.451 or .454?

[B P Arn]

If the ball stays down when you press it in the cylinder with the rammer, and if they do not pull forward when shooting, they are probably big enough.

 

[Dashing Leper]

Round ball is the lightest projectile you can go without putting a hollow into it. If something with the smallest possible inertia is shifting under recoil, I dare say the issue is with an imperfection in the chamber rather than the swaging of the ball.

 

[Bill Edick]

I have been using the Powder Inc loader for twelve years for my snubbies and it works great. I shoot Pietta 60 Armies and started with the 451 ball and shoot a lot in CAS and now shoot 454’s in the same guns. The 451 ring now is not noticeable anymore and the 454 leaves a nice ring. My Uberti pistols have always shot 454 and the Pietta 451. When I load the 7 1/2 Armies I just use a stand that works just fine. I prefer Pietta now and can’t see the difference other than Uberti charges more for their guns.

 

[Desert Rat]

My Richland Arms Walker must have .454, as .451's will not produce a ring. I have fired .452 conicals, but prefer the round ball over a wad.