Who's Your Favorite Mold Manufacturer Past and Present

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Last Post 23 February 2024

CBA Member

pat i. posted this 31 December 2023

Here's mine

1) LBT/Mos

2) Accurate

3) Noe

4) RCBS

5) A Distant Everything Else

I haven't used every mold company"s product but this list more than covers my needs.

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Fitzpatrick posted this 01 January 2024

1) Hoch

2) Paul Mathews

3) NOE

4) Accurate

5) Saeco

6) RCBS (American Made)

7) Lyman

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RicinYakima posted this 01 January 2024

1: Hoch 2: NEI (when Walt ran it) 3: LBT 4: Cramer 5: SAECO

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Boschloper posted this 01 January 2024

Lyman single cavity.

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Ed Harris posted this 01 January 2024

When I retired and down sized into smaller quarters out in the country I sold off all of my mass-produced molds and started over, having Tom at Accurate make custom molds for my of my own designs for the calibers I shoot.

The only exceptions are four NOE molds of standard designs having diameters tweaked to my needs, and a CBE mold for the 2-groove .303 No.4 Long Branch.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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pat i. posted this 01 January 2024

I sold off all of my mass-produced molds and started over

Ditto except for the RCBS 165 Sil which I really like and a couple of RCBS 40 and 45 caliber for my Sharp's. My round ball moulds are Tanner and Lee's but that's not what I'm talking about here

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Bud Hyett posted this 01 January 2024

I'm inventorying my production molds for sale because my son wants me to clean out the reloading shed. I have possibly 80 molds now that I am inventorying. When done, there will be the following remaining in order of preference:

John Schauf: .32 and .30
Eagan molds: 6mm
Mos: .25
Ohaus: 44-245-KT (three cavity)
Several NOE pistol
SAECO: #954 .45 (revolver and pistol), #1881 (black powder) , #315 (.30 Herrett Long Range Pistol), #243
RCBS: 30-180-SP (nostalgia), 7mm-168-SP, 7mm-168-FN, 243-095-SP, 35-200-FN

Gone will be the Lyman and Lee molds that I have.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Rich/WIS posted this 01 January 2024

NOE and Lee (6 cavity). Good designs, work like they should and in the case of Lee prices I can afford.

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mashburn posted this 01 January 2024

1--RCBS--All of mine are old except one, and I am yet to use the new one.

2--NOE

3--Lyman and Ideal. some are better than others.

4--Lee

Happy New Years 2024

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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sluggo posted this 01 January 2024

1-- NOE, 2-- MP, 3-- RCBS, 4-- Lyman (older)

Wishing everyone a healthy and wealthy new year.

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Idahocaster posted this 01 January 2024

Most of my mold are Lyman/Ideal or Lee, but I do have a few others. My favorite manufacturers from the ones I have used are:

RCBS - I have a 357 semi-wadcutter mold that drops perfect bullets from the first cast almost every time. The 200 grain 30 caliber silhouette mold is almost as easy to use.
NOE - I only have one, a custom 200 grain for the Hungarian 8x56R.
Lyman/Ideal
Lee

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.22-10-45 posted this 01 January 2024

1. Fred Leeth

2. NOE

3. Steve Brooks

4. Hoch

5. Tom Ballard

6. BACO

7. Hensley & Gibbs

8. Modern Bond

9. Cramer

10. NEI

11. Ideal

12. Early integral hndl.Ideals

13. Early Lyman s.c.

14. Winchester

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Shuz posted this 02 January 2024

1 MP MOLDS brass in 4 cavity hollow points

2 Saeco

3 RCBS

4 Lee 6 cavity

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MarkinEllensburg posted this 02 January 2024

John Schauf .30
RCBS 45-201
RCBS 30-180-SP
LYMAN 452454, 311041, 311335
New favorite to cast with , jury still out on how good the bullet is Accurate .45 for 450 bushmaster
NEI for .25

I have used Lee for handgun bullets and just not real fond of them. Have used a H&G 4 cavity in .38 wadcutter but don't as yet use that much. Have tried a few other brands that have dropped nice bullets but didn't work for me. Have used plenty of other designs from Lyman, 1,2, and 4 cavity but not faves.

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Eutectic posted this 03 January 2024

Past: Hensley and Gibbs hands down the best for pistol molds, Eagan for rifles.

I should have bought more of these when I had the chance.

Present: Accurate, Tom has replaced older Lyman and others to get similar designs which cast the correct diameters.

SAECO molds are nice but pricey.

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Lloyd Smale posted this 04 January 2024

ive had them from every company ive heard of. if i could have all my favorite bullets available in one mold it would hands down be 4 cave hensely & gibbs/ballistic cast. which are basicaly the same thing. they cast beautifully and it about take a nuke bomb to damage them. today id take an mp and if rcbs made a good 4 cav they'd be on the list. 4 cav lymans are great molds but their 2 cav suck. one thing for sure. NO aluminum mold would take a top 5 or even a top 10. cast as much as me and they just dont hold up. the lbts and alum noes are just glorified overpriced lee 6 cav if you as me.

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fa38 posted this 04 January 2024

R. Hoch

Accurate

RCBS

Borton

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Urny posted this 04 January 2024

Past maker would be a toss-up between Ideal and Cramer. There are some Modern Bond and Belding & Mull out there in the blue barn, but not favorites, and my only H&G is an unsatisfactory copy of the old Sqibb bullet. Those are the only old makers I have experience of.

Of present makers the ones I have used and liked best have been Lyman and NOE. Other present makers such as RCBS and Lee have run about 50/50 good to not so good,