Using wheel weights to cast for patched loads.

[mattri]

Interesting, thanks.
Every day is a school day.

[KCSO]

In a revolver you don't want too tight a ball with w/w. Instead of 457 I drop back to 454 and so on. I prefer softer lead for my rifles but use w/w for all my smooth bores.

[gunther]

Revolvers cut a ring of lead off the edges of a properly fitting round ball as you seat them. If the ball is too small, to make it easier to seat, sooner or later, you might get a chainfire. Quite an experience. Patched roundballs in a rifle show engraving from the patch material. WW lead will require a small hammer to start into the bore. Pure lead is the best way to go.

[dondiego]

Revolvers cut a ring of lead off the edges of a properly fitting round ball as you seat them. If the ball is too small, to make it easier to seat, sooner or later, you might get a chainfire. Quite an experience. Patched roundballs in a rifle show engraving from the patch material. WW lead will require a small hammer to start into the bore. Pure lead is the best way to go.

Not true, I have never had to use a hammer on my WW balls. I had to use a short starter once when I was experimenting with patches

[doulos]

I have used 20-1 alloy for both .54 and .58 cal roundballs. Not a lot of them. I didnt have any real problem loading and they seemed just as accurate as pure lead. I used the 20-1 for casting bullets for my Sharps. The alloy is listed is supposed to be slightly softer than COWW.

[rmark]

I’ve used soft lead, range lead, and wheel weight lead for round balls in rifles, all worked fine at 50 yards.

[charlie b]

Revolvers can be a problem, sometimes.

My remington replica had very 'sharp' chamber mouths. Easily took WW round balls without much extra stress on the load lever.

Father-in-law had a .36 colt replica and it was tough to load with WW stuff. The chamber mouths were not as 'sharp' and swaged the ball a little (.001 or .002" maybe) as it shaved off a bit of lead.

[509thsfs]

Stick on WW's I use for my flintlocks. You can use clip ons I guess. They are harder. No biggie for punching paper, but not going to flatten out on a deer like pure or stick on will. I personally like them flattening out and doing more damage

[waksupi]

Stick on WW's I use for my flintlocks. You can use clip ons I guess. They are harder. No biggie for punching paper, but not going to flatten out on a deer like pure or stick on will. I personally like them flattening out and doing more damage

A round ball is pre-expanded. I prefer insuring a complete pass through with WW balls.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Drifty4,

I was told if you can put a finger nail scratch into the ball, it's soft enough.
When a Patched Ball is loaded, the weave of the patch should be able to impress itself into the ball.

AntiqueSledMan.

[ogre]

Ummmm...that is WAY too tight a load in IMHO. The weave of the patch should impress itself when the ball obturates from the force of the explosion behind it during the firing sequence not upon the loading sequence.

Soft lead is recommended for most applications (especially BP revolvers) but not always. I have a 62 caliber underhammer rifle with Forsythe rifling. The maker suggested I use wheel weights or lead of an equivalent Brinell hardness number when I cast the balls. He was spot on and so is the rifle.