Round Ball Bullet Mold Question

[stretchman25]

I am starting to look for a .615 round ball mold for a .62 Hawken that is coming closer to being completed. The only problem is the molds I have seen go from .610" and then jump to .620+" I have looked at Lee, Lyman and RCBS. I have heard that Rapine has retired. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks
Todd

[pastore]

So what is the problem with the .610?

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

Check with Jeff Tanner in England at jeff@ballmoulds.co.uk. He makes good custom sized molds at reasonable prices--has a contact in San Diego that he sells thru.

[Bub524]

I got a Tanner mold for a .62 of mine and his molds work very well. Just email him and tell him what you want. I think the .610 would work fine for you though.
If you are thinking of using a .005 patch you may find with a .62 and the powder charges involved you are blowing the thin patch material out, thus loosing your accuracy.

[Sam Sellaro, 12403]

His molds do cast nice but they are not pretty I have 2, a .936 and a .879 neither of mine have a sprue cutter but they still are great.. You can also try NEI but it will have to be steel because they are out of aluminum.

[Southron Sr.]

A few years back I ordered a Tanner mould in .464" and was very pleased with it, EXCEPT, with NO SPRUE PLATE I was forced to cut the sprues off of each cast ball.

Not only did this take a good amount of time, but since it was impossible to cut off each sprue at the same lenght, each ball I cast and cut came out with a non-standard weight. Obviously, this was not conductive to accuracy.

I threw my Tanner mould on a milling machine, milled a flat spot at the sprue hole and then installed a spare Lyman Sprue Plate I had lying around the shop.

So, now casting round balls using my Tanner mould is a pleasure and in addition, the sprue plate means that I no longer have to go thru the odious task of cutting off each sprue.

In case you don't have a mill lying around your house, any decent machinist could install a sprue plate with ease on your Tanner mould and the job shouldn't cost too much.

Believe me, installing a sprue plate on your Tanner mould will definitely be worth the trouble!

[Bub524]

I cut off the sprue as close as I could and then, as with all my cast RB's, I put them in an old rock tumbler and tumble them. They come out looking like a golf ball with all the dimples and no sprue to worry about. Also if you have any with voids they show up.

[singleshot]

The 610 mold might work with a heavier patch material?