New Arsenal Mold

[Reloader762]

As an annual gift to myself around tax time I purchase myself a new mold of better quality to replace some of my older Lee molds that I have had for many years. The new mold is a Arsenal 4 cavity 170 gr. .311" Ranch Dog clone that I selected the 50/50 two with gas checks and two plain base bullets for plinker loads since I don't use a gas checks for those anyways. I really like the nice large meplat as it will make a great hunting bullet, can't wait till next weekend to cast up a bunch. Should keep my Sav. 170 pump gun fed for years to come.

Cast up a little over 300 bullets yesterday, around 150 each of the plain base and gas check version of the bullet. They drop .312" from the mold and will be sized to .311" I plan on powder coating the plain base bullets for my plinking and small game loads and gas checking and using traditional lube or PC for my full house loads in the 30-30.

 

[waco]

I have been looking at some Arsenal molds. They look like quality stuff.

 

[Reloader762]

The price is right as well, I gave around $87 shipped to my door for the mold. Took about 7 to 10 days to get it.

 

[waco]

I was kinda looking at this one. http://arsenalmolds.com/bullet-molds?product_id=175&limit=99999999999

 

[Reloader762]

That's a nice looking bullet for 38 Spec. or 357 Mag, nice meplat as well.

 

[waco]

A 5 banger will work well for feeding all the 38's, and .357's we have. If I got this it would be my first pc mold.

 

[Reloader762]

Got the plain base 30-30 bullets powder coated.

 

[Will]

Looks good smokes blue? Or Eastwood?

 

[Reloader762]

Looks good smokes blue? Or Eastwood?

Smokes Carolina Blue, I use his clear as well.

 

[freebullet]

How fast are ya pushin' the blues?

 

[Reloader762]

How fast are ya pushin' the blues?

The blue plain base ones not so fast, I'm using those as my plinker bullets probably around 12 to 1300 fps. The gas check version I'll probably be shooting somewhere around 18 to 2100 fps.

 

[Ian]

Looks exactly like the 2/2 mould I had from the first NOE group buy. The alignment pins bound up constantly in the bushings, making the mould difficult and tedious to open (messes up timing/temp too). Did you have that problem with yours?

I'll add that in one of my 336s with a very generous/worn/firelapped throat that bullet shoots so well you wouldn't believe it. I have four Savage .30-30s of various vintages and every single one of them has NO throat, just about a 30° bevel from the end of the case to the tops of the lands,which precludes the use of that bullet unless it's seated way, way down in the case.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Ian,
I had that same problem with a few of the early molds made by Noe.
I found the male alignment pins were to proud.
I pushed the pins in about 40 thou and the problem went away and the molds now open and close like a dream

You might give it a try it might breath some new life in a troublesome mold!!

Max

 

[Ian]

Thanks, Max, but I'm done with NOE as long as I can buy ready-to-go, properly engineered moulds from other sources.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Ya I get it 100%.
There is not a lot of fun in a hobby when you have equipment that fights you!

 

[Reloader762]

Looks exactly like the 2/2 mould I had from the first NOE group buy. The alignment pins bound up constantly in the bushings, making the mould difficult and tedious to open (messes up timing/temp too). Did you have that problem with yours?

Never had any problem with the Arsenal mold binding up. I need to get it out and cast up a bunch this weekend I own a friend some to test out in his .308 Win.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

If i had extra funds. That RD mold would be on my list of wants

 

[Ben]

Kevin ,

Did you get my private message ?

Ben