Lyman versus Lee bullet moulds
- Thread starter darkman
- Start date
The two cavity Lee are light duty, Six cavity is much better, Still not the quality of a Steel mold.
I have a couple Lee 6 cavitys for pistol rounds, they work good and produce a large amount in a short period of time.
I would rate my steel molds I have in this order
Saeco, Ohaus, Ideal, Lyman.
Steel molds cast a better bullet hands down, In the casting world you really get what you pay for.
I have a couple Lee 6 cavitys for pistol rounds, they work good and produce a large amount in a short period of time.
I would rate my steel molds I have in this order
Saeco, Ohaus, Ideal, Lyman.
Steel molds cast a better bullet hands down, In the casting world you really get what you pay for.
I have used quite a few Lyman molds, in various calibres and weights. Good molds, I like them.
Bought a 2 cavity Lee for the 45-70. It stated how nice teh bullets fell from aluminum molds, sounded good.
They didn't fall good from my aluminum Lee, had to give the mold a bump with a piece of 2 x 2, like I have done thousands of times with the Lyman steel molds. The Lymans have never loosened u p a bit, but the Lee was getting loose in the joint after 100 bullets.
Just to elaborate on hitting Lyman molds to release the bullet. It is usually only the large calibres, 44 and 45, that sometimes require it. Some bullet shapes fall right out, while others give trouble. And yes, I know how to take care of molds.
Bought a 2 cavity Lee for the 45-70. It stated how nice teh bullets fell from aluminum molds, sounded good.
They didn't fall good from my aluminum Lee, had to give the mold a bump with a piece of 2 x 2, like I have done thousands of times with the Lyman steel molds. The Lymans have never loosened u p a bit, but the Lee was getting loose in the joint after 100 bullets.
Just to elaborate on hitting Lyman molds to release the bullet. It is usually only the large calibres, 44 and 45, that sometimes require it. Some bullet shapes fall right out, while others give trouble. And yes, I know how to take care of molds.
I have about 10 Lyman and a "few "more than that in Lee molds. The Lee's have held up very well for the thousands of bullets cast with them and I haven't had any problems with them either. If one should break..I'd just spend another $25 ish bucks to replace it.
The Lyman molds are excellent and cost about $75 per mold block...and unlike the "Lee's" ..block handles are extra but are usually interchangeable with other Lyman molds. I don't think you can wear a Lyman mold out.
Comes down to how much you want to spend to cast a particular bullet.
The Lyman molds are excellent and cost about $75 per mold block...and unlike the "Lee's" ..block handles are extra but are usually interchangeable with other Lyman molds. I don't think you can wear a Lyman mold out.
Comes down to how much you want to spend to cast a particular bullet.
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- Location
- Thunder Bay ON Canada
I use both. Like H4831 said, some bullets have to be knocked out just like in steel molds. My pistol bullets fall out fine, and roundballs too, but my .50 cal REAL muzzleloader bullets need a firm tap.
I'm not sure what he's talking about as to "loose in the joint". All my molds have a little play in the handle joint, and lock up via the pin in the mold block itself.
The only difference I've noticed, other than the aluminum molds getting up to proper heat faster, is that I baby my lee's more than my steel molds, as aluminum is softer, and I don't want to damage the internal edges. I haven't damaged mine, but I've heard it's possible, people who've thought the internal crosshatching wasn't important and messed up the vent lines with brass brushes, scrubbing them clean.
Not that steel molds are perfect either. Steel rusts, and even surface rust on a bullet mold will make your bullets come out wonky.
Whatever, I've bought most of my molds used, and use whatever I get that's cheap and in decent condition.
I'm not sure what he's talking about as to "loose in the joint". All my molds have a little play in the handle joint, and lock up via the pin in the mold block itself.
The only difference I've noticed, other than the aluminum molds getting up to proper heat faster, is that I baby my lee's more than my steel molds, as aluminum is softer, and I don't want to damage the internal edges. I haven't damaged mine, but I've heard it's possible, people who've thought the internal crosshatching wasn't important and messed up the vent lines with brass brushes, scrubbing them clean.
Not that steel molds are perfect either. Steel rusts, and even surface rust on a bullet mold will make your bullets come out wonky.
Whatever, I've bought most of my molds used, and use whatever I get that's cheap and in decent condition.
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
I've used both quite a bit and both can work great or be a royal pain.
The Lee molds will wear out sooner but should still cast many thousands of bullets before becoming a problem. They are lighter which can be nice for long casting sessions and the price is a major bonus for molds that you want to try or may not use a great deal.
Steel molds take longer to heat up and can be a little trickier to tune up if you get one thats less than perfect. I find the handle size and shape to be uncomfortable with some but that could be fixed by finding some different handles.
http://www.castbulletassoc.org/
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
The Lee molds will wear out sooner but should still cast many thousands of bullets before becoming a problem. They are lighter which can be nice for long casting sessions and the price is a major bonus for molds that you want to try or may not use a great deal.
Steel molds take longer to heat up and can be a little trickier to tune up if you get one thats less than perfect. I find the handle size and shape to be uncomfortable with some but that could be fixed by finding some different handles.
http://www.castbulletassoc.org/
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
If your not looking for a mold to cast and sell 10's of thousands of bullets a week , then get a lee
Lets see,
.311 for .32ACP
.356 for .380
.356 for .9mm
.358 for .38S&W
.358 for .38Spl / .357 mag
.309 for .30 cal for .308 30-30
.401.for .40 S&W
.495 for .50 cal Black powder 250gr R.E.A.L.
.495 for .50 cal BP 320gr R.E.A.L. &
.451 for 44cal black powder.
All Lee. Next getting a Lee slug mold.
.311 for .32ACP
.356 for .380
.356 for .9mm
.358 for .38S&W
.358 for .38Spl / .357 mag
.309 for .30 cal for .308 30-30
.401.for .40 S&W
.495 for .50 cal Black powder 250gr R.E.A.L.
.495 for .50 cal BP 320gr R.E.A.L. &
.451 for 44cal black powder.
All Lee. Next getting a Lee slug mold.
The last Lee mould (and I MEAN the last) I bought wouldn't even cast a round bullet, I tried many times to ensure that the blocks were lined up correctly but when sized pretty much every bullet was noticably out of round, pure junk in my books.
And yes you do get what you pay for, if you want a quality aluminum mould check out mountainmolds.com, you can even design your own bullet on his online program as all moulds are custom cut to your specifications.
And yes you do get what you pay for, if you want a quality aluminum mould check out mountainmolds.com, you can even design your own bullet on his online program as all moulds are custom cut to your specifications.
I've got moulds from Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Saeco and H&G.
Lee moulds work very well for me....most of the time. Occasionally, I get one mould that needs to be pretty much pounded on to get it to let go. All the other brands, I don't recall any problems with the bullet releasing.
I've found you do get what you pay for with moulds. I do like Lee, however, because of their reasonably inexpensive custom moulds (I've got a few) and regular production designs.
Lee moulds work very well for me....most of the time. Occasionally, I get one mould that needs to be pretty much pounded on to get it to let go. All the other brands, I don't recall any problems with the bullet releasing.
I've found you do get what you pay for with moulds. I do like Lee, however, because of their reasonably inexpensive custom moulds (I've got a few) and regular production designs.
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I've got about 10 lee moulds now. The only one I've had any major problems with is the one for 45ACP. The bullets will NOT come out round. Everything lines up and works smoothly....it's just the mould wasn't made straight I guess. The others work ok. I've just bought my first Lyman steel mould, but haven't received it yet. Looking forward to trying it. 9 of my lee moulds are one or two cavity. I've got 1 that's a 6, and I have to agree, there is a difference in quality.
I should note. My heavily used lee moulds have 2 problems. After a while, even with lubing, I start to get a lead buildup under the sprue plate that I have to scrape off every once in a while....500 or so casts. This buildup slowly wears away at the top of the mould. This causes a gap to develope between the sprue plate and the mould surface. After a while, you'll start to get a bit of a razors edge developing on the bottom of your bullets. This can easially be removed with a scratch from your fingernail, but does get thicker as the mould wears. Eventually, it becomes to be too much of a pain, and the mould gets shelved.
The other problem is binding in the handles. I've got 2, that no matter what you do with that damned nut/bolt, whether it be loosen, tighten, or lube, they get very tight after a while. This comes and goes. Some casting sessions, it's fine. Others, it's a fight from start to finish. I haven't taken one apart yet (just lazy) to see what the problem is or how it can be resolved. It's not a complicated device, so the fix is going to be pretty simple.
I should note. My heavily used lee moulds have 2 problems. After a while, even with lubing, I start to get a lead buildup under the sprue plate that I have to scrape off every once in a while....500 or so casts. This buildup slowly wears away at the top of the mould. This causes a gap to develope between the sprue plate and the mould surface. After a while, you'll start to get a bit of a razors edge developing on the bottom of your bullets. This can easially be removed with a scratch from your fingernail, but does get thicker as the mould wears. Eventually, it becomes to be too much of a pain, and the mould gets shelved.
The other problem is binding in the handles. I've got 2, that no matter what you do with that damned nut/bolt, whether it be loosen, tighten, or lube, they get very tight after a while. This comes and goes. Some casting sessions, it's fine. Others, it's a fight from start to finish. I haven't taken one apart yet (just lazy) to see what the problem is or how it can be resolved. It's not a complicated device, so the fix is going to be pretty simple.
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I have Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, H&G, Brooks, Hoch, CBI ( Aussie), and NEI. All cast well except the 3 NEI moulds, in fact one ...a .459 rifle mould throws a bullet having 3 different diameters on the driving bands.
I called NEI about it and was more or less told " too bad, dump it on Ebay."
Not impressed to say the least so I'll never buy another one of their moulds.
My two custom-made Brooks moulds are the best and on two occasions I've had phone calls from them asking how the moulds are working out.
Now, thats what I call customer service !!
I called NEI about it and was more or less told " too bad, dump it on Ebay."
Not impressed to say the least so I'll never buy another one of their moulds.
My two custom-made Brooks moulds are the best and on two occasions I've had phone calls from them asking how the moulds are working out.
Now, thats what I call customer service !!
