New mold arrived!

[CWLONGSHOT]

Just a LEE 6cav. But one I have had my eye on since borrowing one from my friend here. His was a RCBS 45-225. I have missed a few but mostly passed buying cause folks asking silly $$ for them. I realized LEE had a copy. 452-225 TC

Single Lube grove Truncated Cone bullet.


Any one have this?

CW

 

[Brad]

I have a 6 cav for that bullet. I think mine was labeled as a 230 TC. Shoots well enough for me.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

I have that same mold it shoots very well!

I also milled the base down on one to drop a 210 grain bullet it shoots even better!

 

[Ian]

I have one that casts about .456" so it is set back for some special-needs project if it ever comes along. I use the TL version instead, and it's ALL I use for the ACP because it feeds in my pump and semi-autos better than anything with a shoulder.

 

[fiver]

you almost never go wrong with a truncated cone design.
the 9mm Luger round was originally designed with that nose shape.

 

[462]

About '08 or '09 I ordered a two-cavity from Midway. Can't remember the dimensions, but it cast two different sizes of skinny bullets. E-mailed Midway, they sent another and said to keep the first one. The second one cast two different sizes of skinny bullets, too, and of the four cavities no two were the same. E-mailed Midway and they sent a pre-paid shipping label and issued a refund, and I returned both moulds.

I'm content shooting Lyman's 452374 and 452460 only.

 

[Intel6]

I have had a six cavity of that for many years. Great shooter in both handguns and my .45 ACP carbine.

I also thought about having one milled down to make a 200 gr. also. I think that would be great. I did that to a 6 cavity 175 gr. FP .40 mould to make a 150 gr. FP for plinking with my .40's and it worked great.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I seasoned one time last night. Once again this AM before heading out to therapy for the knee. Once more when I got home.

The lead is warming and the mold is mounted warming beside the 200g WFN 10mm.

Camera battery charging for video.

CW

 

[Ian]

I season all my brand new Lee moulds by waving the sprue plate lube bottle at them, sticking them on top of the furnace until the lead melts, and then casting bullets with them. They're not NOE moulds.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I season all my brand new Lee moulds by waving the sprue plate lube bottle at them, sticking them on top of the furnace until the lead melts, and then casting bullets with them. They're not NOE moulds.

Hahaha.

Well from me, LEE molds get MORE looking and tendin not less!
The spure plate gets removed and stoned. Holes checked and usually D&T for lock screws. But I generally wait to see how much Im gonna cast them before spending the time to do that.

This was was actually above average!! Spure plate was flat and true. Blocks was nice and no burrs of inconsistencies.

Part 1:

Part 2:

CW

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[Ian]

Watch your load data if you seat them that deep, the TC can fool you. I run mine about 1.200 OAL and find the powder space is a little crowded compared to Lyman 45 and 49th book data for other 230s.

 

[Ian]

Well from me, LEE molds get MORE looking and tendin not less!

Nothing wrong with that, I just don't find the break in part necessary. Unlike NOE the Lee pins won't fall out if you don't heat cycle them three times before use. Also, different aluminum and Lee doesn't need much patina to cast well even though it's comparatively soft and gummy. Great looking bullets, by the way!

 

[Rick]

I've never pre-heat cycled any mold. Not NOE, not MP, not iron not any. Never had a pin fall out, loosen or anything else. A good cleaning with denatured alcohol and a thorough pre-heat and cast.

 

[waco]

One of the things I like about Accurate molds. They come to your door clean. Just pre heat and cast.

 

[Ian]

I never had an NOE pin budge, either, but I did read the directions even though I didn't follow them.

 

[Ian]

One of the things I like about Accurate molds. They come to your door clean. Just pre heat and cast.

Because ultrasonic cleaned before packaging.

 

[Rick]

I had been doing it my way for a lot of years when the pre-heat cycle became a thing on the other forum. At first I think it was for patina or something. Then along came loose pins. I figured I've never had any such issues so it ain't broke so don't fix it.

 

[fiver]

the NOE's need some break in.
i dunno why but i can't get squat out of them for 4-5 casting cycles.
sometimes i have a little struggle with Tom's molds too for a few cycles too.
once they cycle through they cast like an iron mold for me.

 

[Tomme boy]

Because ultrasonic cleaned before packaging.

they weren't always like that. Several of them I have would leave what looked like a sand blasted finish on the bullets for the first 5-6 casting sessions. No matter how much you cleaned them they would leave the artifacts on the bullets. Then they would just disappear. They always smelled like coolant from the mill or lathe.