mold make

[canuck4570]

I dont like to tap on the ball starter to load my muzzle loader and at the present I have a .535 mold for my 54 caliber pedersoli.... I have to use .010 patches and even there I have to give a few sharp rap to start the ball because there is no way to start it only by pushing it I mike the ball and it is .537 so I would like to buy a new mold and the only one that I see would be the NEI mold that is a .515 that would be great if I am not mistaken with .020 patches.... then there is the Lee at .527 but I dont like alluminium... so any of you know mold makers that make ball mold around .520 or so.... and your opinion on the NEI .515 mold ( is this to small or I just ajust the patch to it )

 

[F.G. Ford]

How is the crowning on your barrel, if it is sharp....it will give you trouble.
If it is rounded ( coned?) it is much easier.
Have you slugged your barrel, if the minor barrel diameter is greater than your balls, you should be loading quite easily.
Also Lee has a .530 mold, try them.
Best Regards
Old Ford

 

[canuck4570]

the ball mike out at .537 and when I put it in the barrel without a patch it slide down with light friction and have to push it down and there is no way that it come out of the barrel by puttind it down so I have to us my ball extractor to retreive it....so I am thinking in buying the NEI .515 and ajusting the patch thickness to it....forgot yes it is funnel

 

[John Taylor]

I have had good luck with aluminum. Look at what I found for you mold
another mold Lyman mold another Lyman mold RCBS mold Saeco mold
Most of the 54s that I have owned take a .530 ball but I did have one that used a .520

 

[canuck4570]

thank john .... rcbs .520 is 90 day delevery and lyman and saeco only make .535 and .530 wich I think wont make much difference to my .535 NEI on the other hand (just phone them) 2 weeks delvery on a .515 mold then I could adjust the patch to it so I dont have to pound on the starter to start the ball down...do you have a opinion on that .515 mold.....

 

[John Taylor]

no opinion. let us know how it works for you.

 

[krshade]

Isn't the NEI mould aluminum also?

 

[canuck4570]

both alluminium and mechanite...

 

[canuck4570]

good news just found a .520 RCBS single cavity and its in the mail for me....

 

[J.D.]

I dont like to tap on the ball starter to load my muzzle loader

Why not? I have seen some folks rap that starter right smartly.

The purpose of the starter is to start tight fitting loads, so's ya gotta smack 'em to get that patch/ball combination into the bore.

I would suggest reworking the crown to make your load start easier. Use the round end of a file handle wrapped in 120 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove the line that separates the crown from the bore proper. Form a raduis at the location of the former sharp edge.

Progress to 320, or 400 grit to finish. Finer is ok too, but IMHO, not necessary.

This modification will make loading MUCH EASIER with no loss of accuracy.

Just take your time and work the muzzle evenly and you will be alright.

I also suggest using the search function to research patch/ball combinations that others are using, and how to determine the proper patch/ball combination for your gun.

IMHO, hapazardly buying different diameter moulds is not a good way to experiment. You might end up with a mould, or two , or three, or more for ball sizes that won't improve accuracy.

Check Track's and Dixie's sites for the availabilty of different sized balls,and go from there. A search of the net might provide a few custom casters that offer odd sized balls too.
J.D.

 

[canuck4570]

I did go on chearch for patches and ball .... tel me if I understood right.... it seems that most muzzle loader shoot or at least have less trouble findind a load combination when the patch his around .015 to .025.... anyway the mold from pedersoli that I have drop ball on .537 so even with a patch of .008 I still have to rap it down and the fabric that I have found to make these patches are so so ... pilow thicking that I have found run in the .015 to .022....

 

[F.G. Ford]

I am pretty sure that I have a Lyman .526 mold some where.
If yours does not work out let me know.
Best Regards
Old Ford

 

[canuck4570]

thank old ford.... just bought a RCBS .520 molds

 

If you go to the[url] nmlra.org[/url] web site you will find a listing for "Jeff Tanner". He makes brass molds that are exceptional and delivery time is very short. He made an 84 caliber mold for me and it was delivered a week after I placed the order.
Mark

 

[canuck4570]

whent on jt web site will keep it in mind... thanks

 

[paulvallandigham]

MM: May I suggest that you use a caliper and actually measure the BORE of you gun? Measuring the balls is secondary to knowing exactly what diameter the bore of your gun is!

Only then can you make reasoned decision on picking the right thickness of patch material. You can round the crown of your muzzle by using a rounded end of wood, like the handle for a file, and some emery cloth to polish the muzzle, to make it much easier for you to load a PRB> However, You will need to have the correct combination. With balls available from suppliers, ( check with Eddie May, also, as he has excellent balls and very good prices) you can do a lot of testing with a pack of 25 balls or so, before you waste money and time buying ball molds. I see that you have one coming. I hope its the correct size. And, just because the mold says it will cast a .515 ball, don't Believe it. Use those calipers to measure the diameters of the ball, and know exactly what certain allows or " Pure lead " will produce out of mold.

My dad used to put a paper tag on the handle of his molds with the exact alloy he used, and the diameter of the ball or bullet it cast with that alloy. My brother now sorts his cast balls by weight, and puts them in different bags, marked, of course, so that he can have consistency when he shoots. Both shot nice groups and without the flyers that they had when they didn't sort by both weight and size.

 

[J.D.]

thank old ford.... just bought a RCBS .520 molds

How do you know that your rifle likes .520 balls?

It may like .526, or .530 balls much better.

What did that mould cost?

You probably could have bought 500 or more balls for the price of one mould.

Hornady .520 balls should still be available; .530's certainly are. I do know that cast .520 and .526 balls can be bought.

A box of each certainly costs much less than a single mould to cast a ball that may, or may not work.

Paul is right about micing your bore. Have you done that?

I'm in kind of a cynical mood tonight so I gotta ask, if you don't want to take our advice seriously, why did you ask for it?

And, if you plan to shoot the most accurate patch/ball combination, you ARE going to have to smack that starter right smartly to start the ball.
J.D.

 

[J.D.]

Just another thought, some shooters shoot bore size balls with a .015 patch. That means that .537 ball will fit into the bore with a thicker patch, but you gotta hit the starter pretty hard to start that combination.

Those shooters have also modified the crown, as mentioned above or by coning to make loading easier.
J.D.

 

[J.D.]

Wow, leave it to a little cynicism kill a thread. :v