Good video. Just like to point out that if you use the tapered side of the cutter (the oposite side you use) you will get a cleaner and closer cut that leaves almost no tail. That dimple is so the cutting edge can get as close as possible to the ball and holds the ball straight. Also rubbing on a rock can pick up grit that can do long term damage. Use the mold as a tiny hammer to tap the two ridges down.👍
Thanks for this! I'm reading Little House in the Big Woods to my grade 3/4 class, and they were very curious about how Pa made his own bullets! This shows the process so well!
Watch buying bag molds from Track of the Wolf. They're made in India. I bought one, and although it works, I was not happy finding out it was foreign made. I wrapped mine with leather on the handles so I could grasp to while its hot. Now these molds don't produce balls as nicely as say a Lee mold will, but I've shot some of them and they are serviceable enough.
when I started to build a fire in the living room my wife got all prissy about it. Likewise my neighbor in my back yard. SoI plugged in my RCBS Pro Melt (shameless plug) pitched it 10 pounds of pure lead in it, smoked my aluminum mold, and ran 10 ponds of ball faster than you can say Robert is your father's brother. I can shoot 'em faster than you can cast 'em. like this. However very interesting how it was done in the old days thanks for the video. Nicely done.
I notice the ball mold had a depression where you cut the excess lead off. Can you place the ball in it and cut the excess off on the back leaving a smaller piece of lead on the ball? Great video I watch as many as I can and learn something every time.
I like this way off making rvound balls but I am wondering two things. First what is the ladle made of because I found a ladle about the same size made from cast iron but it looks like one you would hang on a wall as a decoration it has a handle on it and second I heard something about making chewed round balls by rolling a course flat rasp file over and around the ball to supposedly make it shoot more accurately out of a muzzle loader is this true and how does this work?
Bladsmith pretty good bet. If you’ve never fired one before, a .36 or similar caliber is good to get started. Especially if you don’t plan on hunting with it.
What is the make and caliber of your flintlock? I have a .45 cal percussion made in Italy by Dart, it was given to me several years ago by a friend and I have never fired it. It appears to be a smooth bore as there is no visible rifling and I have cleaned the hell out of it. What type of powder and how many grains would you recommend as a starting point for figuring what will work best in this smokepole, it is styled like a Pennsylvania rifle, a long gun.
Don't you have to pre-heat the mold, like with Lee or Lyman?You can get those classic molds from Track of the Wolf in the special section under round balls molds.
Shot is nearly impossible to cast like this. So you always cast shot into roundball. To make shot from lead you would need to pour a bead of lead out then cut it into small pieces.
Hello All. Dan, early in this video you mention "Making Shot" in another video. Did you ever make that video because I missed it when I scanned down your list of videos? With the way thing have been for the last year and a half (2020 - 2021) A Shot Making Video May be a Very Welcome thing to view by Many people.
Recently I ve ordered two pairs of these bagmolds from Larry Callahan. Now I dont want to destroy them right from the start. Degreasing...a matter of course. And I ve heard that its a good idea to always keep a leadball in the cavity, so the pliers wont get misaligned. This makes sense too. But do you soot these before using? Is there anything else that is important?
Get a piece of 1/6 or 1/8in flat steel. Cut a piece about 3 inches round. Carve a bowl shaped depression into a chunk of wood such as a small stump. Heat the metal red with a torch, then while holding the metal with vice grips or other tool, lay the metal over the depression in the wood, then beat the shit out of it with a ball peen hammer to get the metal to take the shape of the depression. If done right it will take on a spoon or ladle shape.Then either hammer the ends to make a tab for insertion of a stick, or like I did, I ground a point on the end of the tab in order to jam it into the end of a split green limb to use as a handle. Simple, takes up no space in your bag and handles are found anywhere.
Get a Lee double ball mold with a sprue cutter. They don't cost too much. If you use a revolver, make sure that the cut off sprue is facing across the chamber so any excess is trimmed off when seating the round on the powder
In the 1850's, 60's and early 1870's a person could buy just the gun or a "boxed set" that include the gun, nipple wrench, mold and flask. Today these are called display sets and if all original is very nice to add to a collection.
