#1 get some mold release spray from Midway. Helps any mold.
The easiest mold in my opinion to use well is one made by veral smith. The sprue plate fills up and overflows into the other cavity so filling is fast from a bottom pour pot. The sprue cut offs are consistant since you just fill to the top of the cavity each is the same.
Lee Molds. As soon as you get it, take the sprue plate off and lap it flat on glass with sandpaper. Give teh sprue plat the same treatment. Reassemple. Give the entire mold a nice coating of mold release spray. Hit the screw with a lbt wax/graphite stick when hot. Start casting.
Lee makes a junky mold, but for the price you can't beat it. My favorite are the 44 310 GC for 44 mag. Casts a nice LBT-style flatnose can be pushed over 1350 fps with 22 grains of 296, accurate bullet. 310 meplat.
45 300 FN GC. This is a thumper, cast close to 325 with a meplat over 380! Accurate but tears your hand off at high velocity. Try it over 8 grains of bullsye for around a 1,000 fps or 12 grains of aa#7 for 960. Both are very pleasant to shoot and accurate.
Lyman molds-- They really cast pretty well with no modification, I use the 42921 and the 452 45acp alot. Casts nice once hot takes awhile to heat up. The sprue plate is flat so if you overflow makes you wish for the LBT style plate.
LUBES- I currently use and like beartooth. Alox is fine but stinks and is sticky for storing. LBT blue was a good lube, but seems no better thant beartooth now. I have tried alot of homemade lubes, really for the performance and price, just buy beartooth.
Sizers- Get a star if you can, then a saeco, then rcbs, then the lyman. They are in order of performance. Don't over tighten the ratchet on the lyman, it will strip.
This mostly applies to slow handgun and 45/70 type bullets, I have not shot at rifle velocies over 2200 fps.
The easiest mold in my opinion to use well is one made by veral smith. The sprue plate fills up and overflows into the other cavity so filling is fast from a bottom pour pot. The sprue cut offs are consistant since you just fill to the top of the cavity each is the same.
Lee Molds. As soon as you get it, take the sprue plate off and lap it flat on glass with sandpaper. Give teh sprue plat the same treatment. Reassemple. Give the entire mold a nice coating of mold release spray. Hit the screw with a lbt wax/graphite stick when hot. Start casting.
Lee makes a junky mold, but for the price you can't beat it. My favorite are the 44 310 GC for 44 mag. Casts a nice LBT-style flatnose can be pushed over 1350 fps with 22 grains of 296, accurate bullet. 310 meplat.
45 300 FN GC. This is a thumper, cast close to 325 with a meplat over 380! Accurate but tears your hand off at high velocity. Try it over 8 grains of bullsye for around a 1,000 fps or 12 grains of aa#7 for 960. Both are very pleasant to shoot and accurate.
Lyman molds-- They really cast pretty well with no modification, I use the 42921 and the 452 45acp alot. Casts nice once hot takes awhile to heat up. The sprue plate is flat so if you overflow makes you wish for the LBT style plate.
LUBES- I currently use and like beartooth. Alox is fine but stinks and is sticky for storing. LBT blue was a good lube, but seems no better thant beartooth now. I have tried alot of homemade lubes, really for the performance and price, just buy beartooth.
Sizers- Get a star if you can, then a saeco, then rcbs, then the lyman. They are in order of performance. Don't over tighten the ratchet on the lyman, it will strip.
This mostly applies to slow handgun and 45/70 type bullets, I have not shot at rifle velocies over 2200 fps.