Running ball

[Roundball58]

Stuck at home on a nice afternoon like the rest of the state. Decided to set up the casting equipment on the deck and run some .54 and .58 ball. Still got another 40-50 lbs of lead to go.

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[Andy54Hawken]

Nice..!
That is always a worthwhile project....
Andy

 

[Capn Jack]

Do you load with the spru up, or what?
I've been loading with it up, but does it really make any difference?

 

[Roundball58]

Do you load with the spru up, or what?
I've been loading with it up, but does it really make any difference?

Up or down, so long as it doesn't contact the bore. I go with up because I can see for sure where it is.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Do you load with the spru up, or what?
I've been loading with it up, but does it really make any difference?

Yep...which ever way it shoots the best in your rifle...
Andy

 

[P7M13]

Nice furnace there! What make is it?

 

[turq]

Where's the toilet wax seal?
Bottom pour ladle?

Seriously is it pure lead?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Pure lead is best for round ball....

I try and pick up a box of Speer or Hornady round ball off of the prize table at shoots , even if its a caliber I don't use....easy to melt down and make round ball for what I do shoot....
Andy

 

[Roundball58]

Lyman 25lb bottom pour. Pure lead. When you're casting .54-.62 ball you go thru lead pretty quick.

 

[Capn Jack]

That is a beauty....

 

[matts]

That is a beauty....

Yes sir, that beaut is every man's dream.
Mines a bout rusted out lee bottom pour, still working though, hard to replace it with it still tikking.....

 

[Capn Jack]

Matts, I've got the little LEE pot, but had to go to the LEE bottom drop to consistently fill some of my 300gr.+ molds. Now, with the ranges all closed down to shooting, I had to quit casting, because all of my bullet drawers are full.

 

[turq]

I used a Rowell 5" and another about 2 1/2"
I also have a mold for .62 ball ; elk rifle.
And an unopened box of 40 lbs. pure lead; bought from Arizona shipped from a guy that dealt in Pure lead ingots. Quite the man. Required for 'runnin' ball.

Edit: My pot was a 1 1/2 gal. Propane tank cut off just ABOVE the top "curve" in towards the valve. No splashes. On a crab pot burner.

 

[jj500]

Nothing more mentally stabilizing than running a bunch of round balls.

 

[Capn Jack]

Do y'all weigh the balls, or do you just eyeball them for
consistency ?
I've been weighing mine to + - .5 gr. Sometimes I wonder
if I'm wasting my time.
I weigh the 325 gr. GC for my .458 to within .25 gr.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I just eyeball 'em...
If they look and feel "right"..then into the pouch ya go....
If not....back into the pot....
Andy

Edit to add :
I try to load and shoot like Boone and Crockett...
I'm pretty sure they didn't weigh each round ball or weigh and measure charges...
On a scale that is....I'm sure they used a fixed powder measure that "threw" a good and accurate measure for their guns....
Now if only I could shoot as well as them....

 

[turq]

The rifle itself is only burning close to 50% of the charge vol. the little weight diff. In the ball Shouldn't be of much effect. Visual. Check. .Dont sweat the 5% powder charge vol. error .

Edit: I may be off and un scientific Iguess its 11.5 times the cubic inch of barrel ?????

 

[Capn Jack]

Turq,
That's pretty darn forgiving...
I've been splitting hairs for years reloading my center fires...

 

[Roundball58]

FWIW, I weigh my larger calibers to +\- 1 gr. and save them for match/hunting use. My .32's get weighed +\- 1/2 gr. The rejects go in the practice bin. It does make a difference, but the difference can get overshadowed by other factors like wind. It does make me feel a bit more confident when shooting for score/meat.