Pedersoli ball mold - "Nominal" size ?

What's up with that?

(Edit - removed this part, issue solved, problem was deemed to be stupidity~ Sudsy)

I'm looking for a .310 mold and I see this - which I do not understand.
Nominal like a 2x4 is really 1 1/2 by 3 1/2 ? If so how big are the balls this thing drops ?

I’d suggest taking a dial caliper and measuring the bore and the balls to see how they compare to your CVA. Are the balls pure lead?

Did you measure the bore? What's the measurement?

If a .31 ball won't fit in .32 bore, something is very very wrong with the rifle.

I would look at the rifle before I looked at other molds.

64Springer said:

If a .31 ball won't fit in .32 bore, something is very very wrong with the rifle.

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So I just broke out my calipers to try and figure this out and came to the conclusion that I am an idiot. That's really the only explanation that works here.

It seems that last time I reorganized my mess, I put a bunch of .35 balls that go to a different gun into the box that normally holds the .311's. Both balls I pulled out today to try and load into the .32 were .35.

Time to sit down and sort out a few pounds of balls.

Although my question still stands
Nominal size?? What's up with that ?

"Nominal" means just that. I.e., moulds cast to the diameter stamped on them, but few hit that mark exactly. To wit, I have many moulds, both CF and BP, including custom ones from LBT, CBE (Australia), NOE, Tanner, but not one drops a ball or [elongated] bullet to an exact diameter. In ML's that is less of a problem as you can change your patch thickness to accommodate the difference. In CF rifles and pistols, too big is better than too small, but both problems can be solved.

Maven said:

"Nominal" means just that. I.e., moulds cast to the diameter stamped on them

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Why is the 'nominal" size of a 2x4 actually 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 ?

Because the nominal size is for unplaned lumber. i.e. rough cut.

Pete G said:

Because the nominal size is for unplaned lumber. i.e. rough cut.

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Right, but it's different for a ball mold ? Now the size is the same when it's finished?
Doesn't make sense having it both ways

Sudsy said:

Why is the 'nominal" size of a 2x4 actually 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 ?

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“Nominal” means “in name only,” not to be taken literally. “Literally” means “as written (or spoken).”

If a round ball mould is nominally .32 caliber, it might not actually throw a .320” ball, but the ball should be around or approximately that size.

In muzzleloaders, the bore size is measured from top of land to top of land. In rifles intended for shooting patched round balls, the ball diameter is usually more or less smaller than bore diameter. The difference, described as “windage,” is taken up with the patch. We need to know exact bore and ball diameters (and patch thickness) in working up the best load.

Most round ball moulds are meant to be used with pure lead. If you cast a harder alloy of lead, the balls will drop slightly larger than pure lead balls from the same mould.

Notchy Bob

Notchy Bob said:

“Nominal” means “in name only,” not to be taken literally. “Literally” means “as written (or spoken).”

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Right which circles us back to the original question - what is the actual size of the Pedersoli mold ?

Who's on first?

Sudsy said:

Right which circles us back to the original question - what is the actual size of the Pedersoli mold ?

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Got to toss another variable in. The final diameter will be affected by the purity of the lead used. Added alloys contract to different degrees.

Yes, but the actual size of the mold (which is the point in question here) kinda plays a little bit of a role

Sudsy said:

Yes, but the actual size of the mold (which is the point in question here) kinda plays a little bit of a role

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You could lightly oil the mold and put clay in it then measure the clay.

That means I have to shell out $125 for the mold and handles just to see if it's the size I want
Uhmm, no !

Any slight variance can be handled with different patches. That’s the nature of the muzzleloading beast.

18 posts and the The question still hasn't been answered
How big is the Pedersoli mold and when they use the term "nominal" does it mean that it's not actually .310 as stated ??

Does anyone have one of these? If so how big is the pure lead ball it drops ?

Sudsy said:

18 posts and the The question still hasn't been answered
How big is the Pedersoli mold and when they use the term "nominal" does it mean that it's not actually .310 as stated ??

Does anyone have one of these? If so how big is the pure lead ball it drops ?

Click to expand...

Contact the manufacturer and ask them.

I did send an e-mail, did that first
No reply yet

Just for the heck of it I just sent another one