Mold selection

[CapPopper]

It would be nice if there was some kind of club or something reasonably close to me but I can't find anything very close.... And just like handgun hunting im the only person I know with any knowledge or interest in traditional muzzleloaders. Would be nice to have someone to shoot with.

 

[mooman76]

Your gun may not even be broke in yet. You said your dad never really shot it. Look for your fired patches, they tell you allot when you're not shooting up to par. The patches are usually about 12-15 feet out give or take. I'm thinking you will find shredded or cut up patches. They should look almost good enough to use again. You might have some rough spots or sharp lands or you could be using weak patches. Store bought prelubed patches, you really don't know how old they are and the lube can sometimes degrade over time. It generally takes around 200 shots to break in good.

 

[CapPopper]

Well im going to keep trying I wondered about the lands cutting the patch.... Might get to shoot some tomorrow but its supposed to be cold... Raining today....

 

[Rifleman1776]

It would be nice if there was some kind of club or something reasonably close to me but I can't find anything very close

That is surprising. Ohio is chock full of muzzle loading enthusiasts, probably second only to Indiana. Join NMLRA and look in the magazine for listings of charter clubs. I betcha you have neighbors who are ml shooters. And, yes, a club is a great resource for advice and help. Plus great camaraderie.

 

[CapPopper]

I thought about it its only 40 dollars a year and knowing people with experience and similar interests is priceless

 

[MSW]

i'd not plonk down a bunch of your hard earned, over- taxed, God entrusted dollars for a new mold just yet.

first, i would make sure at least two hundred shots have been through the barrel.

once you do this, get Dutch Schoultz' method (here's a link):
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

this will cost you a lot less than a mold, and Dutch guarantees that the use of his system will shrink your groups. Now how cool is that?

Best non- shooting accessory i know of :grin:

Make Good Smoke!

 

[CapPopper]

Well i ordered a cheap lee mold and a ball mold im going to try really hard to get balls to shoot and I may always be able to sale some Minnie balls or trade them for some lead if I can't get them to shoot. I have another front sight of I decide to sight something else in. Im going to get out shooting soon and see what happens.

 

[Zonie]

Traditions rifles usually shoot patched roundballs very well once a load, patch and ball combination are found that the barrel likes.

The stocks and locks on Tradition guns aren't the best but the barrels are usually very accurate.

As for casting bullets and roundballs, don't get an aluminum pot or pan to melt the lead in.

Although aluminum's melting temperature is up around 1200°F, it loses almost all of its strength at the 600°-700°F lead needs to be heated to for casting and more than a few people have seen the bottom drop out of a aluminum pan full of molten lead. :shocked2: :cursing:

 

[CapPopper]

thanks for the advice im a machinist by trade but currently work as a set up tech/ mold setter at an injection molding plant and know a bit about overheated aluminum lol however I was planning on casting straight from the ladle at last for now I figured a wood burning stove should be quite capable of melting lead if that's to slow ill throw a cast iron pot or steel can on top

 

[Kansas Jake]

You may want to just pick up a heavy steel pot or if you can find it, old cast iron pot to melt your lead. I find them at thrift shops or antique stores and don't spend much for them. Holding a larger ladle will get old real quick when casting if it is full of lead. I used an old coleman gas stove with a steel pan when I first started casting. I now have a Lyman electric pot, but still use the stove and pan for cleaning up scrap lead before using the pot.

Those "cheap" Lee molds are quit good and will last many years if you treat them right. They are what I use for a number of calibers.

It goes without saying that one should be sure to at least have safety glasses on when casting and also long pants, sleeves, and leather shoes on. Hot lead will burn right through synthetic clothing or shoes.

 

[CapPopper]

I think I got a cast iron pot at my dad's but I know I have a steel pot to use I was going to see what I can find I did order a bit of lead since it was free shipping 99.97% pure and I have a box of almost 300 158 grain 357 cal bullets that ill never use had them at least 15 yearsand my gun would strip them out all I use is hardcast for that stuff so I thought I'd melt them they are swaged hornady bullets im just going to play around and see what works even with a ladle I can probably cast more in an hour than ill likely shoot in a month I just don't have that much time tho go somewhere

 

[charlesk]

I use Mink oil as a lubricant for all my patches never gets hard works in all weather and a micrometer to measure various cotton fabrics I cut square patches/ 1” to 1.25” leave in rolls from .013 to .015 seem to work best but I have yds up to .025 for shooting and cleaning I find the 2 post work fine for the 2 rifles I shoot the most accuracy only suffers depending on how much gum I chew. casting I use a lot of range lead and steel molds either a conical or Rd ball keep the barrel clean and scrubbed

 

[csitas]

As a little safety note here. When casting be careful about dropping the cutoffs and sprues back into the molten mix. Also , never drop an unwanted ball or bullet into water to cool it,and then throw it back into the pot.I did that while learning and lucky for me , I still have my eyes and fingers. If there is any micro hole in the bullet that water could get into, you will generate a super steam explosion. It will empty your pot with of it's molten lead . I use a piece of damp wool to cool things .Not water bucket.

 

[charlesk]

Thank you for the advice, I never use water near any molten pot I usually roll them out on a heavy mess screen cotton cloth cushioned and chill naturally inspect them once their finger favorable

 

[Col. Batguano]

A little moisture is ok when everything is cold and you're first heating things up. I've heated up and cast a bunch of wheel weights that were quite damp when I first fired up the pot. By the time they melted, the moisture was gone. No explosion in the interim. Adding more damp weights to the mix once it got going was a definite no-no however. :nono:

 

[CapPopper]

I've read a lot on casting and know pretty all the safety stuff and what im doing. I got my molds the thing im unclear on is new mold prep most places don't mention it and no one seems to do things the same.... Im not sure what im going to use for a heat source yet might just have to go back behind the house and build a fire I don't think my wife would appreciate me casting bullets on the stove....

 

[Zonie]

I don't think my wife would appreciate me casting bullets on the stove....

You probably right.

Actually, the lead won't give off any fumes but if you flux it with anything it will fill the whole house with smoke. :rotf:

A lot of people use a camp stove to heat their lead pot.
I've used a Coleman, white gas stove for that and it works fine.
(I doubt that one of those little back packing stoves would have enough heat to do the job right and the one I have is much too flimsy to support a lead pot and a few pounds of lead.)

Others have used a single burner electric "hot plate". The kind that actually has a burner heating coil on top.

I doubt if a charcoal grill would work unless you have a fan that you could direct towards the coals, kind of like a black smith forge.

If you don't mind saving your money and coughing up $70 you can buy a Lee lead melting pot.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I've mostly used Lee aluminum molds although I have a couple of older steel molds. On the aluminum ones, I spray them down with brake disc cleaner to remove oil. I then use a tiny bit of antiseeze to lube the spruce cutter screw. I smoke the inside of the cavity with a butane lighter or candle and that is about it for prep before heating it up to start casting.

I generally rest the mold over lead pot to start warming it and just dump the first few casting back into the pot until I start getting good casts.

 

[mooman76]

I used the stove for years before I bought an electric pot. Electric pot are great for convenience. You can use them almost anywhere you have an electrical outlet. The wife complained about the mess on the stove so I would only use the stove when she wasn't home and it was incentive to do a real good job cleaning up afterward. She never knew when I did it after that. A Coleman or camp stove works good too.