Lead shot maker.

The only way to drop shot and get it round is with a shot tower IMHO. I have experimented with dropping it 35 feet in the winter time and was pleased with the results. Not perfectly round but not flat either. If I had no other means this would at least work for fair ammo I would think.

My experience too, you need a tower of sufficient height that gives the lead time to shape and cool before being quenched. Monitoring the temperature of the lead helps too. Get it hot enough to flow through the dippers but not hotter. It takes some experimentation to get the results you want, I use laundry detergent as the quench coolant.

I don't make my own shot but I thought about it a few years ago. Shotgun World has a lot of info on the subject.http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=415048&hilit=shotmakers This should keep you busy for awhile.

Coupla Civil War shot towers close to me. Probably because the soft sandstone around here was easy to bore thru with technology of the day, and the availability of local lead. I wonder, other than just the kool factor of making your own shot, iffin it is worth while. My experience is the better your shot, the better your shot pattern. Iffin you can't make good shot, would you want to shoot it?

"...not perfectly round..." Not dropping far enough. Shot towers for up to #6 shot run 40 meters high. That's 131 feet. Twice that for larger shot.

Can you post a picture of the shot maker? From what I've read shot has arsenic in it to help the lead round out ,just wondering if it would help .

CC

BigBore45 said:

It's not a tower, it's a shot maker.

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Yep......seen 'em for sale and seen how to make a homemade one on youtube. I'd assume either your temperature is wrong or the alloy is wrong. Must be a FAQ on those web sites that sell the machines maybe?

I have made a lot of shot for trap shooting. I used antifreeze and water mix for coolant. I dropped it about 1/4 inch to coolant. The shot wasn't perfectly round, but I couldn't tell any difference between it and factory loads on the trap line. They both busted targets. I talked to a guy on the phone when I ordered new orifices for my shot maker. He told me to drop it 1/4 inch. Try that.

Big Bore 45 wrote:
It is making shot but not perfectly round
I'm guessing it is the ramp angle or length.

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You are not going to get round shot by drizzling molten lead down a ramp. The ramp will work as a heat sink and a flat surface will form on one side of the lead droplet when it first strikes the ramp.

To get round shot, individual drops of lead have to be allowed to fall through the air so that gravity, air resistance and surface tension have a chance to form a rough ball. How far that fall needs to be is dependent upon the size of the balls you are trying to make.

Even then, such dropped balls will have a slight teardrop shape that comes from the air passing over the surface while it was still molten. The only way to get nearly true balls would be drop them in a vacuum.

Maybe--maybe not. Seeing a picture of it would have gotten a lot more replies, and help us to answer some questions. You also are very-VERY brief in your question to start with, I hate typing with my hunt&peck system, but I try very hard to convey my questions and helpful replies,,-- IF I think I have some experience or facts that might help.

I've been accused of of sounding like it's my way or the highway, my replies are worth exactly what you paid for!

Have you tried putting chalk on the down ramp ... I have been told to take white chalk and color the ramp .... Makes the shot roll down easier ....