I'm looking to buy a new mold for my 357 and 45 LC all of my lee molds have had pins for HP and I have never gotten the chance to test them out. So has anyone tried them out is it worth getting an HP lead mold?

I talked to one guy who said it was a gimmick to make you spend more for HP molds. I'd like to hear what you all have to say since I'm looking at two more molds. Thanks!

I have the same question. I just started casting 45 colt for a Henry x and marlin 1895. 45 colt is awesome suppressed!

My opinion....
NO.....
And I used to cast MANY thousands of bullets .....

Not needed for target shooting.  Slows you down.
There are good molds with hollow points that do open up if you hit the parameters of the mold design with the right alloy and velocity.   MP molds penta pins seem to have a good following.  I have MP molds but none with pins.

A WFN, wide flat nose , with its near full diameter meplat will do the most damage irrespective of fiddling with alloy.  Feeding would be your chief concern.


Just my two bits.


Your best source for research is likely castboolits website.  They have subcategories of casting, molds, alloys, hunting.  Read in all of them!

It all depends on what you how the bullet needs to perform when it hits the target. HP bullets have their place, but aren't necessary for most uses. What do you want them to do?

I'd like to use them for hunting and SD since right now we have ammo selling at $100+ for a box of 50 it would be nice to have the ability to have something that can expand.

Would you care to expand on your experience and why you feel it's not worth it? Must add as I read what I said I think I sound like a smart@$$ but I'm not trying to be. I'm wanting to pick your brain about this.

I have a few HP molds from MP. They are a work of art and cast gorgeous bullets.

I havent tested their expansion, just wanted to have cast bullets that resembles my carry bullets.

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My next mold will be an MP... I like my NOE molds, but damn are those not beautiful.

I have tested the HP 9mm bullets I cast in water. If I cast them in lino, the tip just shears off. Out of WW alloy, I got good mushrooming, but not like a jacketed bullet.

There has been extensive testing on this done over at castboolits by a user. It is all about matching the alloy to the velocity.

Them are purdy!

I think I saw yours posted here a while  back and considered it but didn’t follow through.

My club buddy made some last week but he doesn’t cast, just uses the copper pieces on the bottom; I can’t think of the word right now.

 Gas check.

That's what I'm wanting! I have a few brass molds in HP just have not had the chance to test them since 5 years living without a range or able to reload. What is the best way to test them?

If you are going to use them for defense or hunting you will want a min of 30:1 lead to tin. If it is going to be higher vel than 1200 then 20:1. If over 1500 then 16:1.  These are what will work over and over again without fail.

Or you can go the route the factories do and use a 3-4% antimony only mix with pure lead. It will make the lead flow under pressure without fracturing. But once you get anything else in with the mix all bets are off.

Tin acts differently. Think of it as the glue that holds the lead together. That is why the tin mixs usually just mushroom without blowing up.


If you have COWW them do a 50-50 with pure and it should work. I have not tested that mix yet. The hardest part is finding pure. What everyone thinks is pure is NOT. Go to rotometals and get certified metals if you want to do this right.