bullet casting problem (muzzleloader bullets)

[kevin]

ok, i bought the whole lee setup for casting bullets. I am casting 50 caliber muzzleloading bullets but they are very very very tight and i have to use a mallet to tap them in then ram the rod really hard. My other bullets my neighbor made for me with the same type of molds drop right in. Am i doing something wrong??? I shouldnt have to pound them in. I have two 50 cal rifles and they are both the same way when i try to load the bullets

[rep30cal]

What is the size marked on the box or mold compared to the size of the actual ball or is it a bullet. I cast .490 balls for my sons muzzleloader and use a .010 thick cloth patch.

[kevin]

the lee boxes said cal .50 for all 3 bullet types

my round ball mold says .490

when i load the bullets and have to use a mallet and ram them really hard i am rifling them going down the bore they are that tight

do i need to get a 54 cal to shoot the .50 bullets?

[rep30cal]

I'm real new to this game also but the .490's work real well in my son's rifle with a patch. I have been told that the "bullet" type projectiles are better off in the "in-line" type rifles or used with a sabot, but that's another argument for the shooters. Another thing to consider on how hard it is to drive the bulleys down the barrel is "what" you are casting them with. It is better to use pure or softer lead in muzzleloaders because wheel weights are too hard and that will make them hard to drive down the barrel. If you haven't been there yet try over at castboolits.com, they are a great bunch of guys and are every bit as helpful as the guys here and there is a lot of knowledge about casting.

ETA, actual website is castboolits.gunloads.com

[kevin]

its weird, my bullets are the same style my neighbor made and he has lee molds too, his drop right down my barrel with only the slightest resistance. Im using pure lead.

[rep30cal]

Did you get your mold brand new, I have been reading that there has been a problem with LEE molds lately with a sizing issue. Measure the balls out of your mold and your friends mold and see if they measure out near the same size, you may have to send your mold back to be replaced.

[robocop10mm]

Are you using lead from the same source? The introduction of just a small amount of Tin or an even smaller amount of Antimony can alter the characteristics of the bullet significantly.

Are you dropping the bullets into water or allowing them to cool naturally. I drop my 50cal ML Minieballs onto a cloth to prevent any quench hardening that may occur. I introduce a small percentage of Tin into mine (about 1-2%) to help the alloy flow into the grooves of the mould better.

I agree to measure the final diameter and compare to what the neighbor is getting. Virgin lead will shrink more as it cools than an alloy containing Tin and/or Antimony. If yours are coming out too large it may be because you have some alloying metals in the mix that you do not know about.

[rep30cal]

I've been wondering how things were going and if you had a chance to do some measuring of the bullets.

[kevin]

my neighbors bullets measure about .495 mine .505 to .510

Mine have to be hit with a wooden hammer handle so the bullets will fall out of the mold. My lead is recycled from pure lead muzzleloading bullets, i pick them up after a rain when they wash out from behind my targets. The bullets i used were hornady i think, pure lead round balls etc.

[rep30cal]

Sounds like you may have gotten a mold with sizing problems, it is .015-.020 over size. It is no wonder you have to drive in the bullets with a mallet.