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Thread: Tumbling round balls, buckshot, and slugs

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Tumbling round balls, buckshot, and slugs

    I got a cheap rock tumbler from Harbor Freight to tumble buckshot, round ball and slugs. The reason behind this was to remove the sprue marks and casting lines. I put about 1-2 pounds and a tiny squirt of dry graphite in the container and let it tumble on itself for a couple of hours. I am pleased with the results:








    I currently have Lyman 525, Lee key drives, and a couple other Russian slugs rolling now. I’ll post pics once done.

    What do y’all think?


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  2. #2
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    BT: Those look good. Having never sprung for a Lyman RB mould before, I was surprised at the size of the sprue bump on my new .735 RB and wondered if one should attempt to remove it. So far the few I've loaded I put the sprue forward in the hull and held it in that position with one of those heavy clear overshot disks and roll crimped. Gp

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gpidaho View Post
    BT: Those look good. Having never sprung for a Lyman RB mould before, I was surprised at the size of the sprue bump on my new .735 RB and wondered if one should attempt to remove it. So far the few I've loaded I put the sprue forward in the hull and held it in that position with one of those heavy clear overshot disks and roll crimped. Gp
    How they shoot? I heard it’s more accurate that way


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    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    BT: They came out the end. LOL. All my shots were low and a little left. I've got to figure out some sort of sighting system that's better than the front bead and top of the hammer or up-grade to a shotgun with a sight rail attached. Gp

  5. #5
    Boolit Master copdills's Avatar
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    looks great

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    Hogtamer's Avatar
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    Gotta get one of those for buckshot!
    "My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."
    Leonard Ravenhill

  7. #7
    In Remembrance bikerbeans's Avatar
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    Very nice!

    BB

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    Boolit Grand Master


    missionary5155's Avatar
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    Good morning
    Anytime the projectile can be improved cannot hurt. We use a knife and trim the Sprue off to near flat / round.
    Mike in Peru
    "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
    Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.

  9. #9
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    Dryball's Avatar
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    I've used the "rotator' thingie method...by putting them between 2 plates and going in a circular motion. Does your method change the diameter at all?
    Domari Nolo

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    From my 2016 post:

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/newr...reply&t=316657


    Quote Originally Posted by RMc View Post
    This presumes the word Tumbler means a rotary rock tumbler:

    Dry tumbling results in an evenly rough surface on hard cast buckshot pellets. Tumbling with water results in a smooth polished surface. Smooth polished is what you want.

    In either case, great care must be used to deal with lead dust or lead residue in water.

    Lee round ball molds, (not buckshot molds). virtually eliminate sprue projections or flats without further processing.

    https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...2/1/LEE-310-6C
    Postscript update:

    I suspect graphite tumbling may mask a significant amount of lead dust.

    My preference then is to dust water tumbled buckshot pellets with mica post-tumbling, rather than introduce a source of lead dust to my loading room.

    Regardless of method, a smooth finish is the outcome desired.
    Last edited by RMc; 05-22-2018 at 12:07 PM.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dryball View Post
    I've used the "rotator' thingie method...by putting them between 2 plates and going in a circular motion. Does your method change the diameter at all?
    Not at all.


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  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    Seems to really clean them up. Looks good, thanks for sharing. Will be curious how the Lyman 525 works out for you. I just got the mold a while back and haven't had time to pour any. Side note, saw you were the same BT off TBH. Neat to see you are working on this...best of luck.

    -Jeremy

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jeremy360 View Post
    Seems to really clean them up. Looks good, thanks for sharing. Will be curious how the Lyman 525 works out for you. I just got the mold a while back and haven't had time to pour any. Side note, saw you were the same BT off TBH. Neat to see you are working on this...best of luck.

    -Jeremy
    I will post the lyman slugs when I get home. That’s for the reminder.

    And yes, that’s me on TBH. Haven’t been posting on there lately as archery has taken somewhat of a backseat to slug/buck casting.


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  14. #14
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Boolit Bub
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    Those turned out real nice. Looks good.

  16. #16
    In Remembrance bikerbeans's Avatar
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    BT,

    Mighty fine!

    BB

  17. #17
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    I like it! the round balls look really nice, and I bet they shoot better too.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Thanks guys. I’ll post a thread on what works for me!


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  19. #19
    In Remembrance bikerbeans's Avatar
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    BT,

    You ever try putting buckshot in a vibratory case cleaner?

    BB

  20. #20
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bikerbeans View Post
    BT,

    You ever try putting buckshot in a vibratory case cleaner?

    BB
    I did once. Not sure if I did it right, though. All it did was roughin up the surface.

    Maybe I didn’t leave in long enough??


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