running some balls

[RobD]

running .595 balls for a .62 smoothie.  roto-metal lead, lyman 10# pot and ladle, lee mould. 

this is a new mould that first got spritzed and wiped good with brake cleaner, then it and the ladle hung out on the furnace rim 'til the full pot of pure lead melted.  after fluxing with a bit of sawdust and spooning off the dross, the running of the balls began.

it's a long 15 minute and repetitious video.  used this opportunity to test out a new sony hi-def camcorder, too.  only dropped 25 balls (well, one fell on the floor - went back in the pot).  i need to test this smaller size with a thicker patch as opposed to my usual .600 balls with thinner patch in the 20ga smoothbore.

[amm1851]

I have been running balls in my garage this winter/spring (our spring has been mostly indistinguishable from winter). I too have been using a .595 mold (Lee brand), as I wish to test out patched balls in my trade gun and the .600 balls I have are a little too thick. Eventually they will go in the pot and be recast as .595. I have run 300 so far, along with around 250 .530 balls. My wife and I tried to go shooting last Sunday; when we left our house it was about 55 degrees, sunny, but really windy. By the time we got up to the mountains, it was 34 degrees, snowing and still blowing like crazy. We dumped the shooting plans and just took a little hike in the woods. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon and I can shoot. I haven't burned any powder since Dec. 6. Uncle Russ, could you please make the bad weather stop?