Speer are pure lead ball just like Hornady and are as soft as Hornady or Buffalo. I like Speer, but I have to order them on line so they end up costing me more. That's why when I do order ball, I order a couple hundred at a time.

I cast my .50 & .54 caliber ball, but still purchase my .58 & .62 ball. LEE Mold does not make the size molds I like in the other calibers. I really like a LEE mold. They might be made of aluminum, but I have casted literally thousands of ball from my .54 caliber mold over the years.