Semisane

Recently Cayugad gave me a good deal on a .535ball mold, one of those aluminum Lee double cavity jobs. It'sin great condition(thanks Dave). Of course, I had to cast some balls with it right after it arrived. After culling the obvious defects, I had 211 good balls. I was bored this evening and decided to weigh/sort them just for the heck of it. Here's what I got.

Weight Range No. of Balls Percent

235.0 to 235.9 grains 78 37%
234.0 to 234.9 grains 93 44%
233.0 to 233.9 grains 2713%
232.0 to 232.9 grains 13 6%

I think that's real good with81% of the balls from two different cavities ending up in the top two-grain spread(234 to 235.9)and 94% being within a three-grain spread (233 to 235.9). I probably should justtoss those under233 grains back into the pot, but I think I'll shoot a ten-shot group with them just to see how they do. I guess you'll be seeing a range report on them sooner or later.

Pete D.

Yeah. do shoot them. I'll be real surprised if there is any appreciable difference. There are so many additional variables when loading and shooting a MLer that a RB that is, maybe, half to one percent different in weight from another is not going to shoot a whole lot different.
IIRC, the standard weight for a pure lead RB at .535" dia. is 231 grains.
FWIW - I just measured and weighed five RBs, picked at random, that were cast with a similar Lee mold. They were all at .5295 - .5305" dia. and weighed, cast in as pure a lead as I have, 219.9 - 221.4 grains, less than one percent different in those five.
Pete
Pete

lemoyne

Semisane
Do you use a temature controled furnace? Lee

Semisane

No temp controlled furnace Lee. I use a pot and dipper over a home made jet burner. No thermometer either.

Semisane

Hey Pete, was that with a .530 mold, or a .535? I measured ten of the balls in my .234.0-234.9 group and they were all from.539 to.540. With the pure soft lead I'm using this .535 mold throws balls that are a little on the large size.

Pete D.

My mold is the .530 version, #90283. It is supposed to drop pure lead at 224 grains, but like yours, it drops a little light.
Pete

Johnmorris

If it is dropping light the lead could have a little alloy in it.

lemoyne

Semisane
most of the difference in size and weight comes from the tempture of the mold and the lead. Lee

Semisane

What's the rule of thumb with that Lee? Hotter mold = smaller ball or larger ball?

cayugad

Did that Rapine paint job I gave that mold help release them balls for you? That mold always did cast a nice ball with hardly any spur on them. And the weight of them sound about right. I am surprised at the diameter some of them are coming out at. It will be interesting to see the first range report with them.