Swaged roundball inconsistency ...

[OBX-TXN]

After reading a bit here about accuracy with a roundball (I now have 5 different patch materials,a new micrometer, 4 patch lubes [not counting spit], etc.) I started weighing my balls.

Not picking on Hornady ... but. In one box of .530 RB there were 2(two) balls that fell below my self determined 235.5-255.5 gr. mean weight ... and in another identical box ... there were 24(twenty four) with one weighing only 217.1 gr. (I used that one in my slingshot).

I'm sure this is old news to most of y'all but it was a bit of a surprise to me ...

 

[USMA65]

About a year ago I bought an Uberti 1861 Navy to go with my Uberti 1851 navy, both .36 cal. When I went to the range the first time with the 1861, the balls rolled out of the muzzle, or were very poorly fitting. I posted a thread here and was admonished by one poster to not malign Hornady. I was not wanting to do so, but the balls from that box were < .375 (actually were below .36, everyone of them), and therefore not safe to shoot in a gun requiring at least a .36 diameter. Everyone makes mistakes.....even Hornady. BTW, balls from another box were perfect. I was upset at first because I thought two different sized balls would be required for my .36 cal revolvers.

 

[cynthialee]

This is another one of the myriad of reasons I strongly advocate the casting of ones own.

Once cast you can sort your bullets by weight and the ones that fall short go back into the melt pot and it doesn't cost much at all. With the store bought ones such culls raise your cost per shot.

Now with all that said: I am still looking for a .550 roundball mold.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Jeff Tanner makes the best molds in my opinion. Price is reasonable and he'll make any size you want.
I have several and they are great.

Dave

 

[hawkeye2]

I shot Speer for years till I lost my supplier and had to go to Hornady. I found Hornady to have a greater diameter variation and they came out of the box much more dimpled than the Speer. A lost fringe benefit, I no longer got the nice yellow plastic boxes I used for storage.

 

[jrmflintlock]

Does Mr Tanner make Gang Molds, Single molds or Bag Molds?

Do you happen to have his contact info?

 

[hanshi]

I cast everything, everything I shoot in my BP guns. I never weigh them; I only visually inspect for flaws. Weighed and sorted ball would be lost on a lousy shooter like me. Still, I've managed to shoot a few impressive groups with my homecooked ball. Cheaper, too.

 

[OBX-TXN]

Bullet casting is on my "to do" list ... though I have so much on that list it's a good bet I'll be dead several years before that rises to the top ... Plus the idear of molten lead scares me a bit ...

 

[cynthialee]

Molten lead is scary and the fact you respect that indicates you would be a good candidate to cast your own.

When casting we typically wear thick gloves, and thick aprons or over clothes. (NOTHING POLYESTER, don't want to get a drop of lead on you and have it melt down through the fabric to you.)

A casting set up isn't hard to cobble together if you don't care to buy a Lee lead pot. My set up is a coleman stove, a small iron pot, a pouring ladle and some bullet molds. I had everything on hand around the house and in storage except the ladle and molds. Took me about a week or so to cobble it all together with a small amount of lead gifted to me to get started.
I asked the fellas here a lot of questions how to fix my issues and eventually about 3 or 4 forum threads later I cast my own with confidence.

Lead is dangerous when melted. It is not something to goof off around or have any distractions when doing the work.

 

[M. De Land]

Good stuff,and if you have ever had a lead explosion from a drop of water it will bring home all Cynthialee has said.
I know this from experience and I would have been severely burned had it not been for the protective equipment.
My episode happened when refilling the pot. One of the old range scrap bullets I dropped in had a drop of rain on it I didn't notice and Bam........... lead all over my front and shoes.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I enjoy casting but am very careful when doing it. I don't cast if it is overly warm and am likely to sweat. I don't want a drop of sweat falling into the pot even though I'm careful to not get over pot. I also make sure if I have a glass of water for drinking that it is parked away from the casting area so I have to walk away to get a drink. A face shield is a good idea and safety glasses or goggles are a must.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Jeff Tanner makes single molds that fit the Lyman Handles. Jeff's molds don't have a sprue cutter. Not a big problem when you can cut it off easily with a diagonal cutter for cutting copper wire.

For bag molds you need to go to Larry Callahan.

Both of these suppliers will make whatever size mold you want.

 

[excess650]

My first observation of cast vs swaged RBs took place back around 1980. I had my CVA Mountain Rifle and new Dixie Tennessee Mountain Rifle. I bought one of those "hair straightener" moulds from Dixie Gunworks, and had to cut the sprues with side cutters. Despite the odd sprue cuts, those cast balls definitely shot better in both of my rifles. I've not bothered to weigh swaged RBs, but have noticed that they vary more in diameter than I would have expected. These days I shoot my own exclusively.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Those same balls will weigh differently in Texas than where live....
Don't get too hung up on weight,....uniformity is more important...IMO.

 

[Don Steele]

Something doesn't feel right here.
If you're confident in the results you're getting with your scale, I'm going to suggest that you contact Hornady in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Your self-determined acceptance range for balls in the 235 gn range. is TWENTY grains..and you are finding Hornady balls can't meet that..?? :shocked2:
That's a problem alright. :hmm:
For some perspective, I cast my own, weigh every one and the acceptance range for 50 cal. balls in the approx. 180 gn size is plus or minus 0.5 gns.
Even for the big (500 gn.) bullets I cast for BPCR, my acceptance is plus or minus 1.0 gn. With careful technique those standards aren't terribly difficult to meet.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Just touching a ball with your fingers can add weight to it...and your breath or any breeze in the room can throw the scale off considerably....

 

[Dave Marsh]

Here is the contact for Jeff. Send him an email with questions.

http://www.jt-bullet-moulds.co.uk/

Dave

 

[Grimord]

Jeff Tanner has some very nice brass molds. I got one from him for my T/C 56 smooth bore. A .550 mold. You just have to get some handles, or use the handles from one of your other molds. Both the RCBS and Lyman handles will fit Jeff's molds.

I looked high and low for a mold. Found one second hand in Maine, but they wanted way too much money. Jeff's molds are reasonably priced.

 

[cynthialee]

Thanks for the information fellas.
Will have to go with the bag mold from Callahan. But at $75.00 for the mold that will have to go on the back burner. (around the same price as 4 boxes of .550 rounds from ToW)
Can't go with Tanner as he only accepts PayPal and me and PayPal no longer do business with each other.

 

[OBX-TXN]

My error. That should have read 223.5 to 225.5 or plus or minus 1 grain for the tolerable balls ...