Who's Your Favorite Mold Manufacturer Past and Present

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  • Last Post 23 February 2024
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:

  1. 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.

  2. NOE - I only have one, a custom 200 grain for the Hungarian 8x56R.

  3. Lyman/Ideal

  4. 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

 

7. 

5. 

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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,

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Urny posted this 04 January 2024

That prior post was supposed to end something like: but the low cost of the Lee moulds cushions the pain of that somewhat.

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pat i. posted this 04 January 2024

the lbts and alum noes are just glorified overpriced lee 6 cav if you as me. 

Lol. You must have had some really good Lee molds. I don't beat up my molds so surviving the nuke test for me is a moot point

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Tom Acheson posted this 04 January 2024

1. Paul Jones

2. Steve Brooks

3. Don Eagan

4. LBT

5. Saeco

6. RCBS

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RustyZipper posted this 06 January 2024

Lyman 457125 MP Lee 6 cav for cheap volume Be Well Brothers, RZ.

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linoww posted this 07 January 2024

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.
I would add Eagan somewhere between one and two.
But I have to agree every LBT mold I have ever used has been perfect ,that sprue design is phenomenal.

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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jtcarm posted this 10 January 2024

Was starting to wonder when H&G would be mentioned.

I’d have to say: Accurate Hensley & Gibbs (#244 wadcutter) MP. I have a 6-cavity HG68 clone & an 8-cavity SAECO 348 clone (.38 DEWC) that positively rain beautiful bullets practically from the first cast when properly pre-heated. Just wish the .38s dropped a little smaller (they’re .360.)

In another life I owned some LBTs which were awesome. Sad to see Veral leaving the business.

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linoww posted this 12 January 2024

I hate H&G molds!

But seriously, I sold all of these off and did like Mr. Harris and replacd them with accurate  Aluminum moulds that fit my particular guns. Much easier to handle than these big pigs.

 

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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RicinYakima posted this 12 January 2024

Why I only bought 2 cavity moulds from H&G!

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Silver_Is_Money posted this 12 January 2024

For me, and I'm dating myself here, the best pistol bullet molds of all time came from Hensley & Gibbs.  Their classic H&G #68 200 grain Semi-Wadcutter mold in 45 cal was my favorite for 45ACP.  I still have that mold.

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dale2242 posted this 12 January 2024

1. Hensley & Gibbs

2. Saeco

3. NOE

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dualsport posted this 13 January 2024

I have a lot of molds from just about everyone. Hard to pick a favorite, no really bad ones. I’m fond of my Ranch Dog 6 cavity’s. Simple and well thought out. I even had him autograph a mold box for me! I know, Lee made his molds. Never had any complaints about Lee’s 6 cavity molds. Lotta bang for the buck.

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linoww posted this 14 January 2024

I have a lot of molds from just about everyone. Hard to pick a favorite, no really bad ones. I’m fond of my Ranch Dog 6 cavity’s. Simple and well thought out. I even had him autograph a mold box for me! I know, Lee made his molds. Never had any complaints about Lee’s 6 cavity molds. Lotta bang for the buck.
good to hear you are kicking. Here you are in Puyallup at the Military Nationals in 2010.
At least I think it's you?

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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4and1 posted this 14 January 2024

Hoch single cavity pre Colorado. It takes 2 or 3 casts and it's up to temp, and I can't cast fast enough to get a frosted bullet. Weigh sorting these are a waste of time. And it's a nose pour.

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RicinYakima posted this 14 January 2024

My Hoch 50 caliber 450 grain mould is like that, not the 30 not so much. 

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OU812 posted this 15 January 2024

Manufacturer: RCBS

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358156hp posted this 15 January 2024

I'll play smile. #1- LBT. #2- SAECO. #3- H&G. #4- RCBS (older). #5- Ideal SC, (my sentimental favorite). #6- Accurate, I don't have enough experience with Toms moulds, but the ones I've had were stellar.

As I enter my sell down, starting next month.

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Sevenfan posted this 18 January 2024

I'm quite new to casting, dropped my first boolits just a couple years ago. Of the molds I've acquired to date I'd have to say RCBS, MP, NOE, and Lyman in that order. Shuz let me borry a couple SAECOs and they were nice. Cast my first boolits Apr '21 and down the rabbit hole I went. cool

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drone posted this 04 February 2024

I only cast for 357 and 30 cal but it's lee for me, 6 cav for my 94 30/30 FP another 2 cav for my 308 BLR and the 158 grn swc TL very old lee mold for the 357 in my rossi carbine.

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Premod70 posted this 06 February 2024

I go with any steel mold out there except the recent versions by Lyman, they can’t seem to be able to get their alignment pins properly placed. No aluminum or brass molds for me!

Forrest Gump is my smarter brother.

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wimilkman posted this 07 February 2024

I don’t cast my own but I like the ones I buy that are cast in Hensley & Gibbs molds they are my favorites.

Fred Honeyager

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Eddie Southgate posted this 13 February 2024

Lyman / Ideal

Modern Bond 

Hensley & Gibbs

Noe

NEI

LBT - but I don't own one myself.

 

Prefer old Lyman or Modern Bond handles to any others. Was in the process of making an order from LBT when they had the fire so I will most likely never own the mold of Veral's that I wanted, it's an odd ball . Got some Winchester molds that I like a lot.

Grumpy Old Man With A Gun......Do Not Touch .

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Bill*B posted this 14 February 2024

Accurate is my favorite custom maker.  If I can find a Lyman or Ideal that I like, stamped "U" (for undersize), I'll buy it.  

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Pigslayer posted this 18 February 2024

Accurate Older Lyman Older Lee

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Glaciers posted this 23 February 2024

I’m just a shooter, plinker. I don’t shoot matches, I’m in it for the casting, reloading enjoyment. But I like to make a tight group.

NEI Walt cut molds NOE Arsenal Accurate RCBS LEE and I’ll add 6 cavity molds which for the money should probably rank higher on the list. Lot of bang for the buck.

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