Cheap Round Balls
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Busyhands94
Member
Not sure, was it the 1858 Remington forum? I sell .454 round balls there for the same price. Were they cast or swaged?
Busyhands94
Member
Cast is where the lead is heated to a liquid state and poured into a mold, This produces a sprue on the ball, which is a spot on the ball where it is flat or there is a small protrusion. The downside is that they need to be loaded with the sprue facing up or down for good accuracy. The positive side is you can produce them with a $20 mold in your backyard. Swaged is where they cut pieces of lead wire into pre-measured amounts, then they put it in a press where tons of pressure is applied to form it into a perfect sphere. This has no sprue, therefore you can just drop it in the chamber and seat it without having to take the time to locate the sprue and place it facing up or down. The only downside is unless you have the machinery to swage balls you have to buy them from a store or online.
That's basically the difference between the two, I don't really buy roundballs. I just make them!
That way I can collect and re-melt the lead into new ammo. Of course I don't do any paper punching, I just like to shoot cans and reactive targets.
~Levi
That's basically the difference between the two, I don't really buy roundballs. I just make them!
That way I can collect and re-melt the lead into new ammo. Of course I don't do any paper punching, I just like to shoot cans and reactive targets. ~Levi
tom e gun
Member
I could use a cheaper roundball source. Just bought a box of 100 .457's at sportsman's warehouse in Rocklin today and it was about $13 dollars. Any recommendations for moulds and such? What kinda casting equipment have you got Busyhands?
Busyhands94
Member
First of all I strongly recommend getting a Lee double cavity mold. I don't smoke mine and usually get a good ball the first pour, believe it or not. They are a pleasure to use! For a furnace I have a Lyman Big Dipper, it holds 10 pounds of lead and you can really go at it for a long time without refilling the pot. It's also adjustable, you have a dial that you can adjust the temperature of the lead with.
craiso
Member
Put your newly casted round balls in a can or plastic bowel and tumble them by hand for a while. You will notice that the sprue and any wrinkles will disappear. I just started casting my own as well and got this great tip from somewhere on a forum. I wish I could credit the source and thank him for a great idea .
.zxcvbob
Member
Craiso, you beat me to it. The Lee molds really don't leave much of a sprue, but if you tumble the balls in a rock tumbler for a little while they come out looking almost like swaged balls.
The hard part of casting your own is finding a source of soft lead -- either pure lead or lead with just a little tin and no antimony (no calcium, no copper, no arsenic, etc) If you can make a deep scratch in it with your thumbnail it will work. If you can make a light scratch it's probably OK.
The hard part of casting your own is finding a source of soft lead -- either pure lead or lead with just a little tin and no antimony (no calcium, no copper, no arsenic, etc) If you can make a deep scratch in it with your thumbnail it will work. If you can make a light scratch it's probably OK.
Busyhands94
Member
Try going to salvage yards, you can get lead for $1 a pound sometimes!
fogg64
Member
I have bought roundballs from 'masscaster' on the cast boolits site. His site is the 'Forefather's Casting Shop' . This is a link: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=87136
He is closed til Sept.
He is closed til Sept.
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Acorn Mush
Member
This is true except that swaged balls are not normally as consistent in size nor in weight as are cast round balls.
I can attest to this fact from to my own experience, as well as from postings on this and other forums.If your shooting consists of occasional plinking and/or informal target punching, then the swaged balls may be your better bet as far as cost effectiveness. However, should you desire to launch more than a couple of hundred balls downrange (and you will
), and have the time, then consider the relatively modest dollar outlay for a mold, lead pot, and ladle to keep yourself well supplied. Either way, good luck!I certainly am interested in casting as I want conicals/bullets too. But the initial cost of the many gadgets has me ordering commercial for now. I only get a small allowance :roll eyes: for now, which covers my beer brewing expenses too. Not to mention the long list of needs and wants...
Big Lube Bullets
biglube.com now has rounball molds that are six cavity molds . You can put out a lot of roundballs in a hurry with six holes to put lead into . He also has bullet molds for different calibers.
rodwha,Also wanted to say . Before starting to cast your own , read and watch whatever you can . Check out castboolits.com and castbulletassoc.com .
biglube.com now has rounball molds that are six cavity molds . You can put out a lot of roundballs in a hurry with six holes to put lead into . He also has bullet molds for different calibers.
rodwha,Also wanted to say . Before starting to cast your own , read and watch whatever you can . Check out castboolits.com and castbulletassoc.com .
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Fingers McGee
Member
To answer the original post. Log Cabin Sport Shop, Lodi. Ohio. $10.85/hd for .457s.
http://www.logcabinonline.com/index1.html
But you all have gone over to casting now.
http://www.logcabinonline.com/index1.html
But you all have gone over to casting now.
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FreddyKruger
Member
i cant find the biglube 6 cavity molds on their site...?
You don't need that many gadgets, I bought the Lee molds (they're cheap), an old cast-iron pot from a flea market and an old soup ladle. Sawdust make a good flux.
I've now upgraded to a used RCBS dipper from ebay, but the invesment cost is still very low.
I like the LEE molds to they don't cost a lot of $$$ and if you take care of them they'll last a long time. I have 8 of them now and they make real good rd balls and bullets for about any bp gun you need rd balls and or bullets. They heat up fast and once they do you can put out a lot of rd balls and or bullets in no time. I aslo use the LEE bullet-lube #90007 to put on the contact points to keep them from sticking and a match to in the bullet holes so the rd balls and or bullets from sticking to the molds. I can save $$$ buying these and use the cash saved for other things I might need later. Give it a try you'll like them.
P.S. F&M Reloading and Ebay is where I'd look for them first cause you can save $$$ buying from them also. Check them out you'll see what I'm talking about.
P.S. F&M Reloading and Ebay is where I'd look for them first cause you can save $$$ buying from them also. Check them out you'll see what I'm talking about.
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Zeke/PA
Member
The 6 cavity molds can be troublesome.
A bottom pour furnace and a two cavity mold and an afternoon can give you more bullets/ balls than you can shoot in awhile.
Have Fun!!
Zeke/PA
Member
A six cavity mold is a bigger than normal beast and the troublesome part is keeping the mold body "hot enough" to cast good bullets.
The sprue runner ITSELF holds enough lead for several bullets, emptying a lead pot in a short while.
Been there, done that so I'll stick to the two cavity stuff.
tom e gun
Member
So would y'all say the smaller molds (1-2) be better for beginners instead of the 6 cavity molds?
Acorn Mush
Member
A good 2-cavity Lee mold should fulfill your needs for quite a long while.
Zeke/PA
Member
Not only beginners!
I've been casting for almost 50 years and two cavity molds are all that I will ever use.
A bottom pour furnace is a must however and when things are going good,
200 + Bullets/Balls per hour will not be uncommon.
Lee moulds are great!
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