New pot

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  • Last Post 23 December 2009
Muddy posted this 16 March 2009

Hi gang, I've had it w/my Lee bottom pour pot and want.need a new one. Which one would you buy? thanks-Muddy 

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KenK posted this 16 March 2009

I would buy the 20 pound Lee pot meant for ladle casting.

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CB posted this 16 March 2009

Yep!

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Balhincher posted this 16 March 2009

What problems are you having with the Lee pot? I own two of them a 10 pounder and a 20. The smaller one is over 30 years old and still going strong. Both are bottom pour pots even though I almost always cast with a dipper. I seem to get better bullets that way and it doesn't seem that much harder to me. I  still like the bottom pour design because it makes it is easy to drain the pot if you want to change alloy or empty it for some reason. I haven't had any problem at all with either or them using them the way I cast.  And IMO they are far and away the best value for the dollar.

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Jimlakeside posted this 17 March 2009

I love my little Lee 20lb pot. It hasn't given me a bit of trouble. Great deal for the money.

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CB posted this 20 March 2009

I just bought a LEE 20 pound ladle pot to fill in for my Lyman Mag 20 while it's in the shop. I've had a lot of problems with LEE in the past, but figure if it keeps me in production for a month, it may be worth the price. If not, I'll just have something else to complain about.

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Dale53 posted this 21 March 2009

The Lee Pro 4-20 is the absolutely best buy out there. The RCBS is the best on the market but cost nearly four times as much.

I have been using RCBS pots (bought one new for $100 a LONG time ago, and bought the other one in “like new” condition, full of bullet metal from an estate sale. If I had to replace one today, I would probably opt for the Lee simply because of the price difference. However, I have been extremely happy with my RCBS pots.

A few weeks ago I caught a fellow going into our gun club meeting with a nearly new Lyman pot (a Mag 20) for a very good price. Naturally, I bought it.

Sometimes you can find them at a gun show. However, with the recent “feeding frenzy” at most gun shows, you may not be successful in the near future.

Dale53

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largecaliberman posted this 04 May 2009

Muddy wrote: Hi gang, I've had it w/my Lee bottom pour pot and want.need a new one. Which one would you buy? thanks-Muddy  Stick with your “drip-o-matic".  Just clean the needle valve and lap it with valve grinding compound.  Once in a while, heat the nozzle and turn the needle valve a couple of times.

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Fg1 posted this 04 May 2009

I have a Lee 10 pounder that wouldnt quit dripping no matter how clean it was and I tried lapping it and still it dripped . I got mad at it one day about 20 years ago and pulled all the linkage off and the stopper rod , found a nail of spout diameter clipped it about 1/8” long , inserted in spout and spot welded in place . Works like a charm as a dipper pot now :D 

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303PV posted this 05 May 2009

I never had much success with a bottom pour pot. I recently bought an electric furnace,thatI can recommend , from the Antimony man . Really good quality .

http://www.theantimonyman.com/furnace.htm>http://www.theantimonyman.com/furnace.htm 

PV

 

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WILDCATT posted this 17 May 2009

the cure is to put a vise grip on the rod or a weight,might put a spring on the handle.I think the rod is light and the lead floats it.

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Dicko posted this 23 December 2009

Muddy wrote: Hi gang, I've had it w/my Lee bottom pour pot and want.need a new one. Which one would you buy? thanks-Muddy 

In general I agree with the replies that recommend the Lee 20lb melter.   Lee melters are as good as RCBS and Lyman at a fraction of the price.  In fact I'm surprised that RCBS and Lyman manage to sell any.   As a firm believer in the superiority of ladle casting I recommend the melter without bottom pour.   I agree that the bottom pour feature is useful for draining the pot, but the operating gear gets in the way of the dipper.

I am particularly interested in 303PV's recommendation of the Antimony Man melter because it is the first user comment I've seen.   As much as I recommend Lee, the Antimony Man is slightly bigger and strikes me as a quality melter for those who like ladle casting.   It is more expensive than Lee but less than RCBS and well worth a look I'd say.

Remember the possible need for volume casting.  I realise that not everyone needs volume, but high volume casting actually makes casting less of a chore by producing more bullets in a given time.   That means casting ingots in bulk for feeding the melter.   The melter must be big enough to accept continuous ingot feeding without too much temperature fluctuation.   The 20lb pots are probably big enough but only just.  I have a 24lb home made melter that easily copes with continuous feeding.   The Antimomy Man melter should do the same.

 

 

  

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