I ordered a new mould today.

Ian

Ian

Notorious member
I haven't cast with three of the last eight moulds I've purchased. I did cast about 1000 from the last one I re-cut, though. Bevel-base 450-255 for powder-coating and loading in .45 Colt without any sizing.

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Eagle223usa

Active Member
A few weeks after I started this thread, my life spun out of control. I got retired, started a new job, bought a farm and moved to the boondocks. I just started unpacking my casting kit to make some .535's for flintlock season. The smell of burning sawdust brought me back here.
 
S

STIHL

Well-Known Member
I can’t say much, I think I’ve bought 6-7 molds over last 3 months and I have not fired the pot up in that length of time either, just been to busy. I have several molds I’m anxious to try out. 2 I really didn’t want, but the price was too fair to pass up. So they are in my mold boxes.

That 452-255 is a very nice bullet design. I have shot a handful out of my Blackhawk. My Blackhawk doesn’t shoot real well so I can’t say the bullets are not accurate.
 
W

Walks

Well-Known Member
I've been thru this thread twice. I don't understand how someone can wear out an iron mold. Are you beating on it with a sledge hammer ?

I've seen worn out Lee molds. Never wore one out Myself. First Lee molds I ever got were 3 44cal 2cav molds My Dad bought at a GunShow back in 1988. Old man who sold them to Us said to handle them Gently. Always have, 30,000+ later they still cast great bullets.
I was gifted 3 Lee molds that were absolutely beat to pieces. Worked them over and got 2 of them dropping bullets again.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
how do you wear out an iron mold?
you open and close it enough to pay for two master casters and three star sizers, plus some of their accessories.
50-K or so cycles usually starts roughing up the edges of the cavities, and hogging out the alignment pin holes.
you can fix it and run it some more[another 30-K or so bullets] but that's about as much life extension as you get
 
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STIHL

Well-Known Member
Maybe one day I can cast a 5 gallon bucket full of bullets, my casting load just took on a little more volume, so there may be some gallon buckets getting cast up at one time after deer season is over.
 
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Walks

Well-Known Member
Actually I did Run a #358665 4cav, a #429478 2cav & #42798 4cav for more then a dozen years to feed mine and 2 kids Cowboy Shooting addiction. 20,000++ a year. Throw 3 old Lee 44cal molds into that mix too. Those Lyman 4cavs are gone, but the others and a 2cav #42798 and Lee #358-158-RF are going strong. The OLD Lee's too.
 
J

Jeff H

NW Ohio
fiver said:
not commercially.
it's just that when we are shooting,,, we are shooting a lot.
I don't always have time to cast, then I don't have anything else to do so I get it done.
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Other way around for me.

Last couple winters, I actually had a few casting opportunities and when I do - I cast as much of whatever I can. Couple winters before that - I had NO time to cast.

Last couple years have been lean for shooting time, so I'm in the "surplus" range for bullets, and may be able to skip a winter for casting.
 
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