Lee's 6 hole moulds-- do i want one or no?

  • 5.3K Views
  • Last Post 12 February 2011
QBall45 posted this 17 January 2010

I've been using Lee's 2 hole TL .452-200gr SWC mould. While I like my finished product, it takes forever to cast the qty that I want to get done. So, I've been thinking about getting the 6 hole version of the mould I've got.

The question I have is this; is there that much benifit to the 6 cavity mould over the 2 cavity? I realize that it should allow me to cast 3 times faster. But, is it really? Do you end up tossing more? Or is quality control no bigger problem?

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
giorgio de galleani posted this 17 January 2010

The Lee 6 cav moulds are a different world,and a better one.

They make better quality bullets than the same make 's single and double moulds.

I alternate two or three of them in a casting session and make buckets of good bullets.With no effort.

 

Attached Files

QBall45 posted this 17 January 2010

That's the answer I was hoping for.

How are they differant?

Attached Files

giorgio de galleani posted this 17 January 2010

Better aligngnement pin sistem,better handles better sprue cutter sistem.

Have alook at one in your gun shop if you can.

My Lee 200 gr tumble lube wont feed in my 911 pisols,I use it in a 45 shofield New Vaquero.

My 45 autos love all 230 round nose and truncated cone bullets,not to mention the trad lube 200 gr SWC.

Attached Files

QBall45 posted this 17 January 2010

That's weird. I've had very good luck with the TL 200gr .452 in my SA Champion. Its all I shoot now that I've started casting. I think I'm somewhere around 2500rds of this mould through my gun.
I won't have a chance to put hands on a 6 cavity before buying. None of the local shops stock any moulds. That's fine, mail order to the door saves me $$.

Attached Files

Clod Hopper posted this 17 January 2010

Yes. Definitely worth it. Turn up lead temperature and keep em hot. Pre-heat mold. Frosty bullets are okay, but when the lead starts to smear, time to slow down and/or cool off.

Dale M. Lock

Attached Files

QBall45 posted this 17 January 2010

Well, I think I'll have to get me one then. I've been happy with the 2 hole one I've got. So, I'll just have to convince the wife that the money needs to be spent. Thanks for all the input.

Attached Files

CB posted this 17 January 2010

To answer the question, YES

As to the wife, do something she wants and then ask her. It's suppose to be a 2 way street.

My situation is different, Katie and I do many things together, I gave her about 1/5 of the basement for her two sewing machines. So I will be getting another MEC press, but that will be mostly for her shotgun.

Good Luck,

Jerry

Attached Files

CB posted this 18 January 2010

I have a couple of 6 holers and I can say that I am pleased with them. Now they aint a LBT but you can make a basket full of bullets in a short time. I actually wore out the sprue plate (elongated the holes in the sprue) but I just got some 3/16th thick cold rolled and made my own. I have a 452 SWC mold that I have cast at least 200k with no problem other than the sprue. Use a good sprue lube like Rapine or NEI and you will be very pleased.

Make sure you get a set of handles from Lee for it. The handle that comes with it is for breaking the sprue. Quite an ingenious gadget.

Attached Files

pablom posted this 24 January 2010

Get a big melting pot and you'll be happy!!

Attached Files

CB posted this 24 January 2010

+1

Jerry

Attached Files

QBall45 posted this 24 January 2010

I've got me Lee's 10# bottom pour pot. Hope it'll keep up.

Attached Files

Duane Mellenbruch posted this 25 January 2010

The 10 pounder will strain to keep up.  If you cast in a cold shed or garage, you will probably not be too happy.  You will have to keep the new ingots that you add, small or preheat on a hot plate if possible.  I have done it, but not in cold weather.  Worth trying, but preheat as much as possible.  Duane

Attached Files

QBall45 posted this 25 January 2010

Most all my ingots are 1/2# and 1#

Attached Files

CB posted this 25 January 2010

I have a tortila pan on my hot plate, but that warms up my molds and keep them warm.

Jerry

Attached Files

Bongo Boy posted this 10 February 2010

I've got two, the 452-255-RF and the 452-200-RF, both 6-cavity units. I mostly cast the 255gr round-nose flat-points for .45 ACP IDPA/IPSC loads, and it works well most of the time. Problems I've had are to do with learning a little bit about tempo...if you get things too hot you can really make a mess of those aluminum sprue plates.

My experience is that, if I'm a bit careful with pace, keep the mold faces absolutely clean and lubed and keep the sprue plate pin tight (so crap doesn't get under it), I can produce around 1,000 good bullets in a few hours.

I think you have to 'get to know' your mold, your pot or furnace, and your alloy--just as you probably do with any mold.

The six-cavity mold with handles costs about as much as 500-600 cast bullets bought online. So, after a single short casting session, the mold has already paid for itself.

With bullets in the 255gr weight range (or heavier) and a 6-cavity mold, I don't find my 5-quart dutch oven with 20-30lbs of lead in it to be overkill. Five mold's worth is a pound of lead...so you're melting at a pretty good clip.

Attached Files

AzShooter posted this 20 April 2010

I've since switched all my comon molds to LEE six cavity.  It's just so easy to get a bunch of bullets set up and ready for my next match.

I use three different weight bullets in my .38s, another for my .44s.  I cast about 1000 bullets at a time and then lube them either on my Star or right now a Lee sizer for t he 44s because I don't have a sizing die for the Star for it yet although it's on order.

My bullets come out better fron the gang molds than from a single or double cavity

Attached Files

giorgio de galleani posted this 20 April 2010

Though my LBT 4cavity moulds are superbly made ,and cast very good bullets,my lee 6 cavity moulds are cost effective,and good for cowboy action and steel plates and such short range shooting.

I avoid single or double cavity moulds if I can,for their slow production rate.

I prefer Liquid alox tumble lubing ,for the same reason,using a traditional lubrisizer takes away a lot of time.

I suffer from ergophobia.

I hope my friend will not unleash his hound reading the word ergophobia.

Attached Files

Artful posted this 27 May 2010

I actually just started using the Lee 6 cavity molds - they seem to be casting well and I like the sprue handle cam idea so much I'm looking at adapting my other gang molds to take em.

I use two twenty pound pots to keep up with gang molds sprues and cold lead go into one and cast out of the other until down 2/3 then switch pots adding new lead to used pot - the larger the bullets the more often you'll be trading back and forth - I typically use 2-3 gang molds at a time - pouring one - one cooling - one getting ready to dump and be refilled.

Only caution I got was watch the sprue as you can break a handle if trying to open without the cam action - and some say start off with just two cavities filled then increase as the mold heats up.

Attached Files

tturner53 posted this 28 May 2010

I own one 6 cav. Lee mold, the .358-125RF, a plain base. Once you get the hang of it it really turns out a pile of bullets fast, and good. I borrowed a custom 6 cavity Lee from a friend, the Super Fat 30 GB mold from castboolits site. It's a Loverin type, casted like crazy, easy to use, and great bullets. I'd like to borrow it again when the first 500 run out. The 6 cavs do have a couple weak links, fixing them is easy if you read up on it. The one most obvious to me is the sprue cutter cams directly on the aluminum mold side, installing a little steel shim there should prevent wear. That said, if Jeff's cast 200,000 with his as issued, maybe it's not a big deal.

Attached Files

CB posted this 01 June 2010

I warm my molds up on a hot plate, the Lee 6C do very well for me when I have warmed them up in this fashion.

These days when I can I order my Lee molds in 6C when I can, the other I buy such as Lyman and RCBS I buy in 4C.

With many of the bullets weights coming and going, I am starting to buy 2 molds at a time, keeping one as a spare for when I need to cast a lot of bullets.

Jerry

Attached Files

Show More Posts
Close