New Lee 55 gr .224 boolit

[PakProtector]

It seems Lee has on offer a boolit mold similar to the RCBS 55 gr flat point mold. two or six cavity. The primary issue with the Lee molds is the large sprue cutter hole compared to boolit diameter. I got some custom sprue plates made from ground 4140 that have .100 holes...this also makes cutting the sprues easier, as well as not leaving the base deformed. Looking forward to casting a few of these to try in the marauder...
cheers,
Douglas

[Airgunhunter73]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

[PakProtector]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

I have not yet gotten the mold, so I can't answer that. That barrel does like un-sized boolits from my NOE 225107 mold. As with any boolit shooter, I expect some R&D experimentation. I doubt the Rapid is valved well enough to deal with this power level( 110+ FPE) the way my Marauder is. The barrel is a TJ hammer forged of 1/2" OD. it is 27" now, but I am shortening to 25", maybe 24"...

What size does your mold drop them, and with what alloy?
cheers,
Douglas

[K.O.]

Are you talking about the Bator Round nose flat point? how much for a sprue plate? I already picked up the mold and yep the sprue hole is 3/4 the size of the base... roughly about .130"

I was thinking I could shorten the gas check and hollow point it to lose enough weight to shoot in a stock .25 mrod with a 22"  Marlin .22WMR barrel. ( I could use some info/advice on that conversion from you also)

I was also thinking that as long as I could get them poured right I could get it down to a shoot able weight by carving down the nose  and re-profiling it maybe even use a top punch to finish. Then make a hollow pointing jig I think about 40 grains is my limit for a stock Mrod with a 10# spring...

Then there is my 25.6" Beretta Hakim 22lr Barrel adventure but it is as choked as a L.W. barrel and I do not think 50-60 fpe is enough for that?

So I read about  the Bator and  they seem to drop about .226(?) and 50g-52g... Do you think I could ladle pour .22 I read many that only use ladles not bottom pour and heck our forefathers did it..?

[Rattus58]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

Probably not if using pure lead. I've shot these out of my Benjamin Pump with no problems.... well other than I could almost outrun them to the coconut I was shooting....

[PakProtector]

Are you talking about the Bator Round nose flat point? how much for a sprue plate?

Nope, not the Bator, this one looks like the RCBS 225-55-SP
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-double-cavity-bullet-mold-c225-55-rf-90451.html

that is where I got the 6-cav from. I don't remember how much the sprue plate was, but I doubt it was more than $20.
cheers,
Douglas

[K.O.]

Are you talking about the Bator Round nose flat point? how much for a sprue plate?

Nope, not the Bator, this one looks like the RCBS 225-55-SP
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-double-cavity-bullet-mold-c225-55-rf-90451.html

that is where I got the 6-cav from. I don't remember how much the sprue plate was, but I doubt it was more than $20.
cheers,
Douglas

could you get another if I send the $ cause that sprue plate just says wrong even to me... oops mine is the 2 cavity...

The C225-55-rf is the Lee Bator    http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0000622BATOR/.22-Caliber-55-Grain-Double-Cavity-Special-Order-Mold-C225-55-RF-by-LEE-RELOADING-PRODUCTS

[rsterne]

Both those links lead to the same mold number....

bob

[K.O.]

Both those links lead to the same mold number....

bob

And the box says Lee Bator on mine... I am going to try making some jigs to carve it down/re-profile the nose to closer to about 40gr once I get casting...

First I need to set the .22 mag barrel up for the .25 Mrod breech. it may take me some months to get going but am having a good time with it stock while I slowly get all my ducks in a row.

[K.O.]

pics

I just wonder about how to get a .22lr barrel that is choked to L.W. .22 pellet specs to send boolits out.

[PakProtector]

Both those links lead to the same mold number....

bob

That was noticed by somebody on CastBoolits too, and IIRC they had both molds.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?282187-New-Lee-22-mold-NOT-the-Bator

cheers,
Douglas

[K.O.]

well huh they have different UPC codes...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEE-DOUBLE-CAVITY-BULLET-MOLD-C225-55-RF-90451-NIB/111759386667?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33097%26meid%3Db82440d48d4643bba460237e7b643404%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D121704592968

and thanks for the link Douglas... that's confusing, I think at 27$ shipped I will pick one up in a few months they are definitely different molds

should  have Know better than to have doubted you...

[Tofazfou]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

[Rattus58]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

I agree with you here.  Probably a third of my molds are Lee and you have varying problems with them but the out of round issue isn't limited to LEE.

[PakProtector]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

IDK about that...the Ranchdog I have is made by Lee and is as round as my NOE. Now they were not so good when using the OE sprue plate, but with the small holed one I think they're fine.
cheers,
Douglas

[Tofazfou]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

IDK about that...the Ranchdog I have is made by Lee and is as round as my NOE. Now they were not so good when using the OE sprue plate, but with the small holed one I think they're fine.
cheers,
Douglas

Thats my point.  You have 1 good experience.  The guy posting above you agrees with me and i have been casting with lee molds for years and owned and trashed like 7-8 and have kept like 2 or 3, and guys like Doug, Knifemaker and RJ report the same issues as me.  So did Roachcreek on the TAG.

Their molds vary too much IMO.  A sizer in my experience IS ROUNDER than many well named bullet mold makers molds.  LBT and 1 Accurate mold i have are about the roundest molds i have ever used.  Sizing is also for making the bullet more precise to your bore.  With barrels from TJ, it can be undersized or oversized.  They vary too.  So you might just need to size.

Just my experience is all,

Cedric

[Tofazfou]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

I agree with you here.  Probably a third of my molds are Lee and you have varying problems with them but the out of round issue isn't limited to LEE.

Rattus, i know that.  But lee is the absolute worst and inconsistent i have seen.  And you prove my point, out of round and other variance are the reason for sizing..........................  Barrels bores also vary from mold sizes.  So you need to size.....SOMETIMES!  NOT ALL!  I don't like using my barrel to size.  It creates more friction which in turn creates other issues like premature dirty barrels.

Again, just don't see how 20 bucks will get you a perfect mold EVERYTIME compared to everyone elses 100 bucks.  My 7mm LEE Soupcan bullet mold is the friggen worst thing i have ever seen.  My 8 year old could do better.

[Rattus58]

Doug do you have to run them thru a sizer die, I was thinking of getting a barrel for my Rapid to shoot them, it's not regulated as I have have a set of these molds

TRUST ME, EVERY BULLET FROM A LEE MOLD should be sized.  The molds are cheap for a reason.  You can't put in extreme amounts of precision into a bullet mold and charge 20 dollars.

There bullets are out of round and their mold are built very sloppily (not a word......lol)!

I agree with you here.  Probably a third of my molds are Lee and you have varying problems with them but the out of round issue isn't limited to LEE.

Rattus, i know that.  But lee is the absolute worst and inconsistent i have seen.  And you prove my point, out of round and other variance are the reason for sizing..........................  Barrels bores also vary from mold sizes.  So you need to size.....SOMETIMES!  NOT ALL!  I don't like using my barrel to size.  It creates more friction which in turn creates other issues like premature dirty barrels.

Again, just don't see how 20 bucks will get you a perfect mold EVERYTIME compared to everyone elses 100 bucks.  My 7mm LEE Soupcan bullet mold is the friggen worst thing i have ever seen.  My 8 year old could do better.

No argument here... I size all my bullets to all my guns to fit at or .001 undersize (I'm a muzzleloader shooter by the way) if I'm at the range and especially with kids and .001 over bore for hunting. Pure lead obdurates and for the most part you can retain accuracy for what I (we) do with my muzzleloaders.

Airguns are a new phenomena for me.. being in now about a little over a month but on my recluse, I bought a .357 sizer which I haven't used since the bullets slipped right in to the barrel without effort, and now that I measured the bullets cast, are a tad over .357, some at .358 some a bit more .3585 i remember as one. Once I slug the barrel, I expect that it's much easier to open up a sizer than to "shrink" it down

[rintafile]

PakProtector:

Is .225 48gr Spitzer something what You could be interested? There is Active Group Buy going on in NOE's forum.. 

[PakProtector]

PakProtector:

Is .225 48gr Spitzer something what You could be interested? There is Active Group Buy going on in NOE's forum..

Not really; I have an old Ideal 2-cav in that style already. Not so into pointy boolits anyway since it is likely this will be used for hunting as well as paper punching.
cheers,
Douglas