Lyman or Lee molds

[Doc Contender]

Almost have enough lead to cast a few balls. Which molds are easier to work with Lyman or Lee or other(s). Never made my own bullets before so I don't any difference in the quality of the molds or how they handle. So give me some advice.

 

[BrownBear]

Lyman cost more, but are quite a bit more durable. Lee heat up quicker because they are aluminum, but especially for comparatively large bullets, also cool more quickly because the mold has less metal mass. I tend to buy the Lee for things I don't cast too often, especially smaller bullets, but use Lyman or RCBS for large bullets or if they will get a whole lot of use. It's an economy thing, as well as a functional comparison.

 

Doc,..... What size you gonna be cast'n??

And,....Thanks for remind'n me!!

I have a set of Lyman .575 "blocks", thet I'd like to trade for a set of .570's,.... or,.. I have some other "blocks" I'll trade for'em too!!

 

[Doc Contender]

I'm going to try my luck at .530 round balls

 

[Darryl]

I first started casting back in the late 1970s and all I could afford back then were the "new" Lee moulds. They were a fraction of the Lyman and H & G moulds. I was told it was foolish to get such cheap and soft metal moulds. Well three decades later and about a dozen mould (yes I still have 'em all)and they all throw great bullets. You just have to be gentle with them and you can't abuse 'em like steel moulds. For black powder shooting the Lee moulds are excellent and the round ball moulds leave very small sprues. Keep your lead hot and happy casting. Nuthin better 'en turning a pile of ugly old lead into shinny round balls.

 

Doc,... I jest got done look'n in tha shop,... I thot maybe I could save you a few $'s on a new mold, but I'm plum out'a .530's and .535's!!

Cast'n can be a lot of fun,.... jest have plenty of venilation, and avoid git'n even the smallest amount of water in yore molten lead or "un-funny things" could happen "VILENTLY"!! ::

 

[Zonie]

First off, I can't comment on the Lyman, RCBS or any other mold except Lee, because I have only used Lee molds.
I cast .440, .490 and .535 dia balls, .575-500 grain dia Minie, .458-33o grain and .458-405 grain bullets.

I have cast at least 300 rounds in each mold and they are all working great.
I will say that I seem to have better luck with the single cavity round ball molds than I do with the double cavity style. It's most likely me that's to blame but that doesn't change the fact that the single cavity molds seem to work better for me.

You might as well be forwarned though. This is another area of muzzleloading that can hook you and before you know it, your expanding your hobby again into more molds and lead pots and ...!

 

[BrownBear]

Oh, no......

Another one of us out there scrounging for lead!

 

[smokeblower]

I have used only Lee molds as well. I cast the larger bullets and have not had many problems at all. I have a Lee production pot, but have discovered that I get a better cast using a laddle to quick pour the larger , 500 grain mini, .685 rounder, and the .58 REAL. I use the bottom pouring production pot on smaller molds. I like the cheaper price of the Lee products compared to the others. The only mold I have experienced problems with is the New Improved Lee mini 500 grain. The cone forming device that makes the hollow base is difficult to remove the bullet from the first five to ten casts.

 

Been casting since the sixties using everything from origional brass and iron molds to the aluminum Lee blocks. At one time I was shooting competition with a .45 autoloader and casting up to 1000 rounds each week. Bought a 55 gal. barrel of wheelweights from a tire store and used them up in less than 2 years. Have molds from Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Dixie and probably several unknown sources I don't want to know about. Brand and metal of construction dosen't seem as important as a good set of handles and a good indexing mechinism built into the blocks so they are uniform and concentric. If they are build right you can get a good rythem going and cast 500 in an hour or two, switching between blocks to let them cool. I don't think any of the major makers build a bad set of blocks, as long as you know the limitations of the materials and treat the blocks with the respect they deserve. I espically like the Lee blocks for calibers I don't shoot much, the economy thing. No need to spend $50 on a mold you'll only run 100 bullets a year in. You'll need to measure the caliber size though. Lee Molds tend to be oversize from my experience. I've never miked one out that was the exact size listed in the catalog.

 

[Randy]

Note there is a slight variation in size using different alloys. Wheel weights will cast slightly larger balls than pure lead.

 

Buy the cheap Aluminum blocks to pratice/learn with like the rest of us. That way when you make the investment with iron block you'll know what size ya want and what yer doing,,truth be told,,(re-sale is higher with iron),not hammered or burnt
Aluminum is not easy! buy a cheap lee ball mold and learn temps,and content, then cast with iron when yer ready.
If casting didn't need practice then Horandy wouldn't be in business!

 

[Spot Shooter]

Doc,

I just bought two Lee .530's to make round balls fer my Great Plains Rifle. Anywho, I pour'd 75+ of them the other day and they worked great. I was a bit cold out so I just took a second or two in between pourin, and taken 'em out and it went pretty fast.

BTW - that old rascal RollingB done got me hooked on all this. And then Zonie talked me inta buy'n them lee molds - so far I'm glad he did, they worked just great. Thank God a kind stranger dumped a ton of lead my way - I'm set fer lead for the next decade.

Spot

 

I started casting back in the early 70's and like a couple other guys have molds from all the major makers and a few custom ones. I still have the first Lee 440 mold I bought and it's seen many thousands of balls run thru it. For Round balls all my molds are Lee except one and it has aluminum blocks too, they all work fine. For the $ Lee's are hard to beat. I don't care for their bullet molds much. They're adequate and I have several but if I'm getting serious about a cartridge rifle I end up with Lyman, RCBS or NEI. NEI or Hoch are the best I think and I wouldn't give a plug nickel for another Rapine mold. Anyone else tried one of their molds?

Vic

Vic

 

I've got .45, .50, .54 Rapine molds I use for Historic site demonstrations, that's all I use them for is shooting bag decorations. Serious casting requires serious blocks. I could stay alive with the Rapines, but I'd rather production cast with something else. Them handles get mighty hot.

 

[Zonie]

Spot: Whan ye say "...that old rascal RollingB done got me hooked on all this. And then Zonie talked me inta buy'n..." Ah thin yar a priming up ole RollingB an me fer a few knots on our heads iffen we ever meet yar Misses.
Why Ah can jus har her now..."...an he used to just sit around the house gathering dust, BUT NOW... thanks to YOU TWO, all he does is sit there typing on that dam computer! AND WHATS WORSE is NOW HE'S GOT THAT DAM GUN and is making SAWDUST ALL OVER MY CLEAN HOUSE!!!!!!! AND when he is not messing up the house he is out there casting THAT POISON LEAD into little balls that the dog could eat and THAT would cause HUGE VET bills, NOT TO MENTION that I dam near busted my A$$ when I tripped on some of those balls that he left on the floor last night...Speaking of POISON I SAW those warnings on those little brown bottles he bought!........"

The more Ah thin 'bout it, the less Ah wants to get within a mile o yer house......Jus Funnin wit ye.

 

[Spot Shooter]

Zonie,

I done got kicked to the Gee-ragh last year. And I nearly got skin'd alive fer sand'n all day last weekend! LOL!

I'm just glad that fellers like you were around to keep me from buy'n it twice. So far so good! I'm stocked up with plenty of Round balls, tick'n, cap's N Powder. All I need to do now is get my riflegun completed.

Spot

 

[musketman]

I'm stocked up with plenty of Round balls, tick'n, cap's N Powder. All I need to do now is get my riflegun completed.

You forgot ear plugs...

Not for shootin' for when your wife gets a metal sliver in her foot from the filings you tracked onto the rug from your work bench area...

"Remember, I'm pullin' for ya... We're all in this together."

 

[Zonie]

Quoteing Spot " I done got kicked to the Gee-ragh last year. And I nearly got skin'd alive fer sand'n all day last weekend!"

Wal, ah hopes ye gots a heater in thar ta keep ye from gettin froze to yer steel parts.
After ye gets yer rifle gun made, the best is yet to come.
Goin forward in time Ah can hear...

"...ROLLINGB...ZONIE...I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU TWO!! Not only did he mess up the house with that dam sawdust and metal filings all over the floor, then he tried to stink me out with that dam browning stuff. That stuff ought to be against the law!!! AND NOW he takes off for God knows where or how long and THEN brings his dirty "Rifle Gun" back into the house!! EVEN THE DOGS FARTS DON'T SMELL THAT BAD! I had to open all of the windows just to get the stink out and the couch STILL STINKS!! DO YOU KNOW WHO COLD IT IS OUTSIDE?? YOU TWO ought to pay for the heating bills! And Spot was such a nice small nuisance before you two came along. NOW HE......."

See? We tol ye it was a going ta be fun!!!

 

[Spot Shooter]

Hehehehe,

Zonies' been there done that! HAHAHAHA!

I do have a kerosun heater in that Gee-Raugh of mine.

And there's now a old cookie sheet miss'n from the stove - I used it wrap'd with tinfoil to make sure the brown'n din't get on my bench. Guy's got to have priorities.

Anywho, I buy'd her new cookie sheets just before the theft. If I'm lucky she won't connect the two, when she does I'll know by gett'n the EYE!

BTW - I think yer right, when yer doin' a good job brown'n it sells like a rancid dog fart with a side of bad crout.

Spot