Casting Quality Roundball, and Sprue Removal

[Idaholewis]

These are from a Brand New Lyman .495 Roundball Mold i recently purchased, I was REALLY disappointed with the Sprues, They were UGLY!


This one, a 2 Cavity Mold

Nasty looking Sprues! And nothing i can do from the Mold to Make them better? This is simply how they are, I knew that i wasn’t gonna be able to live with this!! I had to figure out a way to get Rid of them?

Weights were DEAD ON, I weigh every Ball

After some Persuasion, Sweet Talking, those Pesky Sprues are GONE

High Quality Cast Roundballs, These are from my Lyman .535 (.54 Cal) Mold. Sadly the Store Bought Hornady Balls were Pathetic Quality, Weights were off a Few Grains, Banged up, I melted them Down and Re-poured

Removing the Sprues is SIMPLE, I use my Vibratory Case Tumbler (Cabelas Kit model) Empty, No Media. I Sprinkled some Powdered Graphite in the Bowl, It Only takes 30-45 Minutes, The Sprues are GONE, undetectable. The Graphite leaves them Super Slick, Shiny Black

 

[Bret4207]

Interesting idea on using the tumbler. My question is, are they round? That sprue metal has to go somewhere.

 

[RBHarter]

I've done the same for smaller caliber balls 375 , 454 , and 490 . I just packed mine in the final storage packages , half volume and dropped them in a run of brass no slickem' .

The sprue just peens in , I'm sure it it leaves a slight out of round but how much depends heavily of how much sprue is left . Some RB moulds cut just under the radius those would likely peen up or could be manipulated to do so , Lee tangical cut off , mostly I had a flat spot though . Some cut right at the radius , an ideal situation , the cats ears just brush off and flow in when tumbling . Then there's the ones that look those old highway smudge pots , oil caution lights . There just not a lot that can be done to make those right short of a lick or 3 with a file before the tumble .

They smooth out just like the moisture induced balls in a tire that started as a few grains of sand .

 

[Ian]

First off, check that your sprue plate is snug and not leaving a gap underneath. Next, observe if there is a neck at the top of the cavity, there shouldn't be. If there is, you need to mill the top of the blocks until there is a knife edge around the hole going into the cavity.

I round my balls in a rotary tumbler. Done it in the past with a coffee can packed in a 5-gallon bucket with towels and the bucket packed in my dryer with blankets. Like was said, if the nib remains, it may peen out but the ball will still be egg-shaped.

 

[JonB]

I just shoot 'em with the nipple pointed down range.
They are as accurate as I am. I only shoot ML 'off-hand'.

 

[Ian]

Those flower-petal patches...nice. Never seen that before, maybe I live under a rock?

 

[Idaholewis]

Interesting idea on using the tumbler. My question is, are they round? That sprue metal has to go somewhere.

Good Question, and one of the first things i checked when doing this. They are not perfectly Round, they are out about .005-.007 as you Roll them around Through the Calipers. Ironically, the Store Bought Swaged Balls are identical, They are not Perfectly Round either, I found high Spots with every one i checked, in 45, 50, and 54 Cal. Seems a PERFECTLY Round Ball is HARD to come by?

Being slightly out of Round doesn’t seem to have any a Negative effect on Accuracy Though? I have shot Several Roundball Groups an inch, and even under at 100 Yards from my Bench.

 

[Walks]

I Had two 3/8" sheets of glass 12"×12". I used to roll my RB around between these. Would level a 3/4" piece of plywood and place bottom sheet of glass on top of a 18"x24" carpet sample. Roll up a long tube of newspaper to contain the RB to get going. About 5min was all it took. Never used it on anything bigger then .457dia, have an old Lachmiller 2cav for .375 that drops RB with only a whisper of a sprue. Never bothered to "round" them.

 

[fiver]

I put steel BB's in with mine.
if the Nib is too big it is instantly noticeable when you take them out because it will get knocked into a point instead of being peened into the ball.

 

[Idaholewis]

Here is quite the Way of going about it, This is not only removing the Sprue, But also “Texturing” the Ball. Kinda like the Golfball effect maybe? It’s proven that a Golf Ball will Travel Farther than a Perfectly Smooth Ball due to the Dimples

Instructions for using the Vortex Ball Roller

The Vortex Ball Roller (patent pending) is a device that processes round ball ammunition for muzzle loaders. Even the best cast round balls have a remnant of the sprue left on them. This sprue...

www.forth-armoury.com

 

[Maven]

Just a couple of things: Ian, the "flower petal" patches have been around for awhile and are advertised in "Muzzleloader" magazine (October Country maybe?). As for the sprues, Lachmiller, Lyman, Ohaus, RCBS, and T/C RB moulds leave a pronounced sprue. For long distance shooting, Idaholewis' solution is easy and effective. OTOH, for the type of shooting (and distance) I shoot at, the sprue, always facing up, doesn't need to be removed. Lastly, I've tried rolling RB's between 2 coarse files for my 20ga. smoothbore and found little meaningful difference in accuracy v. a patched RB or even a bare ball load. Indeed, there is a good deal of debate about the efficacy of this in the ML target shooting community.

 

[Idaholewis]

Just a couple of things: Ian, the "flower petal" patches have been around for awhile and are advertised in "Muzzleloader" magazine (October Country maybe?). As for the sprues, Lachmiller, Lyman, Ohaus, RCBS, and T/C RB moulds leave a pronounced sprue. For long distance shooting, Idaholewis' solution is easy and effective. OTOH, for the type of shooting (and distance) I shoot at, the sprue, always facing up, doesn't need to be removed. Lastly, I've tried rolling RB's between 2 coarse files for my 20ga. smoothbore and found little meaningful difference in accuracy v. a patched RB or even a bare ball load. Indeed, there is a good deal of debate about the efficacy of this in the ML target shooting community.

Good post Maven. I can’t see me bothering with the Above “Vortex ball Roller” Process i showed above? I can’t see there being any real Genuine Benefits from it?

I have some pretty neat Patched Roundball stuff coming up This Spring/Summer, Things I don’t think have ever been Done? Distance wise

 

[Maven]

Good post Maven. I can’t see me bothering with the Above “Vortex ball Roller” Process i showed above? I can’t see there being any real Genuine Benefits from it?

I have some pretty neat Patched Roundball stuff coming up This Spring/Summer, Things I don’t think have ever been Done? Distance wise

Thanks! You can always try rolling the RB's between 2 coarse files, which will increase their diameter, vs. "as cast, but vibrated ones, all else being the same. However, that trick is mostly for smoothbores, not rifles + the Vortex device, which no doubt does what the manufacturer claims, is pricy compared to 2 rasps.

 

[Idaholewis]

Maybe i will Test a Few groups of the Dimpled Roundball Stuff at LONG Range and See if i can Tell a Difference or Not?

I know Patched Roundball is Under Rated by MANY. I shot to 325 Yards in HEAVY NASTY WIND (Not by choice, just what i had to Deal with that Particular Day) I hear folks Say 100 Yards Max, anything much past that and the Ball has “Petered out” After Shooting 54 Cal PRB at 325 Yards, i BEG TO DIFFER! I wouldn’t want me, shooting at me at 325 yards!! The Ball Stil had enough energy to BLOW THROUGH my 2X4 Top Frame

325 Yard .54 Cal Patched Roundball, Skunk Lubed Patches

 

[Idaholewis]

Thanks! You can always try rolling the RB's between 2 coarse files, which will increase their diameter, vs. "as cast, but vibrated ones, all else being the same. However, that trick is mostly for smoothbores, not rifles + the Vortex device, which no doubt does what the manufacturer claims, is pricy compared to 2 rasps.

I will do it with 2 Mill Files (Rasps) I have done this with Muzzleloader Bullets several times to Create “Lift” for a Snugger Fit

 

[Walks]

I had a CVA .50cal Kentucky Rifle that my little brother and I built from a kit, 50yrs ago. That's where I got the roll between 2 pieces of glass from. My DAD had us do it. We could hit a cheap pie plate at 100yds all day long. Off hand, I think 60grs of 3F and patches cut from "something" ?
I had the old Lachmiller .375 2cav mold from him. It may have been reworked, just doesn't have a pronounced sprue like all my other RB molds.

Not that it ever mattered in Cowboy Shooting, just load with the sprue facing up. I could hit an 8" plate 4 outa 5 times at 50ft. Of course I used a .36 Navy Replica for only a couple of matches. Switched to 1860 .44Cal Armies.

Now... haven't shot BP anything in years. other thing to shoot.