weight variance of cast RBs

[KDubs]

I'm sure I'll be casting some balls here soon enough.
 I used to weight  mine but I had so many that were either way under or over that more than half of my run had to be recast.  I've since change my lead source but i gave up weighing them .
 I use a lee bottom pour and with what I'm very , well ok,  pretty sure is pure lead .
 I wonder if I can compression pour with that set up , would that work?
Don't see why not.
 Great info here fellas
 Thanks for the video rob.
Kevin
 
 

[RobD]

I'm sure I'll be casting some balls here soon enough.
 I used to weight  mine but I had so many that were either way under or over that more than half of my run had to be recast.  I've since change my lead source but i gave up weighing them .
 I use a lee bottom pour and with what I'm very , well ok,  pretty sure is pure lead .
 I wonder if I can compression pour with that set up , would that work?
Don't see why not.
 Great info here fellas
 Thanks for the video rob.
Kevin

I would say that at least something like compression casting will work with a bottom pour furnace.

[Salty]

RobD, thank you!

[Bigsmoke]

Rob, I think that most casting machines utilize the bottom pour method and from what I have seen, they produce good quality projectiles.

[Salty]

I know this is going to sound a bit anal but since the weather is not conducive to accurate shooting today I using No Powder's method of weighing and separating the (182.0-182.9) into one container. And the (183.0-183.9) into a separate container.
 Thanks No Powder for an indoor activity. I'll be test shooting to see if there is a difference. Now if I can just get the shooter to factor out of the equation. He needs a stern "talking-to".

[RobD]

Rob, I think that most casting machines utilize the bottom pour method and from what I have seen, they produce good quality projectiles.

IME with casting alloy 420-540 grain slicks for long distance BP PPB target guns, either cartridge or percussion - ladle is the usual choice for the best most well cast bullets of that type, where quality is far more important than quantity.  I don't see where most cast bullets are used or required for typical smokeless target applications and those are mostly relegated to the jacketed flavors.  Handgun bullets is where a quantity is needed and that would suit a bottom pour best. 

[No Powder]

Well Salty, good luck with your endeavor to eliminate the shooter part of the equation. I've been trying to do that for near about 40 years and haven't succeeded at it yet.

[RobD]

....Now if I can just get the shooter to factor out of the equation. He needs a stern "talking-to".

That's relatively easy with a Lead Sled and a hefty weight (or similar manner of bolting down the gun).

[No Powder]

Years ago, when my father would go with me to the range, I'd get my sandbags situated to shoot and he would say "you're not gonna have those bags with you in the woods when you're hunting deer".  A very good point he had. But I still used the bags while shooting when at the range.

[RobD]

Bags or bipods are fine, I use 'em all the time, but none will eliminate the shooter like locking down a gun in a Lead Sled.

[Second-rate Marksman]

I'm not a big fan of lead sleds for muzzleloaders, Rob. They're undeniably effective with modern smokeless rifles, but muzzleloaders are a different animal altogether. Over the years I'd heard plenty of stories about cracked stocks caused by lead sled use on traditional guns, and I'll admit-- I used to dismiss them as anecdotal or overblown.

That changed when it happened to me.

I cracked the wrist on my .50 T/C Renegade while shooting nothing more than a square load off of a new Caldwell DFT2. No hot-rodding, no abuse-- just the rigid, unforgiving nature of the sled transferring recoil and stress straight into what was apparently the weakest part of this rifle. Unlike modern rifles, muzzleloaders aren't designed to be locked immobile under recoil, and when they can't move naturally, something has to give.

While lead sleds certainly have their place, I don't believe that place is behind a muzzleloader. I'm not suggesting that using one will inevitably spell the end of a traditional long rifle, but there are enough well-documented horror stories floating around to give any careful shooter pause.

[RobD]

Hadn't heard about issues with muzzleloaders and Lead Sleds, or with any manner of "locking down" a muzzleloader testing  I'd done so twice that I can recall, with accuracy testing of several flinter rifles.  But I can see yer point with regards to breakage at the wrist area, which for most well proportioned muzzleloaders is quite a small area.  I will take your experiences under advisement, and thank you!