Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons > General Interest
Little help for Casters, especially those just getting started.
KDubs:
thank you for all this info, ive been thinking about casting balls for awhile.
my father back in the 70'S used to make sinkers this way for fishing in the Detroit river. ( ya lose alot of sinkers in the river) as a young teen i found it fascinating, loved helping him.
wish all these years later i had saved his stuff.
when i got my 1st ML last year i bought 200 balls and patches thinking " that should last me a lifetime" WRONG.
besides i like to tinker and muttle around the shop anyways.
Man this stuff is fun
kevin
RobD:
Casting .490 balls for a .50 caliber using a cheap Lee 4# pot and cheap Lee ladle. Did I mention this is "cheap"? ;D
Smokey:
--- Quote from: RobD on October 20, 2020, 05:57:45 PM ---i still believe the better value is in the lee 20# ladle pot and never any bottom pour pot. add to this a good ladle, and a good mould - which to me means a cheap lee aluminum mould for dropping balls,
--- End quote ---
RobD, I have not tried running ball. Why do you dislike bottom pour pots? Also, what do you think of those moulds with multiple cavities for making several balls at once? Is it best to stick with a 2-ball mold, even if it's slower?
RobD:
--- Quote from: Smokey on January 23, 2021, 03:23:47 PM ---
--- Quote from: RobD on October 20, 2020, 05:57:45 PM ---i still believe the better value is in the lee 20# ladle pot and never any bottom pour pot. add to this a good ladle, and a good mould - which to me means a cheap lee aluminum mould for dropping balls,
--- End quote ---
RobD, I have not tried running ball. Why do you dislike bottom pour pots? Also, what do you think of those moulds with multiple cavities for making several balls at once? Is it best to stick with a 2-ball mold, even if it's slower?
--- End quote ---
My opinions ...
Bottom pour pots can and will eventually have issues with the pour valve. I'd bet that most pour pots eventually get plugged with a ball bearing and used as a ladle pot. Ladle use is simpler, easier, cheaper, foolproof, allows "compression casting", and you will find they are vastly preferred by the BPCR match shooting crowd.
In the above "casting on the cheap" video I'm using a lee ladle. It is far better to use a ladle such as by Lyman, RCBS, and others, that holds a lot more lead and has a "snout" that will allow compression casting (which will make for more uniform balls, bullets, and slicks). They ain't cheap, but will work much better.
I prefer the Lee 2 cavity moulds for running balls and see no need for a more expensive ganged mould - save that money for a good ladle instead (as well as saving money on a ladle pot instead of a bottom pour pot). A full ladle will allow quick pouring of both cavities. A dozen balls can easily be cast inside of 5 minutes. I see no need to go any faster.
Using a better Lyman ladle to run balls ...
r.
Smokey:
Thank you, RobD! Your response was very informative.
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