casting .490 round balls for my .50 cal rifle

[beezlebob]

  Tried casting my own balls for the first time this morning, HELP.  First of all I didn't have enough lead in the pot so I could get a dipper full to pour. I have a 12 ball mold, aluminum, and had warmed it up prior to pouring. The lead would plug the mold hole in a hurry, only two balls in one spot a couple of times. I'd have rings around the balls cause I poured each ball twice because I didn't have enough lead in the pot to dip a full ladle. The rings are a line around the balls like a cold joint in concrete, and I'm afraid I hadn't better use the balls because of this. Could someone set me straight on the dang thing please. The mold was lubed prior to use btw. My pot was heated on a small single burner camp stove, I don't have a pot with a temperature guage or electricity.

[hotfxr]

You kind of answered your own question there. You need to have enough lead in your scoop to fill one of the cavities each time. Only do one cavity per scoop and be as quick as you can without getting hurt. I have 2 ball molds and a melting pot. Before I pour for the first time I let the mold sit in the melting lead to warm it up. Wait a minute or so, drop the balls and set the scoop back in the lead while I cut the sprues. After a couple of pours the mold seems to stay hot enough as long as I keep a good pace going so I don't have to set the mold in the lead pot after the first few. I don't think you could scoop and pour fast enough to fill all 12 cavities in one sitting. Others may have had better results and this is just based on my experience which admittedly is exiguous.

[beezlebob]

Thanks hotfixr, I appreciate the advice. I'll try it, have lead heating again right now. Will it be safe to shoot the balls I've cast that have a ring around the balls?

[Patocazador]

You probably should have bought a 2-cavity mold. That way you would be able to fill it IF YOU HAVE YOUR LEAD HOT ENOUGH. Having the lead hot enough is the key to good casting. If your balls come out with wrinkles, your lead is not hot enough. If you have under-filled molds, your lead is not hot enough. (Do you see where this is going?)
However, when your balls have a frosted appearance, your lead is too hot.

It is difficult to get your lead too hot on a camp stove.

[hotfxr]

Thanks hotfixr, I appreciate the advice. I'll try it, have lead heating again right now. Will it be safe to shoot the balls I've cast that have a ring around the balls?

Truth? I don't know if it would be safe to use them. But with a firm belief in "better safe than sorry" I would melt them down again. Of the first few hundred balls I cast, more than half of them went back into the melt. Just consider it "refining your process in pursuit of perfection" and then it puts the fun back into the job.

[beezlebob]

Thanks guys, I think you fellows are right from what you've told me, my  lead is not hot enough. I can just fill a couple of holes rather than all of them I suppose, just so it works. Sure appreciate the advice.

[pilgrim]

       if using a camp stove,  need to try this to hold the lead,

      http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000152867795/10-Lb-Lead-Pot-Cast-Iron-

[rusticbob]

I just cast my first .490 roundballs today, I'm using a Lee bottom pour pot, and a Lee two chamber aluminum mold. I probably.cast 200, after sorting I probably put 100 back in the pot. I have a T/C Hawken which I intend to hunt with this fall. I will post results as I go.