Which 12 ga round ball size?

[Blood Trail]

I've been on a Russian slug mold buying frenzy here lately and I'd figure I'll get a mold for round ball. They offer two sizes: 16.8 mm and 17.2 mm.

I'm thinking going with the bigger size.

What say ye?


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[megasupermagnum]

I've fired punkin' ball loads before, and I never even had a piece of paper big enough to measure the group. Neither of those sizes are worth shooting. I bought a .735" round ball mold from JT molds, and admittedly I've only fired 5, all 5 measured out to be about a 2.5" group at 25 yards. This load was too hot, which is why I quite firing them, and I would think accuracy could be better with more development.

[6pt-sika]

Before you drop the bucks on a mold I'd suggest going on Track of the Wolf and buying some roundballs to try .

[jmort]

MiHec has three roundball buys going
All three are wothwhile
Don't miss the boat

[too many things]

a .735 is very bore tight in a smooth open choke. i went with a 628 in a rifled 870 and 30gr of Blue dot. at 75 yds i have not shot twice at a deer .

[Moonie]

I use the Tri-ball load with 3 .60 caliber balls.

[pipehand]

I've had good performance using the .678" Lyman rb mold. Also .600 balls out of a Lee mold for Tri-Ball. And a 9 pellet .311" load using the Lee mold.

[longbow]

Depends what you want to do and how you want to load... and what you are loading for.

I bought several round ball moulds to try different things:

- 0.735" for cylinder bore
- 0.715" for my Browning BPS with slug & buck barrel I/C choke
- 0.662" because it will fit through about any choke
- 0.678" because it is a good fit in several standard shotcups

I got excellent results with the 0.735" RB in cylinder bore and in a rifled gun but worried a bit that one might find its way into a full choked barrel at some point so decided to try the 0.662" RB patched into shotcups. That gave just as good a groups as the 0.735" RB (3" to 4" consistent groups at 50 yards). The patching takes time though so along came the 0.678" RB mould and it works just as well but easier to load.

I have not used the 0.715" RB mould as it turns out my BPS choke is 0.710" and I can't bring myself to try the oversized ball.

I also have a 0.690" RB mould that I have not had any success with. Too big for most shotcups and didn't work with those I could find that it did fit, and too small to use naked.

For rifled gun things might be different. I know the 0.735" RB's work well in a Remington 870 rifled barrel but not sure about the 0.678" RB's in shotcups. There is not much to grip rifling at the equator and I suspect fit would be a determining factor. I doubt they could be too tight but certainly could be too loose. 1 or 2 wrap paper tubes put into the shotcups before the ball should take care of too loose though.

Also, on the 0.735" RB's, you are stuck building wad columns too and I find it so much easier to use shotcups. Yes, I'm lazy.

I use a nitro card wad or two and a scoop of Cream 'O Wheat under the ball to provide support and keep the bottom of the shotcup from trying to wrap around the ball. Before doing that accuracy was inconsistent and recovered wads tended to be cracked or distorted and often had blown gas seals.

As 6pt-sika said, it may be best to try before you buy.

Longbow

[Blood Trail]

Great advice guys. I was wanting them mainly for plinking around.

To the ones who mentioned the tri ball load, I got those, too. I used .60 cal hard cast in a 3.5" or 3" hull. The 3" hull has a shallow roll crimp, but still works.






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[725]

YMMV, but I got a JT mold of .702 and put 'em it in a wad cup with a cork under it and got terrific accuracy. It fits my H&R heavy barrel and my 870 Hastings barrel. I'm not recommending it for anybody. It works for me. The last deer I shot was at 80 yards and it never took a step. Cast with soft lead, it's surprisingly accurate. Not every time, as I'm the nut behind the trigger, but frequently and quite commonly, I get one ragged hole at 50 yards. Hit the archives for my entry of "Success with 12 ga roundball". Wrote it last year and it has much of my data. Photo's too.

[BAGTIC]

I use .735 cast from HTWW in a rifled barrel.

[cpileri]

James gates recommends .003" over bore diameter in 12ga.

[jmort]

In case some missed it, James passes recently.
Mr. Gates was a great man who will be missed

[cpileri]

wow, jmort. I did miss that memo.

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.

[X-man]

Sorry to hear of his passing. A loss to the entire firearms community...