How round are round balls?

[scott k]

I was checking Some round balls last night with my calipers to see what size they where and noticed that there not very round. The Speer .490 balls checked ran about -.004 to +.004 on the same ball. I have Hornady .495 that checked out better at -.000 + .005. Is that about the norm for swaged balls? And are cast balls the same?
Thank you in advance :hatsoff:
Lehigh...

 

[strongarm]

it depends upon who you want to believe. I talked with Lee Precision Mfr. and they said they have a .003 + or - leeway with their moulds so the projectile can compensate for different alloys of lead. I have found very pure lead which is 99.99994 % lead. I then cast some balls and found my .530 roundballs to be .532 x .533 x. 531 and that is best I have done so far. Do it make a difference, yes it does if everything else is ok, I can put two balls through the same hole at 50 yds.

Before the pure lead I used roof lead which is about 95% pure and sometimes 97%. I would get the same balls to be .534 x .533 x. 531.

To find out which are better find out their volume by multiplying those numbers by 1502.6 x lenght x width x height and then weigh the same balls and see how close they compare. If the balls arn't too far off they will shoot pretty good, but .004 off is too much

ta

 

[roundball]

I was checking Some round balls last night with my calipers to see what size they where and noticed that there not very round. The Speer .490 balls checked ran about -.004 to +.004 on the same ball. I have Hornady .495 that checked out better at -.000 + .005. Is that about the norm for swaged balls? And are cast balls the same?
Thank you in advance :hatsoff:
Lehigh...

Always an interesting question...I mainly use Hornadys and the occasional Speer...but I've never bothered weighing or measuring a Hornady or Speer.

I figure they're the best factory swaged balls in the industry and if that's what I plan to use, I don't think there's a better alternative...plus, I don't measure group size with a micrometer so to me, a single ragged hole is a single ragged hole.

Also, I'm always left with these unknowns:

A ball may measure a couple thousands different before loading, but then what does it measure after being jammed with a short starter?

Then after being rammed a few feet down a tight fitting bore and seated with a ramrod?

Also, what does it measure after the effects of 'set-back' following ignition have occurred?

::

 

[scott k]

The reason I ask is that my groups went away when I started to shoot the Speer .490 balls in my trade gun. At lest I think that's when they opened up :hmm: I think that was the only change I made. The way that their so out of round started to make me wonder if that's the problem. I have to go get some more Hornady balls and see what happens.
Lehigh...