My new NOE 217-20-RF 2 cavity

[EdinGa]

It's raining here today so I decided to break in my 20 grain hunter mold. My Prod likes them. This is 5 shots at 25 yards. The flyer was me for sure. The Prod trigger is almost too light.

[EdinGa]

Looks like it wasn't a fluke with the Prod. It's shooting them around 590 for just over 15 fpe.

[rsterne]

You have no idea how good I feel when pellets I designed shoot like that.... 

Bob

[Spacebus]

I have the same mold in brass and pulled it out for a casting session today but the drops were inconsistent. One pin wouldn't let go of the pellets and when hot the mold didn't want to close nicely. Last year I thought I ruined an aluminum version of the same mold, but today I was looking at it and closed the halves without pins installed and they lined up perfectly. Now I'm thinking that the pins might be the problem, and not the mold itself. I know a local machinist and will be seeing him later this week, I'm hoping he can make me new HB pins that will make the molds work properly. Before I overheated my aluminum mold I was seeing equal accuracy with my Stormrider. The 362 was doing a good job with the cast pellets as well. For what it's worth I've been using an electric melting pot and preheating molds on a hot plate ever since I potentially ruined my .22 cal hunter mold.

If both molds turn out working fine I may have the brass mold turned into something else.

[EdinGa]

You have no idea how good I feel when pellets I designed shoot like that.... 

Bob

I'm sure thankful for the talent you share with us here in this community. I ordered this mold by mistake, but I can assure you that I won't be selling it now.

[EdinGa]

I have the same mold in brass and pulled it out for a casting session today but the drops were inconsistent. One pin wouldn't let go of the pellets and when hot the mold didn't want to close nicely. Last year I thought I ruined an aluminum version of the same mold, but today I was looking at it and closed the halves without pins installed and they lined up perfectly. Now I'm thinking that the pins might be the problem, and not the mold itself. I know a local machinist and will be seeing him later this week, I'm hoping he can make me new HB pins that will make the molds work properly. Before I overheated my aluminum mold I was seeing equal accuracy with my Stormrider. The 362 was doing a good job with the cast pellets as well. For what it's worth I've been using an electric melting pot and preheating molds on a hot plate ever since I potentially ruined my .22 cal hunter mold.

If both molds turn out working fine I may have the brass mold turned into something else.

I'm done with brass molds. Maybe I need to rearrange my casting set up, but they wear me out a lot faster than aluminum. I can assure you I'm no weakling, but I just don't enjoy casting with them.


I hope the machinist can sort out the pins for you. This is a great design for sure and I think you will enjoy it once it's running right.

[Spacebus]

I have the same mold in brass and pulled it out for a casting session today but the drops were inconsistent. One pin wouldn't let go of the pellets and when hot the mold didn't want to close nicely. Last year I thought I ruined an aluminum version of the same mold, but today I was looking at it and closed the halves without pins installed and they lined up perfectly. Now I'm thinking that the pins might be the problem, and not the mold itself. I know a local machinist and will be seeing him later this week, I'm hoping he can make me new HB pins that will make the molds work properly. Before I overheated my aluminum mold I was seeing equal accuracy with my Stormrider. The 362 was doing a good job with the cast pellets as well. For what it's worth I've been using an electric melting pot and preheating molds on a hot plate ever since I potentially ruined my .22 cal hunter mold.

If both molds turn out working fine I may have the brass mold turned into something else.

I'm done with brass molds. Maybe I need to rearrange my casting set up, but they wear me out a lot faster than aluminum. I can assure you I'm no weakling, but I just don't enjoy casting with them.


I hope the machinist can sort out the pins for you. This is a great design for sure and I think you will enjoy it once it's running right.

Indeed, this is my first and last brass mold. I thought the heat retention would be an asset for a nice pellet skirt, but the weight not worthy. So far I've only used it five times, but every time has been a short frustrating session before I go back to another mold that just works better. My hope has been that it would "break in" and get better with time, but so far it's been the opposite. If the aluminum mold can be rehabbed I would be thrilled, but would really like it if the brass mold were more user friendly. I feel like I could have bought thousands of pellets for what I have in both of these .22 cal molds, but I thought it would be a good idea to be able to make my own 

[EdinGa]

I don't know if Al is doing something different or not, but the 217-30-FN and the 217-20-RF I just got both cast like a dream. Now that I'm pressure pouring with a ladle my 250-27-RF is dropping really consistent pellets too. The only mold I hate at this point is my brass 250-22-WC.

[Insanity]

I got my 357 4 cavity mold in brass that sucker gets heavy fast. I have to rest it on the pot do my pour by rolling it over and back up. I'm still youg and active but man that will put a hurtin on you.

[EdinGa]

I got my 357 4 cavity mold in brass that sucker gets heavy fast. I have to rest it on the pot do my pour by rolling it over and back up. I'm still youg and active but man that will put a hurtin on you.

I have a couple of 2 cavity brass molds, and I won't be buying another one. I bet that 4 cavity is a beast. My biggest issue at 53 is having a little arthritis in both thumbs.

[EdinGa]

These things sure are pretty.

[Insanity]

I don't have a scale handy but I been meaning to weigh it with the handles. According to NOE the mold is 2.5 pounds and the handles are 1.9 pounds. So estimated 4.4 pounds well I guess that feels like that when in hand.

[EdinGa]

I don't have a scale handy but I been meaning to weigh it with the handles. According to NOE the mold is 2.5 pounds and the handles are 1.9 pounds. So estimated 4.4 pounds well I guess that feels like that when in hand.

That's a lot of weight to be lifting and twisting a couple of hundred times.

[Back_Roads]

 Some strange reason the molds get heavier when filled 

[Spacebus]

I don't know if Al is doing something different or not, but the 217-30-FN and the 217-20-RF I just got both cast like a dream. Now that I'm pressure pouring with a ladle my 250-27-RF is dropping really consistent pellets too. The only mold I hate at this point is my brass 250-22-WC.

If I can't get anything figured out maybe Al will help me out with some kind of exchange deal