Custom Postell Mold?

[Jubilado]

Does anyone know who makes a custom mold that's a copy of the Lyman .45 Postell? I believe it's Lyman #457132. TIA for the info.

Paul

[arnie]

http://www.pauljonesmoulds.com Paul Jones makes the best.Period. Arnie

[PowderFlask2]

I'm partial to Steve Brooks molds, see the links and supplier page listed on the main page

Gary

[Jubilado]

arnie,

I have a couple of Paul Jones molds in .40 and .45 Creedmoor, but I didn't see anything on his list that duplicates the Lyman Postell at about 530-535 grains. Do you know something I'm missing here?

Paul

[RMulhern]

Since Lyman is selling that mould....Paul won't duplicate it...'perzackly'!!

[Smokin]

Jubilado,

Just curious. Why would you want a custom copy of a Lyman mould when Lyman still makes it? Perhaps there may be worries that Lyman can't make a mould to compete with the quality of those made by the cusotm makers. These concerns may be valid, but I have a 457132 mould that will cast a round bullet every time I use it. Well, maybe not round: it's five tenths away from being a perfect cylinder.

I certainly don't want to tell you how to run your life, but taking a chance on what, a $40-$50 dollar off the shelf mould that the maker will guarantee may not be that much of a risk. And it will be a REAL Postell.

Good luck, good shopping, good shooting

[RMulhern]

Smokin

Only problem I have with the Lyman mould is.....when cast....no matter how good one can cast.....the nose of the Lyman mould produces bullets what looks akin to being cut with a dull hacksaw blade; maybe even a breaking plow!! Some believe the roughness makes for stable flight; I believe it hinders flight performance! Bout like me flying my bird with 2" of mud and bugs built up on the leading edge of the wings!!

[Jubilado]

Thanks for the responses. Smokin, I'm not made of money, but there are good reasons for going with a custom mold, IMO. It's like a custom barrel vs. a factory barrel, you may get a good one from the factory and you may not. Your odds of getting it right the first time are better with the custom job. When I first started in this game a gunsmith advised me that I could avoid grief by getting a custom mold right off, like pay the price and cry only once. It was good advice. That said, I have a couple of Lymans and they are OK. I borrowed a friend's Lyman Postell and got good bullets but they stuck in the mold every time and it took a lot of rapping to get them out. Aside from true dimensions, the generally easier release from the custom mold is a big plus for me in terms of productivity. I don't like to have to beat on my mold to get the bullets to drop. I have a Lyman 457125 and the bullets look like crap, but they shoot OK, but just OK. YMMV, as the saying goes.

Paul

[steve witt]

Paul- Contact Jay Weber. He has a Steve Brooks copy of the Postell mold. He would probally send you some bullets to try. Nice mold though the base band is slightly thicker than the Lyman. Throws about 535. Shoots to a different point then the standard Lyman. Best always steve witt.

[Jubilado]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the tip. I may contact Jay or I may just go straight to Brooks. You know the kind of shooting we do at Ackley so you have an idea of my goals. My Jones Creedmoor is very accurate, but requires the use of the blow tube every shot. OK for conventional silhouette and mid/long range, but doesn't cut it for the buffalo herds. OTOH, the Lyman 457125 Govt. bullet works OK for rapid fire with my grease cookie load, but I'd like a bit more accuracy and bullet weight. Like I said, I borrowed a Lyman Postell mold and it seemed to give me what I was looking for. Hope to see you at the Big Bore match next week. I missed the first one. I'm going to have to use a SWAG for my sight settings beyond 400 yards, but that's the way it goes.

Paul

[Smokin]

Sharpsman, Jubilado,

I, perhaps more than most, can appreciate a hacksaw texture, and while the nose of the real Postell is a bit "rustic", it does cast well. As a matter of fact, my Lyman mould's casting abilities makes it seem that I am dipping and pouring with great aplomb. As a further matter of fact, and while I realize that I may be unusually lucky in the procurement of some moulds, the Postell mould under discussion will release bullets much more easily than either my PJ 45001 or a SB version of a foreshortened PJ Creedmoor. Generally, opening the Postell mould will see the bullet fallout the bottom. Maybe this is bad, dunno. Could be 'tho, as the PJ mould seems to like to be beaten about the knuckles and hinges, repeatedly. And after all, that's the yardstick.

I can't argue that the PJ bullet is more, much more, winsome than is the plain Postell. Interestingly, the handsome one will not work for me in my .45-70. Of course that is a Ballard and perhaps explains the problem. But, then again, the newer LRE positively lights up and coos when fed a diet of Postells. It hasn't upchucked on the PJs, but there is no gleam in its sights, either.

I'll probably order a custom mould too. Wouldn't want the 457132 to get dispeptic or heartburn from a continuous diet of 1:20.

[arnie]

Paul ,Paul jones will make you any thing you want just send him a couple of bullets and he will make it .If you need the deminsions modified slightly he will do that too

[ocharry]

hi guys,, don't mean to change the subject here but i need to get in touch with steve witt,,,,seems he loaned me a seater for deb to try at ackley and i forgot to give the thing back to him,,found it in my shooting box a few days ago,,,,any way if your out there steve i need to know what you would like me to do with it,,,i got deb to use it a few times and she told me if i was doing my job in the loading room she didn't need it,,,so i will send it to you,,,or what ever you would like....sorry about that,,, thanks for letting me butt in here guys

keith