If You're Anal And You're Happy Weigh Your Balls

[Semisane]

Under the topic "If You Really Want Accuracy" Dutch Schoultz says "for general target work I toss all balls that weigh more than 1 grain less than the heaviest ball into the melting pot". He asserts that the light balls have air bubbles or impurities that cause them to be unbalanced, and unbalanced ballswill open up your groups andresult inflyers. (He compares it to an unbalanced wheel on your car.)Now I find a certain amount of logic to that argument. But just how practical is it to seek 1-grain weight consistency?

In anearlier thread(http://www.huntingnet.com//forum/tm.aspx?m=3403380) Chetmarks commented that he weighed95Hornady .490 ballsand theyranged from 177.3 to 178.5 gr. That 1.3 grain spread is extremelyconsistentin my view. Hedivided them into 2 groups andended up with 42 that were between 177.3 and 177.9 and 53 that were between 178 and 178.5.

I have only tenHornady .535 swagged balls on hand. Iweighed them to the nearest full grain and they came out with a 4-grain spreadas follows:

229 grains - 1
230 grains - 2
231 grains - 2
232 grains - 5

Then I went totally nuts and weighed 100 cast .54 balls out of a batch that Bronko was kind enough to send me. Here are the results weighed to the nearest 1/2grain.

228.0 grains - 3
228.5 grains - 1
229.0 grains - 1
229.5 grains - 4
230.0 grains - 2
230.5 grains - 0
231.0 grains - 4
231.5 grains - 4
232.0 grains - 7
232.5 grains - 6
- - - - - - - - - - - -
233.0 grains - 14
233.5 grains - 3
234.0 grains -10
234.5 grains - 14
235.0 grains - 12
235.5 grains - 6
- - - - - - - - - - - -
236.0 grains - 2
236.5 grains - 3
237.0 grains - 2
237.5 grains - 0
238.0 grains - 1
238.5 grains - 1

So, if I assume allballs in the three-grain spreadfrom 233 to 235.5 are "good balls" and everything under 233 andover 235.5 are "out of spec", Ihave 59 "good" balls for target shooting and 41 plinking balls.

OK, that's anal enough for me. Here's my next shooting experiment with the Great Plains flintlock.

(1) Shoot two5-shot 50 yardgroups with the balls weighing 234.5 grains.
(2) Shoot two 5-shot 50 yard groups with each ball weighing at least two grains different from all other balls (one ball each228.0, 230.0, 232.0, 234.0 and 236.0).

Any predictions????

[corey012778]

semi, stop playing with your balls or they are going to fall off lol

I may have to do that with some of my .490 roundballs see if that does help any

[bronko22000]

Semi - I think you're going over the edge. Wow, a 10 gr difference in ball weight. That sounds like a lot.
That is going to be some interesting test. I predict that the difference in group size will not be significant. With a slight edge going to the more uniform weight.
But I remember what my Dad always said - and with the amount of time you spent playing with your balls, it may have effected your eyesight so your shooting ability may be in question.

[nchawkeye]

I started casting my own about 25 years ago, I use all the best equipment...

I buy the finest tomatoes and use the can for the lead, a Coleman stove for a heat source, SnoSeal for removing the doss, a dipper to dip lead and a bag mold made by Rapine for the balls...I've shot wrinkled balls, frosted balls and even a few with a hole in the sprue area...

Guess what...With open sight they will all shoot within an inch at 50 yards...

You'll think I'm full of dung, but I honestly think that the patch and lube used makes more difference than the balls...

I do sort out the best looking balls for hunting, but a ball has to look pretty ratty for me not to try it at the range...

[Semisane]

Corey, I just knew you would go there.

Hey Bronko and Hawkeye, you guys are probably right that the difference may not be significant. I've never weighed balls before - just looked them over for obvious flaws. But a guy's gotta play with something, why not his balls? (Actually, these areBronko's balls - now that's creepy.)

Anyway, after this next range session I will have formed my own opinion.

[corey012778]

sorry the devil made me do it

[nchawkeye]

Think about something else, that ball isn't round after you start it with a short starter, it conforms to the inside of the barrel...Next, you shoot it so it squats before it moves (oblate is I believe how you spell it)...It's shorter on the rotating axis than it's diameter...So it leaves the barrel deformed anyway...

As pitiful a projectile as the round ball is, it was used longer than any other has been...Used within it's limitations it's deadly and accurate...

As primitive as some think flintlocks are, they were in general use longer to ignite firearms than any system before or since...

[emptyquiver2]

When I shot with the NSSA,I weighed every minnie and Galliger bullet. Every powder charge was dropped and weighed exactly like I was doing smokeless. With roundballs, I did at times weighed them. If the lead and mold were hot, you will end up with a heavier ball then one that is cooler. Its best to develope a rythum when casting. Keep in mind that nomally when loading your roundball gun, you are dropping powder down the barrel from a volume measure. That in itself can be a big varient. At shoots you will also notice shooters will seat the ball with the ramrod by slamming the rod down on the ball until it jumps in the barrel. Bad idea. Its best to know the personality of your long gun. I never use a short starter regardless of the caliber. Always picked a patch and ball diameter that allows me to load with a single stroke of the rod to seat the ball on top of the powder. If after ten or so shots I feel some drag when loading, I run a damp spit patch down the barrel to extract much of the fouling and continue shooting.

[MountainDevil54]

ever since i got that damn scale some months back i weigh everything from powder charges, bullets, round balls and even my inserts for the powerbelt.

[emptyquiver2]

He He at least your getting your monies worth.