Bullet casting weights

[nkbj]

Big heavies do seem to care less about small differences. Can't help but wonder if that was a contributing factor when the army found out that .69 minies were more accurate than .58 minies.

 

[MSW]

I've never run a test, so if they're smooth and well filled out, the get launched.

I would, however, be interested to see something close to a scientific test.

 

[Billnpatti]

Thanks for all the input. New to the casting thing I just hadn't thought about it till I was reading Dutch Schultz webpage. It didn't go into a lot of detail there. I guess I need to buy his book.

Do it! It is an investment that you can't go wrong with. I think everyone who shoots a muzzleloading rifle needs a copy. :thumbsup:

 

[biliff]

Did a test with my .58 flint. 50yds, benched. 10 shots with weighed balls (+\- 1gr.) and 10 shots with the rejects. 1 1/2" vice 2 1/2" groups. Now I save the weighed ones for serious stuff and use the rejects for practice/plinking.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Thanks for a good practical observation on the use of good vs marginal cast balls.

 

[tenngun]

Were they just rejected based on wt, or on looks. Do you think your groups would have gained an inch if you just shot them based on visual inspection?
We're all your second group heavy or light? If your ammo was random do you think it would have made as much a difference?

 

[biliff]

Rejects were all based on weight. Some rejects looked fine, others were obviously flawed. Most rejects were light as my criteria was 270 +/- 1 gr. Very few have ever weighed more than 271 gr.
Random tests with good and bad ball probably would have produced the same results, but with apparent "fliers".

My .54 Mortimer will kick out 1/2" groups at 50 yds with weighed ball. Haven't tried grouping it with rejects. Might prove interesting.

 

[uno676]

That's good info thanks. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[tenngun]

This is interesting. 270 grains a 1 grain variance is about 1/3 of one percent. One grain in a .36 is the best part of two percent, and a grain is just 1/7000 of a pound. Your first thought would be it would matter more to a .36 then a .58
When your running ball about what's your reject rate?

 

[Rifleman1776]

My .54 Mortimer will kick out 1/2" groups at 50 yds with weighed ball. Haven't tried grouping it with rejects. Might prove interesting.

That is match winning performance.
Yes, the reject test would prove interesting and informative.

 

[Donny]

The interesting test of "rejects" vs weighed would be at,
25 yds.

Then 50 yds.

Then 100 yds.

How much variance of wts.

I would suspect little difference at 25, a bunch at 100.

 

[M. De Land]

I think I remember the Bevel brothers in Muzzle Blast magazine doing this test some years ago and finding very little difference in accuracy.
I don't remember if the test was done at various ranges or not.
What you said does makes sense at extended muzzle loading range but then slow twists and round balls seem to be very forgiving of weight variance flaws.
The reason I suspect this is true is because ball voids almost always occur under the sprue which makes the imbalanced centered and the looping ,curved trajectory covers up any noticeable vertical difference.
This is one of the reasons I still try to seat Lee mold cast balls sprue up although they are hard to find sometimes.

 

[Dr5x]

If two balls are the same size. look the same, but one is lighter than the other, how can that be?
There must be something included in the one or left out of the other.
Two wheels with tires look alike but one has an extra wheel weight. Why would that be? why not knock off that extra wheel weight? What difference could it make?

Why are people so picky?

Dutch

 

[azmntman]

VERRRY WELL explained :thumbsup:

 

[Dr5x]

Uno676,
You don't need to buy my "Book".
Just remove a wheel weight from one of your front tires and drive speedily down the road. You'll note the wheel will try to leave the axis around which it is turning.
An off weight ball will try to do the same thing.

The rascals.

Dutch

 

[M. De Land]

Dutch, I think what happens is that voids, in an other wise perfect looking ball almost always occur under the sprue and most folks center the sprue toward the muzzle when seating which maintains the balance even though a bit lighter in over all weight.
This might effect vertical trajectory a bit but at the shorter ranges would probably go unnoticed.

 

[TNGhost]

Did a test with my .58 flint. 50yds, benched. 10 shots with weighed balls (+\- 1gr.) and 10 shots with the rejects. 1 1/2" vice 2 1/2" groups. Now I save the weighed ones for serious stuff and use the rejects for practice/plinking.

Not a useful test. Too small a sample, and tainted.

To be more accurate, you should hand the balls and your gun to a friend, with the balls in packages markes 1 & 2, with no explanation as to what you are doing. Let him fire them while you record the results.

If you shoot yourself, you know which are which and there is going to be a predjudice, even if its subconcious. Take eight or ten trips to the range with different friends shooting, and it might tell you something, otherwise its just a guess.


As a bonus you get to hang out with a friend and perhaps get someone more into muzzleloading. :wink:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Not a useful test. Too small a sample, and tainted.

To be more accurate, you should hand the balls and your gun to a friend, with the balls in packages markes 1 & 2, with no explanation as to what you are doing. Let him fire them while you record the results.

If you shoot yourself, you know which are which and there is going to be a predjudice, even if its subconcious. Take eight or ten trips to the range with different friends shooting, and it might tell you something, otherwise its just a guess.

I actually agree with you... :thumbsup:
The test is highly subjective.

 

[M. De Land]

Nah, I don't agree, I would be trying to center them all. Knowing which was which would not make me try to throw off the result of what I'm seeking to find out, consciously or unconsciously.
I do how ever agree that multiple samples would be required to establish a trend.

 

[biliff]

You're free to do whatever test you choose. I did mine and I'm acting according to what I found. I eagerly await the results of your exhaustive, blind testing.