Casting.58 round ball... Which pot?

[HighUintas]

Just got a Lyman single cavity .570 round ball mold. I have the Lyman ladle. I have a thermometer that will work. I am thinking either the Lee melting pot, Lee magnum melter, or a 10lb cast iron melting pot over propane. I would like to cast hot so I can drop slightly smaller balls.

Would it be a waste to get the small 4lb Lee melting pot to cast from? Seems awfully small but I should be able to cast at least 50 balls at a time from it.

Pros and cons?

[Mk42gunner]

Of the three you list, my pick would be the Lee Magnum Melter.

Reasons being the four pound capacity seems awful small. As soon as you get into a rhythm, you will need to stop and add metal then wait for it to come up to temp.

Since I bought my first electric pot, the only time I use propane is when I am smelting wheel weights or other lead alloys into ingots. So much more comfortable to use an electric pot for casting.

Robert

[gwpercle]

The Lee Magnum Melter is a Great Value . The 20# capacity and 110 volt electric heat is a great convenience . I wish I had found one 40 years ago .
They come with a good warranty and have Propane Heat beat seven ways to Sunday ... and then some .
You can sit the pot on you reloading/ work bench and cast away ... unplug it and let it cool down . Midway USA has a sale 71.99 + 10% off discount code .
10 years ago I paid $60 for mine so it is still a great deal .
You will appreciate the 20# capacity ... bigger IS better ... I wish someone had advised me to go big when I bought my first pot 50 years ago ... but Lee wasn't making them then , my first was a small lyman cast iron pot ... way too small and no electric heat ... it wasn' very good .
Small pots waste far too much time reheating ... Large Capacity Pot like 20# is where you want to be ... trust me on this ... and 110v. Electric heat ... that too is a huge plus ... the most convenient way to go .
I love my Magnum Melter !

Casting pots in the 4lb. to 10lb. capacity are simply too small ... once everything gets heated up and casting gets rolling ... you run out of melted alloy ... Stop and refill pot and wait for it to melt ... a big waste of casting time ...
Just don't go there !
Gary

[HighUintas]

Thanks for the advices! I'll look around for the best magnum melter deal

[Mk42gunner]

When I bought mine almost four years ago, Titan Reloading had the best price.

In all honesty, if I had bought the Magnum Melter first; I don't think I would have bought any of the bottom pour pots I have now. It works so well with the RCBS ladle.

Robert

[45workhorse]

But two! One for pure lead, and one for WW's.
I have a old Saeco! Ten pounds goes pretty fast with molds over two hundred grains, multiple cavitys.....
Buy what you can afford/find, and make some round balls!

[Dusty Bannister]

The 110 Volt casting pot, prefer 20 pound pot for a consistent heat and consistent lead blend. I personally use the bottom pour pot on all pistol bullets and most rifle bullets under 300 grains. I am not sure if trying to control the as cast size of a round ball of lead is a reasonable goal since you will use a patch on the ball anyway. And different thickness for a tighter fit. Perhaps you have some other purpose for a smaller ball diameter. With pure lead you will need to cast hot to get good fill and no wrinkles on the surface of the casting. Probably about 800 degrees with a preheated mold.

[HighUintas]

The 110 Volt casting pot, prefer 20 pound pot for a consistent heat and consistent lead blend. I personally use the bottom pour pot on all pistol bullets and most rifle bullets under 300 grains. I am not sure if trying to control the as cast size of a round ball of lead is a reasonable goal since you will use a patch on the ball anyway. And different thickness for a tighter fit. Perhaps you have some other purpose for a smaller ball diameter. With pure lead you will need to cast hot to get good fill and no wrinkles on the surface of the casting. Probably about 800 degrees with a preheated mold.

I would like to keep the as cast diameter as small as possible due to the design of my bore. I need to use thick patches to get into the grooves but that makes.it a bit too tight if the ball is much over .572. if I can keep it to .570 or maybe a touch smaller then it will work out well.

[HighUintas]

But two! One for pure lead, and one for WW's.
I have a old Saeco! Ten pounds goes pretty fast with molds over two hundred grains, multiple cavitys.....
Buy what you can afford/find, and make some round balls!

Absolutely! I have a 45-90 and a pile of processed WW lead. I just don't have a bullet mold yet but so have a round ball mold and am having more fun shooting my flinter.

[Green Frog]

I’ve never cast 58 cal round balls, but I wouldn’t use anything but a 20# bottom pour for my 58 Cal Minie Balls. Like you, I tend to cast hot and fast to minimize diameter, but more importantly to get good fills. I wouldn’t dream of dipper casting, but lots of folks swear by this method.
Froggie