Can't make #9 shot

[Fritz D]

A few years ago, I built a shot maker similar to the Littleton and I made my own drippers. I've been successfully making #7-1/2 shot, using 1 part wheel weight and 5 parts range lead (lead salvaged from the indoor backstop at my local range).

Recently, a friend gifted me a set of #9 drippers. He ordered them from Oasis. I tried making some #9 shot using straight wheel weight alloy, but my shot is nowhere near #9, it's closer to #7-1/2. None of my pellets are perfectly round, so I can't give an actual measurement. I run my pot between 650-700 and I use liquid fabric softener as coolant. I keep the coolant as close to the ladle as I can, without actually touching it. I cast indoors, room temperature.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to get my pellets to drop smaller??

[Cap'n Morgan]

Try to run it hotter.
Don't measure the individual pellets, weigh ten of them instead to get the mean weight/size using the table below.

Weight of a single pellet:

#4- 3.30 grains
#5- 2.60 grains
#6- 2.00 grains
#7- 1.50 grains
#7½- 1.29 grains
#8y- 1.09 grains
#8½-0.97 grains
#9- 0.75 grains
#9½-0.63 grains
#10- 0.51 grains

[dsh1106]

To get #9 shot, I had to use an .018 dripper, run the lead at a minimum of 750F, and I had to increase the pressure by keeping the lead at the top of the pan.
https://imgur.com/ToyEvxb

Scott

[CraigOK]

Do yall tumble it to get it round after it drips, or does perfectly spherical matter?

[Fritz D]

Thanks for the replies. My shot maker only has a 1000W element, I'm not sure I can get my lead much hotter than 700, but I can try. Increasing the head pressure I can do.

Weighing the pellets is a good idea, never thought of that. My "9s" are closer to "8s" when I go by weight.

Re tumbling . . . I have not done that (yet). Does tumbling actually make the shot more round??

[Del-Ray]

Yes. I just bought an oasis in its 5 and 7.5 drippers. Plus a set of double drippers in 7.5.

I also bought a cement mixer from tractor supply to tumble the shot with graphite. I kept the internal agitating blades out of it as I put it together. You want the shot to tumble in a round container. Or so I was told.

How long can you run for before the liquid is too hot? I’m building my setup now, and have a fan/radiator I’m going to plumb in line with the sump pump to keep the coolant cool enough to keep going.

And do you preheat your coolant to prevent popcorning the shot?

[jimb16]

I never preheat my coolant and never get popcorn. I use cheap dollar store fabric softener. It works fine. I can usually run around 50# of shot before the coolant gets too hot. I polish my shot after cleaning and drying in a bowl of my case cleaner. It only takes a small pinch of powered graphite to do around 15#s of shot and only takes about 5 minutes. My shot comes out round so I don't need to round it by tumbling. I use a Littleton shot maker. Been using it for years.