Best methods pouring round balls and/or gear recommendations

[Crow-Feather]

I've got the lead.
I've got the mold.
The bottom-pour melting pot backorder didn't come through.

I just want to pour decent round balls for my .50 cal flinter. Any suggestions for melting/fluxing/pouring the lead? I was drawn to the bottom pour mold based on some youtube videos. It seems the remaining impurities (after fluxing) would be on the top.

The down side (pun intended) is that it seems the valve/spout seem to be prone to dribbling.

I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance,

KP

Casting since the 70's. I use a ladle and flux any time I have to add lead plus wait until the temperature returns to my "normal" before I start casting again. I weigh my projectiles and return any outside of a one grain (+/-) variance. On rare occasions when I have poor success with a normal pour, I turn the mold sideways, place the ladle up to the mold entrance and turn both up using the weight of the lead to "pack the mold", then leave a bit of lead on the cut off plate to allow for shrinkage. Depending on temperature, one or the other works well.

 

[smoothshooter]

I've got the lead.
I've got the mold.
The bottom-pour melting pot backorder didn't come through.

I just want to pour decent round balls for my .50 cal flinter. Any suggestions for melting/fluxing/pouring the lead? I was drawn to the bottom pour mold based on some youtube videos. It seems the remaining impurities (after fluxing) would be on the top.

The down side (pun intended) is that it seems the valve/spout seem to be prone to dribbling.

I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance,

KP

I used a small rectangular square pan I made up up in welding class thati held about 4 pounds of lead, and an old tablespoon for a dipper for years when starting out with muzzleloaders at age 12. Worked just fine. Graduated up to a lee bottom pour pot years later, and have used one ever since.