mold maker

[canuck4570]

I have a pedersoli .54 caliber rocky mountain....
I dont like to tap on the ball starter to load
at the present I have a mold that drops ball at a .537 and when I use the patch recommended in their booklet .010 I need to rap hard a few time to get the ball started.....
it seems that a thick patch is better I saw some pillow thicking at .022 or dennim at .025
so here is my question.... would NEI mold at .515 make any sense with patches mention above would be in my opinion just great and then I could just push and start my ball ...

[klw]

Though it has little to do with your question, Greg Edington over at NSSA has spent decades working on how Civil War self-cleaning bullets worked. Wrote a couple very interesting articles on them. And has made a series of REALLY interesting moulds. If I were going to shoot a muzzleloader of the caliber you indicated I'd contact Greg and see if he still has any moulds for that caliber.

[madcaster]

Or if you do like round balls try a .520" ball,sometimes Lyman moulds can be found in this diameter I think,if not holler at Jeff Tanner moulds.

[windwalker]

I have a pedersoli .54 caliber rocky mountain....
I dont like to tap on the ball starter to load
at the present I have a mold that drops ball at a .537 and when I use the patch recommended in their booklet .010 I need to rap hard a few time to get the ball started.....
it seems that a thick patch is better I saw some pillow thicking at .022 or dennim at .025
so here is my question.... would NEI mold at .515 make any sense with patches mention above would be in my opinion just great and then I could just push and start my ball ....
get a lee .527 mould that is wot i use in my .54 tryon.
bernie:-D

[44man]

I use a .535" ball all the time with a .021" patch. I don't think I would go below .530".
When you tap on the ball a bunch of times you are deforming the ball and making it tighter. What you want is a short starter with a big ball for your palm. Then hit it hard and fast so the ball goes in all the way with one smack. As soon as you have to hit it a second time, the ball gets expanded.
If you use a plastic mallet, use a larger one and hit the starter only one time to seat the ball.
Make sure the end of the short starter is a perfect fit to the ball and has a relief hole for the sprue, you don't want to flatten the sprue either because the lead has to go somewhere and that makes the ball fatter.

[nicholst55]

I use a .535" ball all the time with a .021" patch. I don't think I would go below .530".
When you tap on the ball a bunch of times you are deforming the ball and making it tighter. What you want is a short starter with a big ball for your palm. Then hit it hard and fast so the ball goes in all the way with one smack. As soon as you have to hit it a second time, the ball gets expanded.
If you use a plastic mallet, use a larger one and hit the starter only one time to seat the ball.
Make sure the end of the short starter is a perfect fit to the ball and has a relief hole for the sprue, you don't want to flatten the sprue either because the lead has to go somewhere and that makes the ball fatter.

+1.

I just 'lean' on the short starter, and the ball starts. Most store-bought short starters are a 'one-size-fits-all' proposition, which leads to problems with large caliber rifles. Track of the Wolf (and others) stock them in different sizes for different calibers. Either buy or make one that fits your barrel.

[Nine-Toed Omar]

I'd rethink going that small on ball diameter, however Rapine makes dandy molds including fine, fine "bag molds". They will cherry out one to whatever size you specify. (Sorry, no web site I am aware of at this time.)

[blysmelter]

Why not try with a thinner patch?