i am in the market for a round ball mold, help select caliber

[mike_kaleigh]

i want to get a round ball mold for my 12 guage. i am a big fan of lee but it looks like i will have to go else ware for the right caliber since they only have .69. i use winchester hulls and wads. i was thinking .662 or .715. i have 150 pounds of ww lead, but very little pure lead. since i am using ww lead am i better using .662 and a shot cup, or am i fine with .715 and cutting peddles off or using card. the biggest choke i have is skeet right now. but what do you guys think

[longbow]

In my experience so far the ball sizes that have given me best accuracy are 0.662" and 0.678" in shotcups and 0.735" naked over a hard card wad column and plastic gas seal. This is with smoothbore.

Much as I like the full bore slugs/balls, it seems that with both slugs and balls I have gotten best results and easier loading from slugs/balls that fit into shotcups.

Some have good success with 0.690" ball in a shotcup and BPI lists recipes for them in their slug manual but I have not had good success with 0.690". The Lee ball mould is a good buy for sure and if you use the BPI shotcups, or I think Federal, they might just do you. Wouldn't cost much to find out anyway at $25.00 for the mould.

I have settled on 0.662" and 0.678" balls as being easiest to load and easiest to find recipes for as 0.662" is 1 oz. and 0.678" is just a hair over 1 oz. so regular 1 oz. to 1 1/8 oz. recipes are fine. The 0.690" is also a good weight range.

Also, I find that at least one 1/8" x 16 ga. nitro card wad, or better is two, in the bottom of the shotcup then a scoop of Cream 'O Wheat to set the ball to height for crimping (and to form a nice seat for the ball) works best for me ~ regardless of ball size.

As long as the ball/shotcup will fit through the tightest choke you are good but cylinder bore is generally the best.

If I was picking one ball mould it would be 0.678" as it is perfect in most standard shotcups. My opinion anyway.

Longbow