Bullet Molds

[labyrnth]

Hey people, this is my first post i should say.

Im wanting to get a mold for a 58 cal.
Does anyone have some place i can get a descent price for one?

I will also want to get a smelt as well, but do not want to spend a fortune on one. So some advice on this would be helpful please.

 

[reddog]

Smelts usually swim,,,in the ocean.

 

[tjohnson56]

Do a couple searches using casting and molds as the search words, there have been many threads about both. Lots to read.

We got them smelts right here in the Great Lakes, tasty too.

 

[Keppy]

First off welcome to the forum. I have a 58cal. and I shoot round ball. The lee mold is inexpensive and a good one. I have used there bullet molds also, for year and they do a great job. I have there melting pot also. I shoot a .562 RB but yours may like something else. Good Luck

 

[longcruise]

Im wanting to get a mold for a 58 cal.
Does anyone have some place i can get a descent price for one?

The suggestion on the Lee mold is a good one. Might be a good idea to mooch/buy some various size balls before settling on a size.

I will also want to get a smelt as well, but do not want to spend a fortune on one. So some advice on this would be helpful please.

When I was a kid on Lake Superior we dipped em out of the streams in the spring. Never settled for just one though!

 

[rafterob]

Man-I havn't been to a smelt run since I moved outta Minnesota :grin:

 

[Dphar]

Hey people, this is my first post i should say.

Im wanting to get a mold for a 58 cal.
Does anyone have some place i can get a descent price for one?

I will also want to get a smelt as well, but do not want to spend a fortune on one. So some advice on this would be helpful please.

The good stuff will last a lifetime and has a resale value.
This cannot be said of the aluminum moulds, I would not dream of buying a used one. With careful use they last fairly well but its not like an iron/steel mould.
I greatly prefer Lyman's stuff. I have a Lyman Magdipper furnace that is 20 years old +- and it still works as advertised and holds a close temperature spread.
Lyman moulds just make a better ball though they often need to have the vent lines deburred.

Dan

 

[MikeChapin]

Lee molds go for around $20 new. They have a .562 and .575 for a .58. Lyman has a .570 for about $60. The Lyman is a more robust mold made out of steel. The Lees are made out of aluminum. That said I have Lee molds that are still going strong after 20 years of use. The aluminum molds heat up faster and are lighter weight than the steel molds.

My advice would be to get some cast balls of those sizes and try them in your rifle to see what works best then get a mold for it.

I use an old electric buffet range and Lyman pot to melt the lead and dish it out with a lyman ladel. Many people use a Coleman camp stove for the heat source. I have been using my setup for over thirty years and it is still going strong. If you are feeling flush you can pop for a bottom pour pot.

Both molds and pots can be bought at BP retailers like Track of the Wolf or Log Cabin Shop.

 

[cowpoke1955]

I agree, Lee works just fine. Try F&M Reloading: http://www.fmreloading.com/ .

 

[MSW]

Mike, i think you got it in one. First, he should try some different sizes to see which works best for that particular rifle. Then, if he's so inclined, get a Lee mold and take proper care of it. Although i do like the Lyman molds, the Lee works fine if you take proper care and you cast at a consistent pace. I've had my Lee molds for the better part of three decades, and they still work fine.

By the way, consider the Dutch Schoultz system... fifteen buck very well spent.

 

[smokehouseman]

I have both Lee and Lyman molds. The Lyman I picked up off eBay for $23, it is in excellent shape appears as though it was never used. For safety, ease, quality etc., I would recommend the bottom pour pot.

 

[Dphar]

I have both Lee and Lyman molds. The Lyman I picked up off eBay for $23, it is in excellent shape appears as though it was never used. For safety, ease, quality etc., I would recommend the bottom pour pot.

I have never had a bottom pour pot that would cast clean clean bullets for more than a year or so of heavy casting.
They are also far more likely the squirt molten lead. They *might* keep the casting area a little cleaner, but keeping the area clean is not what a lead furnace is for.
Most serious competitors I know use a ladle. More uniform bullets weight wise (this is important when bullets are culled to 1/2 to 1 grain spread) and no crud in the bullets. Bottom pour pots tend to produce too many culls.
Bottom pour furnaces sound good in theory but for uniform bullets a ladle works better.

Lee moulds need careful lubrication with mould prep. I have scrapped one in 1-2 casting sessions when using an alloy that liked to cast hot. Nor do I like the ball with the flat spot.
I have a Lee for my 44 mag that has stood up to 300 bullets maybe 500 with no problems.
But I have steel moulds that have had 100s of pounds of lead run through them and they are like new.

Dan

 

[fyrfyter43]

I have never had a bottom pour pot that would cast clean clean bullets for more than a year or so of heavy casting.
They are also far more likely the squirt molten lead. They *might* keep the casting area a little cleaner, but keeping the area clean is not what a lead furnace is for.
Most serious competitors I know use a ladle. More uniform bullets weight wise (this is important when bullets are culled to 1/2 to 1 grain spread) and no crud in the bullets. Bottom pour pots tend to produce too many culls.
Bottom pour furnaces sound good in theory but for uniform bullets a ladle works better.

I gotta agree here. I tried a bottom pour pot, but I had so many problems with it that I ended up taking out the valve rod and welding the spout shut. Between drips and the crud that built up in the spout after just 100-200 balls, I just gave up on it.

Using a ladle I get better balls (no crud in them), culling alot less. I can cast just as fast, and I don't think it's any more of a mess. I cast about 300 balls in an afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Out of those 300 I had to cull 10-12, mostly from a cold mold. Of the others, every single one was between 224-225 grains (0.530").

 

[Billnpatti]

You can buy a Lee mold from Cabela's. Lees are inexpensive but will cast a good ball. They afre perfect for the beginner to casting lead balls.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by "smelt" but I think you are talking about a melting pot for your lead. Unless you have a heat source other than in your house, don't bother with buying a cast iron pot to melt your lead. Putting a pot of molten lead on your wife's kitchen stove is inviting a visit to a marriage counselor. Lee makes an electric pot that will hold about 10 pounds of lead. That is what you want to get. I wouldn't try using a bottom pour pot to begin with. It requires a bit of molding experience so you don't end up with hot molten lead all over the place. Keep it simple, get a Lee mold, an electric Lee melting pot and a lead ladle. Be sure to do your lead melting with a lot of ventilation. In the garage with the doors open is the best place.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

my cva mountain rifle 58cal is shooting a .562" ball with 100gr pyrodex awesome! They load perfect. Not loose nor are they tight, its just right. I use a .018 pillow ticking patch.

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Oatsayo,
Welcome to the forum.

It is a very good idea to try different size ball and patch combos until you find what works the best for you.
As far as moulds are concerned you need to know if you want a period correct mould or if a non correct one will work. The Lee and Lyman are not PC moulds.
If you are looking for period type moulds Single cavity bag moulds can be had from Rapine, Track of the wolf and Smiling fox Forge. Ther are a few guys out there making period correct gang moulds as well.
Quality is definetly the way to go if you are planning to do alot of this.

An electric melting pot can be used if you are just doing it at home as can a tin can on your BBQ.
Cast iron melting pots can be had for use in camp if you want to do it PC. :wink:

 

[wayne1967]

Welcome. I first tried the steel mold at TOTW that looks like the one in The Patriot. Turns out they are made in India and mine was 25 thousands out of round. I returned it and got a Lee from them. $25 cheaper and better.

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Oatsayo Wayne,
Yes, that is a common problem with Foreign made stuff, But not always. Rapine makes the best Bag moulds IMHO however, In period correct context, The moulds made then were probably not completely round either.
As i said the Lee moulds are not correct in any way, But thats OK if you are not wanting to do it PC.

 

[wayne1967]

I just make sure I make them at home and my bag is full when I go out. :wink:

 

[Tsegoweleh]

I hear that :wink: I usually buy mine and carry what I need. I have a good bag mould but really havent used it much. I have it incase I need it or more often as part of my historical presentation.
I have a really cool PC Buck and ball mould comming for my smoothbore.
A mould is good to have if you are out camping and run out. You can borrow some from a pal and recast them to your size. However, Ive never needed to do this. But I can :grin: