12 ga balls

[pmwest]

I’ve had really good results with shooting a .715 bare ball in a 12 gauge. In the past I have used a cast ball that was sprue”“less. The vendor that I got these from has changed suppliers and the balls now have a protruding sprue. Loading these bare, without a patch, it will be difficult to control the location of sprue. How will this effect accuracy?

 

[Rebel]

Put them in a can and roll them around for a while to remove the sprues. It works.

 

[MercerLake]

:hmm: The sprue may well open up the group to a mere pattern as the rotation that a bare ball may have is rather random. Patching would help as it prevents rotation in a smooth-bore barrel, once it is in the air it clarifies why rifling was developed. If patched it may be more consistant to place the sprue towards the breech rather than the muzzle. :v

 

[Leatherbark]

I would try to rasp the sprue down to nothing........But You could and I have done this and that is to put your wad in the barrel just a little ways and then put the ball srue down against the wad and seat wad and ball together.......................Bob