http://www.hanned.com/lbt/lbt.htm

Just repeating what I read on sixgunner.com

Wow, just got to the prices. I think Veral has been a pioneer in bullet designs, but you can get a balisticast 4 cavity for nearly the price of a 2 cavity LBT, and IMHO, the balisticast is a hands down better mold.

[ 10-16-2003, 04:39: Message edited by: Paul H ]

That is quite a jump from what I paid a couple months back. WOW. It is good to see him back though.

I guess he figured the extra should cover his taxes. Lol. Good to see him back.

It's my understanding the Balisticast is a cherry cut mold? I dunno how a cherry cut could be considered having the quality of a lathe bored, in terms of dia's specificly cut to your specs, not to mention length and other specifics.

Balisticast's website which I viewed many months ago was about ill-legible too. Have they revisited that?

I did not see on their website anything about rifle molds either-- do they do the range of LBT nose profiles?

Pricing is pure supply and demand. If the buyers keep Smith busy at that pricing level-- good for him.

Occurred to me Paul that lurking around the net here and elsewhere your promoting Balisticast. Do you have a connection or arrangement with them?

Wow, those prices have definitely jumped since I paid $105 for my 4 cavity molds back before Veral and the Feds had their disagreement.

However, I can say without a doubt that the 5 LBT molds I own or have owned are far and away the easiest I�ve ever used with which to cast perfect bullets.

With my Lyman, RCBS and yes, even H&G molds I always have to carefully inspect the finished products. With the LBT molds there is one inspection point � open the mold, look at the bases. If I have left a good sprue and the bases are square then the bullets are keepers. No weighing, no other checking required, I know they will shoot straight. If one has a slightly rounded base then it goes back in the pot. BTW, if they are slightly rounded it is always my fault.

Quality is expensive. I�ve been casting since 1976 and, in my humble opinion, you might find molds as good as an LBT but I truly doubt that you will find better.

No, I don�t work for Veral or have any fiduciary interest in his company, but I am unashamedly a huge fan of the man and his products.

got my lyman moulds at a gun show for i think it was $20 for a set of two moulds. they make great 150gr swc.

Likewise I wish Smith good luck, yet the LBT aluminum mold isn't without flaws.

That stamped sprue plate sucks. Best results are laddle pouring to keep everything liquid for good base fillout, which is the achilles heel of his design. Lightening tension on that plate helps and filing a bevel on the block edge helps too. But those fillout holes being stamped together is far less than ideal. It's the worst plate on any mold made.

Smith's rethoric in the online version of his brouchure is a mite too arrogant. IMO just the facts and let the chips fall where they may. His pistol designs are just a good dose of common sense-- and not having a heirarchy of management to convince, being a one man operation. Bullet fitting isn't rocket science or even magical as some have suggested. Accuracy is just about square, parallel and zero runout... or sound machining principles in fact. Reinvention of the wheel isn't on Smith's resume by a far cry.

If I'm gonna spend $125-$175 on a mold/molds... I go to Mountain for the common design and Mos for a custom. 'Viril' will be busy enough without my dollars.

Oh how I wish I could get molds for $10. I've always gotten good bullets from Lyman molds, but there are definately better made molds on the market.

One other thing I've thought of, as I recall LBT recomends casting from straight wheelweights. That said, his molds cast noteably heavier and larger in dia then stamped on their sides. I do still have one LBT, a .512" "450" gr LFN gc. They come out 469 w/ check and lube when cast from ww's, not sure on as cast dia as I've never measured them. $50 for the used mold was a decent price, and while it does have some dings that cause tits on the bullet base and hence have to be individually cut off.

I've never had problems with the LBT strue plate, but I cast from a bottom pour and all the LBT's have been large bore pistol molds. Probably a problem with long/skinny rifle molds. I did manage to break off the hold down lever on my buddies mold, so bent and ground some 1/8" music wire, and added a set screw to keep it in place and allow adjustment. It's a better holddown then the original.

Hmm, come to think of it, I don't think I've had a single mold that couldn't cast good bullets. Some molds have been more idiosyncratic then others providing low yields until I figured out what they needed. I have developed a bad attitude towards brass blocks, based on an applegate and the mountain mold, both of which have been the most temperature sensitive molds I've ever used. I generally like Lee molds, especaially the six cavity ones, they really crank out the bullets!

I note Smith IS NOT making custom molds now. You get variation of dia's and in some instances nose length presents choices-- but it appears the days of the true custom design are gone.

LSS... using an RCBS or similar sprue plate requires no finesse to make a sharply defined bullet base with a rifle mold. I have used LBT's with a custom made plate that worked very well too, like the RCBS [using the newer thick plate now fitted on the RCBS]. Using the original stamped plate on the LBT results in too many rejects for not clearly filled out bases, and too dam much tinkering to get them correct.

[ 10-18-2003, 17:50: Message edited by: NO BS ]

[The is nothing bad about a cherry cut mould. Lathe bored moulds have no inherant advantage. It all boils down to the quality of the tools, equpment, material and workmanship. RCBS,NEI, Rob Applegate and other fine makers cherry cut moulds.

QUOTE]Originally posted by NO BS:
It's my understanding the Balisticast is a cherry cut mold? I dunno how a cherry cut could be considered having the quality of a lathe bored, in terms of dia's specificly cut to your specs, not to mention length and other specifics.

Balisticast's website which I viewed many months ago was about ill-legible too. Have they revisited that?

I did not see on their website anything about rifle molds either-- do they do the range of LBT nose profiles?

Pricing is pure supply and demand. If the buyers keep Smith busy at that pricing level-- good for him.

Occurred to me Paul that lurking around the net here and elsewhere your promoting Balisticast. Do you have a connection or arrangement with them?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chargar:
[QB][The is nothing bad about a cherry cut mould. Lathe bored moulds have no inherant advantage. It all boils down to the quality of the tools, equpment, material and workmanship. RCBS,NEI, Rob Applegate and other fine makers cherry cut moulds.

Ya missed the point Mr Charger, the lathe bored operation allows the flexibility to change dia's etc whereas a cherry cuts it's profile. Good operators can fudge abit with a cherry but not enough to make any real difference. Lathe bored offers many options which require that expensive cherry with each bullet design change.

NEI aluminum molds are nothing to write home about, especially given dia runout.

Applegate makes enough molds to keep what percentage of the shooters happy? Not many, nice man though and a true perfectionist.

RCBS yes. But most of their stuff is good-- and as good a warranty as there's anwhere's.

Truth be told... the best value in molds in the SC Lee. Polish it abit.. you've got a gem!

I don't own an LBT mold.

I do have more than 1 Mountain Molds which seem to work pretty well for me.

Maybe if I practiced a bit more I could get them all to go in the same hole.

I got my .41 WLN before he got on line and the price went up -- it is very good mold but using a dipper I have work at good bullets which when they are good they are very good-- I am glad I got mine and that before the price increase which I doubt I would have paid-I have a Stainless 5.5 Redhawk .41 and it shoots this bullet very well -- after the farmer gets his crop in where I shoot I will find out what it will do at 100 --but honestly I have had Lee or Lyman or RCBS do about as well but much easier-- I have been casting since the mid 70 so I am not a newbie-still i like my mold