Ran a little roundball today

[Beagle333]

I made it out into the yard today and poured a few .440 roundballs for the Seneca. I thought I had almost a lifetime of roundballs poured up and then I go and add a new caliber. 8-) But it's a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Here's a couple of snaps as I was getting started.

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/F60B50FC-CFDF-4835-86F8-AB1C2D2278AD_zps3mgw53u1.jpg

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/029B46C0-7209-49B5-B503-322AAE3183EC_zpsixpvmbxp.jpg

[rfd]

pretty much my setup, too. love running balls as much as shootin' 'em.

[owejia]

Cast over 1500 .457 rb for my ROA revolvers last week. Something to do inside in the basement when weather is nasty outside. Weather has been really wet during Feb. Just need to shoot more.

[725]

owejia - What kind of ventilation system do you use?

[rfd]

great way to be able to cast indoors during the winter doldrums, here's mine ...

215797

[rfd]

215798

[Regular Joe]

Everyone I know that pours, has a rusty coffee can in their "tools".

[Beagle333]

Everyone I know that pours, has a rusty coffee can in their "tools".

True! That rusty coffee can is actually for the dross and scum that forms. But there is a newer, only slightly rusty, coffee can just off the edge of the photo that has my pliers, sprue plate lube, Q-tips, allen wrenches and spare ladle in it. ;) I'm a "two coffee can" man. :D

[Nit Wit]

Casting sure helps to keep the cost of shooting down!
Nit Wit

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Unless you have to order the pure lead!

[OverMax]

Most who have cast for a long while know where to buy their lead at reasonable prices. And too know what hardening alloys to be on the scout for. As many of those alloys are found in unusual items & places.

[Beagle333]

This particular lead was from a couple of roof vents that somebody gave me because they knew I cast. They found em in an old shed on their property and were going to toss them, but the woman said "Wait, I know a guy who shoots one of them old guns and he uses lead like this". 8-)

[Minerat]

I ran some 0.535's today. My first go at round ball, what a hoot, cut sprue, and ball fell out of mould did this 60 times. Really nice with pure lead, also did some split shot while I was at it.

Off topic question. How do you clean up the ball to get the nubbie off the ball from where the sprue was cut?

[725]

I like your ventilation system :)

[Beagle333]

I ran some 0.535's today. My first go at round ball.......
off topic question. How do you clean up the ball to get the nubbie off the ball from where the sprue was cut?

Most just load it sprue facing up. There are some who will put them in their tumbler to smooth them out, but I think nearly all just shoot it sprue first. I haven't read any test that showed that it affected the ball's flight at all.

[Minerat]

Thanks Beagle I have only used commercial till now so had not run across this. Boy I wasn't looking forward to cleaning them up.[smilie=w:

[Wayne Smith]

Put them in a shoe box and keep them in the trunk of your car for a couple weeks. They'll be round!

[Beagle333]

Put them in a shoe box and keep them in the trunk of your car for a couple weeks. They'll be round!
Better yet, put em in a box in the back of your wife's car. (if she accelerates and brakes like mine, it'll only take two days!) LOL


(This really does work. But pick a box big enough that your round balls only cover about 1/3 of the bottom, so they can roll freely and bump against each other)

[Beagle333]

Okay, I put my money where my mouth was and gave em a tumble in my little 3# Lortone tumbler for an hour. And I stand corrected.... these little balls do NOT smash themselves flat like the bigger .540 balls that I'm used to. They do smooth out a lot, but they don't get store-bought ball smooth. They just aren't heavy enough to bang out the high spots.
I still just shoot mine with the sprue up as cast, but if you wanted em to be smoother, you could probably tumble them in with some heavier balls, say .580-.620 and get the results you want. But just to put a pile of .440s in a tumbler, I don't know if they'd do better if they tumbled longer, but here's an hour's worth.
First pic...
As cast:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/0397AA7D-964C-4541-8F87-CEC9E3328FEB_zpsxlp5u8zf.jpg

And second pic, as tumbled:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/6815C791-A6D4-4DA6-A2D5-E6AB623D3802_zpsc2kc7eou.jpg

[Minerat]

QUOTE=Beagle333;4317745]Better yet, put em in a box in the back of your wife's car. (if she accelerates and brakes like mine, it'll only take two days!) LOL[/QUOTE]

You're trying to get me killed. Or cost me a bunch of money when she takes it to the shop for repairs.:bigsmyl2:

and yes she has 2 modes of travel drag race acceleration or panic stop. Oh I forgot and slalom course turns in between. Hope SWAMBO doesn't see this or I may not be back.[smilie=1:

[Minerat]

Tumbling them might be the answer but I just shoot BP for fun so will give the sprue up a try. I have plenty of commercial if I decided to hunt with Round Ball. Might also try trimming the sprue off with some trimmers I have for taking the sprue off fishing jigs and tumbling them. If I do I'll post before and after pictures for da record. Thanks for your help.

[OverMax]

but I think nearly all just shoot it sprue first. Not me.
I just tote a few ball around in my front pants pockets for a couple days. Those ball nubs flatten out so nice you can't tell where they once were. Perk is. When no one is watching to can grab three or four ball and fondle in your hand quite similar to warming those Craps dice before their throwing. "Just another thought to keep in mind"

[Beagle333]

http://memecrunch.com/meme/2X59H/well-alrighty-then/image.png?w=400&c=1

[Minerat]

Not me.
I just tote a few ball around in my front pants pockets for a couple days. Those ball nubs flatten out so nice you can't tell where they once were. Perk is. When no one is watching to can grab three or four ball and fondle in your hand quite similar to warming those Craps dice before their throwing. "Just another thought to keep in mind"

We called that pocket pool when I was younger.[smilie=s:

[Beagle333]

Okay... getting back to the family channel..... ;-)

If you get the Lee .440 mold, it has a tangential cutoff sprue plate that doesn't leave a nub. It just leaves a flat spot on the ball.
But really..... with the ones you have, just point the nub up and fire away. They have been loaded this way since waaaay back. :D

[Minerat]

Okay... getting back to the family channel..... ;-)

If you get the Lee .440 mold, it has a tangential cutoff sprue plate that doesn't leave a nub. It just leaves a flat spot on the ball.
But really..... with the ones you have, just point the nub up and fire away. They have been loaded this way since waaaay back. :D

A friend gave me about a 100 of the Lee .440 for my BP pistol and you are right they have a small flat spot on the ball. May be why I was taken back with the small nub left on the .535's.

Thanks much for your help and I apologize to Beagle333 for absconding with your thread by asking about the sprue.

[Czech_too]

I ran some 0.535's today. My first go at round ball, what a hoot, cut sprue, and ball fell out of mould did this 60 times. Really nice with pure lead, also did some split shot while I was at it.

Off topic question. How do you clean up the ball to get the nubbie off the ball from where the sprue was cut?

I asked this same question to my BP mentor when I got started. His answer was to roll the RB between two sheets of glass.
Did I ever try it, nope, just seat 'em with the nub up and sent it downrange.

[dsayer]

Okay, I put my money where my mouth was and gave em a tumble in my little 3# Lortone tumbler for an hour. And I stand corrected.... these little balls do NOT smash themselves flat like the bigger .540 balls that I'm used to. They do smooth out a lot, but they don't get store-bought ball smooth. They just aren't heavy enough to bang out the high spots.
I still just shoot mine with the sprue up as cast, but if you wanted em to be smoother, you could probably tumble them in with some heavier balls, say .580-.620 and get the results you want. But just to put a pile of .440s in a tumbler, I don't know if they'd do better if they tumbled longer, but here's an hour's worth.
First pic...
As cast:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/0397AA7D-964C-4541-8F87-CEC9E3328FEB_zpsxlp5u8zf.jpg

And second pic, as tumbled:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/6815C791-A6D4-4DA6-A2D5-E6AB623D3802_zpsc2kc7eou.jpg

My understanding is that tumbling will only really round out a ball that was cast in mold with little to no sprue like the Lee molds. Those that leave a longer sprue like these (I believe Lyman molds are like this) should just be loaded with the sprue up.

[Nick10Ring]

I have a round ball,REAL bullet and Lyman Maxi mold for my .54. If you get a good rhythem going you can cast a large quantity in a short time.
If you use 2 molds at once and keep the pot supplied your in business.

[jim 44-40]

What weight do them .440 be from your lyman mold? Mine are 123.4grs

[tdoor4570]

QUOTE=Beagle333;4317745]Better yet, put em in a box in the back of your wife's car. (if she accelerates and brakes like mine, it'll only take two days!) LOL

You're trying to get me killed. Or cost me a bunch of money when she takes it to the shop for repairs.:bigsmyl2:

.

and yes she has 2 modes of travel drag race acceleration or panic stop. Oh I forgot and slalom course turns in between. Hope SWAMBO doesn't see this or I may not be back.[smilie=1:[/QUOTE]

Don't worry , your from Jefferson County Co. where everyone drives like that.

[OverMax]

If you happen to have a brass shell vibrator? Tumbling without media is the quickest way that I know of to flatten sprue nubs. Hour or so spinning in a vibrator is plenty.

When I encounter sprue rifle ball nubs. I patch em facing up / down sideways whatever. I suppose. Those perfectionist target shooters and B/P afishionados position of nub makes a whale of a difference.
BTW: I don't shoot B/P pistol/s so I'm not aware of what those fellers do.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Don't worry about the sprue. Its been beaten to death already. Load it straight up and center and go shooting.

[Minerat]

You're trying to get me killed. Or cost me a bunch of money when she takes it to the shop for repairs.:bigsmyl2:

.

and yes she has 2 modes of travel drag race acceleration or panic stop. Oh I forgot and slalom course turns in between. Hope SWAMBO doesn't see this or I may not be back.[smilie=1:

Don't worry , your from Jefferson County Co. where everyone drives like that.

We call it self defense. lol

[Hanshi]

What weight do them .440 be from your lyman mold? Mine are 123.4grs





I cast mostly with Lee molds and like the absence of sprues. The weight average of the .440" ball I cast is between 127 grns and 128 grns. The particular lead one uses can make a noticeable difference; dead soft is best but I've done well using very old WW which casts lighter and slightly larger.

[rfd]

i've used a variety of ball moulds, from iron to brass to aluminum, from .311" to .600" in diameter, and the best results For Me have always been with a lee mould. they're cast and forget, ready to go whence cooled. the tangential sprue cutter works wonders. and for the price of a lyman et al, you can have three lees.

[Beagle333]

I've only got one Lee tangental, but it works just fine. I'll probably collect Lee's from now on out, for the reason rfd said..... price.
I've probably had more than a dozen Lyman, Ideal and RCBS and I always just put sprue up and they shot as good as swaged balls. There is more to worry about if you want to tweak your ML than whether there's a sprue or not. 8-)