sprue up or down

[waksupi]

Accuracy of a projectile depends on a perfect base. Sprue up.

 

[CaptainVane]

Somehow I doubt that Holliday, Hickock, etc, were concerned whether the sprue was up or down. I could be wrong.
On a side note, I saw the best boat name ever today. Dock Holiday.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I never thought to do it with balls until now but shooting lead bullets into a snowbank leaves them in the same condition as when they left the muzzle. If you fellows who live in snow country would shoot some balls into a handy snow bank you can see if they upset and any other detail. You'll probably have to wait til spring unless you dig them out. They don't travel as far into the snow as you might think.

There was a charter boat on the Oregon coast in the 70's called The Codfather.

 

[64Springer]

.

 

[M. De Land]

Accuracy of a projectile depends on a perfect base. Sprue up.

That is true of flat base bullets for sure but not so much with ball shooting.

 

[waksupi]

That is true of flat base bullets for sure but not so much with ball shooting.

Don't you think the sprue being off center would cause inaccuracy?

 

[M. De Land]

Don't you think the sprue being off center would cause inaccuracy?

I shoot home cast sprued balls ( always sprue up) in revolver with no patch , sprued patched balls in rifle and single shot pistol and they are almost never perfectly centered at loading but testing them over a rest I have not seen what one would call fliers.
I will occasionally see a shot register out of where the sights were at the trigger break "called shots" in a match but am pretty well sure it is shooter induced as they don't seem to happen when rest shooting.

 

[Black Powder Guy]

I shoot sprue up on all of my guns. Patched or not patched. Like TDM said, I hate change.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Accuracy of a projectile depends on a perfect base. Sprue up.

I don't think a sphere has a "base". If your round lead balls have a base, please post a pic.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Don't you think the sprue being off center would cause inaccuracy?

No! There is no proof, evidence, testing data or studies that confirm that.

 

[MAC1967]

As someone else noted, most of the time the short start rod indents the ball too, so I'm not sure that sprue down is better. though it makes some sense, but sprue up where you can see it, has consistency. I prefer swagged balls, but shoot both and often find cast more affordable. These days, every penny saved matters. I've never noticed a difference in accuracy between swagged and cast w a sprue. . .perhaps others have.

 

[flatcreek]

I shoot swaged balls, problem solved. LOL

 

[TFoley]

Somehow I doubt that Holliday, Hickock, etc, were concerned whether the sprue was up or down. I could be wrong.
On a side note, I saw the best boat name ever today. Dock Holiday.

My favourite name was on a never-moving houseboat - 'Maud'.

 

[TFoley]

I shoot swaged balls, problem solved. LOL

Perhaps you are rich, in which case, that's fine. Here in UK swaged ball for Pedersoli or Hornaday cost $19/C for .44 cal........

I can cast ball that size for about 10c per hundred......

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

two light swipes with a file and my sprues are history. Why worry up or down?

 

[TrophyGuy]

Shadowgraph photos of supersonic projectiles reveal that every discontinuity on the leading edge generates a shock wave which causes no harm as long as it's spinning symmetrical about the bore centerline. A spinning sprue on the front would make a rotating shock wave. A spruce on the back side is lost in the turbulence. This is all theoretical and has little place in antique black powder shooting except intellectual banter, but still fun. I load sprue down with a short starter domed to ball contour, but doubt it helps or hurts accuracy much in a commercial grade barrel, but now I have something to fiddle with on my next range trip.

 

[CaptainVane]

two light swipes with a file and my sprues are history. Why worry up or down?

I buy Hornady. No sprue at all.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Perhaps you are rich, in which case, that's fine. Here in UK swaged ball for Pedersoli or Hornaday cost $19/C for .44 cal........

I can cast ball that size for about 10c per hundred......

Some people place a value on their time. If you have nothing better to do than melt lead & cast lead balls then good for you. Personally, I would rather spend that time shooting. BTW, I'm not rich, but the price of lead balls is trivial compared to the total cost associated with MLs.

 

[ORBushman]

.

Best response yet!

 

[ORBushman]

I buy Hornady. No sprue at all.

This^^^ Buuuuut, I am planning on casting some of my own just for the experience of doing it. Then I will shoot them butt up.