# Lead molds! lets talk about it.



## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

I have both a cheap fishing lead ball mold £15 and a musket ball mold £32,I can honestly say at 100 feet accuracy seems to be about the same.

I'm hoping some distance shooters will chime in and tell me it makes a difference further out or maybe there is not much difference at all,making the cheap lead mold great bang for the buck.

What do you guys think,cheers.


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

I suspect that at the relatively low speeds involved and at normal shooting distances, any aerodynamic effects from minor surface irregularities in a lead ball will be minimal to zero. If they are detectable, it would be more obvious with lighter ammo.

YMMV of course.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

You could well be right,I remember some saying they use conical ammo and it flies good at normal shooting distance i.e 33 to 50 feet I believe some hunters prefer them too.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

jskeen said:


> I suspect that at the relatively low speeds involved and at normal shooting distances, any aerodynamic effects from minor surface irregularities in a lead ball will be minimal to zero. If they are detectable, it would be more obvious with lighter ammo.
> 
> YMMV of course.










I agree. My experience from my old black powder days seemed to bear this out. As long as the mass of the balls was the same, it mattered not one whit whether the surface was bright, shiny smooth or had very minor irregularities. In target shooting, I know a lot of guys would be careful to always turn the sprue up (or down), trying to be as consistent shot to shot as possible. But in my experience, the minor irregularities found in stance, hold, sight pattern, trigger pull, etc. more than made up for any miniscule irregularities in the surface of the ball. And theoretically, such irregularities would come into significance only at velocities much greater than we get with a slingshot.

But this is only my opinion, and it is worth exactly what you paid for it ....









Cheers ..... Charles


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## spanky (May 29, 2011)

Hi Guys
I have the cheap fishing moulds-But keep getting burned by the things.
Saving up now for a mould from Hogans castings-Seen the product and it is top notch.No burned fingers either.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

spanky said:


> Hi Guys
> I have the cheap fishing moulds-But keep getting burned by the things.
> Saving up now for a mould from Hogans castings-Seen the product and it is top notch.No burned fingers either.


I know what you mean but I have thought adding a piano hinge and handles myself,it would not be hard to do IMO


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

I have a Lee .375 round bullet mold, designed to make very smooth, consistent round balls, and it cuts the sprue clean. I also have a Do-It slingshot pellet mold (.430 and .490, 15 cavities) which has no sprue cutter and a dimpled surface. I see no difference in accuracy. _(Basically I can't hit anything with any of them. LOL!)_

The guys who shoot rocks will tell you that variations in ammo are far less important than shooter skill.


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## strikewzen (Jun 18, 2010)

check what Mr. Hays said here
http://slingshotforum.com/topic/10446-tumbler-rock-to-smooth-ammo/page__hl__%2Brock+%2Btumbler+%2Bammo__fromsearch__1

and very nice starlingear skull you got there... let's get a mold for that!


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## orcrender (Sep 11, 2010)

I have several of the Lee molds and they work great, but have not seen much effect on ball shape other than weight. I found some old American football shaped lead fishing sinkers that shot well for about 50'.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

strikewzen said:


> check what Mr. Hays said here
> http://slingshotforu...__fromsearch__1
> 
> and very nice starlingear skull you got there... let's get a mold for that!


Oh that would be good but I'll take no part in copying,I say that lightheartedly my friend









I'm thinking tho,all I spent the past months and pete(hogancastings) does not do a 10mm or less mold,Pete? I could have got that by now with what I spent


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

S_S, may I asked where you got the fishing mould from?

Cheers,

Kevin.


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## smooth62 (Aug 23, 2011)

lee makes good molds i have a 45 cal 36 cal and a 50 cal looking for a 32 i shoot black powder
ebay has all kinds of molds 32 cal up to 69 cal


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

Jacktrevally said:


> S_S, may I asked where you got the fishing mould from?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kevin.


Sure! ebay


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Sorry for the off topic... SS, I like your avatar. hope you have made that with your new mold


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## spanky (May 29, 2011)

slingshot_sniper said:


> check what Mr. Hays said here
> http://slingshotforu...__fromsearch__1
> 
> and very nice starlingear skull you got there... let's get a mold for that!


Oh that would be good but I'll take no part in copying,I say that lightheartedly my friend









I'm thinking tho,all I spent the past months and pete(hogancastings) does not do a 10mm or less mold,Pete? I could have got that by now with what I spent...balls to you too








[/quote]
Pete has new smaller moulds coming out very soon John,I tried the 16mm that his current mould produces-Pete gave me some free samples to try.Man if you are overrun with elephants in your part of the country these are the ammo to use.
I am waiting for the smaller moulds to be produced maybe try 10mm lead.


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## Jacktrevally (Feb 14, 2011)

Thanks S_ sniper.


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## Classic Slingshot (Apr 27, 2011)

Hello welcome to the forum


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