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Hello all, My first post here is a question, I've just finished putting together a Lyman GPR and I would like to get a .490" mold that actually dropped a round object from the cavity's. I see RCBS and Lyman both make one but don't know the quality of ball they produce. I have both brand molds now for CF rifle and am happy with what they produce but no knowledge of their RB molds.
Currently I'm using a Lee, nuff said.
Longone
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Take your pick pretty much luck of the draw in my opinon. The last few round ball molds that I have bought, Lyman, Lee. RCBS, Saeco have all dropped under size by a couple thousandths to .005 thousandths. And I do cast HOT!
RB
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Not what I was hoping to hear, but thank you for your reply. BTW, were they at least round?
Longone
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I have a couple of old Lymans that are with-in a thousandths or two. The last Saeco that I bought was a .495 round ball single cavity that at best throws a ball the measures .492 to .493. I have been checking a few the last couple of days and most seem to be wider across the cavity and more narrow along the parting line? I'm thinking about lapping one out just to see what happens I have lapped a few modern molds with varing degrees of success and then most have become wider along the parting line so maybe that would work OK on a round ball mold?
RB
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When you say you cast Hot, how hot are we talking? Are you using a thermometer or going by the setting?
I think I'm going to give RCBS a call and see how they feel about their product and any suggestions they might have to make ROUND balls.
Longone
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I use a dipper and a thermometer for pure lead I cast about 800 to 825 degrees depending on the mold. A big ball and small blocks you could drop down some on the tempertures and a lot of it depends on your casting rhythm too I tend to cast a fairly rapid rate once I get thing going I stay right at it and don't stop unless I need to flux or slow things down.
I just have one RCBS mold that I have been using lately and it's about the same as the others two to three thousandths under size and with in a couple of thousandths of being round.
Richard