Sizing Round Ball

[nkbj]

With push through type sizers being available for twenty five dollars, has anyone tried sizing down round ball to load easier rather than springing for a custom mold?

 

[Rifleman1776]

You could, it would probably work. But then you wouldn't have a round ball anymore. It would be an elongated bullet. It would not be legal in matches operating under NMLRA rules. It would be heavier than a properly sized round ball and change your point of impact.
Really, I don't see the point at all.
But, you are free to do yer own thang.

 

[nkbj]

To take the ball down a notch before loading instead of with the short starter.

 

How much difference are you talking about?
It seems like going with a thinner patch would be easier. As far as custom molds are concerned, a lot of folks here think highly of Jeff Tanner molds and they are in the same ball park as Lee as far as costs go.

 

[nkbj]

Any amount. I'm asking if anyone has tried it.

 

[Billnpatti]

If you have an odd bore size such as a .29 caliber or a .53 caliber, you just have to find or have made a special mould for them. I have never tried to run a round ball through a sizing die because it is just not the way to adjust the size of a ball to properly fit your bore. Squeezing a ball through a sizing die will ruin its spherical shape. While interior ballistics might not change significantly, the exterior ballistics almost surely would. How much change you would see would depend upon how much you deformed the ball. If the ball is too big, don't try to force it into your rifle bore, use a thinner patch or buy a smaller mould. If the next size mould seems too small, increase the thickness of your patch. But forcing a ball through a sizing die? I don't know what you would find when shooting such a projectile but it wouldn't be legal in any sanctioned match.

 

[David W.]

I agree with what the others are saying. Do you know your true caliber? If you have a brass rod that will fit down the bore, and have a pair of calipers, you can measure the exact bore diameter.

Place a 12" brass rod in the bore and using a next size up caliber ball, carefully knock the ball into the bore no more than 3" from the crown. Turn the rifle upside down and shake it up and down until the rod pounds the slug back out. Now you know the exact diameter of your bore and will know what size mould to get, ball diameter minus .010" for the patch.

 

[nkbj]

I asked if anyone had tried it.

 

[David W.]

I asked if anyone had tried it.

Sorry! I miss read. No, I haven't tried it and I don't think it's plausible.

 

[BrownBear]

I "tried" it one time, just to see what was what. In my case I got to the range with 36 cal balls and a 32 cal rifle. Being experimental by nature, I draped a strip of patching over the muzzle, added the .350 ball, laid a flat knife handle over it, and gave it a heck of a whack and sent it down flush with the muzzle.

I certainly could have used the short starter then to send it on down the bore, but since I hadn't thought ahead and added powder first, I had to grab the two ends of the ticking and yank it back out. Did that without tearing the ticking, then used the "ball" to load normally.

Here's the deal. I had a HECK of a time orienting that thing straight back to the bore. I'm perty fumblefingered anyway, and it was a little cold.

Finally got it straight and started, then seated. Went bang and hit more or less where I wanted. Then I went back home and got the .310 balls I had forgotten. :grin:

Can you do it?

Sure.

Will it be practical to load the things straight into the bore?

You're a better man than me if you can do it consistently.

 

[izzyjoe]

this may be off topic, but i use a .440 RB sized down to .432 in 44 mag. works great as a light critter load. i don't see a point to do this for ML's, i'd just use a smaller RB, or a thinner patch if you have trouble loading.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I haven't tried it but I do see where it could be a useful trick. With a full set of drill bits and adjustable reamers one can easily make sizers of about any diameter, whereas making a mold is not easy at all. I can also see, as Brown Bear mentioned, it could be a problem to get the sized ball aligned straight with the bore, same as loading a short conical which will tend to tip and jam. Otherwise I would not be concerned that my round ball is no longer round. When I ram a .451" patched ball down a .450" bore it is no longer round, but it is centered and concentric to the bore and center of rotation.

 

[Rifleman1776]

this may be off topic, but i use a .440 RB sized down to .432 in 44 mag. works great as a light critter load. i don't see a point to do this for ML's, i'd just use a smaller RB, or a thinner patch if you have trouble loading.

NOW...I remember why I have a box of .433 round balls on the shelf. :haha:
I have a .44 mag. revolver I used to load for an probably bought those to try but never did.
Am I going to get zapped for being ff ?
:redface:

 

[sc45-70]

GoodCheer,
While I have not tried using a sizing die to size round balls, I did make a swage to make round balls as an experiment.

I cut off a piece of lead with a knike, put it in my swage blocks and hit it with a hammer. I then cut off the excess ring of lead and swaged the ball again.

It made perfect round balls that could be made in any size that you had a swage block for.

The balls in the photo don't have the ring of lead removed yet.

Troubles with this method were,

#1 you have to have a machine shop (or know someone that does) to make the swage blocks.

#2 making round balls this way is very time consuming.

#3 I could not tell any difference in accuracy.

Sorry I got off topic but I thought you might be interested in this.

SC45-70

 

[sc45-70]

GoodCheer,

IMHO you would be better using a thinner patch or ordering a mold .010 inch smaller than the round ball you are using now.

(I tried to edit this into my last post but it didn't work)

SC45-70

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have two style of "rolling plates" to roll my sprues round. One is two flat plates with a 440 spacer for 45 caliber 440 balls. It leaves slightly flat spots all around the balls. The other is a set of blocks each with one half of a .445 hole. It rolls the balls completely round. Also I have tried sizing 50 caliber balls down to .440. giving a banded "ball" . The banded balls work well with faster twists intended for conicals. :idunno:

 

[nkbj]

Well, in the beginning I was wondering about taking a ball down a notch to get easier loading (rather than the alternative of buying another mold) for patched round ball loads. Figured that sprue up would be easy to load.
Now it sounds like folks have experimented with it from the standpoint of getting a slightly heavier ball. Not like loading two balls but just a little more useful umph. Reckon the flat side length would be limited by the patch cloth gathering up?
Might have to try it out in the .46 bore flintlock, like maybe running .457 balls through a .452 sizer just to see how it does.

 

[BrownBear]

Might have to try it out....

Now yer talking. There's nothing to say you won't learn some kind of trick making it easier and some advantage for doing it. :thumbsup:

Just cuzz I'm a fumble fingered klutz, doesn't mean you are! :rotf:

Keep us posted.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yer thang.
Go fer it.
Let us know how it works for you.
(just not in matches under NMLRA rules :wink: )