RCBS mold worth their weight in gold!

[adkmountainken]

i have been casting round ball for quite awhile and have been using Lee and Lyman molds both steel and aluminum never spending more then $50 for one and getting good results ( so i thought! ) for years.  i always weigh what i cast and keep the ones that are within .003 of each other and throw the rest back to cast again next time.  the Lee molds are a bit temperamental to get going and get consistency with but with time you can make a good run. Lyman are a little better being steel molds but i still throw back more then i think i should. ok last week i bought a pretty much new in the box .69 cal RCBS mold and handles from a member on here for a great price, never had one becouse i did not want to fork over $150 for mold and handles.  this morning i cast with it for the first time and HOLY COW from first ball to last just as smooth as can be! uniform and all right on the money pretty much, what a GREAT mold! will definitely be looking to pick up a couple more whenever see them.

[Daryl]

I agree, they should all look like jewels, from the first to the last one cast.
Like these. None had to be 'thrown back' into the pot.
All from Lyman moulds. I also have Lee, Tanner, RCBS, Ohaus(pre-RCBS), Pedersoli and Saeco  - 82 sets of blocks in all.





These are cast from straight WW alloy, and are brinel 12/13. The crystallization is visible in the smooth surfaces.

[hanshi]

I own a few RCBS molds and concur as to their fine quality.  My Lee molds seem to always cast excellent ball/bullet.  But the two Saeco molds I have left - foolishly sold one of the 4 cavity molds - are a challenge for any others to best, or even equal.  And I'm not "mold poor", either.  Let's see; there are T/C, Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, Tanner, Lee, DGW and another one or two I can't readily recall.

[Daryl]

I had a TC mould, casting a bullet for my wife's Seneca .36. We re-bored that to cast a PP muzzle for Taylor's Sharps.
Best use of a TC mould that wasn't being used, I could think of - at the time. I did finish a deer with that little rifle & 128gr. slug from her mould.

[dave951]

I have a couple RCBS molds. One is for my 69cal smoothbore and it casts just like yours. The ball looks great when the lead and mold are at temp and casting rate is quick. My other favorite RCBS is the Hogdon minie for North South Skirmish competition. It also works quite well.

As for aluminum molds, I have a couple that work great, but none of those are made by Lee. I've found that the aluminum molds "handle" differently from my steel ones from RCBS and Lyman.

[Daryl]

NOE makes very good custom moulds, up to 5 cavity in large sizes. I have a 4-cavity .25 cal. mould of theirs for my PCP air rifle.
They make both aluminum and brass I think, and of VERY high quality.