Mold Question for the Serious Casters

[jdgabbard]

Ahhh... That good old debate resurfaces...

Well, the short version is that I love brass, it casts amazingly well with smaller bullets. That said, here is the slightly longer version....

I started with Iron molds, Ideal and Lyman. I do love iron molds, and if custom iron molds were a bit cheaper I might still buy some of them. I actually like the fact that they weigh less than the brass molds, while also holding heat well during casting of smaller bullets. Iron seems to be the best compromise between brass and aluminum where it concerns it's advantages vs disadvantages. There is the rust issue. But I'll be honest with you, I haven't had a rust issue on my own molds. The only rusty molds I have owned have come from other people. Once I get them cleaned up they tend to do just fine. But that said, I have several iron molds still that I love, and occassionally use. The biggest problem I have with Iron molds is that they're not really making new ones with 5-6 cavities and with new designs. I use my 4-cav Lyman for staple bullets like the 358311. But unless I just need something specifically in a iron mold, I typically use my brass or aluminum molds that cast a mountain of bullets so much faster.

As for aluminum, it depends... Lee, Accurate, MP, Arsenal, etc, they all use different alloys with different properties. But the big difference between them is the custom mold makers use alloys that are a bit more durable than the alloy used by Lee. Aluminum also casts very well, usually producing quality boolits after one or two poors. To be honest, I also disliked aluminum for a long time due to bad experiences with Lee molds. But now, I guess you could say I have come around to them. I'm actually planning on ordering a new aluminum mold before too long. And I have recently ordered a few more of the Lee 6cav molds. Though, I will also maintain my position that Lee 2-cavity molds are complete trash, and nobody should waste their money buying them.

If I had to choose one material, it would be brass. I truly love casting with a well made mold made of brass. But that said, aluminum is also nice when it comes to the larger molds. You can get a 6-8 cavity mold that isn't going to weigh a ton when you're handling it. Although I do also REALLY like Mihec's 6cavity Brass Molds....

[country gent]

Steel/ cast iron: is probably the most durable material. holds heat well and is good releasing. Hardest to machine.
Brass: is durable holds heat best almost to good machines easily and accurately it is heaviest of the 3 materials. Heats evenly and holds heat well. this can be a draw back at times.
aluminum: probably the most delicate especially at casting temps. dissipates heat quickly so big bullets and fast cadences work well. Machines easily. Lightest material of the 3 . big bullets and big blocks will be more user friendly.

I have used mostly steel and brass moulds. Both work very well. One thing to remeber when comparing moulds is the makers. Lee builds to a price point lyman RCBS work to a product that lasts and is good. Miha, accurate, old west, brooks and noe are custom makers and craftsmen. Lee makes useable good products but at a price point that almost anyone can afford.

WHat ever material you chose use it care for it propperly and enjoy the rain of bullets, They all work well I dont think Ive seen a mould wore out from use just abuse.

[waksupi]

The only issue between different metals is the heat.

[ukrifleman]

[QUOTE=waksupi;5683485]The only issue between different metals is the heat.[/QUOTE]

This is normally the issue with aluminium moulds.
The sprue plate is made of steel and takes longer to heat up than the mould itself.
The mould is hot and the sprue plate is cooler, resulting in the alloy cooling as it runs through the plate and you end up with poor quality bullets.
The answer is to pre-heat the steel sprue on a hot plate to bring the temperature up before casting.

When I first started using 6 cavity Lee moulds, I could never get all 6 cavities to cast good bullets until I pre-heated the steel sprue on a hot plate.

ukrifleman.

[hermans]

Steel/ cast iron: is probably the most durable material. holds heat well and is good releasing. Hardest to machine.
Brass: is durable holds heat best almost to good machines easily and accurately it is heaviest of the 3 materials. Heats evenly and holds heat well. this can be a draw back at times.
aluminum: probably the most delicate especially at casting temps. dissipates heat quickly so big bullets and fast cadences work well. Machines easily. Lightest material of the 3 . big bullets and big blocks will be more user friendly.

I have used mostly steel and brass moulds. Both work very well. One thing to remeber when comparing moulds is the makers. Lee builds to a price point lyman RCBS work to a product that lasts and is good. Miha, accurate, old west, brooks and noe are custom makers and craftsmen. Lee makes useable good products but at a price point that almost anyone can afford.

WHat ever material you chose use it care for it propperly and enjoy the rain of bullets, They all work well I dont think Ive seen a mould wore out from use just abuse.

Country gent.....I could not have answered it any better, exactly my take on this!

[Bigslug]

To help narrow the discussion, my question centers on which type will throw a better-quality bullet more consistently. I have very seldom had an iron mold give issues, but I have had little luck with aluminum. I have a bullet design that I wish to have a mold made for and am debating which metal to use. Ergonomics isn't too much of a consideration, as it will be at most a 2-cavity mold.

That does help.

Personally, I usually order four-cavity molds when that's an option. My Dad & I both like brass, but he has issues with the weight, so usually orders them as 3-cavity.

I've run 4 cavity NOE aluminum solid molds without grief, but my gut feeling is that a 1- or 2-cavity aluminum mold would be a bit more difficult to maintain a consistent temperature in. Since the lifting weight of a mold that small is unlikely to be a problem for most folks, my vote would be to use something denser.

[dverna]

More important than the mould material is the quality of your alloy. For years I strived to find the moulds that cast best. Then I found a source for top quality alloying metals and ALL my moulds started casting excellent boolits. Be picky about what goes in your alloy and cast ingots in large batches for consistency and flux, flux, flux. Good luck.
Oh, brass is my favorite.

That is a good point. I have always used foundry alloy except for a stint where I mixed range alloy with Linotype. I have a lot of wheel weight alloy I got on trade but have not used it yet as I wonder what the heck is in it.

I have wondered how many "mold problems" are actually alloy problems.

[Gunslinger1911]

I'll start with ..... MiHec brass are my favorite. I have 9mm and 45 acp 4 cav hp molds that have thrown 10's of thousands of slugs.
I prob have 10 assorted MiHec molds - none disappoint. _ not cheap ! But worth it !
Couple of iron molds from RCBS and Lyman - great molds.
I started out with Lee 6 cav, low price, and when you find their sweet spot, they rock.
Some can't handle weight - Alum 2 cav is your friend.
I tend to hollow point - MiHa is your buddy !
My 9mm and 45 acp MiHa 4 cav HP molds are heavy, but the boolit profile allows me to bottom pour with the mold below the spout, riding on the base plate.
As has been said, good allow is primary, then finding the mold sweet spot is key.
I run my RCBS pot at 760 deg - always, then find the cadence each mold likes, Lee has to sit a bit to cool; MiHec - cast till your arms wear out.
It's all a learning curve.

[sukivel]

I'll start with ..... MiHec brass are my favorite. I have 9mm and 45 acp 4 cav hp molds that have thrown 10's of thousands of slugs.
I prob have 10 assorted MiHec molds - none disappoint. _ not cheap ! But worth it !
Couple of iron molds from RCBS and Lyman - great molds.
I started out with Lee 6 cav, low price, and when you find their sweet spot, they rock.
Some can't handle weight - Alum 2 cav is your friend.
I tend to hollow point - MiHa is your buddy !
My 9mm and 45 acp MiHa 4 cav HP molds are heavy, but the boolit profile allows me to bottom pour with the mold below the spout, riding on the base plate.
As has been said, good allow is primary, then finding the mold sweet spot is key.
I run my RCBS pot at 760 deg - always, then find the cadence each mold likes, Lee has to sit a bit to cool; MiHec - cast till your arms wear out.
It's all a learning curve.

Well said!


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[ascast]

molds are like girl friends - there all the same but no two have much in common. bullet style, alloy, temp - you gotta find the sweat spot for each one. Perseverance ...

[Chill Wills]

If you intend to shoot cast bullets in any real volume, suggest you buy RCBS iron moulds, they have a lifetime warranty and when they wear out, which they will, RCBS replaces them without charge. My 358 200 grain FN mould has been replaced 3 times thus far, due to the volume of use. That group of RCBS 358 iron moulds has cast tens of thousands of bullets for matches and practice for me, and is my go to 358 cast bullet for multiple rifles and handguns for hunting and competition. Been casting since 62.
I own two aluminum molds for real low volume bullet casting and for deep sea fishing weights.

Just wondering, what part of the mold wears out after so many cast bullets on the RCBS molds?

[jdgabbard]

I'll start with ..... MiHec brass are my favorite. I have 9mm and 45 acp 4 cav hp molds that have thrown 10's of thousands of slugs.
I prob have 10 assorted MiHec molds - none disappoint. _ not cheap ! But worth it !
Couple of iron molds from RCBS and Lyman - great molds.
I started out with Lee 6 cav, low price, and when you find their sweet spot, they rock.
Some can't handle weight - Alum 2 cav is your friend.
I tend to hollow point - MiHa is your buddy !
My 9mm and 45 acp MiHa 4 cav HP molds are heavy, but the boolit profile allows me to bottom pour with the mold below the spout, riding on the base plate.
As has been said, good allow is primary, then finding the mold sweet spot is key.
I run my RCBS pot at 760 deg - always, then find the cadence each mold likes, Lee has to sit a bit to cool; MiHec - cast till your arms wear out.
It's all a learning curve.

I also prefer Mihec's molds. They might be expensive, but they're a far better buy than anything else on the market. The quality is top notch, his shipping is cheap for 2day from Europe, and I've yet had a problem with any of his molds. And for a 4cav Brass mold he normally has them on sale for $78 US. Tell me again what Lyman and RCBS molds are going for today? +/- $100??? How about Lee 6cav, $60-70??? NOE doesn't have a mold on their website you can get for under $100 from what I've seen. There is no comparison. Mihec's molds are by far the best bang for the buck.

That said, I can appreciate the Lee 6cav molds, they drop a lot of bullets, and they're light. BUT... There are only a handful of designs I'd want from Lee...

Speaking of Lee... When are they going to realize that dang near EVERYONE who casts for .380acp would buy a 356-102-1R 6cav mold if they would offer them...assuming they didn't already have a similar bullet in a 4-6 cavity mold... Maybe we can at some point talk Mihec into a 358242 92gr Clone in a 8cav Aluminum mold... THAT would be amazing...

[fredj338]

I have used all 3, all work fine if high quality. I used to be only iron but when you get above 4cavs, its a lot more work. Also irn molds in humid climate require e tra care, oiled, degreased.
Brass is great, takes a bit to get to temp but super heavy. A good quality alum mold is just easy at 5-8 cavs. I get great bullets from them all but good alum molds are just easier to use. No oiling or degreasing after initial casting. Heats quickly but can overheat with less than 4cavs running fast.

[Gunslinger1911]

Back in the day, ~30+ years ago, Lee molds were much less expensive than RCBS and Lyman.
No MiHec, NOE, etc back then.
I'm remembering maybe $25-30 for a 6 cav, 12 ish for a 2 cav.
A 2 cav RCBS/Lyman was over $100.
Back then as now I feel Lee products are about 95% thought out, You needed to be willing to "fiddle" with them sometimes.one in 10 molds had to be "LeeMented", etc.

Their dies are the exception, never had a bad set.
Presses, molds, etc not so much. There is a huuuuuge aftermarket for fixes for Lee presses, wish they had been around in the 90's when I was fighting a Lee progressive.
Oops, back on track .......
The only thing missing from Lee molds are sharp edges on the slug.
You want a real looking Keith slug ? Not happening.
Even working with aluminum, steel cutters with sharp edges wear out quicker.
Nice rounded auto boolet ? Get Lee 6 banger and watch your pot level drop quickly.
Want a real Keith ? With a hollow point ? It's going to cost some $
Not so much more these days, as it was in the olden days. THANK YOU MiHec, NOE, etc.

[Kennibear]

I usually replace the Lee hinge pin with a bolt that is not fully threaded and a stack of washers top and bottom to place the hinge part in the center of the untreated bolt. Two nuts without a lock washer and I adjust the compression to just allow the handles to open without friction. Then, using two wrenches I cinch down the jam nut really tight. Sometimes it changes the friction so you have to play with it to get it right. All my Lee molds work well once that is done. The sprue plate will heat up faster if you drench it with lead from the pot. All the runoff goes back into the pot.
Concerning alloy:
Bad alloy will not cast in any mold and good alloy solves most problems. Add just 1% tin and that makes a world of difference.
Just my 2 cents

KB

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[wv109323]

There are more variables than just the mold material. Things such as bullets weight, number of cavities, user tolerance to weight of mold, solid point or hollow point design, alloy of lead, and maybe size of casting pot weigh into "best" mold
I have had sucess with all materials.
Things I notice:
Aluninum molds heat up faster than the sprue plate. Cold sprue plates cause rounded bases. I preheat sprue plate on a hot plate before I start to cast.
Aluminum molds heat faster and cool quicker than steel or brass. Aluminum molds will need a hot plate to keep hot between refills of lead into the pot.
Bolt threads in aluminum molds are much easier to destroy or strip out than steel or brass molds. This is amplified in that aluminum expands more than the steel bolt. Then we have a tendency to over tighten the bolts/screws in hot aluminum.
Steel molds need to be heavily oiled when stored. Also all the steel parts of other molds need to be oiled to prevent rust.

[jdgabbard]

I usually replace the Lee hinge pin with a bolt that is not fully threaded and a stack of washers top and bottom to place the hinge part in the center of the untreated bolt. Two nuts without a lock washer and I adjust the compression to just allow the handles to open without friction. Then, using two wrenches I cinch down the jam nut really tight. Sometimes it changes the friction so you have to play with it to get it right. All my Lee molds work well once that is done. The sprue plate will heat up faster if you drench it with lead from the pot. All the runoff goes back into the pot.
Concerning alloy:
Bad alloy will not cast in any mold and good alloy solves most problems. Add just 1% tin and that makes a world of difference.
Just my 2 cents

KB

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I'm going to disagree with the alloy bit... I've seen plenty of guys casting with just plain 'ole range scrap that has been properly smelted and fluxed. Some guys cast with whatever they can get their hands on. And not having much tin can be made up for by casting hot. These days, once you powder coat the bullet it doesn't matter so much at pistol velocities what the alloy is. Rifle still kind of needs a little harder of a bullet. But that is not an absolute....

[lightman]

I haven't used brass molds. Just Iron & Lee's Alum. ones.

They both work, and work well once you get into the groove with them.
But I prefer Iron. For me, they just seem easier once you get going.

I've worked with Alum. on other things,
and I find it more fragile and I have concerns about messing things up made from it.

^^^^^^What He said!

I do have some minor concern about handling the weight of a 4 cavity mold as I get older. I doubt that it will be a problem but I have heard others say this can be a problem.

[MT Gianni]

What temperatures do you cast in? What size bullets do you cast. It is difficult to run a lee 22 caliber mold in 15 F temps. The mold cools too quickly. A LBT will run a 4 cavity 180 gr 35 caliber mold all day long at those temps. They are both aluminum.
I don't cast in the summer so count out high temps.
Quality Aluminum, Accurate, NOE, Mihec are good with a medium pace from 30 cal to 45 caliber from 15 F to 60 F.
My only brass mold is a 6 cavity 22 cal, It works best at temps over 40 F.
Iron molds take a longer warm up below freezing, but run okay to summer time temps. You may need to alternate two molds to keep from over heating them.

[Lance Boyle]

I started on aluminum molds and I love them. Light, easy to handle, and if properly luber and cared for will last decades. I do have an iron mold for my 270, it's an RCBS. It too is a great mold. Drops them on open.

My experience with brass is not as good as others here. My MP mold has cavities that stick and it's a 6 cavity mold that should have been made on smaller blocks in my opinion. Its very heavy for being a 22 caliber mold. It is my least favorite to cast with, although it has cast a few thousand boolits.

I have two brass molds, The 200 SWC .45 mold gets a bit heavy after awhile. Iirc it’s a four bullet mold. Three large cavities I think is my limit on brass molds going down the road.

I have a few aluminum molds now, NOE which are easy casting once you find the temp it likes. Two custom sized ones from Tom at Accurate molds and a small stack of used molds I bought from members....mostly NOE but pretty sure there is an Arsenal mold in there too. A couple stick, I want to say my custom mold for 38-55 from Accurate has a sticky nuisance cavity. I should take a good look at under magnification, I bet there is some offending metal somewhere at the parting line.