Lee Bullets

Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
I really like most of Lee's bullet designs. All of the ones I've had the chance to try, provided the mould cast of sufficient size have been accurate. The problem of course is Lee moulds often makes undersized bullets. In this day and age of MP, NOE, and Accurate, I find myself still looking at the Lee catalog.

I had a 358-140-SWC mould that cast well, and .358 in diameter. I sold it a while back, and I have regretted it ever since.

Anyone else still like Lee bullets when you can get one that casts to suit?
 
Ben

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
Lee bullet moulds have helped a lot of people ( like me ) get into casting.
Price has always been their best attraction.
Quality control, not so much.
Once you use other moulds like MP, Accurate, etc. you'll quickly realize the benefits of owning a quality mould.

Ben
 
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Glaciers

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I like Lee molds, 6 cavity anyway. The undersized get powder coated the large one which I haven’t really run into can get fixed in a sizer. Then they will be a bit rounder anyway.
I certainly like NOE, Arsenal, And others, but one company that supplied my first molds was NEI. Wish Walt and his company were still around.
 
Urny

Urny

Missouri Ozarks, heart still in the Ruby Mountains
Very good results at my house with the Lee group buy moulds, both two and six cavity, but so far about 50/50 with the catalogued two cavity Lees. That said, one of the best and longest used moulds is the old Lee 309174 that is over-stamped 309180. It is the mould that started my cast bullet journey, bought in late '76 or early '77 at RB's cast Bullets in Newark, California. It has not been retired, and I lost count of how many were made and fired, all sized .311.

I will probably try my luck for .32 S&W and .38 Short Colt experiments with a couple of two cavity Lee moulds.
 
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JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I like many of Lee's designs, BUT, I am not a fan of Lee's TL designs. I think the TL grooves are too small/shallow, besides having a notorious reputation for being undersized diameter.
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I've bought a dozen or so of Lee's TL molds...only one or two were large enough. I believe Lee does have a method to their madness, I believe Lee use to advertise that their TL bullets don't need sizing. I've had a great many Lee molds, and the TL designs, often have a clone design with tradition sized lube grooves. I've found the designs with tradition lube grooves cast .001 to .002 larger than the TL clone...and that's what I prefer. So, I no longer will buy a Lee TL mold, I'll by the clone and if I want to tumble lube that, I will.
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exception to prove the rule.
One of the very first molds I bought was a old used Lee TL-452-230-TC two cavity(old style blocks). I do like this mold an awful lot, mostly because of it's rarity of dropping a .4535" bullet that weighs 242gr and it has a slight bevel base that makes seating it into a 45 colt case an easy task.
 
Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
I've got about 8 Lee moulds, and I've owned 8 or more others. I've bought probably 4 or 5 new, and of those, not a single one has been the right size. I have a new C358-158-SWC, which is partly undersized, but because it takes a GC, it does fine.

I have 2 now that are undersized, the 429-200-RF (new) and 429-240-2R (old style). Both are more like .4285 on the smallest dimension. Yes, they are egg shaped. I either will have to lap them or PC all their bullets... I'll probably lap them when I have nothing better to do.

I've round my best bet for acquiring a Lee mould that drops the stated size, or even a touch bigger, is to purchase a used one.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
i've got to the point that i really need zero more molds.
so if i want something it better be special,, or it better be cheap so i can play with it for a while then throw it in the drawer for one of the kids to deal with in 20 years.
 
bruce381

bruce381

Active Member
Wait what I was in that shop that day, Maybe. Used to buy from Rocky before I started casting same time frame wow small world.


"bought in late '76 or early '77 at RB's cast Bullets in Newark, California. It has not been retired, and I lost count of how many were made and fired, all sized .311".
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I have several LEE moulds - about a third of the LEE moulds I've owned, as I have given away or chucked the other two thirds.

They are good moulds and can work, but the fact that so many are undersized is a sad and sorry product of Dick LEE's arrogance - I liked him otherwise) and his survivors' ignorance.

The C309-113RF is a dandy - once the GC rebate is removed
The 358-158RF is one versatile little bullet;
The TL358-158 SWC is a dandy;
The 358-125 is a surprisingly great little bullet;
The 55 grain copy of RCBS's 22 bullet has been stellar in the 222.

I could probably say better things about many more of LEE's designs if I could find one large enough in diameter to make testing worth doing.

Now that I've decided to only keep two moulds per what few calibers I now support, some ARE LEE moulds. The "economy" in them is a bit farcical when you have two throw out two of three to get what you want, so I guess the actual bullet DESIGN is why I still have some.
 
Bazoo

Bazoo

Active Member
I think with the advent of powder coating, and that bumping up the diameter, Lee moulds have become more palatable to more casters. Would I mess with Lee moulds if I could afford an unlimited supply of Accurate or other customs? Probably so.
 
R

Rushcreek

Well-Known Member
I still have and use the Lee 358150 SWC two cavity mould than my brother and I started with in the early 1980s.
I only have Lee moulds; some I really like and some I’m not sure of yet….
As far as the TL design goes, my 45230 TC and 44240 SWC have been flawless. My 401 175 tc TL has thrown some bullets sideways……
The C309113F is perfect for my wife’s .30 Carbine.
The C309170 F works in every rifle that I’ve tried it in.
 
Urny

Urny

Missouri Ozarks, heart still in the Ruby Mountains
It sure is a small world Bruce. I bought a Lyman 311284 from Rocky about a week later, and, though it casts a bit small at .3095" of 50/50 linotype/clip on wheelweights, it remains my favorite rifle mould. I did buy one from NOE that casts right at .311" to supplement it.
 
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S

STIHL

Well-Known Member
I guess I have been lucky so far and out of the 8-10 I have cast with they all do pretty well and cast at least stated diameter or larger, except 1 and it casts a little small, I have 1 or 2 that are bad wonky and cast oval shapes boolits. Powder coat adds the extra needed, and the sizing die does the rest. We actually had a discussion here a while back about the 309-230 and everyone else for the most part said theirs cast under, mine casts a nice fat bullet, and has been an awesome performer in 300BLK subs at 100 yards.

I have about 6-8 new in the box that I may live to regret buying, but I have had good luck with the Lee molds, and most of mine were bought when they were 18-20 dollars for a 2 cavity. For what they cost to the product you get I feel they are pretty good. They have made it affordable to cast your own projectiles.
 
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