Wrinkles affecting accuracy?

[Patchbox]

Just casted a few 36 caliber maxi balls today and granted I didn’t take a lot of time most of them came out with a wrinkle or two. I have a Lyman electric furnace and the bullets were cast out of a T/C mould that had been smoked prior to casting. I left the first couple bullets in the mold to get the mold up to temperature, but still couldn’t get into a rhythm of good perfect bullets. I also fluxed the lead multiple times. I guess my main question here is, would shooting bullets with a wrinkle or two degrade accuracy enough for it to be noticeable? Feel free to enlighten me with any of y’all’s past experiences, thanks!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Wrinkles affecting accuracy?

It's not my wrinkles so much as it is my aging eyes.

 

[Griz44Mag]

On a more serious note.
At longer distances in a rifle they can be problematic.
It's better to get your casting technique worked out.
Lead and mold must both be up to temperature.
First make sure your lead is hot enough. For pure lead and casting a larger bullet - get the temp up to 750-800.
For your mold being too cold - I use an electric 2 burner hot plate and put my mold(s) I am going to use on that at a medium high temperature before I start getting my lead pot set up. I let them sit there and heat up while I load the pot and get it up to temperature. Now with both lead and mold hot - you are ready to cast. Fill the mold quickly and leave a pool of lead on top of the sprue plate. When the lead frost over on the sprue plate - open it - and then wait a few seconds giving the balls a chance to solidify.
Practice - get a rhythm going - watch your projectiles as they come from the mold. Practice will make you a great caster. It's all about the rhythm and the drop, close and refill ASAP.
You will get it - just takes some practice.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Wrinkles indicate inconsistentys so less accuracy. At 25 yards it won’t matter, but the point of using a bullet instead of a ball is for beyond 100 yards.

 

[bisleyjohn]

A few wrinkles on your balls is perfectly acceptable!

 

[M. De Land]

Just casted a few 36 caliber maxi balls today and granted I didn’t take a lot of time most of them came out with a wrinkle or two. I have a Lyman electric furnace and the bullets were cast out of a T/C mould that had been smoked prior to casting. I left the first couple bullets in the mold to get the mold up to temperature, but still couldn’t get into a rhythm of good perfect bullets. I also fluxed the lead multiple times. I guess my main question here is, would shooting bullets with a wrinkle or two degrade accuracy enough for it to be noticeable? Feel free to enlighten me with any of y’all’s past experiences, thanks!

Wrinkles don't matter a whole lot in my opinion as long as the bases are square and sharp and there are no voids in the bullet. Bullets are steered by their bases mostly if they have enough spin to stabilize there length.
Also pure lead bumps up really well and the bullet will be shorter after it is fired

 

[Grenadier1758]

Wrinkles are an indication that the mold and the molten lead or both are too cold. Depending on where the wrinkles are located and the distance the maxi-balls are intended to be shot, the wrinkles may have an adverse effect on accuracy. The nose and base are the primary areas of concern.

You will probably need to cast at least a dozen, maybe a few more to get a cold mold up to temperature.

 

[mooman76]

Preheat the mould before casting helps to get good bullets quicker. Small wrinkles won't matter much unless you are a bench shooter. Like stated need more heat. I sit my mould on the top of the pot while it's heating to get it hot and also sometimes dip the corner of the mould in the lead melt for about 20 or so seconds.

 

[Griz44Mag]

A few wrinkles on your balls is perfectly acceptable!

Big John - LEAD balls please......

 

[Griz44Mag]

You will probably need to cast at least a dozen, maybe a few more to get a cold mold up to temperature.

Preheat the mould before casting helps to get good bullets quicker. Small wrinkles won't matter much unless you are a bench shooter. Like stated need more heat. I sit my mould on the top of the pot while it's heating to get it hot and also sometimes dip the corner of the mould in the lead melt for about 20 or so seconds.

Moonman gets it - If you dont have a hotplate - dipping the mold will help a lot.
Properly pre-heating your mold you will not have to re-melt any of them.
With a pre-heated mold I very rarely have to discard any balls or bullets because of wrinkles.

 

[FishDFly]

Worry about wrinkles on lead cast balls is kind of humorous.

Over the years, folks periodically ask about dimpling round balls, such as golf balls, to increase accuracy.

 

[Terry Lightle]

Do not know,but will not have them.Too easy to throw them in pot and recast.

 

[M. De Land]

One of the interesting things to try sometime if interested in such it to shoot your culls and test them against your best bullets. You will find if the bases are sharp and square and the weights are very close to each other that the nose can be really banged up and it will still shoot with the rest of them out to a 100 yards or so.
One would think it would make them unbalanced but battered noses and wrinkles unless used for very long range seem to have little effect on accuracy.
They will however have less ballistic efficiency and this matters at long range.

 

[necchi]

would shooting bullets with a wrinkle or two degrade accuracy enough for it to be noticeable?

Yes,
It all depends on what your level of accuracy is acceptable, to you.
Casting imperfections can, will and do affect accuracy.
It's OK, casting has a learning curve, stay at it,, keep digging for info and keep casting,, those wrinkles will go away.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Case in point.
I setup, melted lead, cast about 100 balls each in 2 different sizes today - used about 5-6 pounds of lead.
Not a single reject - from first to last cast. And I am like Terry - don't want any wrinkles.
Next phase - I will weigh each and every ball - anything 1% off optimum will be rejected - but that is less than 1% on a normal casting run.

 

[M. De Land]

Case in point.
I setup, melted lead, cast about 100 balls each in 2 different sizes today - used about 5-6 pounds of lead.
Not a single reject - from first to last cast. And I am like Terry - don't want any wrinkles.
Next phase - I will weigh each and every ball - anything 1% off optimum will be rejected - but that is less than 1% on a normal casting run.

To give some perspective, bullets of over 500 grains can and are regularly cast with +/- . 5 grain accuracy which translates to 1 full grain difference allowed from heaviest to lightest. I have been able to attain +/- .75 grain accuracy in long range bullets and that is better than I could ever hold for.
These bullets will have no wrinkles and the grease grooves and bases will be filled out sharply. This is not in the least unusual for target shooters.
Now it does take more than just good technique as in the use of a very precision cut mold and heavy sprue plate both properly dressed and treated with smoke or release agent. I much prefer smoked molds and sprue plates.+