Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting casting junkie?

Ok Ill admit it IM a bullet mould /casting junkie! have been for about 35 years, theres no hope!
and I use 280-330 grain bullets 44 caliber bullets a great deal. (mostly the 300-310 grain)but I have EASILY 70 -80 moulds just for my 357,40cal and 44 cal handguns (can,t help it!,) I see a new design, I order the mould, and try it out! I have a similar number of moulds just for my rfle calibers, i usually order one or two when i order the reloading dies, then a new mould every time I have spare money <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Ive been using several differant 300-310 grain hard cast ,for my 44s I size them .430 and lube them and load them OVER 21 grains of H110

heres a few

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=506726

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=511417

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=122093

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=586363

http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/



id rate the LEE the best deal for the money and the saeco and lyman as the most accurate and easy to cast well, if limited to only one Id buy the lyman

any other mould junkies out there??

I suppose I fit that description to some degree, though usually once I find a few molds that work well, I'm content.

The one caliber I've tried the biggest selection of molds for has been the 480 ruger, and partly because I started loading for it when it was brand new and there was little to choose from. Hence most of my molds are customs, the latest of which is a 275 gr swc of the classic keith style, then there is the 310 gr LFN, 400 gr Lee, 400 gr XLFN and a 460 gr WFN. I also just found out Lee now has a 325 gr gc mold in .476", and I could cut one down to a plainbase to make a sub 300 gr mold. Shoot, I could have gotten a couple of the new lee molds for 1/2 of what the custom SWC cost, but I've long wanted an upsized keith bullet.

I've got quite a few 35 cal molds as well, and will likely be getting another one or two, as I recall 158 swc, 160 rf, 200 WFN and 280 gr Lyman 358009. I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, and I want to try lees 115 gr for a plinker bullet for the kids.

Lee molds are definately the best for the money, I think the RCBS steel molds are the best quality commercial mold, the best semi-custom mold for the money is the mountain molds aluminum block, and the best casting nicest mold bar none is the ballisticast. I've cast several LBT molds and have a few, but IMHO, he is currently overpriced for what he offers and his bullet styles shoot just as well when cut by other makers, my 310 gr LFN is a 4 cavity balisticast and is capable of accuracy most folks would have to see to believe from a revolver.

Gee Paul,

It doesn't seem so long ago you were just dabbling with molten lead alloys. What happened? Actually, I'm glad to see you are finding satisfaction in it. I kind of suspect you and I have kind of switched positions in terms of the quantity of casting we do. With less time both to scrounge the lead as well as to clean and cast it, I just don't do as much as I used to but I still enjoy (okay, I'm addicted) and am fascinated by the process. I still hope to pop a browny some time with my own ammo and bullet.

I have basically scaled down to where I have one or two molds for the cartridges I cast for including 30-30, 38 Spl, 375 H&H, 358 Win, 41 Mag, 45 Colt, 45-70 Govt, and 475 Linebaugh. Everything I use anymore is either Lyman, (many of which I bought for $5 when Cabela's scaled back....many years ago, obviously), or RCBS. I like some of the Lyman molds a lot. I do agree that those RCBS molds are really good considering their mass produced status.

I was actually to the point that I was casting several hundred pounds of ww's per year. Selling bullets to friends was keeping in powder and primers, and paying for new molds.

Lately I've done little casting, well, basically since I started building my Tolman skiff I haven't done much shooting or casting. I'm starting to get back into it, but am low on time.