first Lee moulds in the mid '70s (maybe sooner) and still have and use them.

    I have cast, literally, thousands of bullets for use on my 45 ACPs and 45 Colts from my 452-200-SWC, 452-190-SWC, 452-230-SWC, and 452-200-RF.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


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    I have both Lee and MP molds. The MP molds are higher quality though the Lee molds cast a good bullet. The Lee molds have a wooden sprue plate handle that comes loose and needs to be glued on. The Lee has the sprue plate bolt that is not locked in place. You can drill and tap a set screw to secure it in place. The alignment pins on the Lee are not as robust as the MP.
    With that said, I have a Lee 120 g. TC that I have cast several thousand boolits with.
    Also I think the MP would have better resale value.
    For yhe price difference I think the MP is the better value.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Have the Lee 6 cavity 452-200 SWC and have cast thousands of bullets with it. This is my second one, first one lasted about 45K bullets, before I couldn't rework it anymore. Problem was me, not watching how I lubed it. This was my first six cavity and lessons learned have been applied to molds I bought later on. All my handgun molds are Lee six cavity and they work like they should an really rain bullets.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I believe the Lee version is a bevel base. I would prefer one without the bevel base.

    I have the NOE version. My only complaint is that normal wheel weight alloys throw a bullet that weighs 210+ grains. Not a huge deal but would prefer something closer to 200 grains in an ideal world. My mold is probably 6 to 8 years old so I have no idea if the current models are the same as back then.

  9. #9
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    I have a 5 cavity NOE clone of the H&G 68. It absolutely rains boolits. I highly recommend this mold! The Lee molds are OK, but this mold is a work of art.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by ShooterAZ View Post
    I have a 5 cavity NOE clone of the H&G 68. It absolutely rains boolits. I highly recommend this mold! The Lee molds are OK, but this mold is a work of art.

    LIKE !!!
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  11. #11
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    thanks to all
    wait for MP

  12. #12
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    MP molds are pretty good. I’ve heard of a lot more problems with Lee molds than MP molds. Maybe it’s just because they sell a lot more. I sure have a bunch of Lee molds and there’s only one that I haven’t been satisfied with. Boolits always cast too small.
    PS: I just ordered something from Ukraine. I wonder when or if I’ll get it.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ioon44 View Post
    Go with the MP mold or Accurate for the H&G 68, I stay away from Lee mods.
    I have Lyman, Ideal, NOE and LEE.
    Did you have issues with LEE??

    Shiloh
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  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I bought the LEE HG 68 clone. I had Buckshot flycut the bevel base off.
    It casts perfect boolits, and I don't have to clean lube off the BB.
    Works very well with Alox lube and 45-45-10 lube.

    Shiloh
    Je suis Charlie

    "A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
    Bertrand de Jouvenel

    “Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.” – Joseph P. Martino

    “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.” – Milton Friedman

    "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns; why should we let them have ideas?" - J. Stalin

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Lee molds were originally designed to not need sizing. Another one of Lee's attempts to keep reloading less expensive. I probably cast and loaded 20,000 bullets from Lee molds without owning a sizer, not even the push through type. Cast, lube, load, shoot. Many people consider them undersize since they are smaller than most molds made by RCBS or Lyman. Different design criteria.

    This does cause problems with some firearms that have a bore slightly over "spec". Or if you cast with an alloy that produces a smaller dia bullet. IIRC, Lee's were designed for COWW alloy.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    finally order the mold to mp molds
    now to wait for it to arrive

  17. #17
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    The delivery speed of MP molds is wonderful, it is already in Argentina. I got a call yesterday from UPS to let me know that the Argentine government has stopped all shipments from abroad until further notice.
    Argentina, a country that if it weren't for the government, would be beautiful!

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Congrats on the MP Mold. Enjoy

  19. #19
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    I have many molds of that design as I was looking for that h&G 68 style for my 45 acp needs. I tried the Lee and found it casts a good boolit but that the nose was a tad long and the radius on the nose was a bit too square and it gave feeding problems in some of my guns but not all. I found that if I seated the Lee boolit flush with the end of the case mouth it worked better but I searched on and tried a couple others and I liked the RCBS version but they only come in 2 cavity and that was too few and too slow. Next I got a 68 design from the company that bought the H&g manufacturing rights and their mold was not right so they cut me a new one and it was not quite right so I gave up on them too. Next I got in on a Mihec group buy and got a decent mold that cast well, I think I got two of them. Lastly I bought an original 4 cavity iron H&G 68 with a flat base from a member here. That mold needed a little work on it as for some reason the cast iron had swelled just below the cavities on the face and it would not close flush. So I knocked the alinement pins back and used some fine wet or dry sand paper on a piece of glass to lap the faces of the block never touching the area around the cavities. I pressed the pins back to the proper position and that mold drops perfect boolits that are round to within a half thousandth of an inch. The boolits just fall out of the mold and I will keep it till my casting days are done.
    Mtgrs737
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  20. #20
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Thank you very much to all for the tips
    The MP HG&68NLG has already started making boolits
    Now I have to shoot them and see what load they like. I made them quite soft and will start with light loads.
    Last edited by nueces5; 07-22-2022 at 11:49 AM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check