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pipascus

40 Cal.
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
274
Reaction score
147
Location
White Mountains, Arizona
Good afternoon gentlemen!
I need to determine what ball size to use before getting a mold for my Mark Silver rifle from Jim Chambers.
The rifle is .58 Caliber.

Anyone know where I can get some balls of a few sizes to try out, and what sizes? I figure maybe 5-10 of three sizes?

Thank you!
 
Good afternoon gentlemen!
I need to determine what ball size to use before getting a mold for my Mark Silver rifle from Jim Chambers.
The rifle is .58 Caliber.

Anyone know where I can get some balls of a few sizes to try out, and what sizes? I figure maybe 5-10 of three sizes?

Thank you!
I Need Balls!
Ya might want to be careful how you put that..........













Someone might think you're playing some kind of sport........
;)
 
Precast is expensive, but if you dolors of fifty you only shoot ten or twenty you will have lead to cast to your right size. I’ve got a bunch of minie ball for a .58 zouave I used to own
 
Pipascus,

I have the same rifle in .58. Mine's quite old now, with a Don Getz barrel.
It has the radius grooved bore.
I wanted a ball that would thumb start, no short starter, and got a Lee in .562" to try.
It worked that well I never have changed it.
It sounds wrong, a .562" in a .58 but it shoots excellently with that ball, an 18 thou. patch well lubed with deer tallow, and 70 grs of 2F.
Hunted with nothing else for about ten years and always got my deer.
For target work, the same load shoots Very accurately.

Best,
Richard.
 
Good afternoon gentlemen!
I need to determine what ball size to use before getting a mold for my Mark Silver rifle from Jim Chambers.
The rifle is .58 Caliber.

Anyone know where I can get some balls of a few sizes to try out, and what sizes? I figure maybe 5-10 of three sizes?

Thank you!
SO - buy a box of .570 and a box of .575.
One or the other is going to work best.
After determining that, buy your mold - you did say you were going to get one.
Throw the balls from the losing batch into the pot and make the right size balls out of them.
By the time you pay freight on sample you will have paid for a box of balls anyway.
You spent the cash for a Jim Chambers rifle - I think you can likely afford a couple of boxes of balls to test it with.
 
Buy a couple sizes from Eddie Mays Roundballs in Georgia & see what works best in your gun. Then get a mold in that size and recast any leftovers that are over or under size.
 
SO - buy a box of .570 and a box of .575.
One or the other is going to work best.
After determining that, buy your mold - you did say you were going to get one.
Throw the balls from the losing batch into the pot and make the right size balls out of them.
By the time you pay freight on sample you will have paid for a box of balls anyway.
You spent the cash for a Jim Chambers rifle - I think you can likely afford a couple of boxes of balls to test it with.

I'm new to this. Didn't know what sizes or where to purchase the balls. Thanks for the advice. I will look for those sizes then.
 
I have seen guys on gunbroker that sell "sample packs" of various bullet designs and ball sizes, some of them taking requests for what you want in your sample.
 
A .562 with a thick patch will fill the deep grooves better and load easier. I also use a .526 in a .54 and a .595 in my .62s. The larger balls will work but they are hard to load and if the muzzle isn't properly crowned, may cut on the muzzle.
 
A Lee mold is about $20 bucks, an old aluminum pot from the thrift store, and a ladle, and you are off to a fine adventure.
The first mistake I did was buy $20 worth of lead, and it took be the entire weekend to melt it all into round balls.
That first batch lasted me 4 years. Filled several 2 liter bottles full.

With all the money you save, you can buy the woman a new pot, becuase we all know you lifted one of hers. o_O
 
IMO, one should NEVER use an aluminum pot to melt lead in.
Although the melting point of aluminum (1200°F) is higher than lead, aluminum looses almost all of its strength at temperatures over 600°F so the bottom of the pot can literally fall apart or rip open without warning, dumping molten lead all over the place.
A old steel, porcelain coated steel, or stainless steel pot is the way to go.
 
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