It isn't likely you'll beat this deal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Single cavity molds?
- Thread starter johnnyjr
- Start date
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
Awesome!! Im proud to be associated with the class of folks here abouts.
Major KUDOS WACO!!
CW
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Nice offer Waco.
I for one do not dislike single cavity moulds. I'm sure this is a mental aberration going back to the 1960's when I "helped" my Uncle Elmer cast bullets for his 8 m/m and .30-06 on a Coleman Camp Stove standing out side our old farm house.
One thing for certain I can say in favor of a single cavity mould is you don't have to worry about the bullets being identical. My favorite BPCR and Schuetzen moulds are single cavities. Those are painstakingly ladle cast and the weight variation is amazingly small.
I for one do not dislike single cavity moulds. I'm sure this is a mental aberration going back to the 1960's when I "helped" my Uncle Elmer cast bullets for his 8 m/m and .30-06 on a Coleman Camp Stove standing out side our old farm house.
One thing for certain I can say in favor of a single cavity mould is you don't have to worry about the bullets being identical. My favorite BPCR and Schuetzen moulds are single cavities. Those are painstakingly ladle cast and the weight variation is amazingly small.
I'll put one in rotation with a couple higher-volume moulds. It's the only way to keep the timing right for me. For many years, my only 429421 was an old Lyman SC, which dropped .433" to .434", which was ideal for the Bulldogs and Rossis, as well as the first Flat Top 44 Special I bought. The mould was dear to me, but excruciating to cast with alone.
Oddly, THAT SC required a molten lead bath to fill out properly, so it took as long to fill one cavity as two anyway. I believe I poured more lead over it than into it to get really good bullets, but they were really good.
My favorite bullet drops from an old single cavity 358477. I'm going on 81 so I cast all winter when it is too cold to go shoot and being an old man with lots of arthritis in my hands I don't like a lot of weight to hold on to. I have more bullets piled up than I'll shoot the rest of my life from that old one holer.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
There’s little question about consistency with a single cavity mold, at least with a single batch of alloy.
That being said, I have 2 and four cavity molds that produce amazingly consistent bullets between all the available cavities in the mold block. So, I don’t think the single cavity mold if the definitive standard in bullet weight consistency.
That being said, I have 2 and four cavity molds that produce amazingly consistent bullets between all the available cavities in the mold block. So, I don’t think the single cavity mold if the definitive standard in bullet weight consistency.
RBHarter
West Central AR
I've cast a lot of big heavies , compared to my gross numbers , in singles, 2 , and 3 cavity moulds . Maybe it's me , maybe it's because I worked so hard learning to cast good consistent bullets in Lee moulds at the beginning, maybe I had quality blind mentorship , might even be mould quality, or just plain dumb luck .
The 453-350 Mountain Molds casts 2 bullets and with the exception of a nearly invisible "clock mark" on one nose I can't positively ID one cavity or the other and 3/10 is awfully close on bullets that drop at .453 and 350 gr .
The NOE 460-543 AJ4 (so marked but I think a typo) casts 3 with no particular pattern within 6/10 at 535 gr .
The Lyman 458193 is a single and delivers me about 3/10 on 417 gr .
I've never poured the 5 cav NOE 286-154 , or 4 cav 312-230 that close , but I do pour the 260-120 4 cavity within 5/10 for each of the 2 PB/GC cav .
Might be that I cull 25% sometimes more because I cull everything to one standard...... Ok 2 standards but the slop standard is basically whether or not the corner will square in sizing and how hard I plan on hitting it .......
Load for the hunt even if its only for rocks and pop cans .
The 453-350 Mountain Molds casts 2 bullets and with the exception of a nearly invisible "clock mark" on one nose I can't positively ID one cavity or the other and 3/10 is awfully close on bullets that drop at .453 and 350 gr .
The NOE 460-543 AJ4 (so marked but I think a typo) casts 3 with no particular pattern within 6/10 at 535 gr .
The Lyman 458193 is a single and delivers me about 3/10 on 417 gr .
I've never poured the 5 cav NOE 286-154 , or 4 cav 312-230 that close , but I do pour the 260-120 4 cavity within 5/10 for each of the 2 PB/GC cav .
Might be that I cull 25% sometimes more because I cull everything to one standard...... Ok 2 standards but the slop standard is basically whether or not the corner will square in sizing and how hard I plan on hitting it .......
Load for the hunt even if its only for rocks and pop cans .
johnnyjr
Well-Known Member
Single cavity molds make better bullets.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I disagree
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
Me too. Under some cases that may be true. But in general, even with low tech/minimal equipment, it makes little or no difference in handgun calibers whether you use a single or multiple cavity mold. Even ladle casting over a campfire is enough hardware to utilize a two cavity 150-160 gr mold.
If bullet uniformity is REALLY an issue just use one cavity, or mark one cavity and segregate the bullets.
Got to be a little flexible sometimes.
If bullet uniformity is REALLY an issue just use one cavity, or mark one cavity and segregate the bullets.
Got to be a little flexible sometimes.
It only matters when it does matter which in this case wouldn't be very often. With todays CNC machines ya would be very hard pressed to tell any difference between cavities with any of better molds made today. Would be a rare shooter that could shoot well enough to detect any difference and a very rare firearm that shoots well enough to see any differences between cavities. Practicing casting quality bullets would more than make up for any possible slight differences in the mold's cavities.
When all I could afford were single-cavity moulds, I rationalized that they "made better bullets."
NOT cirticizing or poking fun, @johnnyjr . I understand your point and it would normally make perfect sense if not for what we can buy today.
Forty years ago, I probably could have shot bullets of three different DESIGNS from a five-round magazine of a rifle and not seen much difference.
Thirty years ago, I wouldn't have personally seen a difference in a good-quality 4C or LEE 6C.
Twenty years ago, I could pick out a "bad" cavity in a LEE 6C.
Today,... I've slipped some in skill, patience, stamina, physical fitness, eyesight, but all the moulds I've kept/still use are really good 4C NOEs or Arsenals and a few late LEE 6Cs, which probably produce much better bullets than I personally could have lived up to even when I was shooting well years ago. Today's CNC moulds, I think, are more consistent across four or six cavities than a lot of older 2Cs I've had in the past.
I don't think a fella could go wrong in quality OR money on today's custom moulds, in fact, they are a screaming bargain and you get to deal with some good people to boot.
NOT cirticizing or poking fun, @johnnyjr . I understand your point and it would normally make perfect sense if not for what we can buy today.
Forty years ago, I probably could have shot bullets of three different DESIGNS from a five-round magazine of a rifle and not seen much difference.
Thirty years ago, I wouldn't have personally seen a difference in a good-quality 4C or LEE 6C.
Twenty years ago, I could pick out a "bad" cavity in a LEE 6C.
Today,... I've slipped some in skill, patience, stamina, physical fitness, eyesight, but all the moulds I've kept/still use are really good 4C NOEs or Arsenals and a few late LEE 6Cs, which probably produce much better bullets than I personally could have lived up to even when I was shooting well years ago. Today's CNC moulds, I think, are more consistent across four or six cavities than a lot of older 2Cs I've had in the past.
I don't think a fella could go wrong in quality OR money on today's custom moulds, in fact, they are a screaming bargain and you get to deal with some good people to boot.
JonB
Halcyon member
Johnnyjr, I kinda recall you are pretty new to casting. If I can ask, how many non-single cav molds have you used and what percentage of those were troublesome?
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I'm not sure what all problems you've had, with which type of molds? But I'm gonna assume the problems have been with Lyman 2 cav molds, just going on what you've posted in this forum.
I, also, have had my share of issues with newer Lyman 2 cav molds (newer than 1990), not all but maybe 30 or 40%. Some of those troublesome molds were corrected by Lee-menting, as shown in this linked thread. The troublesome Lyman molds I don't correct, just get flipped.
Lyman 410610 and casting technique to reduce GC shank
Last week, I lucked into a big buy of 41 mag stuff. All I wanted from this lot was the 500 pcs of brass and a RCBS seater die. Well, besides the brass, there was a full set of RCBS dies with both carbide sizer and steel sizer. Also, there was several hundred 41 cal bullets, some jacketed, A...
www.artfulbullet.com
johnnyjr
Well-Known Member
Really I've been casting of an on for years. Made all my bullets for 457 sharps rifle. Hundreds for 44 until my hand got messed up and could no longer handle the recoil.
New to the 243 though. But I'm getting a good handle on that now. I have found that the single cavity do make better bullets for me. Makes not difference how many I can make in a hour or so..
New to the 243 though. But I'm getting a good handle on that now. I have found that the single cavity do make better bullets for me. Makes not difference how many I can make in a hour or so..
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Some folks just do better with one type of mould of another. If you prefer a single, by all means, go for it!!! Nothing wrong with any mould choice IMO, to each their own.