Is "hand Cast" better or worse than say hornady or store bought round balls? What, pray tell, is the difference. I mostly target shoot but do hunt with PRB too. Thanks!
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Hand cast
- Thread starter azmntman
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Lonegun1894
54 Cal.
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I won't shoot store bought anymore. The main difference I have seen is consistency. When I cast, I know all my RBs came from the same mold, so will have the same outside diameter, which is not always the case with store bought. Then, I always have the option of weighing my RBs, as the heaviest will be completely filled out and not have any voids, so be most consistent. This is yet another thing that storebought RBs can't guarantee. Just before I started casting, I weighed and measured 3 boxes of RBs, and the weight and size differences I found were, um, very disappointing. I bought a mold the next day, if that tells you anything, melted down those store bought RBs, and have not fired a store bought one since. MY groups, and my cost have both shrunk VERY noticeably. Sorting those store bought boxes, all were supposed to be .490", by the time I got done sorting by size and weight, I had 60ish out of 100 in one box that was good on the good extreme, and a bit shy of 20 out of 100 in the worst box, and all were the same brand. That isn't consistent enough for what I want.
If you spend time and effort assuring that your lead is indeed pure and work at casting until your balls are near perfect. Then sort by weight you will probably get factory swaged results. Myself being lazy I just buy them. I have cast in the past and learned that sorting by weight is necessary.
Geo. T.
Geo. T.
Lonegun1894 said:
+1
I had pretty much the same experience with Hornady and Speer roundballs. I couldn't figure out why I was getting the occasional flier, so I measured a box. What I found was some balls were way out of round by close to .020" and that's when I decided to cast my own. Picked up a Lee mold for about the same price of what a box of .535 roundball costs and haven't looked back since. Not only did my accuracy improve, but it costs a lot less to shoot. Now instead of paying $18 for a box of 100 .535 balls, I can cast 100 of them for little over $3 worth of scrap lead. :thumbsup:
silly goose
45 Cal.
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I probably can't shoot the difference between the two, but enjoy casting them anyway. It is just another level of satisfaction, especially taking a deer with something else you made yourself.
If I didn't already have the casting equipment, I'd have to think about how much shooting I plannned on doing first. My son just started shooting bp today, and he loves it, so I see I'm going to have to up my efforts in scrounging lead. :grin:
If I didn't already have the casting equipment, I'd have to think about how much shooting I plannned on doing first. My son just started shooting bp today, and he loves it, so I see I'm going to have to up my efforts in scrounging lead. :grin:
jamesthomas
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I've always cast my own. At a $1.00 a pound or so for lead I can cast 38 rb's for a 50 caliber and more for a my .40 cal. And like the other folks you can be sure of the proper weight when doing it yourself. A $20.00 lee mold, a lee 20lb electric melting pot a cast iron cornbread mold from the flea market and your good to go. You will make up the difference in no time. I get my lead from a scrap dealer and a couple of local tire shops, right now I'm waiting on a call from a Trax Tire shop to go pick up 20 or pounds of those lead stick-on weights. Its a whole lot cheaper than buying them, plus the time,and gas going to and from the store. I also use a small cast iron lead pot to melt the scrap down and pour it into the cornbread mold to make ingots for later.
Lonegun1894
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As to the casting equipment, I started out with a small steel cup I had laying around to melt in on the stove, a soup spoon for a ladle, and the mold. So the mold was my initial, and at that time, only investment. I have since bought casting pots, ingot molds, and my mold collection has exploded since that first day, and I now cast for everything I have. Now, I don't even want to know what I have invested in molds and other equipment, but I know I have gotten more out of it, than I have put into it, for what that's worth. And between plinking, hunting, and having to stay in practice for work, I shoot a lot, and definitely couldn't afford to shoot half as much as I do if I was buying RBs and jacketed for my moderns, and would shoot very little if I had to buy loaded ammo, and them plastic thingies, and such.
Patocazador
54 Cal.
I hand cast because I have a lot of cheap lead and the bought round balls plus shipping are just too dam--d expensive.
I hand cast for something to do. I have molds, I have lead, no reason to buy roundballs when I can cast all I need at home.
At first when I got the stuff to do it I was mainly reliving moments with my father. (RIP)
Now it is because it would be silly to buy roundballs when I have them in ingots waiting to be converted into roundballs.
At first when I got the stuff to do it I was mainly reliving moments with my father. (RIP)
Now it is because it would be silly to buy roundballs when I have them in ingots waiting to be converted into roundballs.
If you don't want to go to the trouble yet of casting your own I think you will find that bought cast balls ourperform the swaged factory balls - at least that was my experience.
there is all thatwill5a1 said:
plenty of folks out there selling hand casts
hanshi
Cannon
I hand cast everything I shoot. It's cheap, quality is as good as ANY bought ball, or better.
Kylongrifle
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I just enjoy casting my own and Ive found my rifles seem to like my hand cast stuff better besides. Its fun and cheap.
This depends a lot upon the ability of the one doing the casting.azmntman said:
It is not hard but my brother rest his soul, could not throw the same ball twice. Like everyone has already said, I couldn't afford to shoot as much and as many calibers I do if I didn't cast my own.
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With a round ball mold you can cast whatever you can get your hands on. :thumbsup:
Billnpatti
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When you first start casting your own balls, it is a toss-up as to whether or not they will be as good as store bought balls. However, as you gain in skills, and it really won't take long, especially if you have someone who can teach you how to do it, your balls will be more consistant than the storebought ones. They will be much less expensive, too. Unless I am mistaken, that is something that is mentioned in Dutch Schoultz' accuracy system. BTW, if you haven't purchased a copy, go to www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com and order a copy. Terrifically valuable information at a very reasonable price.
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I Plan on ordering his book and also plan to get into casting heavy. I need so dang many molds though! I need .32 .36 .50 .54 .58 and .454 and .457 RB (got a conical for the ROA).
Think a melting pot would be a worthy investment vs the coleman and a bottle of propane?
Think a melting pot would be a worthy investment vs the coleman and a bottle of propane?
I did the Coleman stove Coleman fuel for years. I have also done the kitchen stove but yes and electric pot is a lot more convenient and easier to use. I have a Lee pot 4 and 20# now and you can set it up most anywhere. Pick up a few moulds at a time and you'll eventually have them. Lees are cheap but good too as long as you take care of them. I have somewhere around 60 moulds but picked them up over the years.
Nice thing about molds is they always are there once you get them. Not like they have a shelf life.
AZbpBurner
54 Cal.
Been casting for over 40 years, and recently added a couple more roundball sizes to the mold inventory. I already have the electric casting pot and stuff, and it makes sense to me to pay the same price for a Lee mold as costs a box of store bought balls.
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