54cal roundballs to the lb ?

[1in48]

I know I have seen a chart but cannot find it. How many roundballs do you get from a pound of lead? 50,54cal

 

[Zonie]

That depends on what size the roundball is.

Using a computer roundball ballistics program and my calculator I get the following answers:

.490 dia = 39.66 balls
.495 dia = 38.46 balls
.500 dia = 37.33 balls
.530 dia = 31.34 balls
.535 dia = 30.47 balls
.540 dia = 29.64 balls

All of this assumes the melting pot is totally emptied of every bit of lead and I have no idea what someone would do with a fractional ball.
Maybe make a nice sinker and go fishing?

 

[fyrfyter43]

Here are the charts:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/197045/
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/205970/

Keep in mind that there are 7000 grains to the pound.

 

[mykeal]

The chart is in the Member Resources area, under "Gauge/Caliber - Balls per pound".

You need to interpolate between the listings, but it says there are 29 .54 cal balls/pound and 37 .50 cal balls/pound.

However, I shoot a .535 rb in my .54 cal rifles, and that would mean there are 30 rb's/lb in ".54" cal. And I use a .495 rb in my .50 cal rifles, which means there are 38 rb's/lb in ".50" cal.

 

[Zonie]

Maybe they should bring back to old original method of describing barrels?

Back when they said stuff like, "I got a 39 caliber for sale over there in the corner.", or, "This har 30 will sure roll em buff's! Makin' meat is what she's all about." :hmm:


For those new to muzzleloading, the caliber of the old guns was often described by the number of balls per pound of lead you could get.

 

[jtmattison]

7000 grains to a pound devided by the weight of the ball in question equals balls per pound.

7000 / 230 = 30 balls per pound + or -

HD

 

[1in48]

thank you. I really was not sure where my question belonged.

 

[paulvallandigham]

On very old molds, you will find a number stamped that corresponds with the Balls Per Pound. My brother found a .363" round ball mold at Friendship recently, that was so stamped. Its a single cavity, scissor style mold- no sprue cut-off plate.

 

[buttonbuck]

Not to be the spoiler to a simple question however consider you will loose a few when you have to skim and clean the dross etc from an ingot I have some ingots I cast a few years ago from old scrap pipe, roof boots and cable sheathing put them in a steel box, and well when I used them they were great but I did loose some to skimming etc. I guess someone with a lot of time can put their pot on the scale and count them off as they go down one pound I figure it would weighed average -3

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you get 95% of the calculated number of balls to the pound from your actual castings, you are doing very well. Of course you will loose some of the volume due to dross that must be skimmed off. But some of the lead will also vaporize( a very small amount), and other lead will be lost in simple handling. Cutting Sprues separates lead here and there, and not all the sprues get back into the pot whole.

The charts giving you the calculated number of cast balls cannot take into account the:
a. actual allow used;
b. the Actual dimension of your mold; or
c. the actual dimension and weight of the balls cast.
d. Balls may not be cast completely Round out of every mold.
e. Some castings leave a small flat on the ball that shaves off a few tenths of a grain of lead from every ball.
f. Some molds are not cut round, so that their dimensions will yield a different weight than is calculated for that caliber.