RB MOULDS

[RBHarter]

I have several round ball moulds from 330 (00B) to 690 from Lee Lyman and RCBS. I'm not going to whine but it seems like all but the last 2 seem to cast very close to round . I certainly expect to see some loss of symmetry at the sprue be it a lump or a flat . The 690 is a Lee and time casts 690x690x 685 but an hour in the tumbler and the flat is peened up . The 454s (1 of each) drop just as close as the 690 I mostly don't fool with them and just shoot them. The 1st 375 I got casts at 365 across the sprue which would be great in a no cup 12 ga sprue to sprue, but not so cool in a C&B revolver . I figure what the heck it gives me blocks to try a custom 45 cal boolit for the Colts carbine. So I ordered another one. And I checked the dimensions and cold the cavities are 378x 368 to the sprue plate. The deal is the chambers of the pistol are 363. That leaves me a place to earn a chain fire if a ball gets over 45 degrees off center whether the sprue is in or out. I grease the outside and intend to shoot wads but still it won't shoot straight. The 330 chain 00B mould even drops a better sprue ball than that. I hate sending stuff back , but I still can't shoot the new 36 1858 Remmy. In all truth at this point for just a little bit more I could have bought that custom 4C HM2 mould and been shooting. More truth this the only time I've gotten 1 ( let alone 2) that weren't over size and heavy from Lee. I hate to do it but I think I'm going to have to send it back .

I guess you can't win them all.

[akuser47]

I always wondered how R.B. bullets were cast it seems to me that a mold with a longer pour at the sprue would be better because you could remove the balls and then trim and more evenly shape them for consistency. I am not an expert in fact I keep putting off. Casting. I think it looks fun so I may get a pot and molds. I like shooting old cap n ball revolvers. I don't own any just shot a friends.

[62chevy]

I always wondered how R.B. bullets were cast it seems to me that a mold with a longer pour at the sprue would be better because you could remove the balls and then trim and more evenly shape them for consistency. I am not an expert in fact I keep putting off. Casting. I think it looks fun so I may get a pot and molds. I like shooting old cap n ball revolvers. I don't own any just shot a friends.

I like casting because I can save big money, .033 for a 200 grain I cast or over .10 cents for one from X-Treme Bullets. But to be frank it does take a lot more effort.

I save almost $35 per 500 casting my own.

[akuser47]

I know I need to get into it as cost of all components rise. I will start slowly a mold here and there then a melting pot. One of these days.

[RBHarter]

AK
It's worth it and not nearly as much to get going as you think. I started with a quart cast iron pot and a soup spoon pinned to a piece of broomstick. I had a turkey burner already.

I'm still able to get free wheel weights that are still lead , range scrap, and anti-pilfering/tamper seals that are about 1-20 tin-lead and for now several alloys at 30-40 cents a lb from the demil jobs on the depot .

[akuser47]

Well sounds like I need to getter done then lol

[Ranch Dog]

I used the Lee .311 round balls to fire form 30-30 Ackley Improved cases from the parent brass. The RBs shot very well and rather than just fire them into the dirt, I would spend hours shooting turtles with them on my pond. They were very accurate. I had to use about 10 grains of Unique to get good case definition so they were whistling along pretty fast.

This summer I got interested in them again for a number of reasons, one was to act as a low velocity replacement for my 22 Rimfire rifles that I rid myself of when I ran out of ammo, ammo has not been available locally for six years now. I bought Lee round ball molds for my 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 Colt plus a few others.

If you need to increase production, look at Track of the Wolf, as they special order six cavity molds of all the Lee sizes.