Ball Molds

[6pt-sika]

https://www.ballmoulds.com/ Any of you used this companies molds ? I'm thinking of ordering one mold for a single ball inside the SP-8 wad and then two molds of about 420" to make 000000 buck . 4-0 is .380" 5-0 is .400" and 6-0 should be about .420" . Winchester Industrial loads an 8 gauge round that has eight .425" zinc balls , I don't wanna load to their pressure level of course and I won't use zinc but by my estimations eight .420" balls should be about 2 ounces so its doable just not to fast and pressure oughtta stay within reason . The single roundball load should be doable as well but I'm sure this one will exceed 2 ounces so again doable but restraint is a consideration while loading .

[17nut]

Former Jeff Tanner, they're good moulds and cheap!
I think he snuffed it and the kids took over.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Sika: Those 8 ga. Industrial Loads are for "Clinker Guns" which are used to Blow Clinker Deposits off of the tubes inside a Coal Fired Blast Furnace. Clinkers are Big Gobs of Coal Ash that solidify on the tubes and cause hot spots that burn thru the tubes and cause massive tube leaks. Shooting one is quite an experiences. The furnace is positive pressure so when you open the port you get lots of blast blowing out. Silver Firesuits are needed, and I did it ONCE! A Winchester Single Shot Gun that weighed about 10 lbs and knocked the snot out of me ! No need for a second shot, I was done!!!.

When you see white smoke coming out of a Generating Stations stack. It's not smoke, it's steam and they have a tube leak.

Randy.

[r6487]

these pics were take 16-17 years ago at cement plant in north san antonio. notice the heat shield to block that hot air blasting out the inspection door. that is not a suppressor on the barrel. it is a heat sink to attempt the relieve heat off the barrel. when a doughnut forms in the brick lined kiln and needs to be busted down one person pulls the chain (triggger), while another stands on the opposite side feeding slugs into chamber so the 2 operators are firing single shot slugs as fast as possible to hammer on the doughnut. The bricks inside the kiln sluff off and wear out and are changed about once per year. The clinker looks like orange hot lava slowing running down the 450 ft long sloped kiln to turn a gypsum mixture into cement. I was doing an infrared inspection on this plant when I took the pics.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Ours at Mohave Edison was just a single barrel shotgun. That thing you show would have been much more pleasant to shoot than what I did. That gun has a 3"+ thick wad of rags taped to the butt as a recoil pad. One shot is all I could stand.This was in 1975.

This was a So Cal Edison Coal Fired Steam Generation Plant in Laughlin NV. Same basic thing happens when coal ash turns to a gob of molten slag and sticks onto the wall of the furnace.

Randy

[6pt-sika]

Former Jeff Tanner, they're good moulds and cheap!
I think he snuffed it and the kids took over.

Thanks !

[6pt-sika]

Sika: Those 8 ga. Industrial Loads are for "Clinker Guns" which are used to Blow Clinker Deposits off of the tubes inside a Coal Fired Blast Furnace. Clinkers are Big Gobs of Coal Ash that solidify on the tubes and cause hot spots that burn thru the tubes and cause massive tube leaks. Shooting one is quite an experiences. The furnace is positive pressure so when you open the port you get lots of blast blowing out. Silver Firesuits are needed, and I did it ONCE! A Winchester Single Shot Gun that weighed about 10 lbs and knocked the snot out of me ! No need for a second shot, I was done!!!.

When you see white smoke coming out of a Generating Stations stack. It's not smoke, it's steam and they have a tube leak.

Randy.

I doubt my 8 gauge loads will thump you as a ten pound gun thumped you . In the first place my circa 1903 gun weighs 14+ pounds and my loads will be nothing close to industrial . But I’m quite sure stout enough to bowel a deer over at thirtyish yards . I should have the Parker in hand by the end of the week as well as wads . The press some nice new unfired WIN hulls and swagging dies will be along in a week or two . There’s a SxS shoot close to Scranton PA in late July and they’ll have an 8 gauge event I may try and drive up for the day . The 8 gauge event is only 15 shots so I might if I go shoot the two ten gauge events both fifty shots each .

[sharps4590]

r6487, thank you for posting that. I'd heard about those loads and what they were for all my life but had never seen anything about them. Immensely interesting!!!

[6pt-sika]

My shotguns supposed to arrive tommorrow and wads Friday . I’ll figure out what size punk in ball I want that fits inside the SP-8 wad then order it along with a pair of molds for 000000 buckshot . Hopefully I’ll have the loader and swagging dies in a couple weeks .

[megasupermagnum]

If your bore diameter is .835", and the SP-8 wads have similar thickness to other gauge lead wads (.025"-.030" petals), then a .780"-.785" ball should be ideal. I just happen to cast balls about .783" for my 10 gauge if you want to try some.

[6pt-sika]

If your bore diameter is .835", and the SP-8 wads have similar thickness to other gauge lead wads (.025"-.030" petals), then a .780"-.785" ball should be ideal. I just happen to cast balls about .783" for my 10 gauge if you want to try some.

I’m not overly concerned with the nominal bore but rather what they measure in the choke . Seems to me when I measured the petals on the SP-10 wads they were .010” a side . I’m also gonna be curiouse to see how 000000 buck ( .416” balls ) stack inside the SP-8 shot cup . Hopefully I can squeeze two in a layer if not I might cut the petals and use a mylar wrap like I do with 00 , 000 , 0000 and 00000 buck in the 10 gauge .

[megasupermagnum]

My calculations show a .416" would just barely fit in 2's with no wad at all. .835/2=.4175

Let me know if you want those .783" round balls.

[stubshaft]

Jeff made me my 8 bore mold for a percussion single barrel. The recoil is not sharp but rather just keeps on coming back.

[GregLaROCHE]

Interesting to hear about those kiln cleaners. I’m always learning something new on this forum.

[Maven]

6pt-, I have several Tanner RB moulds and highly recommend them. Fit & finish are excellent, use standard handles (e.g., I use RCBS), and they cast to your specification. Priced right too!

[6pt-sika]

If your bore diameter is .835", and the SP-8 wads have similar thickness to other gauge lead wads (.025"-.030" petals), then a .780"-.785" ball should be ideal. I just happen to cast balls about .783" for my 10 gauge if you want to try some.

I just measured the muzzles and got .785” and .795” I think they’re a bit to tight for your .783” ball but I appreciate the offer . I’ll wait until tommorrow when the wads hopefully arrive . Optimum is going to be no more than .784-.786” of the ball with the petals of the wad . I’m sure it’ll withstand tighter but I’m not gonna push the envelope with this gun I’ve got to much invested for that .

[megasupermagnum]

Hey, that sounds about right for a .735" ball, which I also have.

[6pt-sika]

Hey, that sounds about right for a .735" ball, which I also have.

I borrowed a slug mold from Bikerbeans a couple years ago that he had cut for a 10 gauge LC Smith with no choke barrels . I tried one of them in both muzzles and it looks like it might be loose enough to handle the SP-8 petals . I want the thing snug when it goes out but not tight where I even think it might expand the barrel at the muzzle LOL’s . With that being said I’m quite positive I can work out a buckshot load and most likely with this 730 grain slug . But I still wanna figure a roundball or punkin ball load . And my preference is everything fits in the shot cup , but on the other hand I’m not overly adverse to lopping the petals off and using a mylar wrap .

[6pt-sika]

6pt-, I have several Tanner RB moulds and highly recommend them. Fit & finish are excellent, use standard handles (e.g., I use RCBS), and they cast to your specification. Priced right too!

Yes I thought the price reasonable and even though they have no sprue plate no more then I’ll cast at a time that’s not a hindrance . I’ll most likely order this weekend I think . Do you remmember the turn around from these folks ?

[Maven]

6pt-, Sometimes it is less than 3 weeks. My last one, a .618" RB for my 20ga. trade gun, arrived in ~2 weeks and cast exactly at the dimension I asked for (.618").