Mold Question

[Grimord]

Which do you think casts the better ball, a Callahan type bag mold or the production molds by Lyman, Lee and others?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Apples to oranges. The bag mold is good for short runs of bullets; they get hot. Lyman and Lee molds, especially the multi-cavity molds, are production molds.

Either can be "rounder" or "closer to specified size."

If you have the one cavity bag mold, every bullet (after heat-up) should be nearly identical to the others. Multi-Cavity molds can have minor diameter differences between cavities. However, I do most of my round ball molding with multi-cavity molds and find they are pretty darn close. Since I weigh and sort all my round balls, it is just matter of sorting for consistency.

The other issue with the bag mold type is that you need to cut the sprue off with the nippers on the mold or other tool. Not as neat and consistent as the sprue plate cut off that the Lyman and Lee molds have built in.

I use both; I shoot both; I like both. If I am at an event, I cast with the bag mold for show; if I am building inventory for upcoming matches, the Lee and or Lyman get the nod.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Sidney Smith]

The way I differentiate molds is, the Lyman, Lee, etc are for use at home when a quantity of balls are required fast. For a leisure session around a campfire, the Callahan or other bag type molds are ideal. Makes for some activity when sitting around a campfire, rather than just staring at the flames.

 

[Grimord]

Thanks for the replies. It is pretty much what I was thinking too.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Results of bag moulds are, at best, crude. They should remain in the bag, IMHO. Production moulds produce quality results.

 

[Henry Miles]

Lee molds are machined and then finished with a precision steel ball under hydraulic pressure. For the money, they are hard to equal.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Results of bag moulds are, at best, crude. They should remain in the bag, IMHO. Production moulds produce quality results.

I've Rapine bag molds that give me a sphere that is as good as my Lyman mold, and a Callahan mold also does a very good job, BUT as Rifleman1776 points out, the end product will be "crude".... this is because the bag molds are reproduction 18th century tech. The sprue is cut off with a scissor like portion in the joint of the mold opposite the mold itself. That's never going to be consistent. A Lyman or Lee or RCBS steel mold with a sprue cutting gate..., when properly maintained..., is going to give you that consistency.

LD

 

[Sidney Smith]

Results of bag moulds are, at best, crude. They should remain in the bag, IMHO. Production moulds produce quality results.

You've obviously never used a bag mold, or at least were doing something wrong if you did use one. I get good results using even my cheap "made in India" TOTW mold. In fact several deer I've killed using the balls from that mold never knew the difference.

The only way you'd be able to tell the balls came from a bag mold was the little bit of extra sprue left on them from the cutter.

 

[tenngun]

Callahan’s molds are top knot have IMHO, and largely my go to. Yes it can be a pain casting five ball at a time but an afternoon casting for a hundred ball is almost as much fun as shooting said ball.

 

[griffiga]

The "bag" molds I have owned didn't cast a perfect ball. They seem to be a slight bit "egg shaped."

 

[11th corps]

Lee molds-when you can find them-produce pretty consistent quality round balls. And they are inexpensive. I was lucky to find a .390 Lee mold for my .40 cal poor boy last summer at a lgs. Much of the quality of the ball depends on the alloy.

 

[griffiga]

Lee molds-when you can find them-produce pretty consistent quality round balls. And they are inexpensive. I was lucky to find a .390 Lee mold for my .40 cal poor boy last summer at a lgs. Much of the quality of the ball depends on the alloy.

I lot of folks don't like Lee molds, but I have several for round ball, conical and even modern bullets. I have never had a problem with them.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I lot of folks don't like Lee molds, but I have several for round ball, conical and even modern bullets. I have never had a problem with them.

The people who don't like Lee molds are either uppity snobs who think it can't be good unless you spend big bucks on it, or who have never used a Lee mold, or some combination of both.

Lee products are good quality, and are perfect for those on a budget. I've got several Lee molds, a Lee cast iron reloading press, and a bunch of other Lee products. Been using some of them for decades. I've got nothing but high praise for them.

 

[Henry Miles]

I like Lee molds and the bottom pour lead pots. Great value for the money. On the other hand, Lee reloading equipment is exactly what you pay for: cheap and mostly barely acceptable quality. Expect problems and failure from your investment. I tried multiple die sets and had problems with nearly all of them. Their presses routinely break after some usage. They do replace the broken/defective parts but why bother? Better quality is easy to obtain but it does cost more. But you get what you pay for in the long run. I don't need the inconvenience.

 

[mooman76]

Some people have trouble with Lee moulds because they have used steel moulds so long, they are use to them and not the way the Lees cast. There is some difference but not that much IMO.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I doubt that the balls cast by our ancestors were anywhere close to the quality balls we are getting these days and it our ancestors that we are trying to emulate so why worry?

 

[Brokennock]

The people who don't like Lee molds are either uppity snobs who think it can't be good unless you spend big bucks on it, or who have never used a Lee mold, or some combination of both.

Really? Pretty bold and overreaching blanket statement.
I don't hate my Lee mold, and can't say I wouldn't get/use another one.
But, if I need a different diameter roundball than what I have molds for now, and if I'm not looking for a bag mold like a Callahan, I'll buy the Lyman over the Lee hands down, every time.
Even if I have to wait and save a little more money.
Temperature control is far easier with the steel Lyman, really not crazy about the double mold (though some of my issues there may be lack of practice), the one thing I like a little better with the Lee is the smaller sprue.

Sorry to tell you this, pal, if the Lee were more expensive,,,,, I'd still like the Lyman better.

 

[Brokennock]

Better quality is easy to obtain but it does cost more. But you get what you pay for in the long run. I don't need the inconvenience.

"Buy once, cry once."

 

[Idaholewis]

Get an RCBS, They Cast the Nicest Ball of all of my Molds.

Lyman is Horrible, I recently started a thread about Lyman Roundball Molds on the Sister Forum.

For the most part i am a Lyman Mold fan, but when it comes to their Roundball Molds i am NOT, and this is why. I go RCBS for my Roundball Molds, They cast a REALLY nice Ball

Lyman leaves the Top of their Mold Blocks “Proud” It’s to bad They don’t mill the Top of their blocks down until the top of the Roundball cavity is a “Knife edge” But FACT is they Don’t, as you can see here in this pic i red Arrowed

The results are NASTY Sprue Nubs, to me this is unacceptable, I don’t like this at all. I sent a Brand new Lyman .530 to a friend of mine to Mill the Top of the Blocks down for me to correct this problem, I need to get it out and Cast with it. Again, RCBS Roundball Molds are my “GO TO” They address this

 

[Idaholewis]

I have several Lyman Roundball Molds, and all of them are like the above. I ended up Buying RCBS Molds and Phasing out the Lyman’s

In the Case of their Roundball Molds, Lyman’s Picture is an Accurate Description. To me this is unacceptable, especially a Mold that costs Near 100 Dollars